Thread: McDaniels defends offensive sets

PHOENIX -- New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels defended the team's usage of ineligible receivers in its two playoff games, a hot-button topic that has led to some former coaches, such as Tony Dungy, to call for the tactic to be stopped.

Dungy, in an interview on NBC Sports Network, had called the Patriots' tactic "nothing but an intent to deceive and they are doing it very well." Current Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that his issue was with the officials allowing a defense to match up once an ineligible receiver is announced.

During Super Bowl XLIX media availability Wednesday, McDaniels was asked a question about uptempo offense as it related to deception and using ineligible receivers, and he interrupted the interviewer to make his point.

rest - http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/...lleged-tactics

Deception's wholly legal, and the rules very simple: There must be 7 players on the LoS at the snap, and only those behind or on each end of the line are eligible. There's nothing wrong with a RB, WR or any non-lineman on the line, and no rule against it; that's basically how TEs were created. Despite my many complaints against NE generally and McDumbass particularly, it's Harbaughs own fault he can't count to 7.

Play-action's deceptive, its inverse (i.e. the draw) is deceptive, counters (AKA MISDIRECTIONS) are deceptive, pump fakes are deceptive, showing blitz and dropping into coverage at the snap's deceptive, delayed blitzes are deceptive: FOOTBALL'S deceptive. Harbaugh's not so new to the game he doesn't know that or geniunely thinks it illegal: He got outcoached, and is handling adversity with his typical "grace."

Usually those sets are given to the officials office prior to the game, and the patriots didn't notify anyone until game time.

But, I personally don't find anything wron with this. It was a legal formation, they pulled it off, and it worked. Nothing wrong with that, and should be encouraged.

I'm actually a bit surprised they didn't save that lil nugget for a bigger moment, but they did it.

Originally Posted by Ravage!!!

Usually those sets are given to the officials office prior to the game, and the patriots didn't notify anyone until game time.

But, I personally don't find anything wron with this. It was a legal formation, they pulled it off, and it worked. Nothing wrong with that, and should be encouraged.

I'm actually a bit surprised they didn't save that lil nugget for a bigger moment, but they did it.

Given how close they were to losing that Ravens game, they might have lost had they not pulled those formations out. I would agree that I didn't see much of a point of using it against the Colts though.

The New England Patriots have utilized substituting eligible and ineligible players to confuse opponents in the past two playoff games.

In advance of the Super Bowl, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he contacted the league office to discuss the referee mechanics to ensure mistakes don't occur during the game.

Carroll said he was told referees will make new signals to properly identify who is and isn't eligible on a given play.

AND

Carroll said referees will point to an eligible player and will make an arm-crossing motion at the knees for a player reporting as ineligible -- several reporters present have said the motion Carroll portrayed looked like The Charleston.

The Seahawks coach claimed officials made a mistake during the AFC Championship game on a Patriots touchdown throw to Nate Solder, when they allowed a player who had reported eligible the previous play to remain in the game as an ineligible player without indicating, causing confusion for the defense.

full article - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...ineligible-men

In other words, Carroll doesn't want any cheats at the SB but his. I still think it speaks volumes of the Pats that their last coach before Belicheat was—Pete Carroll, who went straight from being fired there to doping and buying his way to a vacated "national" "championship" at USC before fleeing in disgrace just ahead of a ban to dope and cheap shot his way to Seattles "championship." In fact, Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia (whose son Steve is infamous for running the cameras in Spygate I & II) held senior positions with Carroll AND Belicheats NE teams. This is a Bowl of Kraft Whackaroni and Cheats.

If deception is legal, I like it. I just hate the Patriots. I think it was just good coaching. If the Broncos could deceive and be legal, we would all call it a great move and somebody would be a genius.

Originally Posted by Bronco9798

If deception is legal, I like it. I just hate the Patriots. I think it was just good coaching. If the Broncos could deceive and be legal, we would all call it a great move and somebody would be a genius.

Too much made about nothing and I completely agree with you. Deception is a big part of football, we just tend to forget it because the sport tends to go bland at times, it is a copycat league after all. Our new Special Teams Coordinator is known for deceptive special team plays, like Seattle used to get back in the Championship game against Green Bay, that is his specialty. McDaniels despite the dislike I have for him was good about opening up and utilizing plays from long forgotten schemes and implementing them in his game plans.

Originally Posted by Lancane

Too much made about nothing and I completely agree with you. Deception is a big part of football, we just tend to forget it because the sport tends to go bland at times, it is a copycat league after all. Our new Special Teams Coordinator is known for deceptive special team plays, like Seattle used to get back in the Championship game against Green Bay, that is his specialty. McDaniels despite the dislike I have for him was good about opening up and utilizing plays from long forgotten schemes and implementing them in his game plans.

Yeah..but by his perspective they were "things we've never seen before."

Not reading, but dammmmmmmn it, why am I seeing his effing name everywhere? I just want that word to be a censored word. Go **** yourself, Mc*******.

UPDATE: NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino clarified Carroll later Thursday, telling reporters that officials pointed out ineligible players during the AFC Championship Game:

"I think it was just in the conversation, he may have misinterpreted that it was new," he said. "We actually did do it during the AFC Championship Game."

Blandino also said that the Solder TD was in fact an illegal play and should have been penalized.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...s-in-afc-title

Originally Posted by Lancane

Too much made about nothing and I completely agree with you. Deception is a big part of football, we just tend to forget it because the sport tends to go bland at times, it is a copycat league after all. Our new Special Teams Coordinator is known for deceptive special team plays, like Seattle used to get back in the Championship game against Green Bay, that is his specialty. McDaniels despite the dislike I have for him was good about opening up and utilizing plays from long forgotten schemes and implementing them in his game plans.

As much as loathe the Patriots this is a non-story except to whinny Ravens fans.