10 men on the field

[NEGoldenAge]

A lot of people are criticizing putting 10 men on the field. Did you watch the interviews with any of the players on the clip? Some things are far more important than money, winning or footbal.. and dare I say it, even success. The players said it themselves, even they they scored a TD on the play, they still had Sean out there with them". I think it was a touching gesture and was really moved by the interviews with the players on the subject. To roughly quote London Fletcher, "we didn't come out with 10 men, we came out with 11. It's something that happened last night, we play a defense with Sean Taylor on the field, ya know, one more time."

 

[oldskool138]

The only thing I have to say about this is that I respect what the 'Skins were trying to do, honor a dead teammate. However, they should have done it in a different way.

Seems to me that the Pats lost a teammate earlier this year but they didn't honor him at the cost of the game. They didn't put 10 men on the field against the Jets in the first game of the year...they just put his number on the back of their helmets.

 

[SVN]

here is what don banks thinks

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/12/02/snap.judgments/index.html

I realize it's a very personal decision to come up with a fitting tribute for a fallen teammate. In that respect, no one but the Redskins players and coaches were in position to know what felt right to honor Taylor's memory on Sunday. But the Redskins' call to go with 10 defenders on the field for their first snap didn't keep with Taylor's well-known love for the game and the competition he thrived on.

From what I've heard of Taylor, he would have never opted to give his opponent the slightest edge, even for one play. That's how fiercely he competed and how seriously he approached the game of football. If Taylor was known for playing the game all out, every play, it seems to me you honor him most as a team by playing all out, every play.

 

[Ring 6]

No, the Bills didn't know that the Skins would play a 10-man defense, they aren't privy to Patsfans forum which had been discussing it all week.

London Fletcher says they thought of the idea Saturday night.

 

[eom]

thx for the link -- I really liked those interviews.

that was an awesome tribute.

now I'm extra glad to have fletcher on my fantasy team.

 

[nhpatsfan]

He did say they decided Saturday night, but there have been mainstream football stories with this idea out there for days now. I remember a line about a gentlemen's agreement to have the ten defenders, and call a running play.

Plus, I think it was more about the guys who played and their mourning than what Sean would have wanted. If it was important for them, that's good enough for me.

 

[1976pats]

It may have been done before but the originator of this idea is most likely old pal Pete Carroll in memory of his placekicker who died in the off-season. In USC's first x-p attempt this season he had 10 guys lined up without a kicker, didn't snap the ball and took the delay of game. He then had his kicker come out and try the x-p from the longer distance.

 

[scout]

London Fletcher says they thought of the idea Saturday night.

That is kind of strange, as there was a thread about it earlier in the week with a number of members posting comments. As knowledgeable and inventive as Patsfans.com is, hard to imagine that the two clubs involved were the last to know.

 

[Mogamedogz]

I thought it was a very nice tribute. I actually got the chills when I watched it live. Some of you people need to lighten up.

 

[TruthSeeker]

It would of been horrible and DEFINITELY classless. The guy is killed so they decided to run a 10 man defense. Exploiting that is like spitting on him.

That's ridiculous.

At any rate, this has been done before (for an entire season) by a team written up in S.I. (college, I think - but could have been a high school team) who has started only 9 players on defense every game.

 

[taltos]

I would have gone deep, the object is to win the game by all legal means necessary. Any mourning would be done in private and resolved before the game.

 

[letekro]

I think it's a weird tribute to put your team at a disadvantage, when thats the last thing Sean Taylor would have wanted.

While ostensibly for the dead, tributes are really for the benefit of the living. If it helped give the Skins some closure, and it sounds like it did, then I'm all for it.

 

[Fencer]

First, it's more important than its impact on the football game.

Second, if it helped them concentrate on the rest of the game it could have been a net football advantage.

As for the appropriate response -- what happened, intentional or not, is good. The Bills took a certain advantage from it -- a long run -- but not a crucial one. What's more, on a running play everybody gets a chance to hit, which gets them into the game.

Classy all the way around, for once in sports.

 

[ALP]

i think it was a great tribute as well, it really was...

however, i do want to point something out...the Bills probably had no idea that the skins didnt have the man there on purpose, if they noticed it at all...

i doubt any team would have seen it and said "oh, theyre respecting Sean" they would have prob said "oh, they forgot someone on D"....and gone there

 

[primetime]

I would have absolutely audibled to a run, even if the pass was intended to be a hail mary.

Certain things just go beyond football, people. This is one of them. Those of you who said "oh, I'd shoot downfield" really need to stop and think about how it's only a game.

 

[Gopats!!!]

Would it have been bad if the Bills threw a TD pass to where Taylor should have been?

I bet Tom and Randy would have picked up on it only to be called classless. I'm just wondering how the rest of you feel.

I think it would have been totally classless, and there is no way on Earth Brady or BB would have gone for it.

If they played the whole game that way it's totally different.

I was pissed when I found out BB was cheating (although the media/NFL's reaction was ridiculous) and I would have been a lot more pissed off if we had taken advantage of the Skins' tribute to Sean Taylor.

 

[FrontSeven]

You know I just realized how the Pats could get back some good will in the country. We should start with ten men on D against the Ravens just keep out Hobbs. Because would it really make a big difference? Just thinking out loud.

LOL!

Maybe the rest of the country would call us classless for not making Asante sit.