Cheatriot at it again

[Mij yllek]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24953400/harbaugh-says-ne-ran-illegal-plays-tom-brady-says-study-the-rulebook

[Big Turk]

Can't believe more coaches have not used this---it would create serious havoc on defense

[YoloinOhio]

Get ready for the copy cats

 

Harbaugh was pissed.

[jimmy10]

So they pulled a Billy Martin. Wait until the right day and the right situation to take advantage of an obscure interpretation of the rules and have George Brett/John Harbaugh storm onto the field in anger. I doubt it works again.

Edited January 11, 2015 by jimmy10

[The Frankish Reich]

I know it's usually not allowed here but I gotta say I love it. Brady's comment: read the rulebook! This is a way to avoid the annoying rule that defenses get to sub just because an offense has subbed. It was fun to watch Harbaugh (damn, why didn't I think of this first?) meltdown over being caught with his khakis down.

[boyst]

It will work again because how do you cover that many guys?

 

The Patriots did it very smartly and I have wondered why others have not done it in the past.

[Utah John]

It's not cheating, but the officials should have realized that it gave the Pats an unfair advantage. Running a play out of that unusual formation is legal, no question, but having the referee simply announce that the RB lined up outside the main linemen group was ineligible just before the ball is snapped, is not sufficient notice to the defense to allow them to understand whom to cover. The whole point of having eligible and ineligible receivers is so that everyone understands who is eligible and who isn't.

 

So the FIRST time this happened, the Ravens were at an unfair disadvantage. Any times after that, these professional athletes and their professional coaches should have had some kind of plan. Even if they had to draw it up on paper on the sidelines, they should have been able to pull something together to counter the formation. For starters, with one of the ineligible linemen deployed off the main group, that left four actual blockers. Blitz away and see what happens.

[gobillsinytown]

If Don Shula thinks they cheat, I guess it's true(?)

 

"Speaking with Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel about other great coaches, is asked about Belichick and doesn't hold back with his response.

"Beli-cheat?" Shula says."

[bigdogtim]

It's not the fact that they did this that annoys me so very much but rather the smugness. They knew they were cheating at least the first time and we're proud of it. Winning because you Are the better team is honorable. Winning like they did smacks so much of desperation it is pathetic.

[The Frankish Reich]

It's not cheating, but the officials should have realized that it gave the Pats an unfair advantage. Running a play out of that unusual formation is legal, no question, but having the referee simply announce that the RB lined up outside the main linemen group was ineligible just before the ball is snapped, is not sufficient notice to the defense to allow them to understand whom to cover. The whole point of having eligible and ineligible receivers is so that everyone understands who is eligible and who isn't.

 

So the FIRST time this happened, the Ravens were at an unfair disadvantage. Any times after that, these professional athletes and their professional coaches should have had some kind of plan. Even if they had to draw it up on paper on the sidelines, they should have been able to pull something together to counter the formation. For starters, with one of the ineligible linemen deployed off the main group, that left four actual blockers. Blitz away and see what happens.

Try that next week and I'm guessing Von Miller is immediately shifted to be right over the ineligible receiver.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

tuck rule now this stuff. Cheaters always cheat

[May Day 10]

Smoke and mirrors. They continue to do it. Baltimore was so much better

[mannc]

I don't know the rule well enough to say whether it was legal, but I think the experts are going to conclude that it was at best a gray area. Belichick's post-game quote was telling: "We used six eligible receivers, but only five were eligible." Oh, ok. In other words, it's not cheating, but it's not not cheating.

 

I think the refs were as unprepared as the Ravens and the Pats took advantage of that.

[BillsFan130]

its not cheating, its smart. as much as I hate to say it but brady is right they did nothing wrong. they exploited a loophole In the rules

[truth on hold]

Its crap and shouldnt be allowed. Pure pre-snap trickery. Adds nothing to the game and detracts from what fans really want to see: players playing the game on the field. Not standing around looking confused.

[Dirtbag]

its not cheating, its smart. as much as I hate to say it but brady is right they did nothing wrong. they exploited a loophole In the rules

agreed. i wish our coaches were that smart. hopefully they are now.

[mannc]

its not cheating, its smart. as much as I hate to say it but brady is right they did nothing wrong. they exploited a loophole In the rules

Have you analyzed the rule? Are you sure that what they did was consistent with the rule? If so, please explain. I am not saying you are wrong, but I have yet to read a convincing explanation that it was legal. See Belichick quote above.

[K8prisoner]

It is bush league at best and an admission that ravens are a better team .. It took a fifteen yard penalty for harbaugh to at least give his d a fair chance .. Guarantee this will result in a rule change. But it go the taper of closed practices a chance to lose next week .. We should just do it back to him . And steal his signals . Tape his walk throughs and .. Nah .. Epuld rather lose straight up than steal it w cheap crsp

[BillsBytheBay]

This again proves to me that they are Win at all cost, not ultra competitive. Whatever.

[NoSaint]

So they were creative and it was hard to react to on the fly because the defense wasn't prepared? Sounds like when the Dolphins beat them with the wildcat.