With nine minutes to play in regulation and the New England Patriots with a comfortable lead on the host Atlanta Falcons, the Patriots faced a second and eleven from their own forty yard line.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had called for play action passes out of the stretch several times during the course of the game, and usually for success down the field - but always moving to the right, quarterback Tom Brady selling the stretch hand off then curling back to his left, setting his feet and firing with maximum follow through...
...which is a beautiful thing. No matter which team you root for, you're quarterback standing tall, arm cocked and eyes surveying the field without a pass rusher within 10 yards has a tendency to bring you up out of your chair. Brady had three wide, with Michael Hoomanawanui motioning from right to left at Brady's command, LeGarrette Blount the single back.
This time, however, everyone went left.
Blount, whom had just burned the Falcons' defense on a 47 yards touchdown run right up the gut moved left in tandem with the line, his presence alone now helping to sell the play action - Brady put the ball in his gut and pulled it right back out - but the Falcons had this one sniffed out, so when Brady curled back to the right, he was suddenly face to face with two very large defensive linemen wearing red jerseys.
Out of the corner of his eye, Brady saw a white flash coming across the middle about 10 yards out and he wristed the ball towards the flash just as he took a shot to his midsection - rookie Josh Boyce eyed the fluttering pass headed for the turf, adjusted his angle and snared the ball right off of his shoe laces without breaking stride and turned upfield with full afterburners engaged.
The 24 yard gain probably went unnoticed to the casual fan - the Patriots' offense finally in overdrive and moving the ball at will - but it was perhaps one of the most significant developments that came out of New England's thrilling 30-23 victory on Sunday night.
Significant not just because it was Boyce's first catch of the season, but because Tom Brady and Boyce connected - and in the process, the beginning of trust.
Boyce was flanked out to the left just inside the numbers, while fellow rookie Kenbrell Thompkins was lined up wide right with Julian Edelman in the slot - and at the snap Thompkins went fly and Edelman deep slant, clearing underneath for Boyce to run a crossing pattern, showing his numbers to Brady and then, most importantly, making the difficult grab and turning upfield.
There is nothing on this planet that will build Tom Brady's trust in you more than to catch what he throws to you, and even more so if you clean up after him. Brady may have just seen the white flash and threw it out there, but also trusting that the flash would catch what he threw...
...and now that he did, perhaps McDaniels will integrate the speedster into the offense a little more.
With that speed, perhaps it's time to see what he can do on kick returns as well.
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