And now for your amusement

[Frankenchief]

I thought this was pretty funny - brought on by an idiot - in an unintended humor sort of way.

Enjoy.


Network: ESPN
Program: NFL LIVE
Announcers: Jade McCarthy, Herm Edwards, Tim Hasselbeck
Segment: 'BEST IMPROVISATION'
Clip: Alex Smith's fake(?) handoff to Jamaal before running it in himself






JM:
- How'bout this improve here?


Herm:
- IMPROVE?!!... THIS WAS A BOTCHED PLAY!


TH:
- That's why it's "Improv!"

[Frankenchief]

DAMMIT!!!! I guess I'm the idiot now, by ruining the moment with a typo. :(

That should read:

Herm:
- IMPROV?!!... THIS WAS A BOTCHED PLAY!

[ctchiefsfan]

There has been some talk about this play on another thread and I am still not convinced one way or the other if it was a busted play or a very artful intentional misdirection. Your thoughts????

[Frankenchief]

QB attempting hand off to his left. RB going to QB's right. ====> Busted play.

At least i hope it was not a designed play. It would have been a pretty stupid one. It worked here due to the improbability of it. Ironically.

[ctchiefsfan]

I hear you. But if you look at replays of the play, there are a lot of things that suggest it might have been a play specifically designed to look like a busted play. As to it being stupid if it was a designed play...isn't the idea behind a "gimmick play" to be so bizarre as to throw the defenders into a state of confusion? In this case it surely did, whether by design or actual confusion. Watching replays there is no hesitation on the part of JC or AS. To me it looks as if JC gives AS a pat on the butt as he goes past him to tell him it's time to turn and run. Maybe I am nuts, but I just don't see the hesitation or confusion on the part of the offense that I would expect from a busted play. The whole thing reminds me of a play my High School used to use where the running back would go behind the QB faking a handoff in one direction and the RB would slap the QB on the butt to let him know to take off in the other direction. It was a variation on a naked bootleg. Perhaps my imagination is running wild, but every time I see the play it just seems to work too perfectly to not have been planned.

[Frankenchief]

I hear you. But if you look at replays of the play, there are a lot of things that suggest it might have been a play specifically designed to look like a busted play. As to it being stupid if it was a designed play...isn't the idea behind a "gimmick play" to be so bizarre as to throw the defenders into a state of confusion? In this case it surely did, whether by design or actual confusion. Watching replays there is no hesitation on the part of JC or AS. To me it looks as if JC gives AS a pat on the butt as he goes past him to tell him it's time to turn and run. Maybe I am nuts, but I just don't see the hesitation or confusion on the part of the offense that I would expect from a busted play. The whole thing reminds me of a play my High School used to use where the running back would go behind the QB faking a handoff in one direction and the RB would slap the QB on the butt to let him know to take off in the other direction. It was a variation on a naked bootleg. Perhaps my imagination is running wild, but every time I see the play it just seems to work too perfectly to not have been planned.

I looked at it again today and I'm willing to accept some possibility of designed play. When Jamaal zooms pass Smith on his right side he immediately turns left leaving a quick hole for Smith to run through. And I agree there was no hesitation on either of them. Smith is said to be very smart and quick thinking. The way he hit that hole was either by design or a great demonstration of his quick thinking.

With all that said, I'm now only 45% sure it was a designed play while still 55% sure it was a busted one.

[Lord-Chiefy]

It was not busted..I swear

[ctchiefsfan]

I'm inclined to agree. Bizarre it was, but a "mix-up"? I don't think so. If you watch it in slo-mo it is very hard to see it as a busted play. No Chief hesitated for even a second. Alex Smith stood there like a statue but it wasn't a split second after JC went past his back and cut left in front of Smith's right shoulder that he tucked it in and went for the hole. I've probably watched that play 50 times and all I can see is some of the most artful trickery that I have ever seen. When Alex Smith handed left and JC went right it froze the entire Texans defense for maybe 1 second. But the Chiefs O-line never slowed up or hesitated. That play has been sitting in the playbook since early in the season.....just waiting for 3rd and short close to the goal line. I remember seeing a Raiders fan saying that the Chiefs couldn't handle a mobile quarterback. He forgot that we have one. Alex Smith LIKES to run with the ball. Makes me nervous every time he runs, but I will never argue with success.

[Frankenchief]

I'm inclined to agree. Bizarre it was, but a "mix-up"? I don't think so. If you watch it in slo-mo it is very hard to see it as a busted play. No Chief hesitated for even a second. Alex Smith stood there like a statue but it wasn't a split second after JC went past his back and cut left in front of Smith's right shoulder that he tucked it in and went for the hole. I've probably watched that play 50 times and all I can see is some of the most artful trickery that I have ever seen. When Alex Smith handed left and JC went right it froze the entire Texans defense for maybe 1 second. But the Chiefs O-line never slowed up or hesitated. That play has been sitting in the playbook since early in the season.....just waiting for 3rd and short close to the goal line. I remember seeing a Raiders fan saying that the Chiefs couldn't handle a mobile quarterback. He forgot that we have one. Alex Smith LIKES to run with the ball. Makes me nervous every time he runs, but I will never argue with success.

Heh, looks like my previous reply was moot, as you saw the same thing.

[jap1]

I'm inclined to agree. Bizarre it was, but a "mix-up"? I don't think so. If you watch it in slo-mo it is very hard to see it as a busted play. No Chief hesitated for even a second. Alex Smith stood there like a statue but it wasn't a split second after JC went past his back and cut left in front of Smith's right shoulder that he tucked it in and went for the hole. I've probably watched that play 50 times and all I can see is some of the most artful trickery that I have ever seen. When Alex Smith handed left and JC went right it froze the entire Texans defense for maybe 1 second. But the Chiefs O-line never slowed up or hesitated. That play has been sitting in the playbook since early in the season.....just waiting for 3rd and short close to the goal line. I remember seeing a Raiders fan saying that the Chiefs couldn't handle a mobile quarterback. He forgot that we have one. Alex Smith LIKES to run with the ball. Makes me nervous every time he runs, but I will never argue with success.

Why would anyone other than Smith and JC hesitate even if it was a busted play? They all had their backs to the two of them. They would have no idea he was going to run. This was supposed to be a read option. Smith had the option to hand it to JC or run it. Smith's eyes are looking forward and looking for the hole. JC tapped him to say, hey take off, I f'd up.

Dont forget Smith knows a thing or two about the option offense. He perfected Urban Meyer's spread option before Tebow ever had a chance in it. In two years, Smith ran for 1000 yards and 15 TDs. He knows how to read a defense and find a hole. It is very feasible he reacted that quickly. Don't forget Smith is very smart too. He completed his degree in economics in 2 years with a 3.74 GPA and started his master degree before going into the draft after his 3rd year.