This is why you don’t allow punters to make their own decisions
Apparently the failed fake punt that Rex Ryan called for against the Packers on Sunday wasn’t actually called by Rex Ryan. It was called by Jets’ punter Steve Weatherford, who is “given the ability to take advantage of favorable looks when appropriate.”
From the Newark Star-Ledger:
The problem in this situation, though, was that Weatherford didn’t realize the Jets had just lost 9 yards on a sack. Third-and-9 became fourth-and-18, a sizeable distance for even the athletic Weatherford to run. A Green Bay challenge determined he stepped out just before the marker.
“We told him before that it needed to be a manageable situation,” Ryan said. “As he was running, I was trying to make sure he knew where the first-down marker was. I don’t think he was clear on that.
The failed attempt didn’t cost the Jets the game on Sunday. Their inability to move the ball offensively against Dom Capers’ defense was the reason they didn’t win. But that play should have never happened.
Weatherford should have never attempted an 18-yard run on a fake punt when backed up in his own territory like that. Granted, he picked up 17 yards on the play but the guy has to pay attention if he’s going to make a decision like that. If he’s given the opportunity to pull off a fake, then he should know the down and distance before he even steps on the field. Period.
That said, this is freaking hilarious when you think about it. A punter called his own number on a 4th-and-18 because he thought the first down marker was closer than it was? Outstanding!
