Pats unsportly against Bills?

[PatsFaninAZ]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

Both plays were very close the goal line. It's the right play there -- you give the guy a chance to stop you and if he does he's far from the end zone where he hopes to score.

You'll note that at the end of the game, with 4th and inches on the Bills' 30, Belichick chose to punt. Imagine that, a PUNT from the 30 yard line with no weather to speak of. Not a field goal. Not going for it. But I guess nobody mentions the "sport" moves because it's not good copy. You'll notice that once the Bills got the ball back, they sure as heck didn't take a knee. They tried to score. And one of the Patriots players got hurt on the last play. What's good for the goose . . .

One of these days in that situation, Belichick is going to have the team take a knee. Then all we'll hear is how unsporty that is.

By the way, the first supposedly "unsporty" play happened on the first possession of the THIRD QUARTER. I respectfully submit there is no such thing as running up the score on the first possession of the third quarter. If that's "unsporty," then forfeit the game if you're the opponent. Don't even play it if you demand the opponent throttle back with 25 minutes left in the game.

 

[Patsgirl_DK]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

Nice to see more Danes here --- velkommen.

The announcers on 3+ are terrible but this is their first season so I guess we will have to give them some time. I agree with most here that kicking a FG would have been rubing it in more. Going for it on 4. down gives the ooponent a chance to stop you, but I guess the Danish announcers and many fans over here dont realize that.

BTW they often do a rerun of the SNF game (the American broadcast with Michaels/Madden but without the commercial breaks so it only last 90 minutes or so) on TV2 Sport on Mondays just before the MNF game. Looks like they will have a rerun of Dallas/Detroit tonight though - I guess they thought the Pats game was too boring.

 

[FrontSeven]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

At this point the sportly thing to do is call the game off so everybody can get a good night's sleep.

 

[Danish PATS Fan]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

No, I'm not talking about the people. I'm talking about the delicious pastries by the same name here.

Like, I don't think Chinese food is called Chinese food in China.

LOL he he i thought you meant the danish people living in Denmark
Yeah in that case Copenhagenpatsfan is right it's called Wienerbrød !

 

[upstater1]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

By the way, the score couldn't have been 49-10 when they went for it on 4th and 1, because the last TD was Ellis Hobbs' INT.

I think the second time the Patriots went for it on 4th down, that was the right decision. But the first time, they were only up 35-10 and there were 11 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. You only have a 3 score lead + FG. Right there, you can argue that a FG would make more sense with so much time left and the game still in question. Unless of course, you feel a TD salts the game away for good.

I'm just arguing that even with a 35-10 lead and 24 minutes to play, the game is NOT determined.

 

[Sariana]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

I was watching the Pats - Bills game on danish television, and when we were as far as i recall ahead 35 - 10 and 49 - 10. Belichick decided to go on a 4 and 1, and then the danish commentators believed that it was unsportly, when we were so far ahead. It was not necessary to grind the Bills so much down in the ground, and we could have taken a 3 and out the 2 times and had gone for a fieldgoal. In this to cases I will say that I agree with the commentators, it really was not necessary and we just could have taken the 3 fieldgoal points. But thats just my oppinion and the commentators

Actually, many football fans think that originally. If they would be able to get past the thought that the patriots beat them with a high score, then perhaps they would see that they in fact had a better chance in stopping them on a 4th down then blocking a field goal. How often does a blocked or goofed up Field goal happen? If in a normal distance, then getting a field goal
would be more difficult to stop then trying on 4th down.

If the team winning is bringing in the backups and still makes Touchdowns and gain yards, then perhaps the practice that the opposing defense gets will teach them something. They should be watching the tapes and figuring out how the Patriots did it rather then blame them to be honest.

This is Football.... if you are not one of elite, then you should be learning from them to improve yourselves next time...

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

I was watching the Pats - Bills game on danish television, and when we were as far as i recall ahead 35 - 10 and 49 - 10. Belichick decided to go on a 4 and 1, and then the danish commentators believed that it was unsportly, when we were so far ahead. It was not necessary to grind the Bills so much down in the ground, and we could have taken a 3 and out the 2 times and had gone for a fieldgoal. In this to cases I will say that I agree with the commentators, it really was not necessary and we just could have taken the 3 fieldgoal points. But thats just my oppinion and the commentators

Actually the commentators and yourself are just unfamiliar with Belichick's thinking. Belichick in general does not like taking field goals unless he has to.

