Teammates got a kick out of Flutie's drop
FOXBOROUGH -- When the Patriots lined up for an extra point with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, Dolphins lineman Vonnie Holliday was surprised at what was happening in front of him.
''The offensive line was giddy, they were coming up to the line saying, 'Watch this! watch this!' " Holliday said.
What was coming was the first successful drop kick in the NFL since 1941 -- Patriots quarterback-turned-kicker Doug Flutie gathered the snap, bounced the ball around the 10-yard line, then booted it between the uprights for the extra point. The last player to successfully execute a drop kick was Ray McLean of the Chicago Bears. McLean's drop kick came on an extra point in the Bears' 37-9 win over the New York Giants in the NFL championship game.
''It sure screwed me up, I couldn't figure out what they were doing. I had to use a timeout [before the attempt]," said Dolphins coach Nick Saban. ''I'm kind of pleased to hear that somebody can still drop kick. Flutie showed his age [43] on that one."
Saban called it the type of play he used to practice in his backyard. Turns out the Patriots had been practicing it in recent weeks, a result of a conversation between ESPN's Chris Berman, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, and Flutie. Berman remembered seeing Flutie execute a drop kick while playing in the Canadian Football League.
''We had a couple tryouts out there and Doug shanked a couple, but he hit a couple good ones, so I thought if we had an opportunity to do it here in of these last couple of games, we'd give him a shot," said Belichick, who smiled as Flutie hugged him after the kick. ''I think Doug deserves it. He is a guy that adds a lot to this game of football -- running, passing, and now kicking. I'm happy for him."
So, too, was quarterback Tom Brady.
''Doug was so nervous for three weeks because that's been in the plan," Brady said. ''I think he was probably more worried about drop kicking than he was worried about quarterbacking. He was so excited when it went in. I think everyone was. He just adds to his legend."
Flutie said the reaction of his teammates -- tight ends Benjamin Watson and Christian Fauria rushed to him as he pumped his right fist in celebration -- made the moment special.
''They were all fired up and that made it fun. It's an extra point and all that, but I was pretty fired up it went through. We'd been talking about it for a few weeks and Coach Belichick said that while there is no practical application to it, if he sees an opportunity to do it, we'd make it part of the [plan]."
Flutie estimated his odds were about 80 percent to make the drop kick. He was worried the Dolphins would blitz.
''It takes a while to get it off," he said. ''I was just going to focus on what I was doing and if they knocked me down, it happens."
The fact the last drop kick came in 1941 might have had some added meaning to Belichick, as that was the only year his father, Steve, played in the NFL. Belichick said he wouldn't be surprised if the feat isn't matched for some time.
''It might be 60 years again."
