# Explain NE's Trick TD? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 11, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515 "2015-01-11T00:36:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/1 "2015-01-11T00:36:43Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/2 "2015-01-11T00:38:36Z")
Long history of flea flicker in NFL and NCAA Someone will be along with link to rulebook ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/3 "2015-01-11T00:41:31Z")
Yeah, lovely flea flicker. Commentators even said the first pass had to be thrown backwards. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/4 "2015-01-11T00:43:23Z")
I loved having Ladanian Tomlinson in my Fantasy leagues. In one game, he could run for, throw for, and catch TDs ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/5 "2015-01-11T00:44:35Z")
…and, why don’t we see this more often? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/6 "2015-01-11T00:46:27Z")
Specialization of player’s roles and the incredibly quick defenses at that level of play. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/7 "2015-01-11T00:48:17Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > 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? 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? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/8 "2015-01-11T00:48:27Z")
Google flea flicker, wildcat, option, play action, reverse, etc… for a full picture of alternative offensive plays ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/9 "2015-01-11T00:49:37Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > …and, why don’t we see this more often? 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. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/10 "2015-01-11T00:52:13Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > …and, why don’t we see this more often? 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. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/11 "2015-01-11T00:52:22Z")
Yowser! What a game! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/12 "2015-01-11T01:33:55Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > …and, why don’t we see this more often? 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. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/13 "2015-01-11T01:38:10Z")
> [@jimbuff314](#): > > Yowser! What a game! Absolutely one of the most exciting games I’ve watched in years. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/14 "2015-01-11T01:44:10Z")
That was fun to watch. My heart was in my throat. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/15 "2015-01-11T01:48:06Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/16 "2015-01-11T01:49:50Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > I loved having Ladanian Tomlinson in my Fantasy leagues. In one game, he could run for, throw for, and catch TDs And then whine about the refs or opposing team being mean to Lady Day. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/17 "2015-01-11T02:47:25Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/18 "2015-01-11T03:30:57Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > And then whine about the refs or opposing team being mean to Lady Day. 😕 I never whined. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/19 "2015-01-11T03:52:14Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > 😕 > > I never whined. Ladanian is the one who whined, fairly constantly. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515/20 "2015-01-11T03:58:18Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Ladanian is the one who whined, fairly constantly. Of course, my bad. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-nes-trick-td/709515.md?page=2)