Pro Football is not just a game of passing or kicking the ball. It is also a game that encourages trick plays and fakes when perfectly executed, steal the entire momentum. One such play is the “fake spike” predominantly used since the early 90s to confuse the defense and score even in the crunch of time.
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NFL legend Peyton Manning is one of the entities popularly known for exercising precise fake spikes. Recently the veteran lauded his hero, who influenced him to learn this important skill in football.
Interestingly, the Dolphins superstar Dan Marino was the man behind this technique about whom Manning spoke so highly of. The football greats came face to face in a recent interview discussing various nuances of the game and their experiences playing the sport. Not to mention, these trick plays turned out to be a highlighting subject in the entire session.
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Peyton Manning praises Dan Marino for his contribution
The Sheriff’s Omaha productions released a snippet on Twitter with both legends in one frame. The former quarterback said that Marino taught him important stuff like the fake spike, which he executed perfectly well in an encounter against the Saints.
The fake was so accurate that even the referees believed it for a moment and blew the whistle. However, Manning went on to score a touchdown which apparently got nullified.
“I faked the spike, unbuckled my chin strap, and just started running toward the ref complaining. I just kind of hopped, skipped, and jumped around and then took off. It should have been a TD. He shouldn’t have blown the whistle.” Manning said with disappointment in the post-game interview, via Orlando Sentinel. Even though the referees refused to call it a touchdown, the incident still infuses chills anytime fans try to recall the moment.
How does the fake spike work?
This trick play is usually carried out when the teams run low on time. After taking the snap, quarterbacks tend to spike the ball on the ground forcing referees to stop the clock. The main objective behind this play is to buy some extra time to set up for the next play or call the special teams.
However, when the quarterbacks fake this move without tossing the ball and deceive the opposition, it is called a fake spike. One of the popular examples dates back to 1994 when the Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino pulled out a similar trick against the Jets. He went on to bag the winning score, and from thereon, this play became a trump Card among the top-tier signal-callers.
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