It was kind of a low class thing, if it was the last play of the game and Vikings could have knelt down. But since it was the Cowboys, as an opposing player I would have been tempted to score at the end, even if I had to take a time out to do so.
It wasn’t seconds to go, it was minutes. It wasn’t “long” it was a measly 11 yards.
Unless you were one of the people who were charged with the task of preventing the objectionable action. It wasn’t Brett Favre or Brad Childress’s job to stop the Vikings from scoring. The captain of the Cowboys D bitching about his crew being further embarrased is just sickening.
This would make sense if it would have been the last play of the game. A kneeldown would have left the the other team a theoretical (if very outside) chance to win the game. If Dallas really couldn’t stand being further humiliated, they should have gone to the officials and forfeited the game. Until that point, scoring another touchdown is totally within the spirit of the game
I generally agree that this isn’t peewee football, there are no slaughter rules. I think you can be arrogant, be a dick, or send a message without being unsportsmanlike - and I think this may fall into this category. I see fundamentally nothing wrong with trying to score on any given play, although in some contexts it can be a sign of disrespect. It still doesn’t meet my personal definition of unsportsmanlike.
But that said - running the ball for 2 yards there stops the clock and so it doesn’t substantially shorten the game. Running for a first down would be ideal, but it’s less likely to be successful than passing to gain a first down. Now - they were on the short end of the field so chances are that a successful passing play resulted in a score. Would anyone think it was unsportsmanlike if they were at the 50 yard line, went for it, and picked up just enough yards to keep the clock running? If not, then this disrespect more or less is a coincidence that they were at a part of the field where most completed passes would end up in the end zone.
So… disrespectful? I’m not sure - you can make a case for it, but again, running the clock out that close to the goal line when you are on 4th down is a tricky thing to pull off. Unsportsmanlike? No, not by any way I think of it.
I am firmly in the “no running up the score” category. But I believe this was justified. I believe one should not attempt to run up the score, but I also think a team shouldn’t have to voluntarily give up possession of the football to this end.
It was 4th Down and the Vikings were fully justified in running a type of play that would get them the needed distance to keep possession, in this case a passing play. Had they run that play on third down it would have been correct to criticize them.
This got a single one-paragraph mention on ESPN.com. If ESPN doesn’t give a damn, it’s hardly worth getting all worked up about.
Anyway. I didn’t respond to the poll because it’s not applicable to the situation at all. If there are just a few seconds left, so that it’s possible to kill the clock just by snapping and running around for a while, yes, that would be absolutely the right thing to do, and throwing for the end zone would be…well, inappropriate. But there was a little under two minutes left, and it was 4th and 3 on the 11. That, as far as I’m concerned, kills any “unsportsmanlike” argument. I have absolutely no problem with the Vikings acting like the game was still on, because it was! If anything, the ensuing kickoff ate up more time than failing to make a first down (or going for the field goal and missing) would have.
I’m predicting that you won’t hear much grumbling about this from the Cowboys organization, mainly because there’s no way to do so without looking like a colossal douchebag. Think about it: Either he doesn’t understand what “professional” means, or he’s perfectly happy with getting knocked out of the playoffs so long as it was a close game. Can’t imagine anyone making it that far espousing views like these.
It’s okay to keep playing. It’s not okay to twist the knife.
A complete pass scores a touchdown, stops the clock, puts (probably) 7 points on the board, and the Vikings kick off. A field goal stops the clock, puts 3 points on the board, and the Vikings kick off. They didn’t need those 4 points. The only purpose was to add insult to injury.
It was a dick move.
I have a feeling Gregg Easterbrook will have something to say about it tomorrow. Like Icarus, the football gods have been known to extract punishment from those whose hubris goes unchecked.
I heard a counter-argument stating that Dallas invited the score by using its remaining timeouts. I wasn’t paying enough attention to notice when Dallas used them.
Brooking has no business accusing anyone of having no class though. When Dallas beat the Falcons earlier in the season, Brooking made a point of taunting his former teammates from the safety of the Cowboys’ sideline. I might understand some resentment on his part towards the Falcon’s ownership or management, but it was truly classless of him to act that way towards the guys he had played with.
Minnesota scored with nearly two minutes (1:55) left on the clock. Sorry, that is not “unsportsmanlike” running up the score.
This is key. If the opposing team is still using their timeouts, they’re still trying to win the game. I’m all for letting them die gracefully if that’s what they’re trying to do, but using timeouts suggests that that isn’t what’s going on. In that case, you have the right to put up that touchdown to counterbalance the touchdown Dallas is about to try to score.
