John Fassel could have called it a year in late October. The St. Louis Rams’ special teams coach had pulled off one of the most dazzling plays in recent memory, fooling the entire Seahawks punt team, as well as camera operators, fans, and reporters. He could have mailed it in for the rest of 2014 and said, “Thanks for the accolades, I’ll see you next year.”
But Fassel is not one to rest on his laurels. Rather than simply phoning it in, he continued to develop his game plan. On Sunday in Washington, a Tavon Austin punt return went for a touchdown, albeit in a much more traditional manner than earlier this season.
