Obviously I’m no football buff. I thought only the QB can throw the ball forward, but I swear NE’s #11 threw the ball in for a TD in the 3rd quarter against the Ravems. How can that be? I thought anyone else (other than the QB) had to pass laterally? Have I been misinformed all these years?
Long history of flea flicker in NFL and NCAA
Someone will be along with link to rulebook
Yeah, lovely flea flicker. Commentators even said the first pass had to be thrown backwards.
I loved having Ladanian Tomlinson in my Fantasy leagues. In one game, he could run for, throw for, and catch TDs
…and, why don’t we see this more often?
Specialization of player’s roles and the incredibly quick defenses at that level of play.
Yes, you misunderstand. Any player may throw the ball forward IF he is behind the original line of scrimmage, the ball has not crossed the line already and come back (you can’t cross the line and then retreat behind it and throw), there has not yet been a forward pass on the play.
Am I missing anything else?
Google flea flicker, wildcat, option, play action, reverse, etc… for a full picture of alternative offensive plays
Generally speaking, if someone is capable of throwing like an nfl qb, that’s what they will be. But there have been a few college qbs that had success as nfl Wrs and threw occasional passes. Sanu for the Bengals is one. Antwaan Randle El was another.
It’s difficult to pull off. Throwing a football requires some skill. Throwing it accurately requires even more skill and throwing it accurately against an NFL defense even more.
Usually these plays are designed so that the intended receiver will be fairly wide open reducing the risk of an interception thrown by a guy whose job isn’t normally to throw the ball. This means you usually have to fool the defense in order for it to work.
Yowser! What a game!
Because defenses are smart, and can sniff out these plays. If the play fails, it’s often an interception or a big loss of yardage.
Absolutely one of the most exciting games I’ve watched in years.
That was fun to watch. My heart was in my throat.
As others said, Brady threw the ball backward. That’s a lateral. The ball can still be thrown forward for a pass.
Edelman was a good college quarterback at Kent State(OH). He threw about as perfect a pass as you could.
And then whine about the refs or opposing team being mean to Lady Day.
Other risks as well, the lateral can be intercepted, if it isn’t caught it’s a fumble, not an incomplete. And the play offers twice as many opportunities for something to go wrong, when you try the reverse 5 things can happen and 4 of them are bad.
I never whined.
Ladanian is the one who whined, fairly constantly.
Of course, my bad.