Patriots ineligible receiver play is out

[pantherphan96]

Can someone explain what exactly the patriots did? All I remember is Harbaugh was pissed about the miscommunication from the PA system and refs.

 

They had Vereen (their RB) report as an ineligible receiver and put him in the slot. The Ravens were confused if he was ineligible or not because it was not made clear and he was in the slot. When the ball was snapped, Vereen ran a route backwards that further confused the Ravens D and caused them to commit a defender to him.

[SmokinwithWilly]

that's not cheating if it's against the rules.

if shula came up with something that genius we'd al ………………you know what i can't even finish that thought

If Shula ever came up with something like this, hell will have frozen over.

[Frizzy350]

This is like playing Super Smash Brothers with ur friend when you were little who kept using the same cheap move over and over.  Instead of you know, learning how to counter it, you just tell him he cant use it or you'll turn the Nintendo off.

[SmokinwithWilly]

Things that will happen before Shula comes up with a creative play.

1. Fat Alice will openly denounce the Saints and worship at the altar of the Panther nation.

2. CWG and Madhatter will openly denounce all political parties to form their own built on love and understanding.

3. Igo will spend the Panthers next playoff game taking selfies.

4. Jangler will stop stalking Hayden.

5. SCP will go to Golden Corral to get a good steak dinner.

[dos poptarts]

They had Vereen (their RB) report as an ineligible receiver and put him in the slot. The Ravens were confused if he was ineligible or not because it was not made clear and he was in the slot. When the ball was snapped, Vereen ran a route backwards that further confused the Ravens D and caused them to commit a defender to him.

 

 

I doubt a single instance of the ineligible receiver would confuse defenses, but if a team were to not substitute and begin swapping players as eligible/ineligible and doing this in the no huddle/quick snap, defenses would always be outmanned. Unless you allowed the defense to substitute each time there was a change in the eligible/ineligible declaration. I think one of the TDs against the Colts was supposed to be called back because one of the Pats didn't even declare. Rule change was probably to help the Refs as well.

[MDPanthersFan]

Can someone explain what exactly the patriots did? All I remember is Harbaugh was pissed about the miscommunication from the PA system and refs.

 

Every play, the offense is required to have 7 players on the line of scrimmage.  Typically, you will have 5 of them being players with ineligible numbers (5 Olinemen) and the other 2 with eligible; this is to make things easier on the defense and officiating crew to pick out the 7 players.

 

New England moved one Olineman off the line of scrimmage and put a RB up there, in his place; they lined him up in the slot though, outside the OTackle to that side, but covered by an outside receiver (thats what made him ineligible).  If this isn't picked up (Baltimore didn't), the defense has to account for him in coverage, essentially creating a disadvantage by making it 6 total receivers, rather than 5.

 

Anyone who knows the rules would have seen that outside receiver and known that the slot receiver was covered and not eligible, regardless of whether they heard the announcement or not (that was Harbaugh's gripe).

[Datawire]