October 6, 1997

JETS PLAY IT SAFE WITH SAFETY

The New York Jets led the Indianapolis Colts 16-10 Sunday with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Jets faced fourth down on their own 34-yard line. Head coach BILL PARCELLS did not want to risk a blocked punt. After conferring with officials, he decided to capitalize on a rule his quarterback, and many others, did not know. Parcells had NEIL O’DONNELL take the snap and -- after retreating a few steps to take time off the clock – throw a pass through his own end zone for a safety.

"I thought I knew the rules of football pretty well," O’Donnell said. "But I didn’t know you could actually throw the ball out of [the end zone] and get a safety. This is a play I learned today you could do. I didn’t tell anyone on my team. It would take too much time to explain."

Thus, the Colts scored two points for the safety to narrow the Jets’ lead to 16-12, and the Jets lined up for a free kick (a punt, drop kick or place kick with no tee allowed) at their 20-yard line. Strong-legged Jets kicker JOHN HALL, who leads the NFL with 20 touchbacks, place kicked the ball 68 yards to the Colts’ 12-yard line. The Colts returned the kick to their 22 and failed on two long pass attempts to end the game.

Following is an explanation of O’Donnell’s safety as stated in Rule 11, Section 4, Article 1 (b) of the Official Playing Rules of the National Football League:

When an impetus by a team sends the ball in touch behind its own goal, it is a safety if the ball is either:

(a) dead in the end zone in its possession; or
(b) out of bounds behind the goal line.