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Analysts talk Pats
CBS is holding a conference call today with Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Bill Cowher, and Boston reporters were lined up to ask for their thoughts on the Patriots' margin of victory, and if the team's approach might be in response to the fallout from the NFL penalizing the team for illegal videotaping procedures.
Here are some of the thoughts that were discussed by Nantz, Simms and Cowher:
Cowher:
"My opinion right now when looking at that is that I see a football team that plays with a tremendous sense of purpose and focus. I'm not so sure when they're out there playing that they are even looking at the scoreboard. ... The fact that you have some of your premier players in the game with the margins being what they are, that's Bill's prerogative. That's his decision and I think the risk he's weighing is that those guys could get hurt in those situations. That's his decision as a coach and he has the right to do that. ... I don't know if I would be willing to risk that, it's a risk/reward type of thing, but he's playing them and they're playing at a very high level. That's a coach's prerogative."
Nantz:
"I don't think there's any question that what they're doing on the field is totally related to what happened at the end of Week 1. Because all of us in the media took that opportunity to go back and review and somehow attach what happened there with the Spygate episode -- that whole debacle -- and some of us took it so far as to say it stained their three championships. How did they win? No wonder they won, because they cheated. Now they've had their championships, their integrity called into question. Maybe it's not something that is verbalized in the sacred setting of a locker room, where it's just the coach and his staff and 53 players. Maybe it's not even something that has to be talked about but I think they've all internalized it and I think their afflicting that punishment on a weekly basis, with that right at their very core."
Simms:
"That's something Jim Nantz and I hopefully will talk a little bit about during the game if we do have that opportunity, but of course, it's going to be beat to death between now and game-time. But I played for a coach in Bill Parcells and he always said to us 'I'll coach my team. That's all I have the energy for, I can only focus on my team. Let [the others] worry about themselves.' I have not seen the Redskin game, I will get it in the mail hopefully today, I'm really anxious to watch it. A lot of coaches believe you don't worry about injuries. You play your guys and you can't protect them. There are some issues there and it is bringing up some controversy, and I think that always feeds in to helping the New England Patriots. They love controversy. Jim Nantz and I have met many times with Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Tom Brady, you name it, they look forward to the battle. And they're willing to battle from start to finish. You have to prove as the opposition that you're willing to fight that long. All this, to me, really feeds in to what they love. They love the turmoil, they like the action. As my dad once said to me 'be careful when you get into a fight and you're fighting someone who doesn't care about winning and losing but just likes the action -- be leery of those guys.' The Patriots, they love the action and all this stuff you read about -- everything that has gone on this year -- I truly believe it feeds in to the atmosphere they love."
Your comments
(16)I think it has very little to do with spygate to be honest. What I think it has to do with is legacy. Winning 2-3 superbowl is nice, but BB ha a team that may very well be the best team to EVER play the game! Now how do you prove that? What will people be looking at 50-70 years down the road? They will be looking at the stats and the scores.
If the Pats pull up on opponents, then they will look like just another ordinary team when you look back at it. I think what BB truly wants is for people to look back on this team, in this year, and say "Wow, look at those numbers. That is the best team to EVER play this game. They were the most dominant team in league history, led by BB."
He is cementing this team's legacy. So far he has done a great job! If the rest of the season turns out like the first half, the `07 Pats will be forever known as the greatest team to play the game.
I have faith that Belichick has good football reasons for everything he does. He's the best there is in the history of the NFL. Running up the score is a media issue. He's playing the media like John Williams orchestrates the POPS.
They should be asking if the NFL will be monitoring the temperature in the Dome at Indy.
It is likely that the Dome will be super hot for the game and the Pats linemen will all cramp up like they did last year in the championship game.
In 1818, Mary Shelley conjured Frankenstein.
In 1941, Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto masterminded the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Roger Goodell would have done well to learn a lesson from both of them.
Shelley created a monster. Yamamoto awakened a sleeping giant. And Goodell has done both by antagonizing Bill Belichick.
When Goodell fined the Patriots head coach—and allowed Belichick’s name to be dragged through the public mud—he got far more than he bargained for.
In the weeks since Videogate, Belichick has embarked on a vendetta against those who called his team cheaters—by offering no quarter in blowout after blowout of the Patriots' hapless opponents.
As it stands, the Pats are mounting an assault on the NFL offensive record books—all to prove that Belichick and Co. don't need video tapes to dominate all comers.
In so doing, Belichick is telling Mr. Goodell that he can take his fines and his punishments and stick them up his rear end.
Mr. Goodell, you have done like Mary Shelley—you have created a monster.
Mr. Goodell, you have done like Admiral Yamamoto—you have awakened a sleeping giant.
And Mr. Goodell, hopefully the board of governors of the NFL will see fit to reprimand you, and to rein you in, and maybe even to give you your pink slip.
Tomorrow wouldn't be soon enough.
Sense were talkng goodell.Who does he thank he is putting AMERICAS GAME overseas. Maybe a look at lower resale ticket prices. Maybe more fans could see live games. Its blue coller workers that got them where they are today.