And if there are two minutes remaining, Minnesota is correct to not give up possession at any cost. They did the right thing- keep playing offense, and try to retain possession. A field goal attempt would guarantee turning over the ball- the pass play left the option open for retaining possession, which would allow Minnesota to burn the clock out with the remaining four downs.
In a final-second type of moment, it’s a little dumb to run a pass play rather than a QB kneel, not because you don’t need the points to win but because running a play risks a fumble or interception. Much better to simply kneel and burn out the clock. But if you can’t end the game with the ball in your possession by doing so, you absolutely have the right to keep trying to gain yards.
By running a pass play in that situation, the Vikings actually gave Dallas the best chance to get back in the game. A tip-drill pick-6 or a sack-fumble returned for a TD would have put Dallas in a position to pull off a miracle comeback. Obviously, it didn’t work out that way, but not for Minnesota depriving the Cowboys of a sportsmanlike chance.
Keep in mind, a chip-shot FG (the only realistic alternative given that down and distance) would have sealed the game, putting the Vikes up by four full scores. That the Cowboys defenders were just standing around was stupid because Minnesota was obviously running an offensive play.
Wow, y’all are up really early. 
There is no poll answer that matches how I feel. My thoughts are on record in the NFC North discussion thread.
I’ve heard the argument that a close field goal is almost an automatic score, whereas going for it on 4th down actually gives the opposing team a chance at stopping you, and therefore the field goal is actually a greater act of running up the score. I’m not sure I agree with it in every case but it has some merit.
You know what, it’s the NFL. It’s the Playoffs.
I don’t care what the score is, or how much time is left on the clock. If a team is in possesion of the ball and they’re not trying to score, they do not belong on a professional football field, simple as that. Whining about getting your ass kicked does not change this.
Total dick move.
There is simply no reason to try to score at that point in the game. It was over. Did the Vikings have the right to do it? Sure. Was it necessary? Absolutely not. I hate the Cowboys, and I love nothing more than seeing that arrogant asshole Jerry Jones take a big bite of a shit sandwich, so I am torn on this. However, if I just throw in two teams I have no feeling about, I think it was a dickhead play.
And from what I’ve heard about the play, Favre was given a few options to choose from and chose the pass play in the end zone. If there is one thing I hate as much as Jerry Jones pacing back and forth on the sidelines, it’s Favre running around like an idiot after every TD pass.
They should have run the ball on 3rd down and 4th down. If they got a first down, fine. If not, turn the ball over on downs. There was absolutely nothing the Cowboys could have done. The game was beyond over. Why run up the score?
I am going to be the biggest Saints fan this weekend. I look forward to another off-season of tears, hand wringing, drama from Mr. Wrangler Jeans.
Yeah, I understand the argument that the Cowboys should have tried to stop the play, but let’s face it. They just wanted to get off the field at that point and get the hell out of there.
That was a no-class play called by a dickhead QB.
(and slightly off-topic - did anyone else notice that the announcers never just said “Favre”, but always “Brett Favre”? God, that started driving me nuts.)
This is actually closer to how i fell, it wasn’t “Seconds” on the clock, there was still 2 mins- I view that as still possible to put up 14-16 points up on the board (more than that’s HIGHLY dubious but still, it’s the playoffs these guys are the best of the best). So if you’re not winning by 16+ points within 2 mins it’s okay to do what you gotta do.
There’s a difference between that situation and throwing the ball out there on litterally the LAST play of the game (which is dickish). Two mins is still plenty of time for things to go wrong and a team to TRY to attempt a rally. If you’ve got that time, and if it truly was 11 yards, then why not go for it. NOT making it means that you put up no points, and the other team gets a shot at getting the ball back and NOT 3 more points to deal with it. They also get a shot to try to intercept the ball and run it back for a score, and still keeps them in the game. :Shrug:
I’ve seen worse. Earle Bruce once called a timeout in East Lansing to get his field goal unit on the field to tack on 3 more points in a lopsided OSU win over MSU. Andre Ware went long very late in the game to score a TD for Houston in a game with Illinois that had already been decided. Woody Hayes scored a late touchdown in a laugher over Michigan and went for a two point conversion.
This is borderline dickery. I think the thing to do is run up the middle and they either stop it or they don’t. On fourth down, do the same thing rather than kick the field goal.
I’m definitely in the camp that kicking a field goal is much more of an insult then running a play. With two minutes remaining and 4th and 11 down in the red zone you still go for it. It’s Dallas’ fault for not playing defense, the Vikings didn’t do anything wrong.
There are a lot of good points on either side of this debate in this thread - none of them are yours. This quoted statement is yet another in the long series of “Dio Talks Out of His Ass in a Sports Thread”.