http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/10/16/eli/1.html
I'M NOT SURE I AGREE, RANDALL. From Randall Allen of Huachuca City, Ariz.: "What's with the Patriots running up the score on the Cowboys near the end of Sunday's game? It wasn't necessary, as the game was already decided. Were the Patriots trying to show something to the rest of the league at the Cowboys' expense?''
I thought that when I was watching the game on TV, Randall. And you never know. But here's my thought: The Patriots got the ball with 1:54 left and the ball at the Dallas 9. The score was 41-27. Bill Belichick put the last guy on the roster, running back Kyle Eckel, in the game for the first time all day, and clearly he was in there to run out the clock with two hands on the ball, running up the gut. I'm convinced the Patriots would have run the ball up the gut three times, taken the maximum amount of time on the play clock each time, run three plays, and gotten out of there.
But after first down, Dallas called a timeout, which was fine, because obviously they thought: "Maybe we can strip Eckel and have one more shot at a miracle.'' Once they did that, it gave New England a fourth play. I say Dallas knew the Patriots were going to shove Eckel up the gut as long as the clock had time left, and Dallas should have been able to crowd the middle of the line of scrimmage and stop New England from making nine yards in four plays anyway. To sum up, I think New England enjoyed the last touchdown because of the Dallas chatter during the week, but I don't think they tried to run up the score.