Indy Week

[steveluck7]

 
 
I mean, BB practiced the Edelman double pass in training camp but kept it in his pocket all year until being down in the playoffs to a tough team, even though they started the season slow and had plenty of tough opponents.

I believe they actually called the play earlier in the season but Amendola audibled out of it because of the defensive alignment. I can't remember which Pats victory film mentioned it. 

 

[tims4wins]

I believe they actually called the play earlier in the season but Amendola audibled out of it because of the defensive alignment. I can't remember which Pats victory film mentioned it. 

 
KC

 

[rodderick]

I believe they actually called the play earlier in the season but Amendola audibled out of it because of the defensive alignment. I can't remember which Pats victory film mentioned it. 

It was called against KC but they didn't have the look so Amendola called it off. It's in "Do Your Job".

 

[mandro ramtinez]

 
Or, you know, not run the stupid play.

You're assuming Pagano would have had the good sense to realize the play was unlikely to work under the circumstances and can it.  It's pretty clear they were running that trick play no matter how likely it was to fail under the circumstances.

 

[lexrageorge]

It was called against KC but they didn't have the look so Amendola called it off. It's in "Do Your Job".

And the result was a TD pass to LaFell on a nice catch and run.  

 

[Corsi]

Phillip B Wilson ‏@pwilson24  1m1 minute ago
I’m told #Colts punter Pat McAfee got an earful for giving explanation on why trick play failed. Glad he did. Chuck Pagano should have.

 

[tims4wins]

Ha. Pagano: "you should never have told the media that, it makes me look even worse!"
 
Ah, idiot kickers and the Colts. A timeless tale.

 

[loshjott]

 
Phillip B Wilson ‏@pwilson24  1m1 minute ago
I’m told #Colts punter Pat McAfee got an earful for giving explanation on why trick play failed. Glad he did. Chuck Pagano should have.
 

 
If someone on the Pats had given that interview, he would have gotten an earful also. The difference is nobody would have leaked to the press that he got an earful.

 

[djbayko]

McAfee isn't a good fall guy

 

[MarcSullivaFan]

Agreed. He's very popular in Indy and is generally thought of as a nice guy and a straight shooter. Despite generally taking responsibility for the play, Pagano left Whalen hanging out to dry by failing to explain why it was pretty clearly *not* his fault. Without any explanation, Pagano's "taking responsibility" looked like a coach protecting the player who screwed up, which wasn't very helpful to Whalen. Not a great sign for Pagano.

 

[tims4wins]

Pagano's response in his twitter Q&A this week was cowardly. Here is what he wrote:
 

From a communications standpoint, I didn’t do a good enough job with all 11 players that were on the football field. Again, we’ve looked at it extensively, we’ve talked about it enough. We looked at it today and now it’s time to put that one to bed and move on.

 
That is so fucking shameful. As I wrote when discussing the McAfee interview, it was quite clearly NOT a communication issue, unless you define communication as not practicing the play with the same players as you run it with during the game.

 

[pappymojo]

Eh, I think it's fair to call it a communication failure.  The coach didn't tell the player not to snap the ball. 

 

[tims4wins]

Calling it a communication failure makes it seem sort of a run of the mill, and somewhat blameless offense. When you say "we didn't practice the play with that player" it sounds way, way, way, worse. It is a total cover your ass move by Pagano. Now that we know the truth it sounds even worse to call it a communication failure.

 

[edmunddantes]

I'd save it for the playoffs. They're the favorite to win their division regardless and they already had two losses which makes getting a bye tough even if they beat NE. They put a ton of focus on the game because it's NE, but a playoff game against the Jets or whoever is probably a much better place to use your trick play. Or a game later in the season when the playoff picture is clearer.
 
I mean, BB practiced the Edelman double pass in training camp but kept it in his pocket all year until being down in the playoffs to a tough team, even though they started the season slow and had plenty of tough opponents.

He didn't keep it in his pocket.

