Did Pats run up the Score?
Normally following a Redskins game, Hog Heaven will bring you a realistic recap of the game from the perspective of a Redskins fan. Unfortunately, following Sunday’s 52-7 defeat at the hands of the Patriots, there isn’t a whole lot to say about this game that hasn’t already been said.
But 52 points? Against the leagues most efficient defense to date? What the heck happened? Well, if you look at the score by quarter, it looks like the Patriots ran up the score on the Washington Redskins.
But a little deeper digging allows me to defend both Belichick, and the Washington Redskins at the same time. By making note of the situation surrounding Belichick’s intention, it becomes apparent that he is simply doing his job to the best of his ability, and the Redskins are doing their jobs likewise, and the output of those two factors was the score of this game.
First factor: The videotape scandal. Look, I really don’t want to talk about this, because theres really nothing to say. I didn’t think it was possible to gain an immediate competitive advantage from videotaping. Is it likely that the Pats used the signal taping in the following work week to link trends and study opponent reactions to their successes/failures? Of course. Is this a bit shady in terms of morality and even competitive advantage? Probably.
But the Patriots already have many competitive advantages over other teams simply because they don’t follow the trends. They are on the cutting edge of intricate evaluation processes involving complex statistics, many different perspective on film study, and also the study of their opponents behavior and how they will react to their plays. None of that is illegal by the game or shady at all.
So when the media decides themselves to be the Patriots moral superior, and challenges the very fabric of what makes the Patriots so great, doesn’t a statement of defense need to be made? The media brought this upon themselves, folks. Not us at Hog Heaven, not us at MVN, not even bloggers in general, but the media as a whole is getting their argument shoved down their throats emphatically until they admit they were wrong. Since the collective media can not admit they are wrong, this onslaught will continue until Belichick feels fit.
Now, that brings the Washington Redskins back into this. Gregg Williams game plan was simple, make the Patriots be conservative, boring, and knock the crap out of them in doing so. Those who look only at the score will feel he was unsuccessful. 52 points is a lot. Those who look at the individual and situational statistics will likely have a different perspective. The Patriots dominated the game. But they did not dominate the Redskins defense. They were however, incredibly efficient. Brady was not able to hit his first or second option in the passing game, and very often resorted to his very last option, his legs, to move the football.
The score says the Pats moved at will. The individual statistics show a masterful job by Brady to keep his offense moving, because the Redskins gave up only one long pass to Brady, and that was after the competitive phase of the game was out of reach. At least score wise. Which brings me to the final point.
Bill Belichick does not put as much stock in the score as the mainstream media does. 52-7 is unimportant. Belichick would not be happy winning a game simply because Todd Wade is horrible and Jason Campbell couldn’t hold on to the ball. The first half was way closer than the score, and the Patriots were only satisifed once they broke the will of the Washington defense. Once that happened, Belichick pulled his QB having nothing more to prove.
Some of the play calling was questionable in terms of trying to extend the game, which would by defination be running up the score. But the Patriots were throwing from the shotgun, because that is what they do. They didn’t want any of their guys to get hurt, and the best way to do that was to do some very vanilla short passing and practice what they are good at with the second team. Gibbs doesn’t fault the Patriots for doing this, and it’s really hard to fault his logic. Games are 60 mins, and if the defense isn’t going to stop anyone points will still be scored.
So did the Pats run up the score? Well, yes, but only if you look at 52-7 and think that you’ve seen everything about the game. When a team commits 4 turnovers, you are pretty much feeding the other team points. So to me, 52-7 is more reflective of the mistakes the Redskins made, and I’m happy that the Patriots converted them into points. I feel that this team will realize its mistakes and correct them instead of trying to pass it off as simply playing a better team. The mistakes were not numerous given the length of the game, but they were absolutely critical, and the offensive players must learn to control the football if this is going to be a playoff team.
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56 Responses to “Did Pats run up the Score?”
October 29th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
First let me say I love the ’skins.
No the Pats did not run up the score. The Redskins failed to stop them. This is a pro game, not some little league mercy rule event.
Grown men. If you don’t like it, put up a defense to stop them.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
When Shula’s 1972 Dolphins harse whipped the Patriots 52-0, was he running up the score? How about when Ditka’s ‘85 Bears had defensive tackle William “the Fridge” Perry run in a for a touchdown, in SB XX when they already led 37-3?
What a bunch of whiny, Patriot-hating hypocrites.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
No one is complaining….did you actually read the article Anthony wrote? Probably not.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Yes I read the article, and it was written precisely because there are many whiners from opposing teams that are bellyaching about the “classless” Pats and their “Evil Genius” coach.
