This year on This weekend in NFL stupid, we’re focusing on one extremely stupid winner with an honorable mention or two on a weekly basis. To close out Week 6 of the 2015 regular season, we look back on one of the worst attempts at a trick play in NFL history.
The winner: Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano
It just doesn’t make sense, no matter how you break it down. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re familiar with the play. It’s 4th-and-3 from the Indy 37-yard line late in the third quarter of a one-score game, and Pagano has his guys do this…
Strange attempt to lure the Patriots offside? Maybe, except Griff Whalen actually snapped the ball to Colt Anderson, despite the fact the Colts had allegedly been practicing the play for a year and the fact Anderson was apparently yelling at Whalen not to snap it.
But even if the ball hadn’t been snapped, and even if the Pats had jumped, it was an illegal formation. The penalties would have offset each other and Indianapolis wouldn’t have wound up with a first down.
And that’s why it might have been the stupidest play in NFL history, regardless of the result.
Of course, Whalen snapped it to Anderson, who stood no chance and lost a yard. With great field position, the Patriots were in the end zone six plays later with what turned out to be the winning touchdown.
And yet today, Pagano insists he doesn’t regret the call, making him the stupidest man in football. At least for a week.
Co-runners-up: Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin
Both Mikes made stupid PAT decisions in the second halves of their respective games. Tomlin’s Steelers still won, but he nearly cost his team the game, while Pettine’s Browns might have beaten Denver had it not been for his bone-headed two-point attempt.
Pettine’s miscue: When the Browns scored to take a 20-16 lead in the fourth quarter, Pettine had them go for two instead of one because two covers you against two Denver field goals. But that late in the game, that’s a wimpy strategy. You need to take the extra point so that if Denver scores a touchdown (more likely than two field goals that late) you can come back and win it, avoiding overtime with a field goal. Sure enough, Denver scored a touchdown and then Cleveland could only force overtime with a late field goal. They lost in overtime.
Tomlin’s miscue: Up 12-10 in the third quarter against Arizona, Tomlin had the Steelers go for two. I appreciate that Pittsburgh has been going for two a lot and that the team’s been having some kicking issues, but you absolutely can’t risk forfeiting a three-point lead in the second half of a low-scoring game.
Look, I like aggressive coaching and rarely hate on coaches for gambling on two-point conversations, but in Pettine’s case it was actually the more conservative play and in Tomlin’s case it was just ridiculous. Simple math, man.
