It's no longer a coincidence that a Denver Broncos' defensive player was lying on the ground writhing in pain every time the New York Jets tried to establish offensive momentum.
Denver demoralized the surging Jets when they left the Meadowlands with a 34-17 victory—but its now clear that they arrived with no morals to begin with.
Rather than play the game the way it should be played, Dre' Bly confessed that he took a dive in order to stop the clock. Every time Brett Favre tried to start a no-huddle offense, one of the Broncos remained on the ground.
It appeared coincidental at first glance. In fact, it was merely speculation until Dre' Bly told the Rocky Mountain News, "Brett [Favre] was pulling a vet move. I gave him back one so we could recoup and get the guys lined up."
A vet move? No, Dre'—that's called a bitch move.
Instead of using official timeouts to stop the clock and re-organize their personnel, the Broncos' players chose to stay down and hinder the Jets' offensive momentum.
Favre and company would be working on stringing together one of the long offensive drives the Jets have become known for in recent weeks, only to be stopped by a player feigning injury.
The game would stop, trainers would rush to the field, and the injured player would gingerly hobble off the field, only to return a few plays later at top-speed.
While Bly is the only one to have admitted it, the frequency of the injuries does bring the entire team's practices into question.
That's not the way professional football should be played.
It's a waste of time—a waste of the officials' time, the trainers' time, and the fans' time.
NFL fans pay good money to attend live games. They travel in the worst of weather conditions and subject themselves to potential illness. It's not done to watch professional athletes take dives because they're afraid they can't keep up.
Injuries on the playing field aren't meant to be jokes. Every offseason the NFL's suits get together to find ways to protect their athletes. Players are legitimately injured every season.
New rules and policies are made, and fans complain the game is being turned into a glorified contest of flag football.
An injury is not to be used as a substitute for timeouts. Obviously, professional athletes don't live in the same world as the fans. But when the regular man goes to work, there is behavior that's expected and demanded of him.
Most companies place a premium on stopping employees from stealing time. When an employee shows up for work, they're expected to perform at the highest level possible while they're on the clock.
Faking injuries in place of taking a timeout is stealing company time. It's stealing money from the fans' pockets. And it's stealing away from the NFL's reputation as a game for real men.
On a day where the Broncos' offense clicked all over the field, Bly and friends robbed NFL fans of a true competitive contest! Perhaps it's because the Broncos had gone down to the wire in too many games this season?
Regardless, the Jets and their efficient offense wasn't only stifled by strong defensive play, but by cheap tactics that have no place in the NFL. There's no telling if the fake injuries could have changed the outcome. The Jets did enough to beat themselves on Sunday, anyway.
But admitting to remaining on the ground intentionally is an insult to football fans that cheer faithfully every Sunday.
More importantly, it's a slap in the face to the real men whose bodies will never be the same after leaving everything on the playing field.
Angel Navedo is the Head Writer at NYJetsFan.com, featuring frequently updated news and a premier fan community. He is also the Community Leader for the New York Jets on Bleacher Report.
68 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Jarrod Seybolt 7 months ago
I agree that there is no place in the NFL for faking injuries. However it is allowed to happen and executed by Bly in the perfect situation. Touche to him. While the fake injuries may have cheapened the game it still was the Jets who could not put together the drive. One can not logically say that this was the cause the Jets were unable to score. They were given more time to craft a play on each of these injuries dont forget about that. Yes the defense may have gotten a rest but this is a defense that has been picked apart by almost every team they have faced. No reason for the Jets not to be able to score. What you have written about is an excuse. It is way more legitimate then say complaing about refs or rules but still is a excuse. I agree this has no place in the NFL and they should be fined but it did not have an impact on the game as you have said it has. It is a completely hypothetical arguement. I am a Bills fan which means I have attempted every excuse in the book but when it comes down to it the better team on that day almost always wins.
-I am excluding games like the Music City miracle and Ed Hoculi debacles.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
I have no problem with losing. Taking the L didn't hurt me in this game as much as it would have if it was a division game. You're right, the Jets should've been able to keep the ball rolling anyway. But on a cold, rainy day where momentum is key against an explosive offense like Denver's, you can't argue that fake injuries have a place in the game.
