I wonder if the Pats will be accused of being classless

[NCBirdfan]

Last week when the Ravens played hard through the third quarter, including a successful fake field goal against the throw-in-the-towel Raiders, pundits called them classless, even though the Ravens basically ended their assault in the third quarter. Today, with the game already in hand, the Patriots score 21 points in the 4th quarter.

Are these same pundits going to cry about the classlessness of the Patriots for playing full-throttle throughout the game? Or is this somehow different than what the Ravens did last week?

[durango46]

you read my mind

[cprenegade]

Last week when the Ravens played hard through the third quarter, including a successful fake field goal against the throw-in-the-towel Raiders, pundits called them classless, even though the Ravens basically ended their assault in the third quarter. Today, with the game already in hand, the Patriots score 21 points in the 4th quarter.

Are these same pundits going to cry about the classlessness of the Patriots for playing full-throttle throughout the game? Or is this somehow different than what the Ravens did last week?

One of those scores for New England was an 87 yard interception return. Any talk of running up the score or being classless did not come from the Ravens playing hard through the end of the game. It came from faking an easy chip shot FG and scoring a TD when the game was already decided. It's like stealing a base with a 10 run lead. Yeah, you can do it, but it is kind of looked at as rubbing it in. It not so much the playing all out and still trying to score as much as the decision.

[DkBlue]

I thought they were nuts to leave Brady and Welker and others on the field and risk injury.

[NCBirdfan]

One of those scores for New England was an 87 yard interception return. Any talk of running up the score or being classless did not come from the Ravens playing hard through the end of the game. It came from faking an easy chip shot FG and scoring a TD when the game was already decided. It's like stealing a base with a 10 run lead. Yeah, you can do it, but it is kind of looked at as rubbing it in. It not so much the playing all out and still trying to score as much as the decision.

So it is OK to let your starters in the whole game as the Pats did, but not OK for the Ravens to keep scoring when the game had a whole quarter remaining? If the fake FG came late in the 4th quarter I would agree with you - but it was the THIRD quarter! There have been teams up big, only to lose.

I still remember a game when the Houston Oilers were up 35-3 at intermission in a playoff game and facing a backup quarterback - Mayland's own Frank Reich - with Jim Kelly injured. The game should have been over, but they had 30 more minutes to play and eventually lost.

No lead is ever safe in the NFL. Of course when it gets to the 4th quarter and closer to the end, it's a lot harder for a team to come back, ie., when New England scored its 21 points.

[NCBirdfan]

I thought they were nuts to leave Brady and Welker and others on the field and risk injury.

I thought the same - and I'm sure Andy Reid would agree after he kept in his prized running back today.

[RavingManiac]

I thought it was classless when the Pats did in 2007 for all those games. Most commentators said stuff like "The other team gets paid to stop them..." I also thought it was classless for the Ravens to run up the score. With that said, I think it was good for Flacco's confidence.

[cprenegade]

So it is OK to let your starters in the whole game as the Pats did, but not OK for the Ravens to keep scoring when the game had a whole quarter remaining? If the fake FG came late in the 4th quarter I would agree with you - but it was the THIRD quarter! There have been teams up big, only to lose.

I still remember a game when the Houston Oilers were up 35-3 at intermission in a playoff game and facing a backup quarterback - Mayland's own Frank Reich - with Jim Kelly injured. The game should have been over, but they had 30 more minutes to play and eventually lost.

No lead is ever safe in the NFL. Of course when it gets to the 4th quarter and closer to the end, it's a lot harder for a team to come back, ie., when New England scored its 21 points.

You can keep your starters in the whole game if you want. Up as many points as the Ravens were would taking the sure FG instead of a TD really have opened the door for a comeback from a Raiders team that hasn't won an east coast game in over a decade? You can keep trying to score even after you have 50 points if you want to. There is no rule against it. But using a fake FG when you are as far up at home as the Raven's were is going to open you up to speculation of rubbing it in. If you don't care about that, then do it. But don't complain if you get questioned on it. Personally, I have no problem with it. It's up to the D to stop it. If anything I would question Harbaugh's wisdom of showing a possible trick play in a meaningless situation. But there is protocol in all of sports, and that play at least is a bit questionable in that department.

[durango46]

hearing Gronkoski broke his forearm.....wonder if that was in the 4th quarter when the game was out of reach

[NCBirdfan]

You can keep your starters in the whole game if you want. Up as many points as the Ravens were would taking the sure FG instead of a TD really have opened the door for a comeback from a Raiders team that hasn't won an east coast game in over a decade? You can keep trying to score even after you have 50 points if you want to. There is no rule against it. But using a fake FG when you are as far up at home as the Raven's were is going to open you up to speculation of rubbing it in. If you don't care about that, then do it. But don't complain if you get questioned on it. Personally, I have no problem with it. It's up to the D to stop it. If anything I would question Harbaugh's wisdom of showing a possible trick play in a meaningless situation. But there is protocol in all of sports, and that play at least is a bit questionable in that department.

For the record I have no problem with NE scoring as many points as it wants to...my comments were made because of the media reaction to it. To me, it is a double standard. In professional sports there is no such thing as questionable calls unless they are illegal ones. There is such thing as the mercy rule in amateur sports, especially high school level and below. But these players are paid millions to play 100% and that goes for both making plays and stopping them.

[BlandFood]

hearing Gronkoski broke his forearm.....wonder if that was in the 4th quarter when the game was out of reach

If so that will make some thing.

[durango46]

surgery Monday


out 4-6 weeks

and it happened sometime in the 4th quarter

[Tootsie]

hearing Gronkoski broke his forearm.....wonder if that was in the 4th quarter when the game was out of reach

I understand it happened on a PAT with about 3:55 min left in 4th quarter

[durango46]

I understand it happened on a PAT with about 3:55 min left in 4th quarter

thanks for the update

incredible.....all the subs should have been in

sooner or later it's going to catch up with Brady

[elj1201]

Last week when the Ravens played hard through the third quarter, including a successful fake field goal against the throw-in-the-towel Raiders, pundits called them classless, even though the Ravens basically ended their assault in the third quarter.

what pundits exactly? I didn't hear anything about running up the score

[ivanbalt]

One of those scores for New England was an 87 yard interception return. Any talk of running up the score or being classless did not come from the Ravens playing hard through the end of the game. It came from faking an easy chip shot FG and scoring a TD when the game was already decided. It's like stealing a base with a 10 run lead. Yeah, you can do it, but it is kind of looked at as rubbing it in. It not so much the playing all out and still trying to score as much as the decision.

Patriots were rubbing it in. Up 28 with 5:00 left and Brady's in the shotgun on 3rd and 2 running spread formations.

[afan]

To do a trick play a reverse or end around at that is rubbing it in.

[PEZ]

When I looked at the score and saw the Patriots at 52, I believe, I just knew that Belichick was wanting to score more points than 55 to make a point with the Ravens. And, sure enough he did. So now Gronk will be out probably the rest of the regular season.

[yeah]

doing trick plays to score pts is running up the score. did the pats run any trick plays?

[JasonM]

Serves them right for sending Gronk out for a PAT up by 28.

I didn't see the 2nd half of the Raiders game, but I remember thinking Flacco should have been taken out of the Bengals game when they were up by 31 late in the game. I know points differential gets factored in to playoff seedings, but you're asking for trouble keeping starters late to run up the score.