But it was the Colts who were penalized because their line shift was illegal, and neither Pagano nor Whalen would explain why Whalen – a 190-pound receiver by trade – chose to snap the ball with at least four Patriots directly in his face.
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“If you get a certain look, 3 yards, 2 yards, you can make a play”.
“Not pleased with the way I prepared the guys, coached the guys to go out and execute the play”.
Just a day after Blake O’Neill booked his place in college football Hall of Shame for fumbling and conceding a last minute, game-losing touchdown, the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts did something even more mind-numbingly stupid. The fact that Whalen even snapped the football made matters worse, as there was clearly nowhere for Anderson to run or make a play. Catch them with more men on the field – 12 men on the field. Whalen, the Colts player who snapped the ball, also said postgame that the snap was “miscommunicated”.
“We started working it previous year and we put it back in this week”, said punter Pat McAfee. “Any time you get that kind of field position, whether it be on a turnover or in this case on downs, whatever it is, you want to be able to take advantage of it. That was the most important thing and we did that, so that was the best thing about it”. “The look was not there like we normally have in practice where it’s a ‘go.’ There must have been a few miscommunication between the snapper and Colt”.
When it comes to any trick play, the first decision-making principle is risk-reward.
This team is too well-coached to be caught by surprise on a unusual formation. The Colts turned possession over to the Patriots as the stunned home crowd booed.
Visit NFL.com to see video of the botched fourth-down play. One of those moments is a failed trick play.
“We were going to be aggressive”, Pagano said. The latest example of a call that created confusion came when Detroit’s Golden Tate grabbed a pass in the end zone, then had the football stripped by one Chicago defender and plucked out of the air by another.
The Patriots went on to win 34-27, thanks largely to quarterback Tom Brady, who piloted a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to open the third quarter, capping it with a 25-yard scoring pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski. In the third quarter, the Colts called a very peculiar play that nobody expected, a fake punt! So, yeah, it’s something they have done in the past.
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“I think the play was a version of the swinging gate play”, Belichick told reporters. Pagano one-upped Belichick on fourth-and-three. Another victory. And we’re moving forward and focused in on another good team [the Jets] that we’re going to have to handle.