Everything is hypothetical when we play the if game. If Bly didn't fake an injury, Favre might have tossed an interception on the next play, completely negating the argument. But that didn't happen. What did happen was the Jets needed to stop and watch him walk gingerly off the field.
Football is a game of tempo, you know that. Timeouts and injuries kill that. It's why coaches call timeouts at the last second to freeze the kicker.
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Michael Miller 7 months ago
He didn't fake his injury, read the article Angel is referring to
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Sayre Bedinger 7 months ago
Yet another bitter fan accusing the Broncos of cheating. Bly made a great decision by giving his fellow injured teammates (Ekuban, Larsen, Manuel) a little time to loosen up. You can bag on Dre all you want, but the Broncos were the better team yesterday, even without starters Champ Bailey, Boss, Webster, D.J., McCree, Pittman, Young, and Torain.
Favre made a great veteran move to use a hurry up when the Broncos were short handed on personnel, and Bly, as he stated, also made a veteran move to allow his injured teammates time to get back in the game. I agree, it's not the way the game should be played, but it also shouldn't be played with a team on a five game winning streak versus a defense that features six normal starters, four of which are on the line.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
There's nothing bitter about it, Sayre. My other game recap article from last night specifically stated that the Broncos dominated the Jets. We couldn't stop the run, and the pass has been the Achilles' heel of the Jets D all season.
The argument here is that faking injuries and sickness is punishable anywhere else. You know what happens when you call an ambulance for a fake emergency? You get arrested and charged. It's illegal.
I don't care how many starters the Broncos had missing. If you're about to be caught off-guard and unprepared, you call a timeout, or deal with it. You don't stop the game to catch a breather. It's not real football.
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Sayre Bedinger 7 months ago
I did read your post game, and it seemed as though you gave all the credit to the Broncos. Now however, you appear to be blaming the Jets' loss on the fact that Dre Bly didn't allow Favre to run the no-huddle for one play. It just seems a bit over the top to me, but maybe it's not. I don't think it's really the same as faking death or injury. You could also make the argument of a cheap shot in favor of Favre, who called no huddle when the Broncos were clearly shorthanded. It's strategy either way, but I don't see how if affected the outcome of the game.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
I hear you, Sayre. It's like I replied to Jarrod—there's no crystal ball that says what could've been. The hurry-up play could've been a fumbled snap, recovered by the Broncos. It happens. But I feel robbed of the opportunity to see it happen.
If you mean short-handed because the Broncos were injured, I don't sympathize. If you mean short-handed because they were trying to change personnel between plays.. I still don't sympathize. Most teams take the penalty, call the timeout, or make due with who's on the field.
Given what happened on the field, Denver did dominate New York's defense. But faking injuries has no place in this game. Not when so many players' careers have ended on the field.
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anthony defelice 7 months ago
the fact is that denver won 34-17 bly faking a injury didnt decide the game.. the jets made a mistake wen they where down by 10 and went for it they shoulda kicked the fg been down by 7 and attempted to stop denver and then try to score to tie the game up but that didnt matter b.c ny couldnt stop den from scoring neway.. u gota remember brett favre is getting older by the game and he even said that back on the thursday night game he was tired.. so u got a tired old man playing fb in the rain against a very young bronco team.. so stop being angry and making up excuses..
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
It's not so much about the Broncos winning anyway as it as about Denver's tactics. The poll question asks if the game would've been different, but it's not what's important. Faking injuries undermines the integrity of the game we love.
But you're right, Anthony. The Jets made a lot of mistakes that could've cost them the game. Fake injuries didn't make Jerricho Cotchery drop a pass that hit him in his chest on 4th and 1. Despite that, men don't fake injuries for an advantage. It's cheap and childish. And that's what the Broncos did yesterday.
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Jen Preston 7 months ago
Considering the commanding win the Broncos had, I don't really see how "faking" injuries made a difference. And just because Bly faked them doesn't mean Ekuban or any of other player did. I agree, you shouldn't fake injuries- but just because one player does it doesn't make it "Denver's tactics". That's on Bly.
