Thoughts and Jots on Christmas games, Browns kickers, a few odd plays this week and more

Christmas Day games are problematic for some while the NFL season winds down with some unique plays

The 2024 season is just about over, and is all but the “Race to the Bottom” for the Cleveland Browns, and all that is left is the posturing of teams trying to better their post-season position, receive a playoff spot, getting the Number 1 seed which provides a bye week, and the bottom feeders looking to get closer to the top of the draft order.

RELATED: NFL WEEK 16 POWER RANKINGS

Things are going on that need some evaluation and discussion. Oh, and hope you ended up on the “good list” this year (although we have heard things).

---

1. In the Detroit Lions’ win over the Chicago Bears this past weekend, they ran a trick play called the “stumblerooski.” The Lions were up 27-14 with 12:24 left in the third quarter and found themselves on Chicago’s 21-yard line. With QB Jared Goff under center, after taking the snap he faded back but appeared to have fumbled to which RB Jahmyr Gibbs acted like he fell on the ball. At the same time, several Lions players screamed, “Fumble!” which is what the defense will do. However, Goff never lost the ball. Gibbs never recovered a fumble. TE Sam LaPorta was doing a drag route from right to left then turned upfield as both safeties had come down to support the fumble recovery process. This left LaPorta all alone as Goff then lofted an easy pass for an easy touchdown.

What is odd about this play, and when it was called, is that Detroit was up by two scores and in scoring range once again against a weak team. Regardless, they were in line to go up by three scores. So, the question is: why run the trick play now? Usually, a team resorts to a trick play when they want a quick score to go ahead late in the game or to close the gap if they are behind. Why not wait until the playoffs when the Lions need six and submit the unexpected?

Their opponent was the Bears. They are one of three NFL clubs that have already fired their head coach. The Lions have one of the hottest coaching prospects on the market this year in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. It is assumed that the Bears position is a great job and already have an exceptional young quarterback in-house. Is it possible that Johnson was trying to show the Chicago brass that he would be the best candidate for their vacancy? If so, the trick play showed them he has a creative mind.

2. Speaking of trick plays, what about Notre Dame’s fake field goal attempt in the first round of the college playoffs? As the team was lining up for the kick on Indiana’s nine-yard line with 4:37 left in the third quarter, Notre Dame’s entire offensive line shifted wide left with tight end Mitchell Evans lined up behind this wall. That left long snapper over the ball with TE Davis Sherwood in shotgun. What Monteforte did next was unexpected. He picked up the ball and with his right hand threw an overhand backward pass to the waiting Sherwood who was then tackled one yard short of the first down.

What makes this play remarkable is the snap. Instead of snapping it through his legs, Monteforte not only threw the ball to the side of his body, but he also did so overhand like a quarterback tossing a screen pass. How is this possible? And why wasn’t he required to begin the play with the snap between his legs?

The origins of American Football came from rugby and its grandfather sport of soccer so the new sport of American Football used a lot of rules and techniques and still do. In rugby, when a turnover occurs, it resumes play with a “scrum.” Both teams lock arms, the ball is tossed inside the middle where both teams try to kick it backward to a waiting runner. The act of rolling it backward is called “heeling.”

In American Football, the center’s motion of getting the ball to the quarterback is called “a pass” and his actions begin the play.

When American Football first began, the center would roll the football backward to his quarterback by rolling it backward with his cleat heel. The problem occurred when the defensive player lined up in front of him would simply shove the center who would inadvertently kick the ball. To remedy this, the next method utilized was for the center to pick up the ball and hand it to the quarterback sideways. Again, an issue. The defender could reach out and slap the ball out of the center’s hand which caused a fumble.

Walter Camp, the father of American Football, was in attendance of a Canadian Football League game and saw that their centers snapped the ball between their legs. This protected the first pass which was successful in getting the ball to the quarterback without interruption. So, that became the norm in American Football. However, in today’s game, a lot of football fans do now know that heeling, a sideways underhand snap, a sideways overhand pass, or the conventional method between the legs are all legal moves to start a play just as long as the pass is backward.

3. Against the Browns, Joe Burrow tossed a touchdown pass to WR Tee Higgins on his knees after getting knocked down. Why was that a score? Folks on social media are still discussing it and questioning why the officials allowed this to be good when he was clearly knocked down while his knee touched the ground before the ball left his hand.

Ah. During the telecast, they showed the replay briefly, but now days later we can run that play frame-by-frame to see what happened. Cincy had a first-and-goal from the two-and-a-half-yard line. Burrow is in the shotgun. DE Myles Garrett puts pressure from the rightside which makes Burrow step up in the pocket. At the same time, DT Dalvin Tomlinson is pushing center Ted Karras backward in the middle. Now restricted from Tomlinson’s rush, Burrow then attempts to dart out to his left, but his right foot clips Karras’ feet, making him trip.

