# NFL - Smartest Play Ever
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [November 7, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593 "2008-11-07T04:19:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/1 "2008-11-07T04:19:20Z")
Don’t bother suggesting any - I just saw it, with 1:14 left to play in the Browns-Broncos game.
Denver (and UCF!) wideout Brandon Marshall scored a touchdown, and reached into his pants. Straightaway I thought, “Uh oh… he’s looking for a prop!”
Out of nowhere, Brandon Stokely came flying up and grabbed his hands, shielding whatever he was holding from the refs, until the rest of the team came up to congratulate Marshall. 15 yard penalty averted.
From the back-of-the-endzone camera, you could see it was something about four inches square. Kind of looked like an autograph book.
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### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/2 "2008-11-07T04:23:37Z")
I’m not following you, guess I’ll see the replay later.
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### Author:  [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/3 "2008-11-07T04:26:37Z")
Marshall definitely pulled something out, and was immediately stopped.
If you don’t mind an immediate hijack, I think Winslow just had the worst game that anyone has ever had in which they had 10 for 111 and 2 TDs. If that makes any sense.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/4 "2008-11-07T04:35:07Z")
nfm, remember the brief craze among wideouts for pulling stuff out of their pants/the goalpost padding to enhance their TD celebrations? Joe Horn’s cellphone, T.O.'s Sharpie, Chad Johnson’s… well, everything but the kitchen sink?
Marshall was going to pull the same sort of thing, and Stokely saw it coming and stopped him to ensure he wouldn’t draw an unsportsmanlike conduct flag.
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### Author:  [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/5 "2008-11-07T05:28:34Z")
Said he was going to pull out a black and white glove and do some black panther pose in support of Obama. :rolleyes: Just came off as a moron is describing it.
Fortunately for the Broncos the white man (Stokely) kept him down and saved a 15 yard penalty. Those 15 yards could have saved the game for Denver, though it would have taken a 60 yard field goal to tie it.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/6 "2008-11-07T05:39:50Z")
Excuse me while I whip this out.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/7 "2008-11-07T08:37:18Z")
Motherfucker!
I didn’t realize that Thursday games were starting this week, and as a result i forgot to return Jay Cutler to my Fantasy lineup before the game. Of course, he threw for 447 yards with 3 touchdowns, giving him 28 points.
Also, i missed out on putting Denver’s Tony Scheffler back in the team. He had 92 yards receiving, which is pretty damn good for a tight end. Of course, my other tight end, Tampa’s Alex Smith, has a bye this weekend.
I could have been up 34 points already. Instead, i’m faced with starting Matt Fucking Hasselbeck and searching the free agent list for a tight end.
Motherfucker!
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/8 "2008-11-07T11:40:03Z")
I looked, but couldn’t find the game on in my area… ☹
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/9 "2008-11-07T12:13:39Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> Motherfucker!
>
> I didn’t realize that Thursday games were starting this week, and as a result i forgot to return Jay Cutler to my Fantasy lineup before the game. Of course, he threw for 447 yards with 3 touchdowns, giving him 28 points.
>
> Also, i missed out on putting Denver’s Tony Scheffler back in the team. He had 92 yards receiving, which is pretty damn good for a tight end. Of course, my other tight end, Tampa’s Alex Smith, has a bye this weekend.
>
> I could have been up 34 points already. Instead, i’m faced with starting Matt Fucking Hasselbeck and searching the free agent list for a tight end.
>
> Motherfucker!
I"m the idiot who cut BOTH Winslow and Schleffer earlier this. I really thought Winslow was ready to implode this year and the Browns would give up the season.
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### Author:  [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/10 "2008-11-07T12:17:12Z")
I noticed that too. Very quick thinking by Stokely and while I support the idea of what Marshall wanted to do, it was the wrong place and the wrong time to do it.
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/11 "2008-11-07T14:24:13Z")
Smartest play ever in the NFL was not last night. That was a smart reaction. The play was over.
[Smartest play ever](http://reclinergm.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/brian-westbrook-%E2%80%93-the-smartest-most-unselfish-play-ever/) - [Video of the play](http://ballhype.com/video/eagles_vs_cowboys_never_before_seen_play/).
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### Author:  [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/12 "2008-11-07T14:59:35Z")
> [@Khadaji](#):
>
> I looked, but couldn’t find the game on in my area… ☹
Only on the NFL network.
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### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/13 "2008-11-07T15:03:14Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> Smartest play ever in the NFL was not last night. That was a smart reaction. The play was over.
>
> [Smartest play ever](http://reclinergm.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/brian-westbrook-%E2%80%93-the-smartest-most-unselfish-play-ever/) - [Video of the play](http://ballhype.com/video/eagles_vs_cowboys_never_before_seen_play/).
Bingo – when I saw the thread title, my first thought was “A thread about Westbrook lying down at the 1? A year later?”
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### Author:  [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/14 "2008-11-07T15:32:04Z")
> [@BabaBooey](#):
>
> Said he was going to pull out a black and white glove and do some black panther pose in support of Obama. :rolleyes: Just came off as a moron is describing it.
Sad.
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### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/15 "2008-11-07T17:12:38Z")
Of course, had he gone ahead and done it, and been flagged, he could’ve turned the whole thing around…
“No no Mr. Ref, you see, the glove is painted black and white…just like your uniform. That’s what this gesture is all about. You guys have been getting a lot of bad press lately, and I just want you to know that I’m standing strong with you…Referee Power!”
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### Author:  [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/16 "2008-11-07T19:41:53Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> I didn’t realize that Thursday games were starting this week
It’s the only reason to keep track of the World Series. When it’s over, you know Thursday NFL games are going to start.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/17 "2008-11-07T19:55:14Z")
> [@Kiros](#):
>
> … I think Winslow just had the worst game that anyone has ever had in which they had 10 for 111 and 2 TDs. If that makes any sense.
At the half I was thinking it was Winslow that should be named “Chief of Staff”. He cleared that up… again.
Props to the mighty Quinn. Helluva first outing.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/18 "2008-11-07T20:36:57Z")
I liked Belichick calling for an own safety so there would be enough time on the clock to regain possession and score to win. Certainly not a guarantied move, but it worked out for the Pats.
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### Author:  [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2008, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/19 "2008-11-07T22:02:31Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> Smartest play ever in the NFL was not last night. That was a smart reaction. The play was over.
>
> [Smartest play ever](http://reclinergm.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/brian-westbrook-%E2%80%93-the-smartest-most-unselfish-play-ever/) - [Video of the play](http://ballhype.com/video/eagles_vs_cowboys_never_before_seen_play/).
Agreed that it was a smart play, but I think it highlights the way that NFL people get strategy like this wrong all the time. Bill Simmons has a thing about how teams should hire kids who’ve played 10,000 Madden games to advise on things like this, and sometimes I think he’s right. It should be completely second nature for players to know the clock situation and what to do.
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### Author:  [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2008, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-smartest-play-ever/471593/20 "2008-11-08T08:26:51Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> Smartest play ever in the NFL was not last night. That was a smart reaction. The play was over.
>
> [Smartest play ever](http://reclinergm.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/brian-westbrook-%E2%80%93-the-smartest-most-unselfish-play-ever/) - [Video of the play](http://ballhype.com/video/eagles_vs_cowboys_never_before_seen_play/).
I know that had fantasy players cussing at the television.
The Thursday game killed me too. Was leading our workplace picks by TWO GAMES…and they’re completley disallowing everyone’s card who didn’t get it in by Thursday. Even if you take a loss for the Thursday game. There’s probably 7 people in the running. I bet five of them are DQed this week. What a joke.