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Rob Maccariello 7 months ago
Denver's tactics clearly are not in the spirit of the game, although unfortunately, they didn't violate any rules along the letter of the law. It's impossible to judge during the situation whether or not an injury is being faked. For the benefit of those who really do get hurt, they shouldn't have to prove it. Where "injury" time outs have proven to be a most significant game-changer is in the last few minutes of the game. I think under two minutes in the 4th quarter, and maybe the 2nd quarter as well, injury timeouts actually subtract one of the three official team timeouts for the half. What happens when there are no timeouts left, I do not know.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
Yeah, injury timeouts do count against teams in the final minutes.
I was willing to leave the whole situation to bitter Jets' fan speculation until I read that quote from Dre' Bly. Confessing that he thought it was a "vet move" proves he was intentionally manipulating the clock and the tempo in a situation where he can't be second-guessed by the officials.
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Rob Maccariello 7 months ago
That makes him a good veteran doesn't it? Not as blatant or evil, but it could be compared to a team quickly running a draw play or QB sneak, no-huddle, to beat the opponent's coach's attempt to challenge a play. Maybe the officials blatantly jobbed the other team and everybody knows it, but the team who benefitted is obviously not going to try to set things straight.
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John Fennelly 7 months ago
Let face it - the Jets mailed this one in yesterday...but I do agree the amount of 'injuries' the Broncos piled up was very suspicious. It was clear to me that they were trying to slow down the Jets' hurry-up effort.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
I agree, John. Guys missing wide open passes, and the defense failing to attack like they didn't believe Denver could run at all definitely contributed to the loss. I do believe it would've been a lot closer, though.
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Joe Willett 7 months ago
Just curious if you saw the Bears-Vikings game, Gus Ferrotte laid motionless for about 5 to 10 seconds before getting up and hobbling off the field, less than five minutes later he was throwing back and playing to perfection. Suspicious, I was angry, it seems like the same thing may have happened here.
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Joe Willett 7 months ago
Also, the hit was light at best, Ogunleye had his shoulder down and it was a very late hit but he was moving to the side to side with no or little momentum towards Ferrotte.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
I did see that play. It was a scary moment because the hit wasn't even a clean one. He was hit hard from behind well after releasing the ball. Don't know if he had the wind knocked out of him, or just had his clock cleaned really well.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
I see what you're saying, Joe. Maybe Frerotte is up for an Oscar. But his head did jerk back a bit when he fell. I'm glad it wasn't severe.
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Joe Willett 7 months ago
JT, I was confused about that as well, but you have to admit he was motionless for a good amount of time, you would think with a reaction like that a person is out for at least a game, maybe a season, and he wasn't even out a series.
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Alexeiv Goodenov 7 months ago
It happened 3 times in a span of roughly 15 minutes.
I was also pissed because it had to be more than a coincidence.
It was bs.
I do think the Jets would have won considering how close they were at one point, remember the goal line stand? I think they would have gotten 7 instead of 3 were it not for that phantom injury.
Tis okay, we all know the Broncos will lose in the Wild Card round.
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Michael Miller 7 months ago
What a Homer
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Jamen E 7 months ago
Wahhh! I "was also pissed because it had to be more than a coincidence" Wahhhh! Generally I won't get into tit for tat and crying foul! This time I must call the BS on You AL! The Jets were clearly outplayed and the fact that one Bronco player alleged he made this move to slow another "old vet" does not mean this is a tactic or a practice throughout the league. I also remember in the not too distant past the allegations of cheating being the reasons the Jets could not beat Bellicheks Patriots either! Do not make me fall over laughing my ($* off! The Jets have a great team and frankly I love the Job that the coach has done to keep gun slinging Brett under control. I am disappointed in all you armchair QB's who think this is worse than spying on a team with a Video camera! I find that poor judgment too! Do you know why all the Coaches cover their mouths with their playlists! Other teams will try and use lip readers to steal signals for the betterment of their team! Ooohh they are cheaters too! I want you to know, yesterday your team didn't have it in them to win! Just like the Bronco's couldn't beat their nemesis the *$#*$( Raiders last week. I know one thing my Friend the scoreboard never lies....maybe it fibs now and then but not 34-17.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
The responses to Alexeiv are funny because he's not even a Jets' fan.
