When the Browns copied the Philly Special earlier this year, former Cleveland coach Hue Jackson tried to claim that they hadn’t. (Former Cleveland offensive coordinator Todd Haley blew Jackson’s cover, one of the tangible examples of the dysfunction that got both of them fired.) When the Saints scored the first touchdown of the game on Sunday night in Minnesota, New Orleans coach Sean Payton was copying a play that the Patriots had used a week earlier.
And Payton wasn’t afraid to admit it. In fact, he was (and should be) proud of it.
The touchdown came on a quick pass from quarterback Drew Brees to running back Alvin Kamara, who was crossing in front of Brees in motion, from left to right. The play, intended to be used close to the goal line, resulted in a score.
“That was a play seen the week before, Patriots vs. Bears,” Payton told Albert Breer of SI.com. “Great idea. It fit with what we were doing and had nothing to do with the Vikings. And yet, it applied to their defensive structure. And so, certainly, most of the week is spent watching your opponent’s tape, and yet there’s still going to be a part of the week devoted to the league.”
It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Preparing for a game entails so much more than studying the opponent’s film and self-scouting tendencies and tells. It requires applying a broad lens to everything happening in the league, because something someone else has done may be the perfect play to use against an upcoming foe.
“We have to [do that]. Yeah, we have to,” Payton said. “The last thing you want is some trading tip that’s going hot on the floor, and you just didn’t pay attention to it, and everyone else is. Very quickly in our league, a new thought or an idea shows up.”
It’s one of the reasons why coaches work so hard and sleep so little during the season. Every waking moment can (and should) be devoted to searching for anything and everything that can make a difference when it’s time to kick the ball and start playing. The coaches who make the most efficient use of that time are more likely to be successful and, ultimately, to remain employed in an industry where so many end up being fired.
