The original intention behind the Indianapolis Colts’ fake punt was fine. The execution, however, was idiotic.
Colts punter Pat McAfee broke down the play Tuesday morning on Westwood One’s “The Bob and Tom” radio show. The Colts’ original goal was to force the Patriots to panic and sub their defense onto the field when they saw Indianapolis’ punt team run toward the sideline. The Colts would then snap the ball, and the Patriots would be flagged for having too many men on the field. (Of course, the Colts still would have been flagged for an illegal formation, but that’s besides the point.)
The Patriots kept their special teams unit on the field and quickly matched up with the new formation. That’s where everything went wrong for the Colts.
Colts safety Colt Anderson, who was behind “center” Griff Whalen, then was supposed to draw the Patriots offsides. If the Patriots didn’t jump, the Colts would eat a delay of game penalty and punt on the replay of downs.
Whalen didn’t know this, however, because he wasn’t supposed to be on the field for the play. Whalen snapped the ball and Anderson was dragged down for a 3-yard loss. The Patriots scored on the ensuing drive, and the game suddenly was out of reach for the Colts, who lost 34-27.
“The gunner who became the center all week was (safety) Clayton Geathers,” McAfee said, via Colts.com. “Clayton Geathers gets injured in the second quarter. Insert Griff Whalen who had never done it before. So Griff Whalen is now the new center in a play he’s never practiced before.”
Apparently he was never told what to do on the Colts’ sideline either.
“Last week (in practice), Griff is at the other end catching my punts,” McAfee said. “We added something to try and draw them offsides if they don’t do their substitution. Griff never got the heads up this was happening because it’s not in the playbook. Stanford guy, reads the playbook, knows everything he has to do, but if he’s not there for an audible that’s added, he can’t know. …
“Griff has no idea we’re trying to draw the guy offsides because in the play it says if we get under center, snap it. So Colt Anderson is trying to draw a guy offsides to pick up an easy five yards. If not, we just don’t snap it. We take a delay of game. …
“Griff goes… ‘If I feel him right now, I’m supposed to snap it.’ So this is a 100 percent miscommunication. It’s literally a miscommunication.”
Whalen is off the hook. Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, however, is not since it’s asinine to try and run that play with one of the key components injured.
Perhaps the most bizarre part of all of this is why Colts.com felt the need to post McAfee’s quotes, which makes their team look even dumber.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Imagse
