PATRIOT64

O.K. All season the Patriots were known as the 60 minute men and almost never took the starters out.

If the team were fortunate to have a substantial lead in the playoffs late in the 2nd half (21 points or more lead) would BB then decide to pull the starters out or does he keep all the guys in for the rest of the game like in the first 16 regular season games?

With that front D the Jags have I would hope the philosophy would change and see Guiterrez or Cassell out there to at least run much of the remaining clock out.

Do you think BB's philosophy changes now? - I certainly hope so

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Satchboogie3

Um, are you kidding me? You DON'T ever pull your starters in a playoff game. I don't care how big of a lead you get.

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PATRIOT64

If the defense has been dominating and our running game is doing well I don't see why you could not pull a starting guy out with a 21 point lead or more if its late in the 3rd quarter or early 4th.

Why risk injury if the game is just about in hand? - and remember when Miami had that quick score that stupid Cassell threw right to JT - BB simply just put Brady right back in - Its not like in Baseball when you pull a starter he can't play again that game,He can certainly come back in if the big lead goes down a bit.

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Fencer

I agree, except that Q3 is too soon no matter what the score is, maybe unless we're talking 49-0 or something.

Don't forget that these are the game they most WANT to play. It's their reward.

The only guys pulled that soon due to blowout are the ones who're pretty dinged up and PARTICULARLY in need of rest. I think.

And maybe the regular substitutions-for-freshness -- which generally happen on defense much more than on offense -- get a little longer in a blowout.

Anyhow, I'm guessing the lead won't be that big just because JAX will reduce the total number of possessions. It fits their style (running game), and a smaller sample size gives them a better chance of beating the odds.

Kdo5

Up 21 at the end of the third? Are you kidding. ANYTHING can happen. There have been several 21 point leads blown within a single quarter. Anything can happen. You keep everyone in. At the very least run it more to milk the clock.

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Brady to Brown

After the AFCCG last year vs. Indy, Belichick will take out "no one"

PATRIOT64

Now THAT would be reason to keep them all in if that memory came back to BB

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Kdo5

Like it has disappeared from his mind? He doesn't need that memory, all he needs is common sense to know to keep everybody out on the field.

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PATRIOT64

O.K. So if the Pats were leading say 35-10 with 8 minutes to go in the game and Brady is still in there - He goes back to pass and on a blindside blitz Mathis comes free and hits Brady just below the knee causing an MCL tear ...

You mean you wouldn't be in your chair screaming "Why the ***-k did BB keep Tom in there with this lead?" - You mean with a straight face that you can say you would not say that ??

I say you would.....

Otherwise your BSing

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bradmahn

I am not BSing you when I tell you I wouldn't scream something as dumb as that. I think it's stupid to pull starters at any point in the game, save for the victory formation, because it's crap for the game. And I definitely don't want to see any Patriots starters pulled at all in the playoffs, especially not after the team philosophy was shown to be play all sixty minutes for the whole year. Why stop when the games mean the most?

Leading 35-10 with eight minutes to go, Cassel drops back on 3rd and ten... Interception taken in for a TD. Lead is now 18 with eight to go and a three possession game with eight minutes to play is not a sure thing.

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