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deflated 7 months ago
Jets fans are spending too much time thinking about the Pats, apparently there are conspiracies everywhere now. I've got no doubt Bly went down easy on that play but it had less to do with icing Favre and more to do with the loss of the Broncos starting DE and MLB to real injuries on the previous two plays (Ekuban to a stinger, Larsen off for precautionary x-rays on his hip). It happened once, not "Every time Brett Favre tried to start a no-huddle offense".
Seriously, why on earth would the Broncos sit their only remaining viable MLB with a fake injury with the Jets driving? Same goes for Ekuban, he is the only DE on the team who can tackle a running back and he's on the bench? The Broncos had far more to lose by having their D starters go missing for a couple of series or the game than the benefit of an extra 'timeout' to get worse personnel on the field.
Bly pulled a move that the brotherhood of Offensive linemen have worked for years; stay down after the pile at the end of the game to give your guys a breather. He was just dumb enough to yap about it. Nothing new here, move on.
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Jeff Tallariti 7 months ago
Teams always have an excuse for losing. I watched this game and while Bly shouldn't have done that... many of the other injuries were more serious. Larsen, Barrett, and Shaw did not return to the game and Ekuban wasn't able to play much the rest of the way as he was limping.
Broncos should have never been in this game. By the time those injuries began to occur it was already 27-14 in the 3rd quarter. That was the reason they lost, not the injuries.
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Michael Miller 7 months ago
You mean to say that you would have just left the field after you were injured? Knowing full well that Favre went to the hurry up just to take advantage of your injury? ridiculous
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Bob Cunningham 7 months ago
all the old time guys used to fake injuries to stop the clock or give their guys time.
i'm not sure how i feel about it. is it a bitch move? or just strategic?
hmmm.. im not sure, however, im leaning towards bitch.
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Jamen E 7 months ago
Strategic or offensive Bly should say nothing and this whole "Bitch" article is a moot point...they changed the rules to stop people from doing the fake at the end of the game without penalizing their team a timeout or time off the clock. You can lean toward bitch all you want...bottom line is done run your mouth off if you are pulling a "bitch" move. Just like you don't need to run your mouth off if you are so stupid you don't know OT rules in the game that feeds your family moron...oops uhh wrong discussion!
Sorry Jets fans, I love your teams effort for 5 of the last 6 games. Yesterday the scoreboard ruled!
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Michael Miller 7 months ago
He didn't fake an injury, he stayed down because Favre went to the hurry up to take advantage of his injury. VET MOVE
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Sayre Bedinger 7 months ago
I agree with J.T. It may be a "pussy" move, but show me in the NFL rule book where it is illegal. The whole thing is, Bly had to go out for at least one play, and the Jets couldn't even take advantage of that. This stupid situation is now taking credit away from the Broncos who played a great game on both sides of the ball.
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Jen Preston 7 months ago
THANK YOU! That's exactly it, Sayre. Plus, since when does one player make it the whole team's fault? That was Bly's decision, not the Denver Bronco's.
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Henry Gula 7 months ago
It also showed an incredible lack of class for Jets fans to boo the Broncos' players while they were down. As Brandon Marshall said in his post game interview, "thank you for booing...the guys took it personally and it drove them to play harder".
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Robbie DeSimone 7 months ago
Faking injuries to slow the game down?? That is so low. I can't believe that any professional team would stoop to that level, although the Jets played so bad that I don't think that they would have won anyway.
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Michael Miller 7 months ago
No one faked an injury dude.
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David Burley 7 months ago
"No one faked an injury dude."
ummm, he admitted it.
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Henry Gula 7 months ago
Is it lower than booing someone who's down with an injury? I don't think so.
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Michael Miller 7 months ago
This is the only ruling that would allow a fine: Key words here are EXTRAORDINARILY UNFAIR
Section 2 Extraordinarily Unfair Acts
Article 1 The Commissioner has the sole authority to investigate and take appropriate
disciplinary and/or corrective measures if any club action, non-participant interference,
or calamity occurs in an NFL game which he deems so extraordinarily unfair or outside
the accepted tactics encountered in professional football that such action has a major
effect on the result of the game.
