No that’s what I mean, in that situation, with the losing side fully conceding, I think it’s more respectful to run it up the middle than it is to kneel it down. Kneeling down is the second most respectful option, in my opinion. Kicking a field goal would be insulting, while doing a play action pass for a touchdown or some kind of double reverse trickery would be the height of douchebaggery.
I don’t think kneeling was bad, but I think running it up the gut would have been better. Peyton felt this more strongly than I did, but I agreed with him that you run it up the gut there.
Put it this way: that was fourth down. If it was appropriate to kneel there, why not kneel all four plays? Didn’t they have a first and goal, running it three times and then kneeling at the 2?
In a semi-related note, I have complained recently that I feel it’s unsportsmanlike to try and milk a few extra seconds out of a kneel down. Snap it and kneel, don’t make the defense actually come after you before you kneel. I feel like the unwritten rules are going by the wayside.
Traditionally, if you’re not trying to run up the score, and the other team has signaled that they are conceding (not taking time outs), the unwritten rule is to run it up the gut and punt. If you can’t punt because you’re too close to the goal line, run it up the gut on 4th and turn it over on downs. Or at least it was.
Because on a running play, you will milk a few more seconds off the clock. Obviously there was a bit too much time in this situation. But your point is well taken…perhaps four kneel downs would have been the better thing to do.
If it wasn’t a goal-to-go situation, I would fully agree with running the ball on fourth down. If you make the first down, give yourself up and the game is over. But I still think that kneeling was appropriate on fourth down.
I think kneeling it all four times would have been worse than running it three times and kneeling. Still not bad, but slightly less respectful than running it up the gut four times, even if you score a touchdown.
I don’t think Belichick was offended at all by that kneel down – the intent was clearly sportsmanship – but I’d bet a dollar that Belichick would have preferred that they run it up the gut on 4th in terms of sportsmanship.
I mentioned above that Peyton felt this way pretty strongly, but in fairness Eli didn’t seem to notice or care at all. So it’s a mixed appeal to authority at best.
The conversation went something like this, paraphrased:
Peyton: Run it. You gotta run it here.
Eli: You think so?
Peyton: What are they going to do, punt?!
Eli: [watching them line up] Kneel?
Peyton: Kneel?!
And then after the Patriots kneeled, Peyton shook his head in disbelief, saying “You don’t see two knees back to back very often, two different teams.”
To Peyton, kneeling in that spot did not appear to be an acceptable option. But again, Eli didn’t even really seem to notice.
Well, again, I’m going to disagree, and I think we can agree to disagree.
Back to the game itself: The Pats look like a team in disarray, and the fans of the other 31 teams do not feel a bit of sympathy for the Patriots’ fans, coach, or owner.
How do I find out in advance what game Peyton and Eli are going to be calling? I’d like to experience this for myself. Peyton has a keen football mind, and I love that about him. (I also love that he brought my Colts the Super Bowl.)