As noted above, Amendola kept it in the Patriots pocket. Bill and McDaniels had it dialed up for the KC game.

 

[tims4wins]

I had totally forgotten about this until just now but remember in the AFCCG when the Pats pulled the punt team off the field and were gonna go for the 4th and 1, but got called for a penalty? Wonder how much that play inspired the Colts.

 

[Reverend]

Not to pick on your post, but if this had been a well-designed play that the Colts might actually ever need, it seems like this was as good a game as any to use it. 

 
Right. And as per the post, they should have aborted when it became apparent it wasn't going to work.

 

[Kevin Youkulele]

Right. And as per the post, they should have aborted when it became apparent it wasn't going to work.

Well, it did turn out to be an abortion.

 

[Toe Nash]

He didn't keep it in his pocket.

As noted above, Amendola kept it in the Patriots pocket. Bill and McDaniels had it dialed up for the KC game.

Indeed. Well, I disagree with Bill then on that one.

 

[lexrageorge]

Indeed. Well, I disagree with Bill then on that one.

I'm guessing that part of the decision process was that using that play late in a game in which the team was losing 27-0 would not really provide much insight to opposing coaches watching film.  
 
Video assistant:  "Look John, we can see they have a double pass play where the former college QB throws a bomb".
 
Harbaugh:  "Yeah, kind of cool.  But that game was over; can't see them taking the ball out of Brady's hands when it actually counts in a playoff game.  And we've got bigger things to focus on than Edelman's passing ability". 

 

[Silverdude2167]

I'm guessing that part of the decision process was that using that play late in a game in which the team was losing 27-0 would not really provide much insight to opposing coaches watching film.  
 
Video assistant:  "Look John, we can see they have a double pass play where the former college QB throws a bomb".
 
Harbaugh:  "Yeah, kind of cool.  But that game was over; can't see them taking the ball out of Brady's hands when it actually counts in a playoff game.  And we've got bigger things to focus on than Edelman's passing ability". 

/sidetrack
Video assistant: "Look John, Alabama ran this play where a TE lines up as the LT but is actually eligible"
 
Harbaugh: "What, I refuse to believe that play exists. No one has or will ever run a play like that! Stop wasting my time!"
 
/sidetrack over

 

[edmunddantes]

Indeed. Well, I disagree with Bill then on that one.

But there actually is genius there.

Bill, McDaniels, and the rest of the staff drill these guys on plays, they work on them, they practice them, and then they call them.

The difference being, as Bill says, it's a players game. So he does leave it up to the players to execute or not execute.

I would bet you a $1000000 or more dollars that on breakdown Tuesdays (or whatever day the coaches and players review the tapes) that Bill/McDaniels went to Amendola and said "what did you see? Why?" etc and then learned from it, and then kept it in their back pocket for the next time.

So yeah, maybe it wasn't the best time to call that play, maybe it was from what they thought they saw, but Bill and staff have trust in their players to help them out if the players think they are making a mistake.

 

[Super Nomario]

But there actually is genius there.

Bill, McDaniels, and the rest of the staff drill these guys on plays, they work on them, they practice them, and then they call them.

The difference being, as Bill says, it's a players game. So he does leave it up to the players to execute or not execute.

I would bet you a $1000000 or more dollars that on breakdown Tuesdays (or whatever day the coaches and players review the tapes) that Bill/McDaniels went to Amendola and said "what did you see? Why?" etc and then learned from it, and then kept it in their back pocket for the next time.

So yeah, maybe it wasn't the best time to call that play, maybe it was from what they thought they saw, but Bill and staff have trust in their players to help them out if the players think they are making a mistake.

I'm pretty sure they already knew what Amendola saw because they'd coached him to call it off if they didn't get the right look. They're not going to give Edelman five passing options on that play - if they didn't get the right look pre-snap, they wanted to make sure the ball never got in his hands in the first place. That's why they built the backside slant into the play.