Patriots' Shea McClellin Leaps Over Everyone To Block Justin Tucker's Field Goal Attempt
BOSTON (CBS) -- With their offense sputtering a bit to start the game, the Patriots needed a little pick-me-up Monday night against the Ravens.
After two straight three-and-outs by the offense, a safety by the defense should have done the trick. But it didn't, and the Patriots ended up punting the ball away for a third straight time after an eight-play drive covered just 25 yards. The defense held the Baltimore offense when they got into the red zone on their ensuing possession, but the Ravens were still poised to take a 3-2 lead with a 34-yard attempt by Justin Tucker.
Tucker was perfect on his field goal attempts entering the night. Shea McClellin had different plans, though.
The New England linebacker timed the Baltimore snap perfectly and exploded towards Tucker, leaping over long-snapper Morgan Cox and anyone else who was in his way. When he came back down to earth, McClellin was right in front of Tucker and didn't have to do much to send his kick anywhere but between the uprights. He blocked the kick with his body, and the Patriots once again had a big momentum swing in their favor. The Patriots offense responded, putting together a 10-play drive that ended with LeGarrette Blount rushing in for a touchdown to put New England on top 9-0.
It was the first blocked field goal of McClellin's career and second block of the season, following his rejection of an extra point against the Seattle Seahawks back on November 13. He dismissed it as being a lucky play after New England's 30-23 win, saying it's something they've been practicing for weeks.
"I wouldn't say luck. It was preparation. If you watch the film, run it in practice, it will work out," McClellin said after the 30-23 Patriots win. "It just comes from practicing the last couple of weeks and watching film with the special teams coordinator Joe Judge and Bubba [Ray Ventrone], so it just comes from that – preparation and film study."
McClellin said getting the timing down right and the height of his jump are both big factors when it comes to leaping over the line and blocking a kick, but he also had to give his teammates a lot of credit.
"It's a lot of things. It's the guys up front, making sure they hold those guys down, so they don't jump up into me when I'm jumping," he said, singling out Alan Branch and Malcom Brown on the line. "The most important thing is the timing. If you're there two seconds before they snap it, it's a penalty."
McClellin, a former first-round pick by the Bears in his first year in New England, was all smiles when chatting about his acrobatic move on Monday night. While he blocked an extra point just a few weeks ago, he'd never done anything as fancy as Monday night's block.
"First time I've ever jumped over something like that," he said with a giant smile. "So it's excited."
McClellin's block on Monday night was the third of the season for the Patriots.
