Fake field goals and punts land in one of two camps. Brilliant play calls and “every coach involved in this should be fired.” At its best, you’ve had highlight-reel moments. At its worst, you have some of the worst plays in football history. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ fake field goal against the Cleveland Browns was much closer to that latter camp.
During the debut episode of his new podcast, Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz said the play was doomed from the start.
“This whole play was messed up from the jump,” Kuntz told co-hosts Vinnie Candelore and Tre Tipton. “It was tough to hear. There was supposed to be a motion. It just got a little miscombobulated. And the play got messed up. The timing messed up. And once the timing is messed up, this is what happens.”
Let’s show you what happened. Week 8 of the 2021 season against the Cleveland Browns. Facing 4th and 9 late in the first half, the Steelers called a fake instead of kicking a short field goal. Boswell received a direct snap from Kuntz and rolled to his right. No one was open, forcing Boswell to hold onto the ball. He threw it up for up grabs and took a monster shot from DT Jordan Elliott, sending Boswell flying into the sideline. The pass was incomplete, and Boswell was concussed.
“I’m carrying his helmet. I’m like, ‘Dude are you good?'” Kuntz said of talking to Boswell after the play. “You don’t look good. His nose was bleeding. He got crushed…it should’ve been a penalty.”
Boswell was, in top-notch medical terms, “not good.” He was ruled out the rest of the game, leaving Pittsburgh without a true kicker. Instead, the Steelers turned to P Pressley Harvin III to handle kickoffs and went for two instead of extra points, the smarter play than asking their punter to kick and someone – potentially CB Cam Sutton – to hold.
Despite coming away with zero points on the failed fake and playing a whole half without a kicker, the Steelers still found a way to win. Pittsburgh allowed just 10 points while QB Ben Roethlisberger found TE Pat Freiermuth for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Steelers the lead.
If it’s any consolation, it’s at least good the Steelers didn’t plan for the fake to execute exactly like this. Someone – though I don’t know who – was supposed to go in motion. Maybe that would’ve created an opening for Boswell to throw to. But being on the road created communication issues. And ugly results for Boswell and the Steelers’ special team unit. Fortunately, Pittsburgh came away with the win while Boswell returned the following week, making all three of his field goals against the Chicago Bears.
