John Fassel breaks down "unfortunate" sequence after blocked punt

[big dog cowboy]

John Fassel breaks down "unfortunate" sequence after blocked punt
Dec 10, 2024
Tommy Yarrish
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer

FRISCO, Texas -- The special teams phase of football is an absolute wildcard that can change the entire trajectory of a game in a heartbeat. That was the case on Monday night for the Cowboys, as a blocked punt bounced right towards Amani Oruwariye who made contact with the football and the Cincinnati Bengals recovered it, setting up their go-ahead scoring drive to eventually win 27-20.

Special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel explained to the media on Tuesday that the play call was a seven blocks punt return, not a designed attempt to block the punt, but that the Bengals didn't end up blocking the backside B-gap, allowing Nick Vigil to shoot that gap and get in position to block the punt as he was taught.

"They play call is a very basic, elementary call…" Fassel explained. "We blocked it, the deflection didn't go in our favor, I don't know what else to say, Nick Vigil's technique was perfection." "I don't think this was a failed play, it was an unfortunate bounce off a blocked punt…" Fassel said.

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/john-fassel-breaks-down-unfortunate-sequence-after-blocked-punt

 

[Coogiguy03]

Jesse Holley made a good point in the radio show not taking blame off of 27 but that Vigil in the way he went to block the punt, if he blocks it a different way with his hands, it possibly rolls backwards instead of forwards

 

[big dog cowboy]

"[Oruwariye] said that he heard the crowd, which was significant, so he turned back to see what happened and the ball was bouncing at him, he didn't know that it got blocked," Fassel said. "He didn't know if it was a fumble, he didn't know that the ball was where it was. And so he just reacted like I would, see ball get ball."

That is the most important part for me. Oruwariye didn't know the kick was blocked. And I totally get that he saw the ball and naturally thought he needed to go get it.

For me, that single play perfectly describes the Cowboys season. If it could go wrong it has. We all thought the off season didn't go well and it's just carried over to the regular season.

 

[Coogiguy03]

That is the most important part for me. Oruwariye didn't know the kick was blocked. And I totally get that he saw the ball and naturally thought he needed to go get it.

For me, that single play perfectly describes the Cowboys season. If it could go wrong it has. We all thought the off season didn't go well and it's just carried over to the regular season.

Is that on the part of the players around him to yell to him GET AWAY Peter Peter/poison poison????? I agree, I think he saw it as a blocked kick, pick it up and run with it, as any player would do when there's a blocked kick

 

[Carson]

I said it before and I’ll say it again.

I would have been a lot angrier if we were 8-4 battling for the playoffs.

It was a super team unlucky fluke bounce that epitomized this season..

Learn and move on. We seem to have done more damage than good with bones coaching style over the years.

 

[Whirlwin]

The second it was blocked. It became a live football. It was already touched by the Cowboys. At this point, you’re just trying to prevent a first down. Or trying to pick it up to score.

 

[Whirlwin]

Is that on the part of the players around him to yell to him GET AWAY Peter Peter/poison poison????? I agree, I think he saw it as a blocked kick, pick it up and run with it, as any player would do when there's a blocked kick

It was a live football the moment it was touched by the Cowboys blocker. You don’t yell get away get away. It’s a live football. bengals pick it up run for a first down. He was the only cowboy there. They would’ve knocked him on his *** and they would’ve got the first down. He did the right thing trying to fall on it, but he muffed it.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Jesse Holley made a good point in the radio show not taking blame off of 27 but that Vigil in the way he went to block the punt, if he blocks it a different way with his hands, it possibly rolls backwards instead of forwards

Um, that's a ridiculous "point." You're lucky to even get a hand on the ball. You can't just block it where you want it to go.

 

[cowboyfan4life2]

Um, that's a ridiculous "point." You're lucky to even get a hand on the ball. You can't just block it where you want it to go.

If anyone told us before 4th down we'd get a block punt coming up 99.9 pct of us would have signed for it.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

The second it was blocked. It became a live football. It was already touched by the Cowboys. At this point, you’re just trying to prevent a first down. Or trying to pick it up to score.

I'm pretty sure that's not true.

If the ball is partially blocked but still gets past the line of scrimmage, it is treated the same as any other punt. Cincinnati could not recover or advance that punt.

They only could have recovered or advanced the ball if it had stayed behind the line of scrimmage.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Fassel is taking care of his guy publically. Behind closed doors I would imagine its a little bit different conversation. This is how a coach should be handling the situation.

 

[Carson]

Um, that's a ridiculous "point." You're lucky to even get a hand on the ball. You can't just block it where you want it to go.

Holley is an idiot with some of his takes especially this one.

He played in the NFL and knows how hard it is

 

[nalam]

Is that on the part of the players around him to yell to him GET AWAY Peter Peter/poison poison????? I agree, I think he saw it as a blocked kick, pick it up and run with it, as any player would do when there's a blocked kick

Blocked kick and blocked punt are 2 diff things

 

[Whirlwin]

I'm pretty sure that's not true.

If the ball is partially blocked but still gets past the line of scrimmage, it is treated the same as any other punt. Cincinnati could not recover or advance that punt.

They only could have recovered or advanced the ball if it had stayed behind the line of scrimmage.

I’m not sure about that, it’s a live football the second it’s touched. Yes they can’t advance it but if it’s past the line scrimmage, it’s a first down.. but you’re right that’s not what I said, but it’s what I thought I said, lol actually that is what I said they could pick it up and run for first down

 

[Cmac]

I think we should let it go, sooner or later, for the sake of Oruwariye, and not turn it into Puntgate........let's talk FakepuntGates. That's what Fassel needs to explain and why he is still here.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

I’m not sure about that, it’s a live football the second it’s touched. Yes they can’t advance it but if it’s past the line scrimmage, it’s a first down.. but you’re right that’s not what I said, but it’s what I thought I said, lol

The rule book states the punting team may only recover of advance a blocked punt if it stays behind the line of scrimmage.

I have seen a million tipped and partially blocked punts go past the line of scrimmage and be harmlessly downed by the punt team down the field.

Cincy had no ability to recover that ball until our player muffed the recovery.

Special teams rules can be pretty convoluted. So many different possibilities.

 

[Whirlwin]

No it’s not. The rule book states the punting team may only recover of advance a blocked punt if it stays behind the line of scrimmage.

Cincy had no ability to recover that ball until our player muffed the recovery.

It was behind the line of scrimmage. Oh my fault I was thinking first down line. Mistake one for the other. My bad

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

It was behind the line of scrimmage. Oh my fault I was thinking first down line. Mistake one for the other. My bad

You’re all good man. I think this just highlights how easy it is for players to get confused about the rules in the heat of a game.

I can hardly keep it all straight sitting at my laptop with the rule book in hand!

 

[Whirlwin]

You’re all good man. I think this just highlights how easy it is for players to get confused about the rules in the heat of a game.

I can hardly keep it all straight sitting at my laptop with the rule book in hand!

I guess the point being, the player should’ve been coached properly, I really don’t blame the young man. They should’ve probably been a facemask call on Burrows anyways, and that should never have happened.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

Who cares at this point, this is a team that finds a way to lose.

Losers tend to do this sort of thing.