Do you really believe in Tanking mode on?

[Ring 6]

We've seen or we've assumed?

assumed, actually invented

 

[pats4life12]

You get payed to play your hardest to win the game, you don't play to lose. It would be a total wast of money if we payed players to lose a game. If you play sports on the highest stage why would you want to lose. You would want every one to know you as the guy who does not have the best teammates but still can pull the win. Not the guy whose team stink so he playes down to there level to lose.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

It means--it was obvious the Patriots wanted to lose that game. The 2 point conversion was thrown to Bam Childress. If that doesn't tell you all you need to know, then the fact that the pass was thrown 10 yards over his head should do the trick, or the fact that Bill called for a DROP KICK FG. I mean, really? they were seriously trying to win that game?

Not caring if you win the game is not the same as trying to lose it. Playing backups at the end of the season is routinely done, the question is about trying to intentionally lose a game. Did BB tell Cassel to lose the game? You may think he did, but you don't have evidence, you have speculation. And at that, the speculation is weak. And Flutie did not kick a field goal he kicked an extra point, and made it. Which cut the lead from 6 points to 5 points meaning the kick was irrelevant since a TD would still win and field goal would still lose.

The story goes something like this, BB found out late in the game Pitt would get the 6th seed so he decided to throw the game by having Cassel sail a pass over Childress.

The problem is:

There was little reason to avoid Pitt, they had already beaten them that year and the year before in the playoffs. Regardless, if he thought Pitt was great than he could expect to face them in the playoffs (and they would have if they hadn't lost to Denver).

Matt Cassel didn't overthrow him that much. In fact Cassel regularly couldn't hit the broadside of a barn so missing a two point conversion for the tie is not really surprising, not surprising for any QB.

Why go for the TD at all? less than two minutes left they called two timeouts making that drive possible. All they had to do was not call the timeouts and they would have ran out of time.

In fact after Pitt had the game put away soundly is when the Patriots started scoring in the 4th quarter. Completely opposite of the storyline.

Why go for the conversion instead of the extra point? Extra point would have left them behind.

Starting the game not knowing who their playoff matchup was going to be it would have made more sense to play the starters and try to get a lead. Blowing a lead is certainly easier than getting one after behind, especially with back-ups.

It's possible, but it's definitely speculation.

 

[letekro]

You get payed to play your hardest to win the game, you don't play to lose. It would be a total wast of money if we payed players to lose a game. If you play sports on the highest stage why would you want to lose. You would want every one to know you as the guy who does not have the best teammates but still can pull the win. Not the guy whose team stink so he playes down to there level to lose.

The point of playing is to win a championship. If losing a regular season game gives you a better chance to win a playoff game, it would be illogical not do lose the regular season game. BB is not illogical. Get it?

 

[letekro]

It's possible, but it's definitely speculation.

No, its a virtual certainty, if you assume that BB is not a complete idiot, which seems to be a very reasonable assumption. You tell me where I go wrong here:

1. The NE Patriots were getting a home playoff game in the 2005 playoffs regardless of the outcome of their game against Miami.
2. At the time of the two point conversion, BB knew that making the two point conversion meant that there was a possibility that his team would face the Pittsburgh Steelers, a tough, physical, cold weather, experienced playoff team that had already almost beaten the Pats in a brutally physical game in which Rodney and Light were lost for the year.
3. At the time of the two point conversion, BB knew that missing the two point conversion meant that his team would play the Jacksonville Jaguars, a soft, inexperienced, warm-weather team.
4. In 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers were a more difficult playoff opponent than the Jacksonville Jaguars.
5. The more difficult the playoff opponent, the more likely a loss, and the less likely a SB Championship.
6. As HC and GM of the NEP, Bill Belichick makes logical decisions in the best interests of the NE Patriots with the ultimate goal of winning a SB Championship.
7. Therefore, BB MUST HAVE ordered Cassel to airmail the 2-point conversion.

 

[primetime]

assumed, actually invented

Disagree entirely. Cassel wouldn't have been in that game and Flutie wouldn't have kicked an extra point if it mattered. I don't know why that's a sore point - losing that game made sense in seeking opponents (Jacksonville was a much better matchup than the Steelers, a team the Patriots had struggled against early in the year and would go on to win the SB) and thus was actually a good coaching move, it's just too bad the defense was so bad that year that it hardly mattered who they played (especially with Jeff Triplette arrayed against them).