Video: Ottawa Redblacks' punt return lateral an interesting trick that might deserve more use

Punt returns typically involve one designated returner carrying the ball and the rest of his team blocking for him, but does it have to be that way? The Ottawa Redblacks don't think so. Here's what they did Sunday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders:

This starts like a normal punt, with Saskatchewan's Chris Milo booting the ball deep, Ottawa's Jamill Smith collecting it and starting to run forwards. The Roughriders' cover team focuses in on him, as you'd expect. Smith then uses a full passing motion to lateral the ball all the way across the field to Khalil Paden, who's wide open and able to take it 59 yards down the sideline, giving the Redblacks terrific field position. Saskatchewan challenged whether it was an illegal forward pass or not, but unsuccessfully, as Smith did well to ensure his pass went slightly backwards. It was an innovative tactic that opened up the field for a huge gain.

As with the other trick plays we've seen this year (including one from this very game, where Ottawa threw to eligible offensive lineman Alex Krausnick, who went on to run over safety Tyron Brackenridge), a lot of the success the Redblacks found here was thanks to the element of surprise. However, there are also schematic considerations that suggest plays like this might be worth using more often. Kick coverage teams tend to be focused on flowing to the ball and cutting off running routes, and while that works in a one-returner system, it has significant problems if you're able to widen the field and alter the angles with a long pass like this. Pause the above video eight seconds in when Smith throws the pass: there are eight Riders now out of position. One (linebacker Chad Kilgore, #50) is able to quickly recognize that and get back in time to help force Paden out of bounds, but 59 yards later. The rest have next to no impact on this play, except for a few missed desperation tackles from behind.

Of course, there are perils here too. If the pass goes wrong, it's a live ball (as it's a lateral), and one that potentially be recovered by Saskatchewan and returned for a touchdown. Beyond that, this does remove one of your blockers; the first returner can block after he throws the pass, but it's unlikely he can get in position to make that block count. (This is probably overcome by how many players you can draw out of position, though.) Moreover, this requires careful timing; the first returner has to make it look like he's heading upfield as usual, but he also needs to get rid of the ball before he's hit, and the second returner has to ensure he waits behind or even with the first one to make this a legal lateral. It's a difficult play to get right, but Ottawa did just that—head coach Rick Campbell's previous experience as a special-teams coach may have helped.

This didn't lead to a Redblacks' win in the end, as they lost 35-32 in double overtime, but it was a further indication this team's willing to pull out all the stops on trick plays. We've seen that before from them, with punts for touchdowns and more, and that can be its own reward; if teams have to worry about trick plays, it limits their effectiveness in defending standard ones. That may be particularly true with return laterals like this, which more teams should consider. If the coverage team focuses on your primary returner, you have a great opportunity for a lateral and a big gain, but if you threaten a lateral and they bite, that can make their pursuit more cautious and open up holes for the first returner. It's a great concept, and one that might catch on across the CFL.