Chiefs punter Luke McCaffrey made the smartest play of the game by not returning a punt in Thursday night’s win over the Giants.
With McCaffrey back on the field with a Giants kickoff, the ball landed near the sideline at the 5-yard line. The kick stayed in bounds and some returner would have grabbed the ball and started running. But McCaffrey let the ball bounce, then stepped out of bounds and then caught the ball with his feet down the sideline.
Under the rule, the ball is out of bounds if it touches a player who is out of bounds, even if the ball is actually in bounds. Touching the ball while his feet were out of bounds, McCaffrey forced an out-of-bounds penalty for the Giants, putting the ball at the Commanders’ 40-yard line.
“I thought Luke McCaffrey made a really smart play that won’t show up on the stat sheet,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said. “That’s a tough game. Is it out of bounds? Isn’t it? I was nervous about it, it’s one of those where you hold your breath.”
Every starting quarterback should know that rule, but knowing the rule is easier than having the quick thinking ability to do what McCaffrey did, in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. It was among the smartest football plays you’ll ever see.