Here is the rationale for going for it on 4th and 1 close to the enemy's goal:
1. If you don't convert the 4th down, you give your opponents a long field to march before they can score. This is key to FIELD POSITION.
2. Even if you make the FG +3 and your opponents then score a TD +7 the net is -4 points.
3. If you score a touchdown that is 2X better than a field goal. 7 vs 3. That is simply mathematics.

4. If you kick the FG and MISS, you give your opponents excellent field position, allowing them to possibly score a touchdown against you. Net of -7 points.
5. If the FG is blocked, there is also a chance the blocked kick can be returned for a TD. Net of -7 points.
6. Once your lead increases to a certain point, field goals become almost meaningless and therefore not worth kicking. So why not go for it on 4th down?
7. Psychologically, Touchdowns are more demoralizing to a defending team. If you beat your opponent psychologically, there is much less chance for them to come back, thus increasing your chances of winning the game.

8. Finally, this serves as a notice of warning to the league. The Patriots will play 100% to the best of their capacity until they see that the game is finished. Many teams now will look to playing against the Patriots with FEAR, giving them a psychological edge. When teams start thinking that just not getting embarassed is a moral victory, they are not focusing on the goal of defeating the Patriots.

 

[Danish PATS Fan]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

Actually the commentators and yourself are just unfamiliar with Belichick's thinking. Belichick in general does not like taking field goals unless he has to.

Here is the rationale for going for it on 4th and 1 close to the enemy's goal:
1. If you don't convert the 4th down, you give your opponents a long field to march before they can score. This is key to FIELD POSITION.
2. Even if you make the FG +3 and your opponents then score a TD +7 the net is -4 points.
3. If you score a touchdown that is 2X better than a field goal. 7 vs 3. That is simply mathematics.

4. If you kick the FG and MISS, you give your opponents excellent field position, allowing them to possibly score a touchdown against you. Net of -7 points.
5. If the FG is blocked, there is also a chance the blocked kick can be returned for a TD. Net of -7 points.
6. Once your lead increases to a certain point, field goals become almost meaningless and therefore not worth kicking. So why not go for it on 4th down?
7. Psychologically, Touchdowns are more demoralizing to a defending team. If you beat your opponent psychologically, there is much less chance for them to come back, thus increasing your chances of winning the game.

8. Finally, this is serves as a notice of warning to the league. The Patriots will play 100% to the best of their capacity until they see that the game is finished. Many teams now will look to playing against the Patriots with FEAR, giving them a psychological edge. When teams start thinking that just not getting embarassed is a moral victory, they are not focusing on the goal of defeating the Patriots.

Yeah you got a point, but at that time of the game if the Bills got it from a missed or a blocked FG...that could not be that bad could it ?
Pats were in front with 25 and 32 points in the 2 situations...so given Bills the ball by missing the FG would not have changed much on the scoreboard.

 

[Dragda]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

he he the commentators from the states properly knows a bit more, when they talk about football then the danish. Madden should know he he with so many years as a player, coach and commentator. And it is the first year that they show NFL on that channel in Denmark. But they still call them NFL experts !!!

I saw abbreviated NFL coverage while I was in Denmark. The games weren't live. They were pre-recorded. The commentators would show a bit of the game then talk about it. It was in Danish so I didn't understand a word of it. It was on late at night and I always fell asleep.

Danish is a very difficult language. They have 182 vowels. I was staying in a city called Odense. It looks like O-Dens but it unpronouncable in their language. I was on the island of Fyn which is a nice little short name, but again unpronouncable. It sounds something like the sound Frankenstein makes when the flaming torch is thrust into his face. But there were thousands of pretty blondes riding their bicycles everywhere. I can't wait to go back someday. It's very nice.

 

[Danish PATS Fan]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

I saw abbreviated NFL coverage while I was in Denmark. The games weren't live. They were pre-recorded. The commentators would show a bit of the game then talk about it. It was in Danish so I didn't understand a word of it. It was on late at night and I always fell asleep.

Danish is a very difficult language. They have 182 vowels. I was staying in a city called Odense. It looks like O-Dens but it unpronouncable in their language. I was on the island of Fyn which is a nice little short name, but again unpronouncable. It sounds something like the sound Frankenstein makes when the flaming torch is thrust into his face. But there were thousands of pretty blondes riding their bicycles everywhere. I can't wait to go back someday. It's very nice.