Article 2 The authority and measures provided for in this entire Section 2 do not
constitute a protest machinery for NFL clubs to avail themselves of in the event a
dispute arises over the result of a game. The investigation called for in this Section 2 will
be conducted solely on the Commissioner’s initiative to review an act or occurrence that
he deems so extraordinary or unfair that the result of the game in question would be
inequitable to one of the participating teams. The Commissioner will not apply his
authority in cases of complaints by clubs concerning judgmental errors or routine errors
of omission by game officials. Games involving such complaints will continue to stand
as completed.
Article 3 The Commissioner’s powers under this Section 2 include the imposition of
monetary fines and draft-choice forfeitures, suspension of persons involved in unfair
acts, and, if appropriate, the reversal of a game’s result or the rescheduling of a game,
either from the beginning or from the point at which the extraordinary act occurred. In
the event of rescheduling a game, the Commissioner will be guided by the procedures
specified in Rule 17, Section 1, Articles 5 through 11, above. In all cases, the Commissioner
will conduct a full investigation, including the opportunity for hearings, use of
game videotape, and any other procedure he deems appropriate.
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Chris 7 months ago
As has been said over and over and over again in these comments, the Broncos played better and the Jets were not there to play hard. The Jets lost the game. Period.
I believe Angel's point is that Bly's admission of faking an injury to counter the Jets' no huddle is unsportmanlike and low. There is no requirement to huddle in the NFL. Teams regularly go with the no huddle to create a rhythmn on offense. Often it is also done to prevent defensive replacements. It is inherently fair, however, as the offense is unable to change personel in the no huddle as well.
Faking an injury (evidently amongst a number of legitimate injuries) is as low as a competitor get go. As Angel points out there are many serious injuries in the NFL. It is tragic that one in the brotherhood of players would be so disrespectful to those who are truly injured to fake an injury.
I have always thought it strange that a player could look like he was killed on the field, stop the game to be attended to, and then be back in and playing at full capacity a play or two later. Clearly there is some acting going on. The simple solution to the problem is for the NFL to require a player that stops play due to an injury sit out the rest of the game. If you are that injured that you can't get up and off the field on your own, you should not be back on the field anyway. At a minimum, an injured player should be required to sit out a full quarter of play time. This will make the faker think twice and not take away needed time outs later in the game. Create a deterent and faking goes away.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
Great post! I applaud you, sir.
If a player walks off on his own strength, make him sit out the rest of the series. If he's helped off, the rest of the quarter. If he's carried, then clearly it's pretty bad and he won't be back out anyway.
Timeouts are here for a reason. If they wanted to counteract the No Huddle, it should've been done like every other team does it. Admit that you're not ready, and burn it!
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deflated 7 months ago
Okay, back off from the hyperbole. Dre Bly's act was worse than Sapp spearing Chad Clifton in the back 40 yards from the ball? Was it worse than Romonowski spitting on JJ Stokes of the Haynesworth head stomp? Was it more disrespectful than Favre laying down to give his buddy Strahan the sack record, or Jeff Fisher challenging the Calvin Johnston's circus catch in garbage time after torching the Lions? Please, this isn't even on par with facemasking or 'radio problems' with the visiting team's headsets.
The NLFPA has been disrespecting retired players with injuries for years, why should current players with injuries get any more respect. This is the league of Tatum unashamedly leading with the helmet and Eric Smith cheapshotting Boldin with 30 seconds to go in a blowout. Fair is what you want for game-day weather.
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Jamen E 7 months ago
Silly, Really remaking the rulebook to avoid really what is bothering everyone here the most! Broncos won 34-17. Jets lost on mental mistakes, poor play calling, 400+ yards of offense given up! What really makes them mad is that this was how Denver had been losing all season and then to have the Jets do it! Well that is unthinkable unheard of (splutter splutter m... aummn, errrr... well) I guess it really comes down to poor play calling and poor execution on defense not a couple of lousy injuries feigned or real! The defense could not stop Brandon Stokely that Indianapolis reject, from burning them deep on a roll out! Keep whining unless you want to nut it up and get ready for next week!
