It happened so fast on Sunday that you might of missed it. Yes, that’s Frank Ragnow snapping the ball between the legs of Jared Goff and to David Montgomery. What a smooth looking play this was and it almost went for a touchdown. It at least set the Lions up on the goal line. They’d score shortly after.
Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson was really in his bag on this one. Turns out that he may have actually selected this play out of someone else’s bag. Was it Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay? No, it was rookie offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff told 971. The Ticket on Tuesday that comes from Sorsdal’s alma mater William & Mary.
“We call those our specials, our trick plays, and our special ideas guys found that one.” Goff said. “Thought it fit our game plan and we put it in.”
People noticed. People like William & Mary linebacker Trey Watkins. He brought it up on Instagram and said “Colby Sorsdal must’ve had something to do with this.”
You have to love this kind of thing. The Lions coaching staff isn’t beholden to some sacred text of a playbook. They want to take ideas from wherever they can get them. Even if it comes from a player who’s team ran it in college. You have to wonder what the Lions do next.
If you’re wondering what the William & Mary play looked like, here it is.
There’s an extra little wrinkle to their version of it. Maybe we’ll see them run it again with that wrinkle included someday. Such a smart play. Hat’s off to Jared Goff for not going out there and doing some sort of power stance like an 80’s hair band guitarist. That might have given it away.
Still, what team is crazy enough to snap the ball between the quarterback’s legs on purpose? Only the Lions and William & Mary I suppose.