The Patriots are pissed off, (and rightly so).
All the overblown hot-air regarding “Spygate”, and the NFL players and fans who would put an asterisk on the Pats SB championships have galvanized this already talented team, into a juggernaut on a mission.
“You want to talk asterisk? Tell ya what, opposing teams, we’re gonna KICK YOUR ASTERISK!
I can’t wait for the Colts game.
October 29th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Greg,
Alex here from The Phish Tank, MVN’s Dolphins coverage. After last week’s game, I made an identical post to this one. Punching it in from the goal line against the Cowboys, re-inserting Brady and calling shotgun passing plays against us and now this. Completely classless.
October 29th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Sup Anthony-The Skins couldnt stop them. But did they have to keep passing it even with 2 minutes left?
October 29th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Hey Alex, I guess that makes your beloved undefeated ‘72 phish classless as well, right?
Afterall, they ran up the score 52-0 on a hapless Pats team
October 29th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Hey, KW, By “they,” do you mean the Patriots [or Redskins]? Lets look at two different coaching calls. In the Cardinals game, Gibbs sat on the first half lead, and the Cardinals nearly stole it at the end.
Belichick kept scoring to the end. Who knows, maybe the Skins would have exploded for 7 TDs in the last five minents. [Ha!]
I think it was Gibbs who was wrong for sitting on a lead.Football is a man’s game. No excuses offered. None accepted. You don’t like the score, do something about it.
“Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” ~ Vince Lombardi
Also reminding everybody, this article was posted by Greg Trippiedi, not by me. He is NOT bashing the Pats for the score.
October 29th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
What Belichick did was a slap in the face to a man whose humility and concern for others is well known. The people who love Gibbs for retaining his humanity in the midst of an inhuman game are the ones truly hurt and outraged by Belichick’s decisions Sunday.
But not Gibbs. He made his decision to coach in the face of such behaviors long ago. Instead, he will do what he’s always done: turn an introspective eye to his team’s performance and try to improve and prepare for the next contest.
Towards that end, compare Gibbs situation with that of Belichick’s and try to understand the tactical advantage Belichick has that Gibbs doesn’t. He has a professional front office staff who tirelessly evaluate talent from every source (college, waivers, free agents, etc.) seeking out and acquiring quality personnel who can perform at a high level of skill and intelligence while fitting into the personality mold they prefer.
Give Gibbs such a support structure and see what he can do. Where is his Bobby Beathard today?
Why do we have an offensive line made up of aging retread cast-offs and back-ups from other teams instead of young developing talent ready to step in and perform? Bugel is a genius, but he can’t block for these guys.
How about a receiving corps with height and speed? Instead, we’ve been playing merry-go-round since training camp culling through the scuts looking for a diamond amongst the coal.
All of these failings and shortcomings have the earmark of the Danny Boy front office. Vinny “Yes, Danny, I can Get Him for You” Cerrato is not the answer. He doesn’t have the vision for constructing a winning combination of talent and personality while keeping cost under control.
Snyder has to let go of the dream, which turned into a nightmare years ago. If he wants to be a contender with professionals like Bob Kraft, he needs to follow Kraft’s example and find the best management team he can, put them in place, empower them to succeed, and get himself out of the front office and back to the Skybox entertaining celebrities where he belongs.
October 29th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Greg,
Great article. I was actually going to write something similar, but I’m going to link this over at Patriot Nation. I think one factor that contributes to what we’re seeing this season is that the Pats were way ahead of the Colts in the AFC Championship game last year, and Manning led his team back and went on to win the Superbowl. Instilling this mindset now will prevent that from happening again later in a critical situation.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
I never, ever understood why people knock on teams for playing the entire 60 minutes, 48 minutes, nine innings, etc. Since when is playing an entire game a bad thing? New England showed up, and over the course of 60 minutes, they were 45 points better than the Redskins. That’s just the way it is. I’m glad some people find fault with the team that had the score run up on them instead of the team that ran it up.
As Bobby Bowden once said, “If you have a problem with the final score, it’s your fault.”
October 29th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
I’d say that the final 2 TD’s by Cassel and the other guy (I’m not even going to try and spell his name) are just the pats running their normal offense with the backup QB’s. It’s perfectly legit. If Brady goes down, they want both QB’s to be ready to go with the offense in a real game.
Beyond that, I’d say that you can’t even think about stopping scoring in the first half unless you lead by 60. They benched Brady after halftime. What more can they do?
