Weird Punt Formation from Dolphins game

[Temo]

http://i1208.***BLOCKED***/albums/cc374/sunpar/cowboyspunt.jpg

Mcbriar's standing half-way to the sideline, Abe Elam is behind center (in this picture, he's motioning to get back to regular punt formation), and the Cowboys have 2 guards and a center, plus a bunch of skill-position players split out wide.

Any ideas on what that formation was trying to do there? It was 4th and 16, were they really going to fake? They ended up just regular punting (Elam didn't like what he was seeing from the Dolphins, I guess).

 

[warrior43]

I know back in high school we used to play a team that would do this for every field goal and every punt. When they ran a fake they would run a wide receiver screen. But would then motion back to normal formation if they just kicked a field goal or a punt. They would line up like that just to see if the opposing team would defend it right. If they had more blockers than people lined up on defense in front of them they would run the screen

 

[supercowboy8]

I think its so Miami wouldn't have their true punt blockers out there. McBriar is hurt so he doesn't need to be rushed.

 

[HoosierCowboy]

I like it; if we are disciplined and don't line up illegally it costs us nothing--it does make other teams address it during their prep for us--usually, it's a simple read: if someone is uncovered or if a lane is obvious, we can fake it--many times it will force an opponent to call a TO

 

[Reality]

Given that it was late in the game and 16 yards to go for a first down on their own side of the 50, I doubt very seriously they were going to run a fake.

The most likely reason for it was to affect the return blocking schemes and/or personnel of the Dolphins in order to intimidate the returner into calling for a fair catch in order to gain an advantage on field position.

#reality

 

[Temo]

Given that it was late in the game and 16 yards to go for a first down on their own side of the 50, I doubt very seriously they were going to run a fake.

The most likely reason for it was to affect the return blocking schemes and/or personnel of the Dolphins in order to intimidate the returner into calling for a fair catch in order to gain an advantage on field position.

#reality

Seems fair. Cost us 5 yards though with the illegal formation.

 

[joseephuss]

Given that it was late in the game and 16 yards to go for a first down on their own side of the 50, I doubt very seriously they were going to run a fake.

The most likely reason for it was to affect the return blocking schemes and/or personnel of the Dolphins in order to intimidate the returner into calling for a fair catch in order to gain an advantage on field position.

#reality

It could also be used to try and cause confusion for the Dolphins so they have to burn a timeout. In a close game, timeouts are gold, so if you can make another team burn one you are doing a good thing.

 

[AbeBeta]

I think there was another play where we did something odd as well. But that was earlier in the game and it got busted on a false start -- 2nd quarter 4th and 6th from inside our 50

That one may have been a fake.

Also, we may just be throwing stuff out there to give teams coming up something extra to think about.

 

[hairic]

Flip Phillips with Church and that'd have been legal.

 

[Phoenix]

I forgot about this...yeah at the game I saw this and thought ***?

McBriar had been looking pretty bad with his punts, to my eye, during the game - nothing like his normal boomers that I saw from the first two games I was there this season....so I thought briefly that it had something to do with that...

 

[SSGMIKE]

Like it

Give other teams something to think about, don’t know why more teams pretend to go for it on short yards situations. 49ers do a great job in these situations, fake it or move somebody in motions to draw the D offside.. don’t work, then fine just take the 5 yards penalty and punt the ball - no big lose

 

[Ashwynn]

Question on the formation.

If Elam had laderaled to McBriar, could McBriar have punted the ball and that be legal? Never had this scenario come up in a game or in conversation.

Can you punt after a forward pass, say McBriar was set in front of Elam and not behind him. Can the punter receive a pass and then punt, so long as hes behind the line of scrimmage.

 

[Phoenix]

Question on the formation.

If Elam had laderaled to McBriar, could McBriar have punted the ball and that be legal? Never had this scenario come up in a game or in conversation.

Can you punt after a forward pass, say McBriar was set in front of Elam and not behind him. Can the punter receive a pass and then punt, so long as hes behind the line of scrimmage.

Good questions.

 

[Hoofbite]

Stupid idea.

Just line up and punt.