Does it really matter? Some players doubt the effectiveness of signal-stealing. Stealing signals and getting something out of it - I played 15 years and don t remember it ever being a factor in a game one time, said CBS broadcaster and ex-Giants quarterback Phil Simms.
Simms also doubts that videotaping signals is commonplace. The NFL is the worst place in the world to keep a secret, he said. So if it s so prevalent and such a factor we would have heard about it by now.
There are no secrets in the NFL. If it was such a great thing and it was working so well and it was such a competitive advantage, then why weren t the Jets doing it too? That s too good to pass up.
The advantage of a defense knowing the offense s play calls is obvious. Conversely, defenses try to disguise how they will defend each play. Every coverage has a hole, said Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder.
That s why you change and try to rotate the safeties and do all that, to trick the quarterback into thinking (the coverage is) something it s not. Defenses also try to upset the timing of an offense by mimicking the quarterback s snap count. This is not a new trick.
If it was Hut, hut, hut! Wally Hilgenberg, Mike Curtis - whoever the linebacker was - would be going Hut, hut hut! Mandich said.
In today s NFL, said Dolphins guard Rex Hadnot, the tactic is rare, but it does happen and it can throw you off. That s where your focus on your (quarterback s) voice has to kick in. Another source for espionage is the radio frequencies used by teams to communicate between coaches and quarterbacks, who have electronic receivers in their helmets.
The NFL polices the frequencies, but every time there s a problem with the visiting team s transmissions, questions arise about the security of the system. With the renewed spotlight on spying, NFL teams are tightening their sideline security. We ve all heard the stories and there aren t many things that can come out that would surprise any of us in the business, said Dolphins coach Cam Cameron.
You just prepare. It will be more difficult to spy in the future. But that s not likely to deter anyone from trying.
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