At first, I bought Bill Belichick’s explanation regarding running up the score. It was something along the lines of this is pro football, anything can happen, these are guys paid to play, and they should give it their all every play. I thought I agreed with him, and that it was a pretty decent defense against classless running up the score.
Now I’m watching the Patriots vs Bills games tonight, and I don’t buy it. This to me seems the definition of poor taste classless and running up the score. In particular, what I find classless ridiculous is that the Patriots have gone for it twice on 4-and-1 in the red zone with significant leads. The 2nd time the score was 42-10. There is no adverse conditions (wind, rain, etc.). This is solely stat padding and running up the score. Kick the field goal.
Generally, what I consider classless poor taste is taking different action to increase the score than what you would do in a closer game. Down by three or up by seven, I’d bet Belichick had kicked the field goal.
Not kicking the field goal there is pretty classless in very poor taste.
November 19th, 2007
I don’t totally disagree, BUT . . .
-there is no substitute for live game experience. What better time to practice going for it on 4th and 1.
-”I ask my punt team to punt. I ask my offense to score.”
-While I certainly have no problem with fans, reporters, and neutral observerd debating the merits of “running up the score,” I don’t want to hear it from the opposition. You are a professional and you get paid the same amount of money. If you don’t like it, stop them.
-Finally, the entire league, coaches and players, called these guys cheaters and now fossils are coming out of the wordworks to talk asterisks. I’d be pretty pissed too.
November 19th, 2007
I wholeheartedly concur on your fans, reporters, and neutral observers comment. Joe Gibbs should have gotten his defense working versus not shaking Belichick’s hand.
As a fan, it can be nice to have the dominating team switch to a running game to slow down the scoring while running out the clock in a painful game. However, I frankly don’t have any issue with continuing to run your offense.
The issue I have is when you change your game plan to score more points than you would in a similar situation in close game. Thats classless to me, and thats seeming to become a more common Pats move this year. Had they kicked those two field goals on 4-and-1, I’d have zero complaints.
November 19th, 2007
Spare me the “classless” bullshit David. Which is running up the score worse, kicking a field goal from close in with the game in hand, or going for it on 4th down where a) the defense has the opportunity to stop them and b) it burns more clock off the game, thereby speeding it up and hopefully ending it sooner? Would you really be less offended by the Patriots’ win if they had won 48-10 vs. 56-10? Is it any less embarrassing? Those 8 points the Patriots would’ve given up by kicking field goals vs. scoring touchdowns moves them from you being “okay” with them to calling the team “classless?”
The phrase classless should be reserved for describing incidents such as the 1958 OSU/Michigan game, when Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes went for two late in an eventual 50-14 victory over Michigan. When a reporter asked Woody after the game why he went for two with the game clearly in hand, Hayes said, “Because they wouldn’t let me go for three.” THAT is classless (although funny). The Patriots continuing to play professional football is not.
In the Redskins game and in the Bills game, the Patriots went for it on 4th down 4 times when they were up big on their opponent. Three times they were in field goal distance – the fourth they were at the 37 yard line, which is a 54 yard field goal try. Is it that much “nicer” to kick a field goal at that point in time that to go for it on 4th down? Going for it gives the defense at least the chance of stopping any more scoring. When you kick the field goal, you are by and large taking that ability out of the hands of the defense.
The Patriots continuing to play football is not classless. It is NOT the fault of the Patriots, or any other dominant team, when the opponent cannot play up to their level. Merciless? Perhaps. But not classless.
November 19th, 2007
Oh, and did you notice that with 3:56 to go on 4th and inches from the Buffalo 30, the Patriots punted? Just thought I’d point that out.
November 19th, 2007
Yeah, I was (pleasantly) surprised by that last punt. (I was also surprised at how terrible his placement was when he hit it out of the back of the end zone.) You can tell he isn’t getting much work this year
I don’t buy the going for it is better because it gives the defense an opportunity to stop them, nor that its better to practice your 4-and-1 plays live. The Bills defensive had already proven their complete inability to stop the Pats. Its essentially the equivalent of playing the practice squad. Frankly, if you buy the “practice argument” you’d say Woody Hayes made the right call going for two.
