In Carolina, they are calling it the “Chudrooski.”
Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski’s version of the fumblerooski on Sunday was an awesome bit of playcalling pulled off at the exact right moment.
If you haven’t seen the play yet, you can watch it right here. Panthers fullback Richie Brockel will probably never be involved in a more famous play.
Like all great artists, Chudzinski finds inspiration from time-honored source material. The Houston Chronicle notes that the Panthers coach loosely adapted the play from the 1994 classic Little Giants starring Rick Moranis and Al Bundy.
(And by classic, we mean it was “one of the stupidest movies ever made” according to Roger Ebert.)
Ron Rivera told Florio on NBC SportsTalk Monday that Chudzinski came to him Thursday with the play. Rivera liked it and said to go for it. The Texans were wildly confused, which left Brockel with one thought only when he got the ball.
“If I just don’t trip and fall . . . ,” Brockel said via the Charlotte Observer.
Brockel didn’t trip, scoring his first NFL touchdown.
Perhaps his next touchdown will come after Chudzinski watches Necessary Roughness over the holidays.
UPDATE 12:53 p.m. ET: Here’s the Rivera interview from Monday’s NBC SportsTalk.