Trick plays, gadget plays were designed with one purpose – to catch the opponent off guard. When the Pittsburgh Steelers first brought out the shovel pass, it certainly did catch opponents off guard but a lot has changed since then. A play that was designed to be innovative and creative has now lost all its flavor.
The Steelers brought out the shovel pass again last week and it could not be more obvious that the play call is not fooling anyone, especially not Indianapolis Colts’ safety Malik Hooker.
The Steelers relied on the shovel pass on fourth and short against the Colts and it seems as if Hooker knew what was coming before Mason Rudolph could even receive the snap.