A note to NFL teams: Fake punts don’t always work, especially if they have horrible designs.
The Tennessee Titans apparently didn’t get that memo Sunday in their matchup with the Colts in Indianapolis. Trailing by two touchdowns early in the third quarter, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey decided to call a fake punt on 4th-and-2 from his own 43-yard line.
Not the worst idea, right? It is when you call a play like this:
First of all, the punter isn’t lined up under center and is in a running back’s stance, essentially telling the Colts it’s a fake. Secondly, Tennessee ran the direct snap reverse play away from all of its blockers, leaving five unblocked Indy players to greet poor Titans cornerback Valentino Blake for a loss of a yard.
That last Twitter user, of course, is onto something. That may have been a horrible play, but it still doesn’t top the worst fake punt in the history of all fake punts — which also happened in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Don’t worry, Mike Mularkey: Your play call never will be as bad as the Colts’ fake punt attempt against the New England Patriots last season. The Colts went on to beat Tennessee 24-17, but the moral of this story is to never try fake punts in Indy.
Thumbnail photo via Thomas J. Russo/USA TODAY Sports Images
