New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton knows a thing or two about onside kicks in crucial moments.
After all, he turned momentum in a Super Bowl with one, surprising the Indianapolis Colts with a play called "ambush" that helped spark a 31-17 win in Super Bowl XLIV. So, few could have appreciated Alabama's bold move in the College Football Playoff championship game quite like Payton. The Crimson Tide pulled off a successful onside kick against Clemson on Monday night in its 45-40 title-game win.
"It was unbelievable," Payton said, per ESPN. "It was a lot less sweat."
With the game tied at 24, Alabama kicker Adam Griffith popped a short kick toward the right sideline, away from the strong side of the kickoff formation. Marlon Humphrey, the son of former Denver Broncos first-round pick Bobby Humphrey, caught the perfectly placed pooch kick over his shoulder uncontested by a Clemson return unit that was too far out of position to disrupt the play:
The Saints' onside kick opened the second half of Super Bowl XLIV, with the Saints trailing 10-6, but the gravity of the moment was the primary similarity. The execution? Not so much.
"The difference, holy cow, it was well executed. Easy to see," Payton said. "Ours collisioned off somebody and was in a pile for about eight minutes."
Alabama, of course, scored the go-ahead touchdown off the extra possession. And special teams coaches everywhere made a mental note: Be ready for the ambush play.
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