As Burrow descends toward the turf, his vision the entire time was on Higgins who was open the entire time. Burrow tosses the ball to Higgins for the touchdown, but on replay, his knee touched while the ball wasn’t released yet. In college, the knee being down would be down by contact, no touchdown, and a second-and-goal. But in the NFL, if the player is never touched by a defensive player, they are able to get back up and proceed. Because Burrow’s falling action was caused by his own player, he is able to throw the ball regardless of what body part is touching the ground.

(Editor’s Note: Others have argued that since the offensive lineman was engaged with a defensive lineman, the rule states that constitutes a touching by the defense. Refs either disagreed or didn’t think of that rule in this case.)

4. Another odd play earlier in the week in the Los Angeles Chargers versus the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker kicked a 57-yard “fair catch free-kick field goal.” It is about a rare a play as a triple play in baseball. First off, this is either a drop kick or a field goal attempt and is worth three points.

Here is how it works. Any kick in the NFL can be signaled for a fair catch. The “fair catch free-kick field goal” is available on any fair catch, however, the majority of the time the position on the field does not make a field goal attempt feasible. If a team declares for the free kick, the attempt is from that very spot. The kick does not require a center snap, nor an offensive line to block, is without a pass rush, and uses a holder but without a kicking tee. Basically, a kickoff without a tee yet with a holder.

In the origins of the game, this rule was traditionally a drop kick when the ball wasn’t so narrow and would bounce off the ground better. It derives from rugby which is called a “goal from mark.”

If it is a play that grants three points without any defenders at all, why isn’t it used more often? Well, because of positioning on the field. Say a team punts and the returner calls for a fair catch on his team’s own 26-yard line. Would they attempt a field goal from there? That’s 74 yards, plus 10 for the end zone, plus eight yards back to the spot. 92-yards? Of course not.

What happened for the Chargers was the following.

Just before halftime, the Broncos punted from their own 16-yard line and Los Angeles kick returner Derius Davis called for a fair catch at his own 38-yard line. On the play, Denver gunner Tremon Smith was called for fair catch interference on Davis. This added 15 yards to the field position, now across the midfield stripe to Denver’s 47-yard line. Because the play had been a fair catch, the Chargers decided to attempt a free-kick. This would be from 57 yards which was well within Dicker’s range. It should be noted that the eight-yard setback normally on field goal attempts was not added so it was strictly the actual field position plus the end zone distance.

The officials spotted the ball, holder J.K. Scott positioned the ball on the bare turf to Dicker’s liking, then Dicker approached unimpeded and nailed the kick. Three points were added to the scoreboard and eventually LA won 34-27.

5. Speaking of kickers, everyone thought the Browns kicker situation was solved. Now look at it. Dustin Hopkins was having a Pro Bowl season last year yet in 2024 the wheels fell off for him. Hard to pinpoint his problems. Some of his kicks he connects to the outside of the ball which sends the ball too far to the left. But the rightside misses? I don’t have a clue. I have a soccer history and have interviewed countless kickers which has given me a lot of information. A kicker does not contact the ball with the toe but with the laces of his shoe which gives him a full area in which to strike. In soccer, this is done on almost every goal because it allows more shoe area on the ball plus a full stride of power behind it.

Hopkins began this year well but was 3-9 from the Chargers game into the second Pittsburgh Steelers contest. Now, another week is starting with a kicker no one knows signed to the practice squad. The Browns should be able to find a reliable kicker in this year’s draft, but their needs are so great at a lot of positions do they really want to sacrifice a draft pick? Besides, Cade York, Austin Seibert, and Zane Gonzalez all gobbled up a draft pick and did that work out?

6. What is with these two games scheduled on Christmas Day? Why? There have been plenty of games that fell on Christmas, but those were situations when Christmas fell on a Saturday or Sunday. But to have games on a Wednesday? Again, why?

The slate of games is impressive with the Kansas City Chiefs traveling to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens versus the Houston Texans so the viewership may be decent. I am recording instead. The slate of games offers three division leaders and all four clubs will be in the post-season. Oddly enough, these four clubs were involved in last weekend’s Saturday lineup of two games with KC defeating Houston 27-19 and Baltimore taking the Steelers to the woodshed 34-17. So, the NFL just slides this quartet ahead four calendar days later.

But three days rest? For what reason? If you have ever played the game sometimes it takes all you can do to get out of the bed the next day. The NBA usually rules Christmas Day. Is the NFL’s reason to compete with that league? The NFL already has Thanksgiving Day wrapped up for football games and is a tradition. It is possible they want all the known holidays?

