The New England Patriots weren’t exactly crisp in the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but there was one moment at Heinz Field that no doubt made Bill Belichick smile. At least, on the inside.
New England was forced to punt midway through the second quarter and Ryan Allen boomed one that looked destined to bounce into the end zone for a touchback. But Belichick’s teams always harp on the importance of special teams, so it should come as no surprise that Jonathan Jones and Rex Burkhead were able to race downfield and save the ball from going into the end zone.
As the ball was bouncing into the end zone, Jones went airborne to try and toss it back toward the 1-yard line. Once Burkhead saw the ball wasn’t going to make it, he too made an acrobatic attempt to throw the ball back toward the rest of the punt coverage team.
And it was gorgeous.
THIS is how you cover a punt 😱 https://t.co/VLmxyu5wfU
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 16, 2018
This angle might make its way into the film session.
This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life https://t.co/qrBJNQ7YwN
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 16, 2018
We have no doubt Belichick will find a way to talk about this play over the next week.
