- Jun 12, 2014
- 1,030
- 52
Founding Member
I find it beyond amazing some of you arrogantly reject the NFL as if it was a football version of the NBA. You miss the very best players on the planet making the most amazing plays imaginable.
When commentators discuss an upcoming game they never forget to include the importance of Special Teams. Fans give the subject lip service too but most of attention is geared toward spectacular kickoff or pint returns that can help out their teams or give the opposing team a lightning strike advantage that could tip the scales of victory or defeat. For the most part we want special teams to do their job and neutralize the other team and let the course of the game flow through the offense playing the defense.
It was almost a foregone conclusion the visiting Seattle Seahawks would travel to St Louis to notch another victory. After all Seattle was the reigning Super Bowl champions and St. Louis was one of the weakest teams in the NFL. The game did not go as planned as David slew Goliath and his slingshot was Special Teams Needless to say the Special Teams game plan was a masterstroke of planning and execution.
The Ram's Benny Cunnngham set up an early touchdown by rambling 75 yards on a kickoff return. The saga had just begun The Piece de resistance was the Harry Houdini punt return by Stedman Bailey. Seahawks punter Jon Ryan punted the ball as the Ram punt return team drifted to the right with returner Tavon Austin moving to the ball waving his arms preparing to receive the punt. His eyes glued to the ball and his body language was flawless The Seahawks team, the television commentators and the camera man were all Standing alone on the other side playing possum was the other returner, It was an Academy Award performance by Austin for his colorful physical acting and a best supporting actor award to Bailey for playing possum. Special mention award to the blockers for adding to the trickery. To stand there playing possum Bailey had to sprint backwards 40 yards to be in position for the circus catch over his shoulders and then go the 90 yard for the surprise touchdown high stepping past the hapless punter along with his convey of blockers. Almost everybody were taken hook, line and sinker on a play borrowed from the pages of the Chicago playbook, as the Bears ran an identical play in 2011 with Johnny Knox (and Devin Hester as decoy), but that touchdown was called back on a holding penalty. Spurred by the play of their Special Teams the Rams surged to a significant lead but the favored Seahawks battled their way back to trail by only two points. In the last 3 minutes St. Louis could not make a first down to ice the game away. It was 4th down at their own 18 yard line with only 2:55 left in the game. The Seahawks were poised to get good field position and take to the ball down the field for a winning field goal. Incredibly the Rams were not done with their Navy SEALS commando tricks. The ball was centered to punter Johnny Hekker, a quarterback in high school, who whirled to his left and hit an open Benny Cunningham with a pass to pick up 18 yards and the first down. St. Louis ran out the clock but not without a controversial fumble recovery that sealed the shocking victory.
You've got to love a game like this. Seattle lost the chess match, lost the game. How many times in history has a woefully weaker military studied their opponent to take advantage of weaknesses by employing ruses to create a level playing field? I can't remember another game, NFL or college, that an underdog employed such two stunning Razzle-dazzle tricks to steal the game.
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/hom...le-dazzle-Rams
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...er-vs-seahawks
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/10/st-l...-bailey-austin
When commentators discuss an upcoming game they never forget to include the importance of Special Teams. Fans give the subject lip service too but most of attention is geared toward spectacular kickoff or pint returns that can help out their teams or give the opposing team a lightning strike advantage that could tip the scales of victory or defeat. For the most part we want special teams to do their job and neutralize the other team and let the course of the game flow through the offense playing the defense.
It was almost a foregone conclusion the visiting Seattle Seahawks would travel to St Louis to notch another victory. After all Seattle was the reigning Super Bowl champions and St. Louis was one of the weakest teams in the NFL. The game did not go as planned as David slew Goliath and his slingshot was Special Teams Needless to say the Special Teams game plan was a masterstroke of planning and execution.
The Ram's Benny Cunnngham set up an early touchdown by rambling 75 yards on a kickoff return. The saga had just begun The Piece de resistance was the Harry Houdini punt return by Stedman Bailey. Seahawks punter Jon Ryan punted the ball as the Ram punt return team drifted to the right with returner Tavon Austin moving to the ball waving his arms preparing to receive the punt. His eyes glued to the ball and his body language was flawless The Seahawks team, the television commentators and the camera man were all Standing alone on the other side playing possum was the other returner, It was an Academy Award performance by Austin for his colorful physical acting and a best supporting actor award to Bailey for playing possum. Special mention award to the blockers for adding to the trickery. To stand there playing possum Bailey had to sprint backwards 40 yards to be in position for the circus catch over his shoulders and then go the 90 yard for the surprise touchdown high stepping past the hapless punter along with his convey of blockers. Almost everybody were taken hook, line and sinker on a play borrowed from the pages of the Chicago playbook, as the Bears ran an identical play in 2011 with Johnny Knox (and Devin Hester as decoy), but that touchdown was called back on a holding penalty. Spurred by the play of their Special Teams the Rams surged to a significant lead but the favored Seahawks battled their way back to trail by only two points. In the last 3 minutes St. Louis could not make a first down to ice the game away. It was 4th down at their own 18 yard line with only 2:55 left in the game. The Seahawks were poised to get good field position and take to the ball down the field for a winning field goal. Incredibly the Rams were not done with their Navy SEALS commando tricks. The ball was centered to punter Johnny Hekker, a quarterback in high school, who whirled to his left and hit an open Benny Cunningham with a pass to pick up 18 yards and the first down. St. Louis ran out the clock but not without a controversial fumble recovery that sealed the shocking victory.
You've got to love a game like this. Seattle lost the chess match, lost the game. How many times in history has a woefully weaker military studied their opponent to take advantage of weaknesses by employing ruses to create a level playing field? I can't remember another game, NFL or college, that an underdog employed such two stunning Razzle-dazzle tricks to steal the game.
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/hom...le-dazzle-Rams
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...er-vs-seahawks
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/10/st-l...-bailey-austin