When most teams line up to defend a field-goal attempt, it’s a monotonous affair that we’ve seen countless times. After the Patriots FG block on Sunday Night Football, the mind games have already begun for special teams coaches across the NFL. For those that haven’t seen it yet, here it is:
Myles Bryant was running down the right side like the kick was supposed to be blocked right to him. Never seen a FG block drawn up to score points for the defense.
Belichick. pic.twitter.com/gBaZpi7f0a
— Hunter Miller (@MillerHHunter) September 18, 2023
It’s a copycat league, so variations will be popping up soon. For now, enjoy the successful Patriots FG Block, the immediate after-effect that almost allowed them to tie the game, and the genius of future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick.
The Patriots FG Block Design
At its core, the method of blocking Miami’s field goal wasn’t anything crazy. New England’s Brenden Schooler was aligned on the sideline almost as if he wasn’t in the play. Then, he ran toward the line of scrimmage and tried to time the snap like a blitzing defender. However, after that, the Patriots FG block play becomes even more dangerous, especially when it works perfectly as designed.
This is honestly one of the most impressive and innovative things I’ve seen on a football field.
A defensive player in motion. Bill just changed the game. Everyone will start to do those pic.twitter.com/IwHgmCAs2d
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) September 18, 2023
Miami’s Christian Wilkins (#94) still had to worry about his inside gap because Kyle Dugger (who recovered the fumble) threatened to get there from the more dangerous position. Schooler, who has a full head of steam, easily blows by Wilkins before he can get a strong arm on him. It completely isolates one blocker, one who is often not a true offensive lineman and can identify funky looks pre-snap or during the play. Wilkins abandoning the inside gap would be a guaranteed field goal block (and draw a ton of ire in the film room), but the man is just as dangerous, thanks to their momentum.
Jumping back to the live broadcast view, keep an eye on the right side of New England’s formation. Myles Bryant (#27) immediately leaks out as if he’s anticipating the block to come in that direction. His head also follows the outside blocker early, so Bryant is likely in man coverage if teams try to leak the backside blocker and punish that.
Bryant’s assignment would track with Matthew Slater (#18) in the back. Slater, a special teams extraordinaire, shuffles left as soon as Miami snaps the ball. He’s acting as the team’s safety but is also in charge of scooping any blocked kicks that land where Schooler came from. Between Bryant, Slater, and Schooler becoming untouched blitzers, running a fake against this look wouldn’t be a simple task.
The Mental Toll on Miami
Up seven with 2:19 left on the clock, the Dolphins had a chance to effectively put the game away. Facing a fourth down three yards short of the sticks, Miami elected to kick a 55-yard field goal. New England ran almost the exact same play (one weak-side rusher stayed back to guard a fake), and Jason Sanders yanked his kick wide left. He may have just missed, but it’s just as likely that the previous kick affected him.
Kickers are aware of what’s going on around them, even if they’re extensively trained to block out factors they can’t control. The formation for the Patriots FG block in the third quarter and the formation in the fourth were identical, so he was definitely aware of Schooler. Knowing that he was unabated on the previous kick, Sanders may have rushed a bit trying to get it off, hence hooking it for the miss.
JASON SANDERS IS NOW 4 FOR 13 ON 50+ YARD FIELD GOALS SINCE 2021 🤢🤢🤢#NFL pic.twitter.com/O53YFWzFSL
— Sideline Daily (@sideline_daily) September 18, 2023
Did he and the Dolphins’ FG team speed up the play because they weren’t sure how to slow down Schooler? After all, they did change the snap count for this miss so that New England’s timing was off. Was head coach Mike McDaniel contemplating a fake for the first down, giving Sanders something else to think about? It could’ve been the strong interior push that the Patriots got, too. Either way, Miami was undeniably affected by the game-changing Patriots FG block earlier in the game, which almost forced them into overtime.
Patriots FG Block a Bill Belichick Masterclass
NFL head coaches understand that special teams are where games are won or lost. The 2021 Packers, 2010 Chargers, and 2006 Bears are just three recent cases among countless examples illustrating how special teams can make (or break) a season. Bill Belichick has always given his flowers to the significance and history of special teams in football.
Lateral motions, like the one that created the block, are seen on offense all the time, while defenders that blitz are no strangers to trying to time a snap count. Even last year, New England used a less extreme version of this play (to far less fanfare) to successfully block a punt. However, breaking this play out for the first time on a pivotal Patriots FG block attempt is how he’s succeeded for decades in the NFL.
The motion Brenden Schooler used on his blocked field goal was rare and really impressive, but not unprecedented.
The Patriots used a similar concept to block a Colts punt last season. pic.twitter.com/GV008MuKQx
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) September 18, 2023
Most coaches wouldn’t burn a trick like that in the third quarter of Week 2, even against a division rival. However, Belichick and his coaching staff did, which paid immediate dividends. Then, when it was really crunch time, it was on the back of Miami’s mind before another missed kick. For the rest of the year, opposing coaches have to be wary of this new-look Patriots FG block. Now New England’s staff has the edge on every other field goal unit in the league, opening up simple looks to be more effective.
Don’t be surprised to see this happening in other NFL games to the point that it’s not fun anymore. When something works, especially something that can massively swing games like a field goal block, other teams address it immediately. Until that day, just remember the night when the Patriots FG block was daring, bold, fresh, and almost won a divisional game.
