Life in the pile is down, dirty
Eyes, other body parts at risk after fumbles
Games matching Peyton Manning and Tom Brady require no embellishment. They are the best quarterbacks of their generation, the most well-known because of their accomplishments and commercials. But before anotherword about “Omaha,” before another ad for Buicks and pizzas, before another mention of supermodels and collective ughs over Uggs, let’s set the record straight.
For all of the deserved attention about the passing attacks of the Broncos and New England Patriots, the AFC championship game Sunday inDenver could be decided by a ball on the ground. The recovery of a fumble can change momentum, which often affects the outcome.
It seems easy. Ball on the ground. Pounce. Win. The simplicity belies the ugly truth: Life in the pile remains theWildWest, a testosterone mess of arms, legs and lawlessness.
“There’s kicking, scratching, clawing,” Broncos defensive end Jeremy Mincey said. “I am serious. Your pen is not ready for the words and the actions aboutwhat happens down in there.”
Turning points in the playoffs often occurwhen players are turning the screws on each other. Despite the technological advances that allowviewers to see a broken fingernail on a quarterback’s hand, or hear Manning shout “Omaha, Omaha,” the pile remains shrouded in darkness and secrets. TV cameras can’t go there, and if they could, the telecast might be suitable only for cable.
“That’s the life that nobody knows about,” Broncos linebacker WesleyWoodyard said. “Anything goes. I will leave it at that.”
Possession defines the NFL. The Broncos forced 18 fumbles this season and recovered nine, tied for 20th in the 32-team league. The Patriots recovered 12 fumbles, tied for fifth. Holding onto the ball is critical because turnover margin frequently explains the outcome as well as the scoreboard.
Whenthe ball is loose, panic ensues. The scene, which will feature heightened urgency Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High because of the stakes, is familiar. There’s a strip, followed by a collective gasp or roar from the crowd. The players dive in with no regard for their safety, jostling for position, for recognition. They enter as gladiators, part Russell Crowe, and emerge like Cameron Crowe, with a story to tell.
“The worst? I got grabbed (in the private parts). But Iwasn’t going to let go of the ball,” Mincey said. “It was extreme pain, but that’s what it’s like in the pile.”
The pile is a 30-second advertisement for anarchy. Players get punched. Eyes are gouged. Ball security takes on a whole new meaning.
“The majority of guys have so much respect for each other, there’s not a whole lot of maliciousness. But like anywhere in society, there are always one or two knuckleheads,” said ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth, a former Broncos guard. “There was a play in a pile this year where I saw a dude trying to check a guy’s oil. It was practically a prostate exam. You have to be careful.”
Former Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski admitted that he broke the finger of New York Giants running back Dave Meggett in a pile to retrieve a fumble. The ball is that valuable? Given the stories, it’s fair towonderwhether the pigskin is a Fabergé egg.
“You will do anything because the game is on the line. There’s pulling, grabbing, punching,” Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “The person who comes out of there with the ball is a man. A man.”
In a league increasingly focused on improving player safety, there are no rules that govern the pile, players said. They are fine with that, though there are some loose guidelines on how and who will converge in this flash mob of humanity.
Many piles involve linemen. It’s geography. They are located at the epicenter of running plays, where fumbles often occur. If a player lands on or grabs the ball, the advice is clear.
“Slide and cradle. Slide and cradle,” Mincey said. “And hold on with everything you have.”
If a player is late arriving to the party, there are two paths: Pull players off if you trust your team has the ball. Or dive in with the fearlessness of a shark. Who’s going to prevent it? A 5-foot-10, 180pound referee who is twice the players’ age? This lack of control is why hulking linemen suggest that quarterbacks not wade into the mess. Leave it to the grunts.
“You don’t want to see a top player hurt,” Mincey said. “That’s prime opportunity for somebody to cheap shot them.”
In the 2006 season, when Manningwon his Super Bowl title with the Indianapolis Colts, a fumble recovery in the AFC championship game changed everything. Running back Dominic Rhodes lost the handle, Colts radio broadcaster Bob Lamey lost his mind— “He fumbled the frickin’ football!” — and Colts center Jeff Saturday found glory. He fell on the ball as a pile formed, including diving Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi.
When announcing his retirement, Saturday identified this as his crowning moment.
“Getting to recover a fumble for a touchdown, getting to slay the Patriots, all those things. That’s the one forme, even above the Super Bowl,” Saturday said.
It underscores a truth that is even more important Sunday. Life at the bottom of the pile can determinewhich teamcomesout ontop.
“What do I say (to players)?” Broncos coach John Fox said. “You have to come out with the ball!”