In the second quarter between the Chiefs and Patriots, the Chiefs sent speedsters Tyreek Hill and De’Anthony Thomas back to return a punt.
Tyreek Hill called for a fair catch and ruined the Chiefs’ punt return trick
It was a good idea, but Hill didn’t execute correctly.
The Patriots sent a booming kick down the field, and as Thomas was fielding the punt, Hill called for a fair catch. Thomas had room to run, but because Hill called for a fair catch, the play was dead.
You can’t pretend to call for fair catch if you’re going to run the fake
That kills the entire play, and this is why:
Typically the player faking it doesn’t call for fair catch, but rather they act as if they are the ones catching the ball.
It appears that Hill forgot to make that distinction, and instead of a nice return by one of the fastest players in the NFL, the Chiefs were stuck with the ball on their own 8-yard line after a holding penalty was called. That would have negated the return anyway — bad execution all around.
Having two players back for a punt isn’t uncommon
Teams have used a pair of players downfield in an attempt to trick the opposing special teams unit into going for the player that won’t receive the kick.
It can be a great play when executed correctly, like when the Rams did it against the Seahawks in 2014:
That’s a pretty, and easy, score.
If the Chiefs can get it done right later in the year, it’s been proven to be one of the most unstoppable plays in all of football.
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