While most of the Tampa Bay area's attention was focused on the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, I was flipping back and forth between that game and the Thursday night football matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, won by the Rams, 26-17.
And when I saw Seahawks punter Michael Dickson get his third-quarter punt blocked by Rams linebacker and special teamer Jamir Jones, and then kicked it a second time, I thought, "no way that's legal." And when a flag was thrown on the play, it only confirmed my thoughts, especially when the absolutely fine announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman both said the ball would be coming back. Even Mike Pereira, sage that he is, told us the play would come back because you can't punt twice on the same play.
Perhaps the most amazing part of this play is not the two punts, but the one-handed pickup of the ball by Dickson while on the run. I'm sure you've seen football follies videos of players failing to pick up loose balls like they're covered in Vaseline, but this was as smooth a recovery as I have seen.
Having said that, Dickson's second punt on the same play, legal because the ball never passed the line of scrimmage after the first punt was blocked, traveled 68 yards and pinned the Rams deep in their own territory. The flag was picked up, as the officials confirmed the ball did not cross the line of scrimmage before it was kicked a second time.
How's that for an obscure rule?
Cover Photo: Getty Images