Palm Beach Pats Fan

Because 3rd and 7 at the IND 25 is not a scenario where you will likely run for a first down, so you pass it to Welker (since Gronk had left the game already) then when Welker leaves the games, you run Vareen every other play for the rest of the game, with handoffs from Mallett in the last 4 minutes.

I'd rather pass for a 1st down than send the punting unit out, followed by the defense. Lower injury risk by far, and it's winning football.

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It is what it is, so just go out there and do your job!

Palm Beach Pats Fan

I am not aware of any coach in the NFL who makes score-driven personnel changes in special teams units. You play the unit that practiced together all week, barring injury.

I think what we have here is a fundamental lack of understanding of how coaches use specific special teams units. This isn't college where you have 80 guys. You have 43 guys plus kicker, punter, and long-snapper to cover offense, defense, and four core special teams units. If you take out you top 10 "key players" by however means you use to decide that, then I am not sure how you can expect to run the play and (for example) not get the kicker clobbered. The best blockers play up front on the PAT conversion. That has to include Gronk, particularly in a week where the teams two starting guards were both out with injuries.

At some point Gronk gets the tap on the shoulder and gets the message to take the rest of the game off on offense (and he did, before the last scoring drive). But he knows he will be out there on the special teams unit he practiced with all week. That's just how it works, in New England, in Indianapolis, EVERYWHERE.

Dungy: You have a set group for the PAT conversion. I always had Jeff Saturday playing RG on PATs and never even considered taking him off, no matter what the score was. You sometimes sit players on offense or on defense, because they are used to subbing out. You practice those changes and adjustments. The special teams guys are different-- they work together all week as one unit and they play as one unit, whatever the score.

Bruschi: When I was playing defense and we were blowing out an opponent, you were told, "You're out of the game now, Tedy, but you're still on the field goal block team." It's just the way it is in football.

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It is what it is, so just go out there and do your job!

SacPete1

Where is the perspective on this issue?? It was an extra point for crying out loud!!!!
He had as much chance getting injured standing on the sideline! Alright maybe a slightly higher chance on a PAT but not much.

Deus Irae

SF was up 32-7 and still had starting linebackers covering punts.

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"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
- Marcus Aurelius

fnordcircle

From Belichick himself.

Sorry to all of the Madden 2013 coaches who are mad about their stupid Fantasy Football team but Belichick is managing an actual NFL team - which includes managing how players feel they are being treated.

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Sweet Chin Music33

Love that quote.

Are people really questioning the injury? It was a fluke. Its football.

If Gronk were to break his arm while running a walk-through in practice this week, would you question that too?

"How dare BB actually force his star players to practice!!!"

Get real.

FirstAndGoal

can tell a lot of people never played the game. There's a first and a second team defined for each special teams unit but the second team is only used to fill in a body if the guy on the first time goes down. You never put them into the game as the "second unit". You only use the second units to determine who is next man up...not enough bodies otherwise.

Second, you have 2 or 3 active tight ends in a game. You may want to run a fake and a fake might consist of a TE catching a pass or making a huge block. Since you need one for each side of a field goal/extra point, who do you want there?

Third, it was a freak accident and these guys are football players. He's going to see harder hits on any normal play. It was something that wouldn't happen again if the Patriots put him in 100 times.