NFL - Are you ready for some Football - Week 5

[-Jrabbit]

at this whole discussion. You're upset with NE and Indy for being superior? C'mon. Washington was what, 3rd in scoring defense going into this game? In week 4, the formerly-mighty Bears gave up 34 points in the 4th quarter. Last week, Houston made up a 26-point deficit in under 9 minutes against another strong defense, Tennessee.

This is the NFL. and you play for keeps. You knock the opponent down, then you stand on his throat. If it looks cold and merciless, that's because it is.

[SlowwHand]

That's one opinion.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Grandpa Troll
Thats very good, now you go coach and people will say your a Gentleman and a true sportsman

Actually most people in the NFL actually do say that about Tony Dungy .

[Koyaanisqatsi]

That's one opinion.

I'd say it's an opinion NE learned pretty thoroughly in last year's AFCCG.

[snoopy369]

I wouldn't blame them for scoring as much as possible in the AFC finals I think it's different when it's week 8 and you're up by 30+ at a team that is not going to come back even if you punted on 1st down every time...

[-Jrabbit]

I wasn't watching the game, but from the descriptions here, yeah, I probably would have expected more running, and more resting of starters. But dammit, if you're in the game, you're trying to execute, and to excel.

I think the 2006 playoffs taught Bellicihek to never let up. Given their massive upgrade at WR, the results are spectacular.

[SlowwHand]

From www.nfl.com

It was over when ...
LB Mike Vrable forced a fumble by Redskins QB Jason Campbell that was recovered by DE Ty Warren with Washington trailing 17-0 late in the second quarter. Instead of the Redskins putting points on the board before halftime, the Patriots converted the turnover into a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Randy Moss.

Everything after that, which means the whole 2nd half, is somewhat officially thought of as trash.

Congrats, Patriots.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
I wasn't watching the game, but from the descriptions here, yeah, I probably would have expected more running, and more resting of starters. But dammit, if you're in the game, you're trying to execute, and to excel.

I think the 2006 playoffs taught Bellicihek to never let up. Given their massive upgrade at WR, the results are spectacular.

It's not 'not executing', heck, I can't imagine asking a player to not play hard every down. I don't blame any of the players on the field.

The man calling the plays is to blame. He should be calling conservative plays that take time off the clock, and generally running plays; I don't care if you're using the guy off the street to run, you can run every down when you're ahead by that much, maybe pass on 3rd down if it's more than 4. They don't have a shortage of perfectly serviceable backs for garbage time. Sure, I'd only use Maroney in a real game, but that's why they have Falk, Pass, etc...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Karma is going to ask for Tom Brady to have a season ending injury in the 4th Q of a game the Pats are up by 35.

[-Jrabbit]

Snoop, I agree with your basic point on play selection.

But B'chick is the most successful coach of this era, which IMHO gives him leeway. He chose to risk injuries to all starters remaining in the game, which I think is, at best, tempting fate. (I'm flashing on M. Jones-Drew get his knee whacked in garbage time last week...) He chose to make his bed this way, and I'm thinking he's perfectly willing to lie in it.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Originally posted by snoopy369
It's not 'not executing', heck, I can't imagine asking a player to not play hard every down. I don't blame any of the players on the field.

The man calling the plays is to blame. He should be calling conservative plays that take time off the clock, and generally running plays; I don't care if you're using the guy off the street to run, you can run every down when you're ahead by that much, maybe pass on 3rd down if it's more than 4. They don't have a shortage of perfectly serviceable backs for garbage time. Sure, I'd only use Maroney in a real game, but that's why they have Falk, Pass, etc...

Faulk is not a guy you want out there if you want to keep the important people healthy...his role in the offense is huge, it just isn't to run the ball all the time. He's harder to replace than Maroney. Pass is gone. The NE backfield looks like:

Maroney RB1
Morris RB1A (out)
Faulk (3rd down RB)
Heath Evans (FB1)
Kyle Eckel (FB2, only on the team because Belichick wants a guy from Navy on his team.)

Sure, maybe you can send Evans up the middle three times and punt, but do you want to do that for an entire half? To what end? To send the message that the other teams are so inferior that NE doesn't even have to try? Forget being insulting to the other teams, what message does that send to your own players? And Gibbs kept his starters in so that they could save a bit of pride...does it really make them feel better to say they can stop the unrelenting force that is Kyle Eckel?

[-Jrabbit]

I'm sure Snoop would have preferred to see the FBs out there slogging it up the middel. But having now seen Joe Gibbs say HE has no problem with what the Pats did, I think it's all a moot point.

[Imran Siddiqui]

What, you really think Gibbs is going to say anything bad about it in public?

[-Jrabbit]

I really think he had no problem with it.
Other than exposing his team for what it is.

[Lorizael]

*sigh*

I know the 'Skins were "supposed" to lose that game, but that was embarrassing. By the end I was cheering complete passes and runs that made it back to the line of scrimmage.