And yes, the only thing that offended me in the game was going for it on 4th-and-1. My opinion would be completely different if they kicked those two field goals. If they played the game like they’d play it when its close, I have been perfectly fine.
November 19th, 2007
Scott:
Sorry to see that you’ve drunk so deeply of the Kool-Aid that you miss the obvious explanation for the Pats running up the score — Little Bill has Brady on his fantasy team.
November 19th, 2007
Yeah, the Pats haven’t had to punt a lot this year.
I don’t mind if you don’t like the Patriots going for it on fourth down in a blowout. I simply take exception to your use of the word classless. It carries a lot of weight and given that the Patriots didn’t go for it on 4th and inches from the 30, electing even to pass up a 47 yard field goal attempt (even though Gostkowski could sure use some practice as well), should lay to rest concern that they were trying to run up the score. You may have disagreed with the decision to go for it those two times, but to use the word classless I believe is well over the top in this case and unwarranted.
November 19th, 2007
Rob – It’s not so much that he has Brady but that his fantasy sqaud was facing Gostkowski when the Pats played the Redskins and Bills. Can’t blame a man for looking out for what really means the most – an undefeated fantasy football season.
November 19th, 2007
How’s “poor taste” for a more apt description?
NOTHING about this game was close, and up 35-7, it’s – at best, in my opinion – in poor taste to go for it on 4th down in the 2nd half, twice, rather than kick an easy field goal. This was beating a team senseless when it was down, and yes, I think New England was running up the score. The Pats hadn’t turned the ball over at ANY time in the game (on a turn-over, on downs, or on a punt), and trying to score from the 3 yd line on 4th-and-1 is DEFINITELY running it up. At least Belichick took Brady out with about 11 min to go in the 4th, but by then, the horse had been mutilated beyond recognition. Scott, I don’t know that this is the best place to be defensive of your team, no matter how ungodly good they are.
Move over Dallas, because here comes New England – soon to join Duke basketball, Notre Dame football and the Yankees as the most-despised teams in their sports. This should make for more interesting debates between the NY-NE contingents on this Blog.
November 19th, 2007
With all due respect to every other team in major professional and college sports right now (because I don’t wish to be viewed as not giving other teams respect and exhibit “classlessness”), the Patriots are the most reviled team in America. All the Duke, ND, and the Yankees haters added up don’t equal the Patriot Hater Parade stretching from New York to California and down to Texas. I think Bush has a higher approval rating than Bill Belichick at this point.
November 19th, 2007
Uh, okay there Scotty, you had me on your side until that last point.
I may be biased because I like the Pats, but I really don’t think they are hated as much as the Yankees, Duke, ND, the Lakers, or the Cowboys.
They are getting blasted right now, to be sure, but that always happens when a team is great.
Those teams mentioned above are INSTITUTIONALLY hated. EVERY college basketball fan that doesn’t liek Duke HATES them. Ditto with ND and the others. I don’t think a SF or Chicago or Minnesota fan “hates” the Patriots.
November 19th, 2007
Do fourth graders tell you that they hate Notre Dame because they are cheaters?
Notre Dame is irrelevant in football this year, Duke basketball hasn’t started up really yet. The Yankees are the only team that comes close, but they aren’t playing right now. At this moment in time, the Patriots are the most reviled team in the nation.
November 20th, 2007
After talking with Scott last night before the Caps game, I’ll settle for “poor taste.”
November 20th, 2007
I thought it was generally considered a riskier move to go for it on 4th down than to punt or go for a field goal?
Hey Scott, while you are quoting Woody Hayes on classlessness, don’t forget Lou Holtz faking a punt in his 54-7 win over BC in 2003 (and then complaining about BC faking a field goal two years later saying “that’s not Notre Dame football”).