It’s easy to forget things when you’re under pressure, but Alex Smith forgot the most basic rules of football when he attempted a pass with just over a minute left against the Carolina Panthers.
Alex Smith forgot the rules of football and threw it twice in 1 play
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Smith’s pass was knocked down at the line of scrimmage and directly back into the quarterback’s arms. A fortuitous result, to be sure. At this point he has one option: He has to run with it. Smith selected another option: Throwing the ball downfield.
See, receivers can’t just throw the ball whenever they feel like it — and that’s what Smith became when he caught a forward pass. It ended up being a critical penalty for an illegal forward pass that killed any momentum the Kansas City Chiefs had in a big-time drive.
