Do you think that this line has anything to do with Donovan McNabb’s comments during the Patriots’ videotaping scandal?
Nah. I think it has to do with the Patriots beating capable of beating any team in the NFL by that many points, McNabb’s lingering injuries, and the general lack of offense by the Eagles, who rely on Brian Westbrook to carry them.
The Patriots beat a 5-4 Bills team by 46 points last Sunday and went for it on fourth down on their last two TD scoring offensive drives. Some may think Belichek is an ass for that, but I can’t fault the Vegas oddsmakers for betting that Belichek is still going to be an ass when the Pats play the 5-5 Eagles.
The last time the Pats scored was on a fumble recovery. The time before that was on a second down play from the one. They did go for a touchdown on a forth down play - five minutes into the second half. What do you want them to do? Take a knee with 25 minutes to go in the game? Get real - this isn’t pop Warner football. The Bills are a pro football team with an $80+ million payroll. You don’t want them to score, stop them.
And no, I’m not a Pats fan.
I agree. I don’t believe in a concept such as “running up the score” in professional sports. I wanted Indy to beat the Pats a few weeks back, but now that that game is over, I want the Pats to run the season so I can stop hearing about the friggin '72 Dolphins and their champagne toast.
Now, wouldn’t it be something if the winless Dolphins hand the Pats their only loss this season (a la the 85 Dolphins with the Bears.)
As one ESPN writer commented recently (concerning an earlier game), those were “Eff You TDs.”
The Over/Under is about 50.5, and I choose the over… on views of Andy Reid frowning as the Pats increase their lead by units of 7.
(very sad Eagles fan)
The Pats are 9-1 against the number and over bettors are 8-2 with them this year.
The Pats are averaging a 25 pt. victory each time out- 22 pts against a shitty Eagles team seems very reasonable, espcailly with McNabb in doubt for the game- I think the Dolphins game will have a 28 point spread at least, and with a bitter, demented Don Shula mouthing off, I hope they win by a hundred.
We did the running up the score thing in the pit.
My “models” had this right around 22, depending on what I used for home-field adjustment. But, take that for what its worth. It also indicates that the Cards and Steelers should be favored by about 20.
If this line was 17, people would be POUNDING the Patriots.
And, the Pats still have the Jets and the Fins at home. If they keep rolling, one of those lines could be 28. They have covered every single point spread all year, except at Indy, and that game saw them kneeling the ball in field goal territory as the clock ran down to 0.
It took the betting public a while to get caught up. I wonder if the books got killed on the NE-Buffalo game. Yahoo users were about 70% on New England in that game.
You know the '07 Pats would start the exact same kind of ceremony. Sorry to be blunt about this, but all the '72 Dolphins will be dead before too much longer and we won’t have to hear about it again. There will most likely be people around from this Pats team for the rest of our lives. Be careful of what you wish for.
I don’t know that.
As a matter of fact, I doubt it highly.
I seriously doubt it as well.
22 points? Pshaw
My favorite quote from the “I pit the NFL” thread…
Isn’t the Dolphins “ceremony” just a rumor, too?
The tradition seems to exist in one form or another, but Shula claims it’s blown out of proportion.
Does anyone have historical stats on point spreads? What was the largest point spread in NFL history? How often do teams favored by 14+ cover? How about 17+ and 21+? Just curious.
Granted, this is kind of a pointless discussion since the ceremony thing is blown out of proportion, but why would you doubt it? Now I don’t have much of a memory of '72 (none in fact), but wasn’t Shula seen as a fairly classy coach and his teams the same? Belichek may end up being considered the greatest NFL coach of all time, but I don’t think classy is going to be one of his descriptions. Considering the on and off the field actions of many of today’s players, I have no problem at all believing there would be a Pats ceremony.
Belichick is surly. He’s not the type to celebrate another team’s loss each year. I could see it from, say, Jimmie Johnson, but not Joe Gibbs or Bill Parcells. He’s more in that vein.
As to the players. . .Again, I think Manning is a guy who would celebrate the last undefeated team losing each year. Not Brady. He’s the guy who won’t do a commercial without his offensive linemen. I don’t think Favre would.
They’re not gloaters. They get painted with that brush, but I don’t think they are.
And, whether people think Belichick is running up the score, or not. . .I honestly believe HE doesn’t think he’s running it up. I really don’t think it occurs to him.
Belichick is surly. He’s not the type to celebrate another team’s loss each year. I could see it from, say, Jimmie Johnson, but not Joe Gibbs or Bill Parcells. He’s more in that vein.
As to the players. . .Again, I think Manning is a guy who would celebrate the last undefeated team losing each year. Not Brady. He’s the guy who won’t do a commercial without his offensive linemen. I don’t think Favre would.
They’re not gloaters. They get painted with that brush, but I don’t think they are.
And, whether people think Belichick is running up the score, or not. . .I honestly believe HE doesn’t think he’s running it up. I really don’t think it occurs to him.