So the Patriots go for a touchdown on 4th and 1 at the 3 on their first possesion of the second half, while up 35-7. Given that Bellichek is an asshole; so what? Is there any good reason an NFL team should not attempt to score as many touchdowns as they can? The Pats could set a scoring record. Why should they not go for it? They’ve scored a touchdown on every possesion in the game; why should they not attempt to continue that?
Fuck the Patriots. I hope Brady stays in and gets something broken.
I think there basically two arguments against running up the score:
*What goes around comes around and you won’t want a team to play you that way when you’re on the losing end.
*Wouldn’t you look like an idiot if one of your stars got hurt going for the sixth TD in a game that had already been decided?
The Patriots are doing this to my team tonight, so I admit I’m of two minds. It’s jerkish, but is it a big deal? I don’t know. I do think it’s sort of funny that the Patriots are doing this to “prove” the previous few years aren’t tainted by their cheating. How is that supposed to work, exactly? 
Hey, the kick into the camera was good. And it was good, too!
And those arguments make sense, but - again - so what?
If the coach and the team are willing to accept the loss, if and when it happens, that’s up to them. Do the Redskins still ache for their 73-0 loss?
As is the chance of injury. The Pats are already down 2 RBs; what more should they do?
(this is apples and oranges, I know)
Should Roger Federer lighten up on his opponents? How about Tiger Woods?
I don’t see the problem with the Patriots trying to salt the game away relatively early in the second half.
In general, I think gripes about “running up the score” are a crock, especially when people have paid to see a game and your second and third-stringers are in.
It’s an even bigger crock in college football; when bench-sitters who’ve slogged through all those practices get a chance to play, they’re expected not to try to score?
There may be hurt feelings (wah!) among players and coaches in the pro game when a team gets whomped by a big score. In college, I suspect the damping down of scoring late in games is to spare one’s coaching brethren embarassment. It’s not done out of consideration for the players.
Example: in an Ohio State game earlier this year, a substitute running back scored a touchdown on the last play of the game, to make the final margin something like 16 points instead of 10. He was berated by his coach (Tressel). This seems jerkish to me - the guy might not ever have a scoring chance like that again.
This is a game where the Bills need someone like Bill Romanowski - a player who plays to hurt.
I’ve played sports and I hate it when people let up but at the same time, it seems silly to keep Brady in there. It’s probably a good thing I’m not an athlete because if I were a linebacker or a Defensive End for the bills in this game I’d hit Brady late on every damn play.
At this point does a 15-yard penalty really matter?
In high school the argument holds water because there is a rotation of players, and if you humiliate someone this year you will eventually be humiliated yourself to the detriment of the kids. In college, not so much- these guys are amateur in name only. Nevertheless, there remains a modicum of sportsmanship.
In the pros, though, all bets are off. You’re being paid, so suck up your fragile ego and if you don’t want them to run up the score on you, all you have to do is stop them. If you can’t do that, well, perhaps it’s time for a career change. Even if they call off the dogs and put in the third team, what is accomplished? You now have a pissed-off defense against inferior fill-in talent, and you will get some people hurt for their trouble.
As much as I hate the Patriots, even I have to grudgingly admit that they are playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.
If one is inclined to be pissed at the Patriots, it isn’t hard to find fault with them whether they go for it on 4th-and-1 deep in opposing territory or kick the field goal.
“They’re going for the touchdown? Jerks!”
“They’re kicking the almost guaranteed field goal instead of taking the risk of turning it over on downs? Jerks!”
This isn’t Oklahoma vs Northeast Louisiana State. These are two professional football teams. Anyways, the Pats have now given the Bills two chances to stop them cold with no points deep in the red zone. It’s not Bellichek’s job to keep the Patriots from scoring, nor is it Brady’s. If people are so desperate to keep New England from scoring, they’re going to have to man up and shut down Moss & Co instead of whining about running up the score.
These guys are professionals. Any pro can tell you that a 35-7 lead with almost 2 full quarters to play is not safe. Lots of teams have overcame bigger deficits to win.
How is it gonna look if you let up on a team and they come back to make it very close? Are they (they team you let up on) somehow honor-bound not to win?
IMO, if you don’t want them to score…you better figure out a way to stop them. If you get embarrassed in a game, use it as incentive to kick the snot out them next time.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with you. I can’t really find fault with the Pats for pouring it on. I get mad at hockey teams all the time when they start trapping with a one goal lead with 15 minutes left. I’m all for playing until the buzzer goes.
But there has to be a defensive player out there who has at least thought of laying a massive late hit on the guy? All it takes is one bad hit on Brady and they’re done. (although it seems to me that Randy Moss is the MVP at this point…)
So: the guy who caught that high-flying fumble should have just stepped out of bounds?
Why? To give Brady a chance to throw another TD pass?
I’m in the “stop 'em” camp. I don’t see why professional athletes should stop playing hard just because they have a lead.
No way, I’m with you. Play to the horn and, by God, if you score 63 points every game then it’s everyone else’s fault for not stopping you.
Frankly, I’m loving watching the Pats kill everyone. This is history in the making and I guarantee you that, years and years from now, people will still be talking about the '07 Patriots as one of the greatest ever. For the record, I’m a lifelong Packers fan and I’d love to see a Superbowl rematch. We’d probably get slaughtered, but it’d be an oddly appropriate way for Favre to go out: losing to the team he won his only championship against but whose current incarnation may be one of the greatest in NFL history.
I’ve never heard anyone ever say that second thing.
Trust me, they’d say it about the Pats. There’s really no way for them to please the critics so they’re just going to play it out. More power to 'em.
LINING UP TO PUNT FROM THE BUFFALO 31? WHAT ABOUT THE MATT CASSELL TOUCHDOWN TRAIN?!
(I guess that shows where I stand on this one…)