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Video: John White’s big direct-snap touchdown was partly thanks to Mike Reilly’s acting
Last Friday's Edmonton Eskimos-Montreal Alouettes clash was a pretty safe win for Edmonton; the eventual score was 33-23, but the Eskimos led by 22 points at the half. However, part of what led to that win was a long touchdown that came on a rather daring play, with quarterback Mike Reilly faking an audible and then running back John White taking a direct snap and rushing 58 yards for a touchdown. Here's video of that:
While that clip shows the great jukes and swerves White made to find a hole and avoid pursuers, it doesn't really show what Reilly did to set up the play. Chris O'Leary of The Edmonton Journal has a good piece talking to Reilly about that, though, and it illustrates the crucial role the quarterback played in it:
He unveiled his acting skills on July 24, when Edmonton hosted the Calgary Stampeders. He stepped away from centre and began furiously communicating hand signals to his teammates. It looked as though something had gone wrong with the play call and he was quickly trying to change it. Meanwhile, the ball was snapped to running back Kendial Lawrence, who ran for four yards.
Reilly’s second attempt to disguise a direct snap came last Friday against the Montreal Alouettes. He again looked away from the defence and started making hand signals to his receivers. This time, the ball went to John White, who ran 58 yards for a touchdown while carving a complicated pattern through the Als’ defence.
“Yeah, (I’m a) good actor,” a joking Reilly said Tuesday when the topic about selling the play came up in Gatineau, Que., where the Eskimos are practising this week.
“We work on it against our defence,” Reilly continued. “We don’t tell them that it’s coming because we want to see a genuine reaction and then we watch on tape and see how we can do things maybe a little better.”
Eskimos fullback Calvin McCarty was in the thick of the direct snap last week.
“He definitely sold me (on the play) the first time we practised it,” McCarty said. “I really didn’t know. It kind of shocks you. It’s the little things; the details within a play and everyone executing their job that makes those plays go. He ended up throwing a nice block at the end of that play, too, to spring John.”
It's good to see that the Eskimos are sticking to their trick-play approach despite one prominent failed fake punt. These plays have been crucial to the team's success this year, and running some of them on offence as well as special teams has the further effect of making opponents prepare for yet more, which can help to boost the efficacy of the regular offence. As McCarty notes, these plays require sound fundamental execution as well as the element of surprise; Edmonton's been very good at that, with everyone buying in, and if they can keep that up, other teams will really have to watch out for whatever they have up their sleeves.
