Tuesday Morning QB

slowchild25 said
Didn't see this anywhere else. This is from Page 2 on ESPN:

Adventures in Officiating: Facing second-and-goal on the Pittsburgh 4, the Saints appeared to execute a bouncing direct-snap to tailback Deuce McAllister, who ran for the touchdown. Announcers debated whether it was a trick play or a botched snap. It was the latter, and the official Game Book lists the play as a fumble by center Jeff Faine. Overlooked -- there should have been a penalty! Direct-snapping to a running back is legal only if the quarterback never places his hands under center; once someone places his hands under center, only that person can receive the snap. Drew Brees was under center when this happened. Rule 7-3-4 states, "Any extension of hands by a player under center as if to receive the snap is a false start unless, while under center, he receives the snap."

I'll have to look at it again, but it could be a legal play if the ball hit drew on the way out. I agree that it was probably a bad snap on an intentional play. In fact Faine said to the sideline reporter during the broadcast that the ball got hung up in the turf.....considering the velocity, it was coming out like a deep snap.
And if it was, I would not correct the assumption that it was a muffed play if I were payton. Let em think it was a recovered fumble, you have a play in the book that no one has seen even though you have used it.