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
That's really not the point at all, Jamen. I'm sorry that's the message you took from this article, or any of my comments in response to readers. I have no issue with the loss. Yeah.. it sucked. The Broncos popped our bubble, and brought us back to ground level. But it's not the end of the world for Jets' fans.
I even write in the article that the Jets had no response on defense for the Broncs' running game—an area we've been beastly at all season.
It's unfortunate that you can't see the lack of class "taking a dive" displays in a professional contest. Maybe because you're a Broncos fan? I'm not sure. I'm not going to accuse you of anything.
I can't agree with your points on the legitimacy of Bly's injury when he was back on the field a few plays later. It's got nothing to do with the fact that he admitted it. It's the fact that it happened.
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Michael Miller 7 months ago
To all you who think Bly faked an injury: He didn't. His injury was real, only he didn't leave the field immediately.
You are in his shoes.
You are winning by 17.
Your opponent is driving, and possess the come-back king Favre.
You are injured.
You begin to leave the field knowing full well it is your right to just lay there and wait for the trainers. You realize the oppsing team is taking advantage of your injury by going to the hurry up.
You:
A) lay back down
B) leave the field giving your opponent a better chance to score.
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Jamen E 7 months ago
Good Idea Michael, for the team I lay back down. What do you do for your team! I wonder....but I know what I would have done...I would have rolled over had someone help me limp off the field and shut my flapping mouth after the game! How many of you saw Peyton Hillis getting racked in the boys so hard he was doubled over in pain. Do you really think it was a coincidence! Hmmmm! Maybe he was trying to slow down Cutler (his own QB fyi) or maybe he was seriously trying to shake it out to see if the boys would still work! Come on! I in no way want to say Bly was faking it! I don't even think Frerotte was faking it when he had the elbow in the back...10 seconds after he released a pass...what I am saying if I was slowing my exit from the field for strategic purposes I would not tell you all about it!
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Artie Paterson 7 months ago
Bly admitted that he "pulled a vet move" by lying on his back when he obviously didn't need to be so yes Michael, Bly faked it and admitted it. I was at the game and the Jets lost, period, BUT - I have zero respect for players who fake injuries just to slow the momentum of the apposing team. Even the Pats wouldn't do that!
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Jamen E 7 months ago
Wanna bet Bellichek would be out their yelling at them that they got up too soon! LOL
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Michael Miller 7 months ago
WAIT WAIT WAIT. He WAS injured. Favre took advantage of his injury. Slowing the momentum of the opposing team is done in several ways EVERY game: running instead of passing, staying in bounds on purpose, taking a knee to run out the clock.
It's called clock management
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Sayre Bedinger 7 months ago
So how can you have any respect for a quarterback trying to run the hurry up offense when the other team is losing three players on three consecutive plays to injury, and the fans are booing them to boot! Brandon Marshall said they used that as motivation. First of all, it's just as much strategy for Favre to hurry up when players are getting injured as it is for Bly to fake an injury. But it's FAR worse for a group of fans to boo at an injured player.
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Chaz Mattson 7 months ago
Angel,
I feel you may have opened a seriously small can of worms by scraping the bottom of the barrel. However, I feel it's important to legitimize your angle somewhat because it was obvious the Jets wanted to get into a hurry up. Now having said that, there were very legitimate injuries on those plays and replay showed them. Dre's comment speaks to this, that the game is a game of strategy. Weather you like it or not, it's a good move for a defense to slow down the offense. I'm sure at some point this will be monitored, and if the defense IS at fault they will receive delay of game penalties. That never happened. So, I think the thing is this. In the AFC the Titans have the best record but have had a last place schedule to complement their good play. The Jets have played well. The Steelers and Ravens are tough. Denver is now your official X-factor going into the playoffs. If the Broncos are on, any of the other teams are toast. If they are sent into confusion, it's any teams race to the Super Bowl.
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Jamen E 7 months ago
Great Point with the can of worms...bottom line Jets win moot point....Broncos won... last I checked it was by more than two touchdowns...yes 17 + 17 = 34....scoreboard says double....we have a winner and sorry to break it to you and your great team Jets fans...it was not you!
