OttoinGrotto
2023-24 Iggy Award Most 3 Pointers Made
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Up 3 in the 4th quarter against the Bengals in the last game of the season, they found themselves with a 4th and 9 just barely in Bengals territory. In other words, the no-man's land of field position.
Where other, lesser teams would be content to punt, the Steelers instead lined up in a punt formation, only to have their punter throw a truly horrible duck right down the middle of the field. One of the Bengals players, failing to realize that an incomplete pass would give his team the ball at the 45, intercepts the pass and is promptly tackled at the 35.
I love this play. Absolutely love it. There's no sure thing if you punt that you "pin 'em deep" as coaches are supremely confident will happen. If you put the ball in the air there, the defense has to go against their natural tendencies to make the smart play. If they intercept it, chances are you threw it in to a pile and you've got players there to make the tackle. If your player catches it, well, cool. You advanced the ball, and either scored, got a first down, or pushed your opponent back a wee bit if you didn't convert even after the reception.
The variation that I'd run would be to send out your punt team, but have your QB back there and just bomb it to the end zone. You'd hope being back for the long snap would give him enough time and protection to not take the sack. Plus, if you want to kick it, well, the best your QB can probably do anyway is a pooch punt, which with that field isn't a bad option anyway.
Here's to you, Omar Epps/Mike Tomlin, for doing something weird that's actually really smart and that I wish we saw more often.
Where other, lesser teams would be content to punt, the Steelers instead lined up in a punt formation, only to have their punter throw a truly horrible duck right down the middle of the field. One of the Bengals players, failing to realize that an incomplete pass would give his team the ball at the 45, intercepts the pass and is promptly tackled at the 35.
I love this play. Absolutely love it. There's no sure thing if you punt that you "pin 'em deep" as coaches are supremely confident will happen. If you put the ball in the air there, the defense has to go against their natural tendencies to make the smart play. If they intercept it, chances are you threw it in to a pile and you've got players there to make the tackle. If your player catches it, well, cool. You advanced the ball, and either scored, got a first down, or pushed your opponent back a wee bit if you didn't convert even after the reception.
The variation that I'd run would be to send out your punt team, but have your QB back there and just bomb it to the end zone. You'd hope being back for the long snap would give him enough time and protection to not take the sack. Plus, if you want to kick it, well, the best your QB can probably do anyway is a pooch punt, which with that field isn't a bad option anyway.
Here's to you, Omar Epps/Mike Tomlin, for doing something weird that's actually really smart and that I wish we saw more often.