BRAVO!! that was hilarious!
Bill Belichick is waiting until next February to show videotape of a Jets employee illegally and continually pointing a camera at the Patriot defensive coaches during the game in question.
This is just proper timing on Belichick's part. Mr. Goodell is nothing but a stooge being used to get the Pats to play better.
UPDATE THE WALLPAPER SECTION!!!!!!!!
I think it's simply that BB wants his team to play every game for 60 minutes because we failed to play well for 60 minutes in the AFC Championship Game. We became slack, we cramped up, we failed to convert key plays. BB has decided that will never happen again.
I didn't see any other coaches going to bat for Belichick when he was in hot water over videogate. Nope, they left him hanging there, for everyone to throw stones.
If you presume, as I do, that many,most,or all other teams were doing the same thing, and everyone knew about it, then what BB is doing now makes sense.
Just like in Hang em High, the sheriff is back in town, but with a new attitude.
Wow Mike Allen, I agree, you hit the nail on the head. I was shocked when Goodell took the first round pick. that's a way to really damage a team's future. He chose to make an example of the Pats so who can blame the Pats for making a mockery of Goodell's attempts at parity.
The fines would have been sufficient, so would thirty points a game.
I would like to say that I'm very glad that BB & Co are going to Indy. There they can see what true class & sportsmanship in a coach and team are all about. Maybe they will learn something, but I think not. I think BB SHOULD'VE been dragged thru the mud regarding Cheatergate! If they don't need video to win, then why do it?? BB has been suspected of this since playing for Cleveland. Yes, sorry, but it HAS tarnished the 3 Superbowls, whether he likes it or not. As for NE being SO awesome, well, they've done it against LOSING teams, except for Dallas. It's alot easier to score 50 pts on Washington or NO, isn't it? Try it against Indy or Pittsburgh and see how far you get.! As for running up the score, I think it;s one of the most classless moves I've ever seen. Those who disagree are just as classless as Brady & BB and dont have a clue! If it continues, expect Pretty Boy Brady to have to scrape his face up off the turf real soon! I have no respect for that team now at all, including Brady. They crossed the line with the running up the score, and don't think the rest of the players and coaches in the league haven't noticed. I don't think Brady, BB & Co have a clue about sportsmanship, but they're gonna learn real fast during the rest of the season! I'm not an Indy fan, but GO INDY!!
I think that Andy Leeco hit it right on the head. Last year the Pats were ahead of the Colts in the first half and mentally they let up in the second half. Then they couldn't switch it back on. That cost them another shot at the Super Bowl. I think that BB has directed them to never, never let up until the final gun sounds.
That said, I think that BB feels pretty good deep down inside about being vindicated about spygate. But he's too good a coach to run up the score to feed his ego. And I'm sure the players love being able to go at it full tilt for the whole game. I'm sure that spygate and going after the records is much more a motivator for the players than BB.
I thought that Dallas took it with class when they said that it wasn't up to the Pats to stop scoring it was up to Dallas to stop them. I think that Gin has had a little too much of his namesake. Be a man, or whatever...
I think Gin is a very unhappy JETS fan who needs to UNDERSTAND that this is PRO football. NOT ONE coach has disagreed with what BB did and is doing. Their are things you know and things you think you know but dont and this is one instance, GIN! TALK about classless, if a player knowingly takes Brady out that IMO is classless. Players know that they need thier health to make $$$ and I'm sure they have an unwritten rule between the players that this is not acceptable, so GIN put away the shine and realize in PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL players are paid to do their JOB and that is too win games and put up POINTS and further more dont judge a team on who they BEAT but how they BEAT them bcos any given sunday anything could happen (just like Houston v Tennessee)
The Pats lastf fifteen are better than many other teams players. Even when you substitute Cassell, Evans, Eckle, O'C, Marcellus, Gaffney and Kyle Brady are pretty good players capable of scoring even in the fourth quarter.
I believe the comment Baron made above has some merit. The whole spygate thing has been made with very little objectivity by the media and whether the incident is isolated to BB or not. Most coaches in the league clammed up on the issue when they could have either come out strongly against the use of sideline cameras and state they never have or would do such a thing- which would probably have made the argument for a very stiff penalty against BB/Pats or they could have come to his defense and admit it is something commonly used by most teams(even though not permitted by the league). Instead they left him out there to take the beating he has endured. I am sure he looks across the field to the opposing coach and considers how his peers treated him. I don't think he feels obligated to help any coach save face by letting up on them.
And seriously, whatever the score, do you really give a team a whole quarter or more to try and catch up? Do you really just run a running play up the middle on a third and long with 15 minutes to play? Should back up running back Heath Evans just fall down instead of trying his best to gain yards? Should back up quarterback not attempt pass plays when put in the game? And if no one is open and he is chased out of the pocket, should he really not try and score if the lane is open? Seriously, if you watch the game and see through the media fog, it is obvious the only thing the pats did was play hard.