I agree wholehartedly with this article. I’m just adding on
October 29th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Anyone that can look someone in the eye and tell them that quarterback sneaking on a fourth down when you’re up by that much and say that they’re not trying to run up the score needs to seriously put down the Belichick Kool-Aid.
October 29th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Hey Rick I guess your coach forgot his humble pill before his team beat the Broncos in the Super Bowl 42-10 .
October 29th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Hey Rick, I guess Joe forgot his humility pill before his team went out and destroyed Denver 42-10 in the Super Bowl, huh?
October 29th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Man read a headline and you think you know what the article is about. Well I read the article. This game was the only game I watched yesterday, well almost watched. I turned it of midway throught he second quarter. I was really hoping the Redskins would be able to test New England. Oh well.
Mike Zoran “MVN’s Ravens Roost”
October 29th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Kenny Smith: What quarter did those points accrue? How many points did the Skins score in the 4th or even the entire second half in that Super Bowl? Thought so…
What Belichick has done, and eight weeks of doing so is much more than a trend, is classless. Far worse is Gregg Williams allowing it to happen with no answering shots from the D.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Thanks, Steve, for setting the record straight.
Class will out, and Gibbs is all class.
And a part of his class is his ability to accept such a loss, lift his head up and stride forward with purpose.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
two words…Sage Rosenfels. If this guy could rally the (*&^%%$# Houston Texans to a 29-point 4th quarter against at pretty good Titans defense, then you need to score as many points as possible in today’s NFL. Piling on, sure, but isn’t that the nature of offense?
October 30th, 2007 at 5:11 am
Football is not just a man’s game. Professional sports are still a gentleman’s game. That’s the whole issue here. Class and sportsmanship.
Every coach in every sport goes in with a game plan to win. The Patriots are highly successful at executing their scheme, leading to huge 4th quarter leads.
At that point, the plan doesn’t need to be followed any longer. What athletes in the NFL have come to expect is custom, tradition, social norm: the scheme to win moves into the plan to preserve the win.
I’m not talking about the Cassel TD run. But I’ve got to wonder why the 4th string RB runs in a TD against the Cowboys when the Patriots can kneel out the clock, why Wade Phillips has to kneel it out in his own defeat. Or why Brady throws long bombs to Moss in the 4th quarter with a 35 point lead.
A 4th quarter comeback was not a possibility; no deficit that large has been overcome in a quarter in NFL history. Run your offense, sure, but why throw? Even if it’s an incompletion, where the defense does their job, it just prolongs the same result. If score is meaningless to Belichek and it is just the W, why doesn’t he expedite the process and get his boys on the bus by running the ball?
The Dallas game is a prime example of it. It’s not like this is an isolated incident. Would anyone really be surprised if the Patriots just started lining up for onside kicks with 40 point leads? You know, to give their hands team some live-game practice? Is that where the line is drawn? Because the Patriots are not far from there.
October 30th, 2007 at 7:05 am
good idea Shawn. I like it, and though you were being sarcastic, you have provided a good illustration of the reason the Pats scores are so high. You may think you know the best way to coach an NFL team, but as coach Belichick recently said, “everybody is entitled to their opinion. And I’m sure that [Randall Godfrey] will give it to you”
October 30th, 2007 at 8:03 am
you are a professional payed to play sports and play to win. so you play 100% or not at all. we would all lose our jobs in the real world if we could not get the job done.
have you seen the scores presented in football history or college football? scores of embarassing measures! in other professional sports - like baseball team still wins by 15 runs.
a few years back when Indy was winning it was because they were good and no one else could play at their level against them.
now the Patriots that have a one of the best offenses that can score points and not just win it by a field goal. but the Pats defense is still old in the middle and giving up yards against the run and versus opposing TE’s.
The game of the year is Sunday Pats versus Colts - that will prove if the Pats are who everyone says they are or just a team that has played better then who they beat on any given Sunday.
and funny enough it will the best defense that wins this one - not the best offense.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:20 am
The only game where I truly believe the Redskins ran up the score was against the Falcons in 1991, 56-17. The Skins I believe were up 28-3 at the half, then two VERY quick TDs in the 3rd and it was suddenly a ballgame. Jerry Glanville knew Gibbs was going to run the ball to shorten the game, but then we scored 28 more points in the 2nd half, throwing deep several times on play-action. Running up the score? Probably, but if I recall Gibbs said in his press conference that they took what the defense gave them.