So next year, the NFL will have games on the weekend and then on Christmas Tuesday? Why not a game every day every week? They could dominate the airwaves! Yes, being facetious.

One item of note regarding Wednesdays in pro football history. When the World Football League was in business in 1974 and 1975, they placed a team in Honolulu called “The Hawaiians” which played a 20-game schedule. In their first year, the Hawaiians played all but five games on Wednesdays because of the time differences with the other clubs in the league. Needless to say, it was an issue.

7. I doubt both Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry will lose their jobs, but for a lot of teams that have double-digit losses, they will definitely fire their guys with these positions. Jacksonville and the New York Football Giants are a given. The Giants Brian Daboll was Coach of the Year in 2022 so don’t think Stefanki’s two awards will save him.

As far as Berry, look at his draft record. Chose OT Jed Wills over Tristan Wirfs who has gone to the Pro Bowl three times, was named First Team All-Pro and Second Team All-Pro once each, named to the NFL All-Rookie Team, and has a Super Bowl ring. Wills also made the NFL All-Rookie Team and, well – that’s it. Most likely he won’t be re-signed for the 2025 season so that’s a lost first-round pick.

Look at his draft classes and how many players remain on the current roster: 2020 – 3 of 7; 2021 – 3 of 8; 2022 – 5 of 9; 2023 – 6 of 7. Spent valuable third-round picks on DT Siaki Ika, WR Anthony Schwartz, and DT Jordan Elliott. Reached for guys like TE Harrison Bryant, DT Perrion Winfrey, and OT James Hudson.

In every draft, he selects a wide receiver and a defensive back. Is the Browns’ receiver room an elite group? At least the defensive backs are a solid group with quality depth. Berry has only drafted two players in Round 1 and that’s Wills and CB Greg Newsome, and the franchise has issues and doubts with both. Geez.

8. WR Diontae Johnson didn’t last long in Baltimore and last week the Ravens dumped him. That was seven weeks of complete drama. Well, the Texans must like drama as they claimed him off waivers after WR Tank Dell dislocated his kneecap and found IR his new home. Johnson had come to Baltimore after the Carolina Panthers had their fill of him despite being a very productive offensive component. The two teams face off on Christmas Day, so maybe Johnson will get some snaps against this second former ballclub. Sounds like a playoff grab to me. You know the saying about another man’s trash…..

9. Wendell Smallwood played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016-2018 and then three other clubs before retiring in 2021. This week, the former running back pled guilty to federal fraud charges after he was accused of submitting fraudulent tax returns and applications for hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic aid programs. He will be sentenced in May.

During the pandemic, Smallwood applied to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program for loans for three businesses under his name. The U.S. Small Business Administration approved loans of just over $46,000, but each application used false information. He also submitted fraudulent applications in the names of at least 13 other people for the Paycheck Protection Program and got loans valued at $270,000. Smallwood lied about the size of operation for each company in his name as well as the number of employees which amplified the dollar amounts.

All of this happened when he was still playing in the league. Apparently, fifth-round draft picks who played in the NFL for six years don’t make bank like they do today.

10. If you have been keeping up with the Browns wanting to build an indoor stadium outside the city limits, then you know there is a lot going on. The latest is an exceptional read right here:

RELATED: STADIUM DRAMA: SURVEYS, LAWSUITS, STUDIES

What should the franchise do? My brother lives in Indianapolis and every time I visit, we take in a Colts game. The last game it was nine degrees outside and toasty inside. Why suffer for three hours watching a game is my view. Kudos to any of you who sat in that snowfest when the Browns beat the Steelers this year. Yeah! for you. But me? No, thank you.

Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

What most teams are doing is building their legacy. With an indoor stadium away from the congestion of downtown Cleveland, the Browns can build, provide, and maintain their own paradise. Just think. You fly in nearby, and take a shuttle or an Uber to the hotel just down the road. During your free days leading up to the game, you eat at restaurants in this location and party. On game day, tailgate right there in the parking lot. You walk to all of this. No parking fees or permits and the costs associated, no traffic to maneuver around, and when the game is over, you walk back to your hotel and then fly back out the next day.

A huge plus for the Haslams is that by being the property owners, they can choose which hotels will be built, what amenities each will provide, their chose of restaurants constructed, and other businesses such as gas stations, bars, movie theaters, and souvenir shops.

If you live locally and are driving, it is easy off and easy on with the interstate and abundant parking. No more searching for a parking spot or having to work out a parking permit. This is regardless of which direction you are traveling from. Basically, NFL teams are building destinations for fans.