NY Jets OC Mike LaFleur drew up Week 15 trick play in high school

NY Jets, Mike LaFleur
NY Jets, Mike LaFleur | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com via Imagn

The NY Jets haven't been known for their passing efficiency in recent history, but offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is spicing things up with a few trick plays up his sleeve.

Despite losing to the Miami Dolphins in Week 15, New York can look back through the game tapes for a crazy but surprisingly effective passing play that got the team a fresh set of downs in the second quarter.

LaFleur devised the play which was essentially a variation of a trick play known as a hook-and-ladder (Ironically, the Dolphins may have designed the play first back in 1982).

In a traditional hook-and-ladder, the quarterback throws a forward pass to a wide receiver. The receiver then immediately hands the ball off to another player who has timed a perfect run to take the ball and streak down the field.

As with all trick plays, the hook-and-ladder is meant to catch defenses off guard and scramble up players' positions. LaFleur's variation of the play, while unorthodox, achieved its intended goal.

Here's a look at the play in real time.

NY Jets' Mike LaFleur was creating football trick plays back in high school

On a 3rd-and-15, Zach Wilson throws it to Jamison Crowder over the middle of the field, but instead of simply handing the ball off, or just running upfield, Crowder chucks the ball back across the field to a wide open Braxton Berrios.

Berrios then takes off downfield, weaving his way past a few Dolphins defenders before finally getting tackled. What may be crazier than the actual play itself is that Mike LaFleur first drew it up when he was in high school.

LaFleur calls it the "hook-and-throw-across-the-field" play which is much wordier. But it does get the point across. Thanks to the trick play, the Jets got a first down and then some near the end of the second quarter, but it was mostly for naught.

Despite LaFleur's offensive creativity, New York still failed to come back in the game and defeat a beatable Dolphins team. The Jets now focus their attention on another winnable game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16.

Should the Jets find themselves in a pinch, LaFleur may surprise the defense yet again with one of the many trick plays he probably conceived in school.

The bigger and better surprise might be the Jets actually winning the game. If not, at least LaFleur and New York's offense know how to entertain an audience.

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