I think the Pats ran up the score, but they did take what the defense gave them.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I’m just not sure why playing at 100% the entire time means trying to completely humiliate the other team. And then prolonging that humiliation.
That empathetic sportsmanship is just a part of sports. You learn it as a kid, the players who we view as our Golden Boys are usually the game’s best ambassadors… It’s a slight to the other team and the game.
I’m not saying give up on the game. The difference between baseball and football, for instance, has little to do with clock management. There is none. A team is able to expedite the end game in football. I understand the defense still allowed those points. But you can assume they were a bit flustered and confused when one of the best receivers of all time suddenly has the ball on a fade when you expect every other team in the NFL to just run the ball. If they score a TD on the ground, sure. But it doesn’t make any sense to throw downfield.
When the Chargers were smashing on the Texans last week and intercepted the aforementioned Rosenfels near the Texans goal line, they took three knees. A team is already dejected and demoralized. They’re not going to play nearly as well as they would when it was 0-0. So Bellichek thinks it’s a good time then to exploit the situation?
Really, what’s the point? The point of the game is to win. That was already established. The purpose of the game isn’t to score after that’s been established. It’s to make sure you don’t lose that W. Sure, you could score 35 more to ensure that. Or, you know, run the ball to make sure there’s no more time for a comeback.
They both are achieving the same goal. Which way has more class? Hell, which is just morally decent?
October 30th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
If the opposing teams don’t want to get scored on, why don’t they just forfeit the rest of the game?
October 30th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
the redskins go for an onsides kick with 3 minutes left. then their players complain about the score being run up in the locker room . I guess what was suppose to happen was the pats were suppose to give up , while the redskins continue to try to win the game !
theres no crying in football either . go pats !
October 30th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
You want to watch the whole entire football game and tell me that Billicheck isn’t trying to prove something at the expense of others dignity, fine. You will sound just as ridiculous as he does defending that. I watched this last game in its entirety and I was sickened.
Maybe I’m used to running backs getting a carry or two or maybe I’m just a fan who still cares about football tradition, but I reject this Patriots team as many around the league do. Records are not set by running up the score like you’re trying to get a power-ranking score up in basketball…BUT…it’s not out of Billicheck’s character to try.
You know there’s some kid in Boston dreaming of being on the goalline with 10 seconds left, 4th-and-1, and a touchdown puts you up 49 to 14 against a 2-5 team. I’m not that kid.
Keep in mind that Brady has needed to stay in every game this year well in to the 4th quarter. His combined opponents record 21-30. Now, I’m NOT going to be watching anymore Patriots games this year, but I’m sure there will come a time where they’re “running the offense” in the 4th quarter, and the defense will be “playing football” when they apply a “questionable hit” (just a misunderstanding of the rules commisioner…honest) and that hit might just “strain” an ACL, naming Cassel the permanent starter for the 2007 season. Then comes the patriot’s winning-record half of the schedule.
Oh yes, its gonna make the chicken wing crunching sound and everything.
I don’t care how good the offensive line is when you scramble to get touchdowns. We’ve seen how the Patriots win games against good teams (Snow-Job) now lets see them do it without Brady.
I’m just saying though, It COULD happen. Keep risking it for numbers, and it probably WILL happen.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
I’m amazed at the hate! And to think, it was Pats fans, 10 years ago who did most of the hating when it came to the Patriots. Of course, they were the only ones who cared.
Ok, even I was surprised Brady was still in the game in the 4th. and sure I was surprised at the passing attack when the game was in hand.
But there have been many times when a player is simply going through the motions in a football game, when the injuries occur. Simply by a player letting up, many have been hurt throughout the years.
Keep the edge. Play hard until the whistle. Score points. Nature of the game. In the Joe Kapp era, there were many teams who relished their date on the schedule with the Patsies. Nobody seemed to mind then that our club was being demolished EVERY FREAKING WEEKEND!
Pats bashers…now there are plenty…but it sure is fun having a team this good to cheer for, rather than having a lousy team to support.
For all you Pats bashers…the heck with ya! The Patriots are winning these games for us! And if you don’t like it…well, too bad.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
The Patriots are scary good. I think every player has been replaced by a robot.
That being said, yes, they did run up the score last Sunday. And saying so doesn’t diminish what the Pats are accomplishing. They are, hands down, the best team in the NFL. And though I’d love to see Tony Dungy’s Colts crush them, I think the Pats will win going away. But, being the best doesn’t mean you have class.
