Humphries tells his side of Fitzpatrick's wild lateral attempt originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Adam Humphries' connection with Ryan Fitzpatrick from their time in Tampa Bay is a key reason why the receiver and the quarterback are now sharing the same uniform again in Washington. But perhaps their most memorable highlight during their collective tenure with the Buccaneers is one that didn't officially count.
Early in a November 2018 game at Raymond James Stadium that also conveniently featured the Burgundy and Gold, Fitzpatrick took off on a third-and-long to try and pick up a first down with his legs. However, after about eight yards of running, the legendary improviser realized he wasn't going to get past the sticks on his own, so he decided to improvise.
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That's where Humphries got involved.
When Fitzpatrick took off, Humphries, who was to the QB's left, shadowed him down the field — which meant he was in perfect position to receive Fitzpatrick's half-genius, half-harebrained lateral attempt. After catching the toss, Humphries scooted beyond the marker, but the refs ultimately penalized Fitzpatrick for throwing a forward pass after crossing the line of scrimmage.
During an interview with the Washington Football Talk podcast on Monday (the episode containing the interview will be released this week), Humphries described what he was thinking as that situation unfolded. Turns out, he was actually prepared for the incredibly unique sequence.
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"Honestly, the entire time, knowing Fitz, I knew the ball was coming to me," he said. "He never looked at me for one second, but I just had a feeling he would find me at some point."
As for the discussions that transpired later on in the film room when looking back on the play, Humphries relayed that they were all positive.
"I mean, I think what was said was, 'That's a good idea,'" Humphries told the podcast. "If you look back at it, it was a good idea."
In his general press conference with the local media, Humphries explained that Fitzpatrick sent him a few clips before the wideout signed with Washington along with a message that read something like, "Let's run this back." The brilliant lateral that never was did get included in the highlights, which is solid work by Fitzpatrick as well as a prime example of what "Fitzmagic" can look like at its peak.
And while Fitzpatrick had the opportunity in his own presser to define "Fitzmagic" and ended up going very in-depth, Humphries did so in a much quicker — yet just as effective — way on the podcast.
"It's unpredictable," Humphries said. "You don't know what's going to happen. He's going to sling it and he's going to have some fun doing it."