Hmmm the channels TV2 sport and 3+ is showing live football. From 19.00 on TV2 sport danish time and then 3+ is showing live from 22.00 and also the late game 2.00, so that was maybe highlights you saw Plus TV2 sport is also showing monday night matches live, and Thanksgiving on this coming thursday all 3 matches live. Yeah danish is on of the most difficult langueges in the world apart from chinese, and Odense is the 3 largest city in Denmark after Aarhus and the capital Copenhagen. It's nice in Denmark yeah....and so are some of the girls

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

Yeah you got a point, but at that time of the game if the Bills got it from a missed or a blocked FG...that could not be that bad could it ?
Pats were in front with 25 and 32 points in the 2 situations...so given Bills the ball by missing the FG would not have changed much on the scoreboard.

The thing in football is that no lead is safe and you never know for sure. If a 25 point lead suddenly gets cut by a touchdown, the other team gets hope. The other team can suddenly play better and maybe even make a comeback.

Perhaps you have not heard of one of the most famed comebacks in NFL history - That is when the Houston Oilers built a 25 point lead at half time, only to lose the football game to the Buffalo Bills. You can read about it below.
http://www.profootballhof.com/history/decades/1990s/greatest_comeback.jsp

No lead is safe in football, therefore it is right thinking to go 100% until the clock expires.

 

[ClevTrev]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

I will say that I agree with the commentators, it really was not necessary and we just could have taken the 3 fieldgoal points. But thats just my oppinion and the commentators

Thanks for providing this information. I would say that for most of their remaining games this season, the Pats will be "unsportly." It's not that they're trying to be "unsportly," it's just that they're that good. When a team is that skilled, it's hard to "control" a game, as these players are trained to put as many points on the scoreboard as possible.

Also remember that in the case of tiebreakers for home field advantage in the playoffs, point differential does come into play in certain scenarios.

 

[Sariana]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

Yeah you got a point, but at that time of the game if the Bills got it from a missed or a blocked FG...that could not be that bad could it ?
Pats were in front with 25 and 32 points in the 2 situations...so given Bills the ball by missing the FG would not have changed much on the scoreboard.

But that is it.... What are the chances of Blocking or a missed field goal compared to a missed chance at a 4th down conversion?

The Bills SHOULD have had a better chance at stopping the 4th down conversion to be honest. This is BB's way of saying, "here is your chance... STOP us!" (without simply sitting all players on the field to let the offense run into the end zone)

 

[Bella*chick]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

It should also be noted that it seems our MO is to play 3 solid quarters of pedal to the metal. If a 3rd quarter drive bleeds into the fourth, then the starters complete the drive. That made it look somewhat worse in the Redskins game than it actually was.

Last night, though? Brady did not play at all in the fourth. We were running Eckel and Evans and they were running right through the Bills. I honestly think Buffalo gave up. Additionally, it has been pointed out in some media outlets today that we did punt on our own 31 yard line last night instead of going for it or kicking a FG. We were not trying to intentionally run it up or embarrass the Bills. We are just that much better than them. People can cry and whine about this all they want, but at least some of the media drones are finally starting to get it.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

this horse is beat dead, but what's worse: take a high percentage fieldgoal attempt that all but surely puts three points on the board or give the other team the chance to stop you on the field of play? I say the latter is more "sportly."

Otherwise, they should just take a knee, or maybe hand them the ball and say "Your turn now, we're tired of trying to score" or punt from the Bills' six yard line.

 

[Michael]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

It's simple. When the opposing offense is taking a knee and not trying to score you may have an argument. Until then REPEAT AFTER ME It's NOT the offense's responsibility to shut themselves down. If you don't want them scoring on you do something about it. It's NOT the offense's responsibility to shut themselves down. If you don't want them scoring on you do something about it. It's NOT the offense's responsibility to shut themselves down. If you don't want them scoring on you do something about it...

 

[ClevTrev]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

Another point regarding removing the starters and playing the reserves is that the Pats must be concerned that their starters are conditioned to play the full game. Remember last season's AFC Championship when the Colts came from behind to win? These guys must be battle hardened for the full season and for the full duration of the game. How many times could they have sat their players this season? There has only been one close game. It's essential that the team is conditioned to play hard for the full 60 minutes if they want to win it all.

 

[onegameatatime]

Re: Pats unsportly against Bills ?

How about this -- allow a team to resign, like in chess. Or if a team is up 35, let them declare victory and leave. I suspect BB would take that.