Bellichik, genius though he may be, is a classless despicable human being. And Tom Brady isn’t spotless in this either. He wouldn’t be in there throwing it deep with 12 minutes to go in a blowout if he didn’t want to be. And don’t give me the tired cliche “They’re going for the jugular.” Scoring 38 early in the 3rd is going for the jugular. Going for two 4th and 2’s in the 4th quarter is desecrating the body.
One can only hope karma will catch up to them.
October 31st, 2007 at 12:05 am
You have to be kidding me. Run up the score so what. If your favorite team could do it they would. What are they supposed to do kick a field goal? that’s still scoring points, if they were on the WAS 40 yard line with 4th down up by 35 do they kick it, go for it, or gift wrap it and hand it to the Skins?. Take a knee and give washington the ball? That’s just rubbing it in. So what do they do? What is one of the best teams ever supposed to do when matched up with chumps? Maybe they could call me up to play and give the team a chance. I think the most embarassing thing about all of this is how non-Pats fans are offended by the amazing talent of the Pats. They all make HUGE money to play a game, win or lose they make more in a year than I will in my life, win or lose they all win in the end, so suck it up and take it for what it is…..a game where one team had to win and the other had to lose.
October 31st, 2007 at 1:35 am
, hey, I am a cowboys fan and I wanted to weigh in on this. The pats did run up the score against us and the Redskins. Smoot didnt play, Rogers is hurt in the first drive, the redskins played the rest of the game with thwo backups and the safeties helpin out. That said, the pats should try to win, but when you are up by thirty eight in the fourth, call it a game. throwing passes on fourth down is classless. The fans and media will say that the pats put up 52, well they did, against backups. As for the cowboys game, that last touchdown…fourth and two with 19 seconds left, up by fourteen, you know the defense is not going to try the same way they would in the first or second quarter, or in a closer ball game, why risk the injury? But for the pats ego, 48 looks better than 41 I guess. Against the Rams, Dallas had a 35-7 lead with 7 min left in the third quarter. We stopped throwing at all. Do you think the rams just figured out how to play defense with 23 min left in a blowout? Look at some of the past blowouts in NFL history and tell me how many got that high just on offensive points? Most of those got there on late defensive touchdowns or backups RUNNING it in and not on fourth down. Brady was in the game up 38-0 with six min left in the game THROWING! If you think that it is karma coming back to the pats for the dolphins putting up 52 in 1972, or the fridge getting a gimmie in 1985, look no further than the tuck rule. All their karma is used up. I truly feel sorry for the pats, when the skins are healthy and more mature, they are going to unload on the pats with no mercy. And for that matter, perhaps a bit sooner, I hope, The cowboys will unload on them as well. Ask Chicago what its like running up the score, in 1986, well after the play, a green bay d-lineman virtually ended McMahons career as a starter in the NFL. He got suspended, but Chicago hasnt had a decent quarterback since. the football Gods will not be kind to the pats.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:47 am
I really hope that the Pats start kneeling in the 4th quarter of blowouts with 10:00 minutes left just to listen to people say…”oh the pats are showing up the other team by kneeling and basically saying, ‘game’s over’ with a whole quarter left to play.” I guarentee that will be the sentiment. I do think they could stand to run the ball more with a lead like that but I also think Belicheck feels the need to send a message to the entire league for criticism for the spygate scandal when other teams have been linked to the same type of thing. The Cowboys reference doesn’t hold water though, because the Pats were running the ball down their throat towards the endzone with under a minute left and the clock would have run out but Wade called a Timeout for some ungodly reason which forced the pats to continue running plays. I really don’t care for the passing though with a score like that, even as a big fan of the Pats. As a former player, I understand the classless view people state because if I was on the other side of it, I would feel the same way. The thing is, Brady doesn’t call the plays, McDaniels and Belicheck handle that so if anyone is to blame, it is them. It is bitter sweet to win the games they have in the fashion that they have, I just hope BB realizes the risk he is putting on Brady’s safety because players tend to take their frustration out on the best player on the opposing team. I just hope they realize that and either change their tune or take him out earlier.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:06 am
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October 31st, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I 1966 the Redskins were leading the Giants 69-41 (yes, you read that right) with time winding down when NY punted back to them. The ’skins put their offense back on the field and ran their 2 minute offense until they got into field goal range. On the last play of the game they kicked a long field goal to win 72-41. Its still the highest scoring game in NFL history.
Karma??
October 31st, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Why do people keep insisting that we think that the Pats should kneel the ball over and over again?
Just run it. If they get a first, fine. If they get a TD, fine. But why are you throwing to Randy Moss in double-coverage up by 30-something in the 4th quarter? You just have to run the clock out. Hell, Moss even got out of bounds on that catch, effectively stopping the clock. Get the game over with and get out.
October 31st, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Hey I have an idea. When a team has had enough they can stop the game and say we submit. If not play the whole game and quit whining.
These are professionals. Don’t expect a break. Does McDonalds feel bad when they kick Burger King’s ass? Heck no. Grow up and play the whole game.
In the not too distant future the Pats will be beat bad. There will be no whining from them. It will make the league better by all teams playing the whole game.
You whimps who talk about having class should think about this: a team with class will play the full 60 minutes and not be a bunch of sissies who want mercy.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:46 am
Pats play the colts next week. Getting in the habit of only playing half a game would not be good preparation for the game of the year. Belichick’s smarter than that - he ultimately used the rest of the game as an opportunity to practice his offense against a good defense. Don’t like the score at the end? Stop watching professional sports.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:47 am
Also - RE “Just Run It”
6 WR’s with 3 waiting in the wings vs. 1 recovering HB, 3 FB’s and no other options - no, don’t “Just Run It” and jeopardize your already injured backs. Throw the ball.
November 1st, 2007 at 12:39 pm
There is no such thing as running up the score in professional sports because these are grown men and everyone is getting paid win or lose. However, there is a such thing as kicking a man or in this case an entire team when they are down which should be avoided and frowned upon in any situation. No one is telling the pats to kneel with 10 minutes left in the 4th and to the guy who said “no one gets mad when Mcdonalds kicks Burger King’s ass” shut the fuck up because that was the dumbest sports reference I’ve ever heard. Simply don’t kick a man when he is down and if Bill Belichick is such a genius then surely he can come up with plays that run the clock out.
November 1st, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I’m continually amazed at these Pats fans and others who just doesn’t seem to get it..That coach was caught and admitted to cheating and essentially got a pass from the NFL and that’s why people are angry. and Who the H–LL cares about them being angry..I can see the rest of those teams waiting to play them with knees shaking bout to pee in their pants..Just be careful because there are cheaters out there on other teams too that will gladly land a cheap shot..
November 1st, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Of all the pansies who cry about the classless Patriots and how they kept running up the score, I have not heard ONE of them explain what the Pats should have done to remain a Classy team. What? Should they just kneel on the ball every play they have it. Do you suggest the NFL impliment a mercy rule like in Womens Softball? Lets see, the NFL has yellow flags for penalties, red flags for challenges…perhaps it is time for the WHITE FLAG of surrender that must be used when a team feels that the score is just being run up against them. What plays would you babies suggest the Patriots start running when the score is 38-0 in the 3rd quarter? Kicking field goals in the red zone on 4th down is still running up score. At lest going for it on 4th down offers one more opprotunity to the opposing defense to STOP them. Running the ball offers more chances for player injury while throwing the ball tends to result in more chances for an opposing defense to gain a turn over (ever hear of an interception?). Think about it. When a team has a one score lead, they all try to preserve it by running the ball, because as everyone knows, throwing the ball is a riskier play on account of during the pass the ball is in NO ONES hands and is up for grabs and if no one catches it you loose a down and the clock stops, there by giving the opposing team more opprotunity to score their own points. So I say that the Patriots are actually GIVING opposing defenses a chance to take the ball away from them. The worst part is, of these cry babies, if it was their OWN team playing as well as the Patriots they would be strutting aruond telling the rest of us just how smart they are for being a fan of a totaly awesome team dude!
November 1st, 2007 at 3:50 pm
The way I see it as a Redskins fan, the Patriots offense did what they are paid to do. Score.
The week before, Joe Gibbs went conservative in the second half of the Cardinals game and the Cardinals almost pulled it out. Wrong move.
Football is a man’s game. When you get punked out, no excuses offered, none accepted.
“If you don’t like the score, it’s your fault.” ~ Bobby Bowden
November 1st, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Hey Pulsar! The cheating thing is over. Now you are talking about a cheap shot on Brady. Who has no class now. Play the game for 60 minutes and quit your girly whining. Play girls softball on Sunday if it too manly for you.
Pulsa you don’t seem to get it, the Pats are playing inspired football without cheating. What would you have done in the Washington game? How would you have managed the game. I hear alot of criticism but no solutions on how not to beat up on the other teams who don’t have the heart to play 4 quarters.
I doubt if you will address my questions but instead will attack my message like a whimpy politician.
Can’t wait to hear your response.
Later, Tater
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:10 am
THE REDSKINS RAN UP THE SCORE! Look, its the redskins job to stop the other team. If the Skins played with this mentality, we might have closed out Green Bay and the Giants!! The skins conservative approach has cost them games. 4 Games without scoring a single point in the second half, COME ON!
Gibbs needs to move into the front office! The Tug-of-war play calling between Gibbs and Saunders is killing this football team. Gibbs has a good eye for talent, but the game has passed him buy. His conservative “let’s just get a win approach” doesn’t fly with the new defenses of this era.
November 4th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Hey, im really happy that some fans other teams can see what I have been saying about the Patriots all season. Its could that you can step out and see this from an unbias position. I applaud you!
P.S. Your Redskins are going to be killer in a few years, You have arguably the best two safeties in the league, and once campbell develops, i think you guys will be real good!
November 5th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
No the Pats didn’t
but the refs tried to run it up for the colts by cheating with the fake calls.
And the colts cheated by playing fake crowd noise.
Is everyone going to get on the refs and the colts for cheating this week or is it just the patriothaters that do that????
November 7th, 2007 at 3:43 am
With regard to running up the score…
Personally, I think the Patriots view the regular season as the pre-season for post-season. I don’t think they are thinking too much about the score of the current game. They are trying to improve — to get better.
For instance, the TD pass to Wess Welker, which some thought was unnecessary, was a tough play; and, incidentally, a practice session for precisely the same play against Indianapolis this week. If we don’t work try these things in a live game situation where the risks are minimal, how do we know we can achieve it with the game on the line?
Every moment on the field, we should be trying to get better. That’s what the Patriots do.
As for the Pats second string quarterback running for a TD. That’s not running up the score. That’s Cassel trying to re-establish confidence from his head coach. Wasn’t it just a couple of weeks before that Cassel came in with a comfortable lead and immediately gave up an INT for TD? So he came in this time determined to prove he was a capable backup. That’s what he did. He’s not trying to run the score up. He’s trying to get better.
Finally, in a league where it’s cool to break ankles, necks, backs, and arms by hitting someone as hard as you can–including a lot of cheap shots; what does it say about the some of the people who play this game who are demanding that everyone respect them and not make them feel bad? We’re trying to show you up? It makes you feel bad? We hurt your feelings? You don’t deserve respect because you demand it. You get respect by earning it.
Go change your panties.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:50 am
60 td’s and a passer rating over 140 is what a classy guy name brady deserves and thats all bill is allowing. a talented guy with all kinds of talented guys around him are being allowed to break no crush all kinds of nfl records. take pictures gentlemen your seeing things no other persons have or may ever see. sit back and enjoy it. all the complaineing about the classlessness of a guy like belicheck or the patriots isnt going to stop this incredible team from doing incredible things to your favorite team. relax and enjoy the ride
mahalo
November 20th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Hello everyone, I’m afraid I’m a bit of a foreigner in your midst, from the UK, I watched the recent match between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots and was interested in the whole “running up the score” debate.
I find it quite extraordinary that a nation so competitive, so capitalist, can become so socialist when it comes to sport.
What is this, revolutionary France?
I just fail to see why anyone gets so worked up about a team scoring as many points as they can? Is it really any less humiliating for this Joe Gibbs fellow to have New England actually score 52 points against his team, than to have the knowledge that they could’ve scored 52 points but chose to save his blushes by restricting them selves to a lesser total?
That’s just charity.
Mr Gibbs has already stated he doesn’t have a problem with anything New England did and nor should he. New England showed him respect by continuing to give their best against his team - to do otherwise would illustrate contempt for him and his team. Well, that’s my opinion anyway.
I have a passing interest in the NFL, having been introduced to it by a school friend in the mid-1980s. He was a Dolphins and Marino fan. I didn’t have a team, but saw an article in a paper about New England making the play-offs that year, so I nominally started “supporting” them. They beat Marino and the Dolphins to make the Superbowl and I stayed up into the early hours to watch them get roundly thrashed by Chicago.
Well, my interested ebbed and flowed, New England seemed to always be “also rans”, until suddenly they were champions. I was shocked, I was surprised, I was pleased. And then they were champions a couple more times. It’s their time in the sun.
Anyway, I suspect that it is rather pointless firing invective in the direction of Bill Belichick, since he gives every appearance of not giving a damn what people think. And you know what, there’s something to be said for that.
November 21st, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Pats fans will always be whining and complaining about something. Speed of the leader speed of the fans. Cheat, whine, complain. That’s what the East coast does. Talk about playing real football. The Colts team was drafted and developed. The Pats, Red Sox and Yankees all have to buy their talent to win championships. They can’t raise it on their own so they buy their rings. And how satisfying is that? Pats and fans have won all these championships and they are still crying. Try winning the real way by building a team, having respect and dignity for your opponent, and by good old fashion hard work(not spying) and see how it feels. But it will never happen out East, you’ll always have to buy your championships.
November 21st, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Sorry, you’re not asking New England to bestow dignity upon opponents, you’re asking them to bestow charity.
I mean, take the Buffalo Bills - looked to me like they just gave up. You and others criticise Belichick and Brady for a decision to take a shot on fourth down. But Buffalo didn’t even seem to bother making an effort to stop it.
If they don’t have the self respect and dignity to at least make an effort, why should New England show them any respect at all?
I see a lot of calls suggesting a “cheap shot” at Brady being a possibility, but to be honest, who the hell is going to get to him? Certainly not the Buffalo Bills who cowered and shamefully surrendered at the weekend.
November 21st, 2007 at 10:38 pm
to “p”… You may recall that the D-line for the Pats is mostly 1st-round draft picks, Brady was a 6th rd pick, Bruschi was drafted, etc. Also, many of their free agent signings were for players that were not highly sought after by other teams, like Vrabel. Yes, Thomas and Colvin were high-profile free agents. The evidence suggests that Bill Belichick thinks it’s hard to draft good LBs, and that LBs with some experience are better than those without. You are right that Indy has drafted more of their team, but a few years ago they didn’t have much cap room, mostly because of big contracts for Manning, Harrison, and James. So… perhaps they didn’t have a choice and couldn’t compete for free agents. Re; Red Sox “buying” the championship. Yes, they have the 2nd highest salary in MLB. But… they have a good farm system and trade young talent to get highly-paid players such as Beckett, for example. MLB is screwed up because of guaranteed contracts and no salary cap, so teams with money to burn can outspend other teams. Meanwhile, Red Sox fans fill the park every game (and have done so for years) despite the highest ticket prices in MLB and exorbitant parking fees. Maybe other cities should fill the stands so their teams will have more money to spend…
November 26th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Does anyone think that the Jaguars ran up the score yesterday?
December 11th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Here’s the bottom line folks,the players on all these sports teams are being payed more money then anyone in a realworld job does.Why? To entertain us. We,the sports fans,pay a lot of money to go see OUR teams play,for however long the game last.With any kind of luck,we may even get a reward,over time extra innings etc.Nobody I know pays to go watch their team get their butts kicked.It happens,alot,ask any loins fan.But,we still go out and buy another ticket. I go to watch my team play.In football,the game last for 60mins. I pay to watch my team PLAY for 60mins. Not for 45 and then set on their asses. If that means I get to watch Brady and Moss play catch, on the feild not the sideline,so be it. At least,Im getting something for my money. I go to watch the big name stars play not the 2nd stringers. After all, that is why they’re being over payed,right?
Now,as for this crap about running up the score at some of these games. Thats just alot of B>S. Both teams put their best players out on the feild,to do their job,a job they are Way over payed to do,but,never mind that. On one side you have someone trying to score, on the other side you have someone trying to stop them from scoring. If one side does their job better then the other,dont bitch about it,find someone else thats able to do the job. But,dont point your finger at the guy or guys that are doing their job and say, they’re bad for doing what they are being payed to do.
Brady and company are doing their jobs,its as smiple as that. Quit crying about the score. 60-3 or 27-28, enjoy the game. It may be some time before we get to see it played at this level again. You dont have to be a Pats fan,but,if your a fan of the game,look closely at whats happening in it in your life time. Years from now, you can set with your grandkids and tell them,Yes,I was there. I saw history being made,records broken and new records set.
People,get into the game not the B>S side shows that goes with it.Thank You. Happy Holidays.
December 13th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
How can ANYONE say the pats are “classless”. I’m the biggest pats fan in the world…so i’ll say it flat out. if they start to suck. THEY ABSOLUTLY SUCK! not kind of suck…they suck bad…but does anyone care about a 1-15 season they had?…no….does anyone care about the dolphins handing them their asses 52 to 0 during their undefeted season? no…you’re all being like everyone else…not giving the pats any respect…Tom Brady is the greatest QB ever…but who gets all the respect… Payton Manning! of all people…who threw 6 interceptions against the Chargers of all teams…The pats don’t run the score up, they give 100%…which is more than you can say for anyother team besides maybe Dallas and Green Bay
December 17th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Tom…
Bravo! Finally a great blog….
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