Did BB pull a rope-a-dope?

[RayClay]

For you youngun's, way before the Grill, George Foreman was the sickest one punch knockout artist I've seen, almost lifting Joe Frazier of the ground with each punch.

Of course he was kind of slow, but no one wanted to be hit with the force of a baseball bat and he had a very long reach. Scary.

Muhammad Ali also had a long reach and was fast as hell, but not a real hard puncher.

Rather than risk taking a knockout blow on the way in, he came up with a plan.

(Supposedly), his team loosened the ring ropes and he leaned back and dodged the ponderous but potent blows, bobbing his head, covering up, teasing him while he threw more punches in the air.

Foreman punched himself out, got wobbly and was knocked out in the 8th round, totally spent.

While I was screaming to run the ball, was BB forcing Merriman and the blitzers to rush on every single play on purpose?

I noticed there wasn't much of anything towards the end.

Thoughts?

 

[Joker]

Yeah...Merriman is a moron,a steroidal disgrace and an embarassment to football. Kevin Faulk ran up the gut for two to tie...where was the moron???

 

[cubedoggy]

This has been mentioned before, but more on the "did we not beat (insert team name here) as badly as we could've because BB didn't want to show his hand for later games?" view.

There may be something to it.

 

[MrClutch]

The Pats just stuck with the Spread formation and kept pushing and pushing until something finally clicked.

 

[oldskool138]

Yep the rope-a-dope worked! Merriman had to get oxygen during the game from rushing Brady damn near every down. Then he punched himself out in the fourth quarter. It was like Rocky vs. Clubber Lang!

Excellent job from the O-Line and Brady for keeping their poise!

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Merriman was taking O2 to start the 2nd quarter...they came in too hyped and not ready to go 60 minutes at a high level, tough way to live.

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

Ohhh, Ali could punch hard enough.

I don't know if he was the greatest heavyweight of all time, but he was certainly the classiest-looking! Why, he even looked good skipping rope!

But back to the game...apt analogy, IMO.

Either that, or maybe they all thought the 4th quarter was garbage time for them again...as some Bolt trollers were wont to proclaim this past week....

 

[RayClay]

Ohhh, Ali could punch hard enough.

I don't know if he was the greatest heavyweight of all time, but he was certainly the classiest-looking! Why, he even looked good skipping rope!

But back to the game...apt analogy, IMO.

Either that, or maybe they all thought the 4th quarter was garbage time for them again...as some Bolt trollers were wont to proclaim this past week....

No he really couldn't, not compared to the top heavyweights of the era. He needed to wear you out and use the lightning combinations. Nobody does everything well, so you have to play to your strengths. Like the Patriots!

 

[mtbykr]

Well they did something because it seemed like they were always cutting away to the SD bench in the 4th where someone was on oxygen, getting worked on, heading to the lockerroom, ect..... Looked like the ER:rocker: