The Lions used a bit of trickery to find the end zone vs. the Seahawks on Monday night.
Detroit pulled off a version of the “Philly Special,” a play known for a receiver or tight end throwing a touchdown pass to the quarterback.
The name “Philly Special” originates from the Eagles’ play in the 2018 Super Bowl vs. the Patriots when they scored on a touchdown pass from TE Trey Burton to QB Nick Foles.
Here’s a look at the Lions’ creative play call on “Monday Night Football” vs. the Seahawks, the unique statistics that came with it, and an overview of Jared Goff’s speed.
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Lions ‘Philly Special’ touchdown vs. Seahawks in Week 4
As Detroit had 2nd-and-Goal while looking to build on its 21-14 lead in the third quarter, Goff took the snap, faked a handoff, then tossed the ball over to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown.
After rolling to his right, St. Brown, who’s become one of the league’s best overall receivers for Detroit, threw a cross-field pass back to Goff, who already had some room to make the catch and jog into the end zone.
The Detroit Special:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2024
In a turn of events, St. Brown had the first passing touchdown of the night for Detroit, while Goff claimed the team’s first receiving score. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery had combined for three rushing touchdowns prior to the trick play.
It was the first receiving touchdown of Goff’s career, and he came into Monday with just one NFL reception, a five-yard catch in 2022. For St. Brown, it was both his first NFL completed pass and his first career passing touchdown.
Antwaan Randle El, famous for his involvement in a number of trick plays in his NFL playing career, is currently the Lions’ wide receivers coach, so he likely was involved in the unique play call on Monday night somehow.
Randle El, a former college quarterback who played wide receiver in the NFL, threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward in the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL victory.
Amon-Ra St. Brown revealed after the game that the play on which Goff scored is called “Alcatraz.”
Amon-Ra St. Brown said the WR pass to Jared Goff was a play called Alcatraz.
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) October 1, 2024
Jared Goff 40 time
Goff doesn’t show off his speed much, known as a quarterback that likes to make throws and most plays out of the pocket. However, the trick play on Monday gave Goff an opportunity to put the burners on as he ran to the end zone.
As a prospect at the 2016 NFL Combine, Goff ran the 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds.
While it certainly wasn’t speed that made Goff the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, he does often showcase his precise passing and efficiency in Detroit’s offense. Against the Seahawks, though, he had a unique opportunity to showcase a skill set he doesn’t often use.
