Aqib Talib's Eye-Poke And 5 Other Bold Strategies That Didn't Work Out For NFL Teams In Week 9
By Matt Dolloff (@mattdolloff)
BOSTON (CBS) -- The NFL continues to show its obvious inspiration from the comedy classic Dodgeball (is it old enough to be a classic? Am I old? Whatever, I digress), showcasing a fresh batch of bold strategies every Sunday without fail. Week 9 was no exception.
Topping this week's rundown of bold strategies is Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib. The former Patriot is known for his fiery temper on the field, and he has been known to lose control and commit stupid penalties or get himself hurt. He did the former in perhaps the most outrageous, this-only-belongs-in-WWE way possible against the Colts in Indianapolis, when he quite clearly poked Colts Dwayne Allen in the eye after the whistle.
After a second-and-9 play, Allen and Von Miller jawed at each other when Talib came out of nowhere and pulled a "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (rest in peace). Talib's resulting unnecessary roughness penalty, plus another personal foul committed after Adam Vinatieri's field goal attempt, gave the Colts a couple of automatic first downs so they could bleed out the clock and secure the 27-24 win.
Talib claimed after the game that the eye-poke was an "honest mistake", saying he merely meant to poke Allen in the helmet and that the Colts tight end even overreacted to it. But a look at the video shows clear as day that Talib deliberately stuck his fingers between the facemask and pushed into Allen's eye..
So needless to say, Talib's eye-gouge strategy didn't quite work out for him on Sunday, and it could hit him in the wallet as well as he probably faces a suspension and/or fine for the incident. But his tomfoolery probably caught Vince McMahon's eye...pun intended.
Here are some other bold strategies from around the NFL in Week 9 that didn't work out as they may have expected...
1. The Redskins committed a penalty attempting the "12-man goal line" formation.
The Patriots are rarely seen with 12 men on the field. They prefer to run a standard 11-man defense, usually to avoid a penalty. The Washington Redskins entered Sunday's game looking to subvert every philosophy ever known about the number of men on the field, so on LeGarrette Blount's touchdown run they trotted 12 players out, one of which was running off the field at the snap - which really makes you question the effectiveness of such a play-call.
As is the case for every week, the Patriots were simply waiting for the Redskins to make their Weekly Patriots Opponent Blunders (WPOB), and this was just one of them. You'd think a Redskins player would speak up when they watched the coaches draw up the play with a dozen X's.
2. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick tried the "Ignore The Wide Open Receiver" strategy
Kaepernick chose not to audible and instead ran the ball with the 49ers on the goal line, as Torrey Smith stood out wide, completely uncovered. Why exploit a mismatch (that is, Torrey Smith against no one) when you can simply do what you maybe kinda sometimes do well?
Jim Harbaugh ribbed his former team for the play, saying "We just train our quarterbacks to throw to people that aren't covered, even if it's a running play."
3. Brandon Browner tried the "Berate a Reporter" strategy in an attempt to avoid media attention.
Another former Patriots cornerback made headlines late Sunday, as the Saints' Brandon Browner went off on New Orleans-based reporter Lyons Yellin in the locker room after New Orleans' 34-28 overtime loss. According to Yellin, Browner got mad that he had asked safety Jairus Byrd about a play in the first half that didn't have anything to do with the fact that the game went to overtime.
Quite an unusual way to get people to change their story. But apparently Browner knows how to do this reporting thing better than the person asking the questions.
Consider his job done, Brandon.
4. The Oakland Raiders' "Expose Your Opponent's Strength" defense flew in the face of even the most rudimentary of football strategies.
Steelers and Raiders fans were understandably puzzled when Oakland defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. declared before the game that they would "make the Steelers beat us with their best guy." Technically, the strategy worked out because Steelers' All-World wideout Antonio Brown reeled in 17 of 23 targets for 284 yards. They weren't able to allow Brown to score in the end zone, however.
The Steelers came away with the 38-35 win, ultimately proving that taking away an opposing offense's weakness and exploiting their strength is sort of counterproductive.
5. Aaron Rodgers attempted to make a touchdown throw with a Microsoft Surface Pro 3.
Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL not named Brady, and rarely makes mistakes - let alone costly, game-changing ones. He did just that when he attempted to pass a Microsoft Surface tablet at James Jones, who couldn't reel in the throw at his feet.
Needless to say, the Panthers' Thomas Davis easily picked off the tablet and reportedly threw it on eBay shortly after the game.
What other bold strategies did you notice this week in the NFL?
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
