The Patriots have added wide receiver Griff Whalen to the roster, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, but New England probably won’t be running any fake punts with him.
Patriots signed WR they made look foolish on Colts’ horrible fake punt last season
New England signed him to fill in for an injured Danny Amendola, and probably not to run fake punts.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Last season, when Whalen was with the Indianapolis Colts, the Colts ran perhaps the worst fake punt in the history of the NFL against the Patriots. It was so laughably bad that it’s still difficult to believe they actually tried it.
Whalen was the snapper on the play.
The fake was an epic failure, and it is clear that Whalen wasn’t supposed to actually snap the ball. As a matter of fact, Chuck Pagano questioned the wisdom of snapping the ball the moment Whalen walked off the field.
It’s a valid question, Coach Pagano.
To be fair, Whalen had never practiced the play before, according to Colts punter Pat McAfee. Safety Clayton Geathers was supposed to be the center, but left the game with an injury, and Whalen, though unprepared, had to step in for him.
Whalen didn’t realize that he wasn’t supposed to snap the ball unless the Patriots responded by misaligning or trying to substitute, giving Indianapolis the opportunity to catch them with 12 men on the field.
The Patriots will be without wide receiver Danny Amendola indefinitely as he recovers from an ankle injury, and Whalen will help fill Amendola’s role.
Whalen spent three seasons in Indianapolis, and was signed by the San Diego Chargers after Danny Woodhead was placed on injured reserve early in the 2016 season. Over eight games with the Chargers this season, Whalen had two catches for 22 yards.
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