BB's take on the whole "running up the score" BS

[SVN]

http://www.allthingsbillbelichick.com/

Glenn Ordway: "Let me ask a question, a follow-up from a week ago that Steve [DeOssie] asked you about, 'did you pile on?' because it seems to be the question—and apparently you did attend yesterday's game, you verified that in the post-game press conference yesterday. It seems to me, Bill, that the media and the fans are watching the game and they're probably getting the same feeling that we're all getting, that Miami is not playing well, Patriots are playing exceptionally well, and this one's comfortably in hand. On the other hand, my take is that, from hearing you talk about this in the past, you can't view it that way as a coach. Can you explain, specifically, so maybe we can put an end to all of this, what is going through your mind late in the game? As opposed to, I just told you what we're thinking as fans and as media people, what you're thinking to how you run that game at the end of the game?"
Bill Belichick: "Well, the only thing I care about, Glenn, is trying to win the game. That's the only thing that matters to me. In yesterday's game, after the interception cut it to three scores there was still the better part of the fourth quarter left. And I've seen three scores in four minutes! So another turnover, you get it to a two-score game—that's one pass, an onside kick and a Hail Mary. So any time you get it down that close, I think the game's a long way from being out of reach. So we're going to play to win, and if I feel like we're in danger of losing, then we're going to do whatever we have to do to win."
Ordway: "What I don't understand is that people were questioning what you did with the two-minute drill in the first half, the end of the first half…"
Belichick: "It's the first half. … Whatever we're capable of doing in the first half I assume they're capable of doing in the first half."
Ordway: "Well, we saw Tennessee and Houston yesterday and look what happened in that game. It was 32-7."
Belichick: "Right. And going into the fourth quarter, and late into the fourth quarter, Houston hadn't done anything! They had like 50 yards total offense, and so forth, and then they go and score 25 points, or whatever it was. You know what, teams get hot, we've seen the Music City Miracle, we've seen all kinds of comebacks. We saw the Miami-Jets comeback a few years ago…
Everybody: "Buffalo-Houston."
Ordway: "The Buffalo-Houston playoff game. Remember that one?"
Belichick: "We saw the Tampa-Indianapolis game, so, I'm going to tell you what, the first game we blow, the first game we blow like that, I know who will be the first people to say … 'what are you doing?' You know? 'Why would you ever take anything for granted?'"
[Laughter]
Belichick: "But I think a lot of times you get into that situation at the end of the game that's like, 'OK, we have a 10-point lead, or we have a 14-point lead, or whatever it is, OK, is there any way we can lose this game?' And last week in the Dallas game was an example of, we ran the ball on first down and then Dallas took a timeout. So we couldn't kneel on the ball, we would have given it back to them. It was a two-score game. Then the decision would be, 'OK, on fourth down do you kick the field goal?' Well, here again, how can you lose? A blocked field goal run back for a touchdown, onside kick, Hail Mary, you know? So I'd rather give them the ball 99 yards away rather than risk the three points, or a blocked kick and three points, or a bad snap or…anything could happen in a situation like that. I mean, I have confidence in our holder, our snapper, our kicker—I'm not saying that—but how can you lose in a situation like that? Well, a blocked kick run back for a touchdown, an onside kick, a Hail Mary. That's how."
Smerlas: "And when you're running the ball it eats up more clock. If you kneel down on the ball, they touch you, they call a timeout, it eats up less clock."
Belichick: "Yeah, you can kill off a few more seconds that way. That's right."
Ordway: "So is it fair to say, Bill, that you're not going to go to the knee, or give up on that game, until every possible scenario has been eliminated on your list of 'this is how we could lose the game'? Once they're all eliminated, then you suddenly say, 'OK, game's over.'"
Belichick: "We go to a knee when they can't get the ball back. That's when we go to a knee. And again, going back to the Dallas game, with two minutes to go, first down, you kneel on the ball three times with no timeouts, the game's over. So we ran the ball on first down. I knew they had a timeout left. If they hadn't used that timeout, then we would have kneeled the last two downs. But once they took the timeout, now that gave them the ball back. And again, rather than kneel on it for three downs and just hand it to them, we're going to run our plays."
Smerlas: "And the scenario down in Miami, you talked about the weather. Everyone's a little tired. Mistakes can happen. If they get the ball back and they throw a couple of bombs, guys may not react as quickly, also."
Belichick: "Well, we were down there three years ago, four years ago, and lost an 11-point lead at the end of the game and lost the game. So, you know what, until the final gun goes off…depending on how many points you're ahead, how many potential possessions they have left, if there's enough possessions for them to score, then you don't have it."

