Patriots

Colts coach Frank Reich shares he ran a variation of the Philly Special against Patriots on Saturday

The play call also cost a reporter $20.

By Conor Roche

December 19, 2021

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One play by the Colts on Saturday night was déjà vu for Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense.

Getting the ball in the red zone for the first time in the game, Colts head coach Frank Reich dialed up a trick play. Running back Jonathan Taylor received the snap out of the shotgun, handing the ball off to quarterback Carson Wentz — who then pitched it forward to Nyheim Hines. Hines took the catch out of the backfield and ran it eight yards into the endzone for the game’s first score.

The formation and play call was very similar to the “Philly Special,” a play the Eagles ran in Super Bowl LII in their win over the Patriots. On that play, the snap went to running back Corey Clement, who ran left and tossed behind to tight end Trey Burton on a reverse. Burton threw the ball to a wide-open Nick Foles in the end zone, giving the Eagles six points on a fourth-down play call late in the first half.

Reich, who was the Eagles offensive coordinator in that Super Bowl, admitted that Saturday’s play call was a version of the Philly Special. The play call also cost The Athletic’s Bob Kravitz, who covers the Colts, $20.

“You owe me $20,” Reich told the reporter. “Someone told me that you tweeted that if we scored on a Philly Special — I’m not kidding you Bob. When we put that in, I thought about you. I said, ‘I’m telling Bob he owes me $20. This is a version of the Philly Special.”

The play call now has a different name to Reich.

“Frank Reich says while walking off the podium that the opening touchdown will be known as the ‘Patriot Special,'” The Athletic’s Stephen Holder tweeted after Reich’s press conference.