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The Random Thought Thread

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
brady's done a ton of them
off the top of my head i can remember the bucs, panthers, giants, titans and texans doing at least one in 2020

Ok cool so everyone else who took the time to specifically write those articles are wrong? Got it
 

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
eh - what articles are you referring to?

Literally everything on Google. Recent as 2019. But there are literally hundreds of articles/definitions/posts on other forums and sites/etc out there. I can’t post every single one of them
 

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
Perhaps it’s a little more common now… still not that common, but I’ll give a little… but it’s still widely considered a trick play no matter where you look
 

rmcjacket23

Ravens Ring of Honor
Literally everything on Google. Recent as 2019. But there are literally hundreds of articles/definitions/posts on other forums and sites/etc out there. I can’t post every single one of them
I mean OK, I guess. I can find plenty of stuff on it, but honestly, I'm not even sure what the point is.

Like every article is an opinion article for the most part. I can post my thoughts on the flea flicker and have it online in 30 minutes if you'd like. The only thing really factual about it is the definition of it.

I see nothing in any short search about the frequency of usage of the flea flicker, how effective the flea flicker is, or really why any team should even consider using it. If you find something that calculates like mathematical probabilities of its success, how successful teams have been at using it, etc., then those articles are worth reading.
 

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
I mean OK, I guess. I can find plenty of stuff on it, but honestly, I'm not even sure what the point is.

Like every article is an opinion article for the most part. I can post my thoughts on the flea flicker and have it online in 30 minutes if you'd like. The only thing really factual about it is the definition of it.

I see nothing in any short search about the frequency of usage of the flea flicker, how effective the flea flicker is, or really why any team should even consider using it. If you find something that calculates like mathematical probabilities of its success, how successful teams have been at using it, etc., then those articles are worth reading.

Way past my time constraints, pay level, and hell I’ll admit it even mathematical intellect. I just found it interesting how it was said it’s not much of a trick play and common now (which is an opinion) when there a hundreds or thousands of opinions to the contrary… that are even backed up by the technical definition as you say
 

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
I’ll admit it. I absolutely love the play. Think it should be used much more. But I guess the part I love the most are the memories I have of the play in backyard football LOL
 

rmcjacket23

Ravens Ring of Honor
Way past my time constraints, pay level, and hell I’ll admit it even mathematical intellect. I just found it interesting how it was said it’s not much of a trick play and common now (which is an opinion) when there a hundreds or thousands of opinions to the contrary… that are even backed up by the technical definition as you say
Well yeah... because its still deemed as an "unorthodox" play, and nobody has the free time to evaluate the increase or decrease of its usage. Frankly, its not completely outside the realm of possibility that something that is arbitrarily defined and has many opinions on the internet may be entirely wrong. That's kind of how the internet works.

To be honest, I don't consider it much of a trick play because the act of deception it tries to achieve is largely just a staple of most offenses now. Like the read-option has about as much deception as a flea flicker does. I'd argue perhaps even more deception. And an RPO has significantly more deception, and I don't think anybody is going to argue that RPO's are "trick plays".

I think a lot of people use the basis for defining a "trick play" as a play they've seen before that is not a staple of an offense, and is something another team may not prepare to defend. And like that's certainly one way to arbitrarily define it, but usage really isn't a good barometer. Usage, or lack thereof, can be determined based on the effectiveness of the play. There's a lot of trick plays that aren't ran because they flat out suck.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Perhaps it’s a little more common now… still not that common, but I’ll give a little… but it’s still widely considered a trick play no matter where you look

oh i see - i mean im not saying that people arent still calling it a trick play - but it's not really that tricky or rare anymore is all im saying

but in much the same way that basically every team will run a backside reverse and it probably still gets put on trick play reels but it's pretty common now

i guess for me to think of a play as a trick play it has to be some combination of rare, completely unexpected or inherently more risky
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
Holesome but I’m the only ravens fan in my extended family of all Steelers fans- I was able to see them for the first time since Covid and they all wore their Steelers jerseys for my arrival. I’m road tripping from Boston to Seattle currently
they are just trying to get some use out of them in the offseason, because it will be embarrassing for them to wear it during the season.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
Always been one thing I’ve been upset about. We run fake punts often but I want to see reverses where Bateman throws a touchdown.
Or even imagine running dobbins on his stretch outside the tackle plays but he plants his feet ala ray rice vs Seahawks and darts it to nick Boyle on the goal line... that’d be fun
we have a RB playing QB. All of our plays are trick plays.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
I’ll admit it. I absolutely love the play. Think it should be used much more. But I guess the part I love the most are the memories I have of the play in backyard football LOL
I have bad memories of a Flea Flicker. Joe Theismann's career ended on that play and Joe Gibbs didn't call another one for 5 years.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
You win some, lose some, it’s all the same to me- Motörhead

i dont really love the flea-flicker as a play design because it's almost entirely dependent on the deception causing poor eye discipline and if you've got EDGEs who dont enjoy their run responsibilities you've just given them a longer play and deeper pocket to get to you

i think with the rise of option football and with the increase year-on-year of deception-based football with motion and trickeration as a staple of most offences that DBs are more disciplined vs not that long ago - (since our earlier posts i went and found a highlight reel of trick plays from 2020 and it struck me that despite the trickery, there were lots of great catches made vs incredibly tight coverage)
 

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
i dont really love the flea-flicker as a play design because it's almost entirely dependent on the deception causing poor eye discipline and if you've got EDGEs who dont enjoy their run responsibilities you've just given them a longer play and deeper pocket to get to you

i think with the rise of option football and with the increase year-on-year of deception-based football with motion and trickeration as a staple of most offences that DBs are more disciplined vs not that long ago - (since our earlier posts i went and found a highlight reel of trick plays from 2020 and it struck me that despite the trickery, there were lots of great catches made vs incredibly tight coverage)

Would love to see those highlights man
 
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