iam glad that we have a coach who thinks that deep and doesnt care about media nonsense to take a knee and all that.

[maverick4]

I want the Pats to say eff-you to every team they face this year, and I don't feel bad about it.

[Krugman]

Makes perfectly good sense to me.When I was watching the game and the Dolphins scored 21 points in four minutes,I was glad to see Brady back in the game.

[brdmaverick]

Originally Posted by Krugman

Makes perfectly good sense to me.When I was watching the game and the Dolphins scored 21 points in four minutes,I was glad to see Brady back in the game.

ya, it was a no brainer to me. All the reporters are idiots are something. As soon as Taylor returned the pick to the end zone I said to my brother "Brady's gonna come back". At that point you have yourself a ball game.

Situation......

Up by 28 points with ten minutes left, the game seems well in hand.

Up by 21 points after with ten minutes left, the game still seems in hand but another quick score would make it more nerve racking than needed.


Seriously, I can picture the fourth quarter going VERY badly if Cassell stayed in. The media really needs to get a life.

[brdmaverick]

And what is this BS for scoring at the end of the first half.

When have you ever seen the media try to get a coach to be apologetic for scoring in the FIRST HALF.

I STRESS THE FIRST HALF. It boggles my mind. Of course you play to score in the first half.

I say THE FIRST HALF much like Allen Iverson says PRACTICE.

We're talking about the FIRST HALF. Not the fourth quarter.


These media pundits are really stretching for something to write about.


WHATEVER ONE TEAM DOES IN ONE HALF OF FOOTBALL the OTHER TEAM COULD POTENTIALLY DO IN THE NEXT HALF. YOU NEVER TAKE YOUR FOOT OF THE GAS IN THE FIRST HALF. THAT IS JUST BASIC FOOTBALL.

HELLO, MCFLY, YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME.

[NYCPatsFan]

Thanks for posting this!

I hope we can forward this to the media experts so that they do not hasten to conclude that all our actions are eff-you to the league.

Not that I am concerned about that image but this might help some of the journalists - who are convinced that they must get a full explanation at a press conference from a NFL coach who has just finished a game - to understand that the coach might have solid reasons for the actions on field.

[PAPatsjunkie]

Great interview. Did anyone see the garbage on Around the Horn yesterday? JA Adande was seriously blowing a gasket, going on and on about how dumb it was for Brady to go back into the game after the INT, that he couldve gotten injured, etc. Absolutely ridiculous. How dare a starting QB play in the 4th quarter of a regular season game?? It's so risky!!

[PatsRI]

John Dennis went on a rant about it for hours this morning too. In the end who cares, if Brady got hurt then maybe it's a topic but until then I say to the media (Please be quiet - edited).

[PatsChick87]

Originally Posted by NYCPatsFan

Thanks for posting this!

I hope we can forward this to the media experts so that they do not hasten to conclude that all our actions are eff-you to the league.

Not that I am concerned about that image but this might help some of the journalists - who are convinced that they must get a full explanation at a press conference from a NFL coach who has just finished a game - to understand that the coach might have solid reasons for the actions on field.

In the never ending quest to educate the unaware media, please do forward it!!!! Oh, and please include the chronically stupid like Marino.

[PatsRI]

I liked seeing Monday Night Countdown with Parcells and Ditka. They both kind of had that "these guys are idiots" look about those that questioned whether BB ran it up. Amazing how professional coaches seem to understand the "you don't like it then stop them" mentality that the media can't grasp.