No SOUP FOR YOU...go about your business and win win win win to the end and you are in the right place to get promoted!!!
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Brett Fulmore 7 months ago
"Denver left the Meadowlands with a demoralizing 34-17 victory over the surging Jets—but its now clear that they arrived with no morals to begin with."
Aren't the Jets the ones that were demoralized?
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
Yeah. I don't see how that's unclear with that sentence. They left with a demoralizing victory OVER the Jets.. not a loss.
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Brett Fulmore 7 months ago
It's a demoralizing loss for the Jets then... not a demoralizing victory for Denver.
I'm not trying to nitpick, I swear!
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
I got you. I see how it could be confusing. I just toyed around with the wording. Better?
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David Burley 7 months ago
"running instead of passing, staying in bounds on purpose, taking a knee to run out the clock." are part of the game.
Why do you think they penalize a team in the last two minutes when a player is injured and that player's team has used all of it's time outs?
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David Arreola 7 months ago
The Broncos CLEARLY outplayed the Jets and deserved the win.
But as Angel so clearly put, they did a bitch move.
Come on, grown men faking injuries? Thats just sorry.
Mike Shanahan, if you need to fake injuries to stop the hurry up offense. It is time to find a new defensive coordinator.
This isn't about the bitchness effecting the outcome.
Its about the fact that a respected team like the Broncos would pull this stunt.
I've lost all respect for the Broncos defense as well as Dre' Bly
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
Thank you, David. I know a lot of Broncos' fans won't want to admit it, but this isn't the type of gridiron football I fell in love with. I like the stories of guys that went on to win games and played through injury. Things like Leftwich's story, playing with a broken leg.
Taking dives isn't the hard-nosed type of football that made me fall in love with this game.
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Christian Araos 7 months ago
This S*** doesn't belong in the NFL you see this done by some soccer players not in the NFL. The Broncos should be ashamed of themselves and stuff like this is on the rise. The NFL is NOT the same as it was five to ten years ago.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
Absolutely, Christan. I can't believe real football fans would want to downplay this. No one likes a liar.
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Eric Tresch 7 months ago
Are you people retarded ? I am a NCAA player and NFL Dratee from Colorado . Yea , a hurry up is a tactic to leave the offense off balance and under manned ! The tactic to use an injury legitimate , and a way to get the T/O(TIME OUT ! Which the coach could have taken if he chose to do so!) , Dre' Bly was only doing the deed himself because Mike believed in his big D to stop the pass !
As for the reasoning , well the Broncos have lost a total of 5 starting defense players , and 4 of the replacements are new to the playbook so restarting a play without huddle would give them a very low probability of stopping the Packers from working down the field .
So people please leave the complaints to the officials and the NFL itself and enjoy the entertainment your getting from some of the most amazing atheletes in the world!
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
Even you believe it is part of the game, Eric.. multiple times in one game? In the same drive? At what point does it stop becoming a tactic, and it just becomes cheap?
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David Geller 7 months ago
What Dre Bly did WAS a veteran move. Favre was rushing to the line and if he snapped the ball Bly would've been called offsides. Who's to stop him from lying down and stopping play?
The Jets do that nonsense all the time, Bly did the smart thing that other players should start doing.
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T.J. Morrill 7 months ago
Didn't make a difference, if you give up 34 points you deserve to lose anyways.
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Joe Huber 7 months ago
Players should never fake injuries. Ever. Period.
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james monteith 7 months ago
why are people trying to justify a bad game by the J E T S, just accept it. I did with the Raiders loss, so be a man and move on!!!!!!!
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Michael Nevin 7 months ago
Unless I am mistaken, I have heard of the Broncos faking injuries before. I'm not sure if it is true, but some people said the Broncos faked some injuries against Oakland this season. The fact that this happened against the Jets makes me believe they did the same against Oakland.
Great article, I fully agree with you.
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lon-ton 7 months ago
i believe it.
the pats seem to me to have been doing this for years. i've seen them get very injury prone during successful drives by many other teams in both the regular season and the playoffs.
the cowboys appear to be doing it against the steelers right now.
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