Why Tom Brady is a complete and utter d-bag and the Pats have no class

[MTK]

My bad guess I never noticed that

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by BleedBurgundy

I hear you but when a team is chasing perfection and there is a legitimate argument about whether or not they are the "best ever," you want each victory to feel authentic.

I completely agree. And the biggest example I can think of for me personally, was the Seahawks and Steelers Superbowl a few years ago. I effing despised the Seahawks, and wanted them to lose, but as the game went on, the Steelers got some iffy calls in their favor and it was a bit unsettling. Even if I completely hate a team, I don't want to see them lose if it's going to bring the integrity of the game into question.

But again, I don't think the NFL is purposely trying to engineer a perfect season for the Pats. However it does look a lot more suspicious when there's iffy calls in a close game like that.

[BleedBurgundy]

Originally Posted by scowan

Matty, Check out this link... Rule number 5.
NFL Rules Digest: Kickoff

That's interesting. You'd think had they known that the patriots would've tried a directional kick out of bounds inside the 10...

[SouperMeister]

I don't think it's fair to expect Brady or Belichick to bring up Taylor during a post game press conference when they're being asked questions about the game. I'm no fan of either - you would swear that they invented the forward pass with how arrogant they are.

BTW, I've been bitching about another thing all year, and I saw it go uncalled AGAIN last night. On the pass that Moss dropped for a potential TD, he gave the CB a subtle shove just before the ball arrived. Every time Moss fails to get separation, his hands are on opposing DB's, yet he's almost never called for offensive pass interference.

[scowan]

Originally Posted by BleedBurgundy

That's interesting. You'd think had they known that the patriots would've tried a directional kick out of bounds inside the 10...

I guess I am wondering if you kick it out of bounds from the opponent's 30, and 30 yards down the field is the endzone, therefore maybe it is a touchback? If so then you would definitely want to try an onside kick from your opponent's 30, and kick it to their 20, if you get the onside kick... game over , if not at the very least you have chewed more time off the clock and the Ravens have it at their own 20, which is the same as a touchback. Why do I sit around and ponder these things, but it seems like Special teams coaches and head coaches do not. Late game decisions can help you win a game and knowing the rules can help as well. Someone help me with this!

[BleedBurgundy]

Originally Posted by scowan

I guess I am wondering if you kick it out of bounds from the opponent's 30, and 30 yards down the field is the endzone, therefore maybe it is a touchback? If so then you would definitely want to try an onside kick from your opponent's 30, and kick it to their 20, if you get the onside kick... game over , if not at the very least you have chewed more time off the clock and the Ravens have it at their own 20, which is the same as a touchback. Why do I sit around and ponder these things, but it seems like Special teams coaches and head coaches do not. Late game decisions can help you win a game and knowing the rules can help as well. Someone help me with this!

I think we all had that little lesson reinforced this week...

[BDBohnzie]

As far as the Pats kickoff from the Ravens 35...I'm honestly surprised that they didn't try an onside kick. If they don't recover, the Ravens get the ball around their own 25, which is 5 more yards than Gostkowski's kick into the stands. If they do recover, the game is definitely over, as the Ravens only had 1 timeout left and Brady would kneel 3 times to end the game.

[BleedBurgundy]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

As far as the Pats kickoff from the Ravens 35...I'm honestly surprised that they didn't try an onside kick. If they don't recover, the Ravens get the ball around their own 25, which is 5 more yards than Gostkowski's kick into the stands. If they do recover, the game is definitely over, as the Ravens only had 1 timeout left and Brady would kneel 3 times to end the game.

Or throw 3 times into the endzone to run up the score.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by scowan

I guess I am wondering if you kick it out of bounds from the opponent's 30, and 30 yards down the field is the endzone, therefore maybe it is a touchback? If so then you would definitely want to try an onside kick from your opponent's 30, and kick it to their 20, if you get the onside kick... game over , if not at the very least you have chewed more time off the clock and the Ravens have it at their own 20, which is the same as a touchback. Why do I sit around and ponder these things, but it seems like Special teams coaches and head coaches do not. Late game decisions can help you win a game and knowing the rules can help as well. Someone help me with this!

Kickoffs out of bounds either are placed 30 yards from the kickoff spot, or at the spot it went out of bounds. A kickoff out of bounds can never be a touchback. In the Pats case, if the kick went out between the 1-5 yard line of the Ravens, it would have been placed at the 5. Had it gone out of bounds in front of the 5, it would have been placed at the spot it went out.

An onside kick might have resulted in an in-stride recovery touchdown for Baltimore. That was about the only thing they couldn't have done there.

[jacobyfan]

I don't think the games are fixed. However, I do think there's a psychological issue with the refs calling penalties in favor of the team that they think is the better of the two. The team that is expected to win seems to get the benefit of the doubt on calls. This only usually happens with teams that have great records and have been good for more than just one year. It also seems to happen in favor of the home team a lot. It reminds me of watching MJ during all those bulls championship runs (especially the last three) where if anyone breathed on him it was a foul, but he could push off, reach, and do whatever he wanted and it was rarely called (see bryon russell in the finals).

The fact is that those teams and players ARE better than anyone else. The refs know it and I think subconsciously it affects how they call games.

[scowan]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Kickoffs out of bounds either are placed 30 yards from the kickoff spot, or at the spot it went out of bounds. A kickoff out of bounds can never be a touchback. In the Pats case, if the kick went out between the 1-5 yard line of the Ravens, it would have been placed at the 5. Had it gone out of bounds in front of the 5, it would have been placed at the spot it went out.

An onside kick might have resulted in an in-stride recovery touchdown for Baltimore. That was about the only thing they couldn't have done there.

GTripp, what you are saying is my point, why blindly kick it out of the endzone when there are other options that are much better? I just continue to be amazed at what I see as strategic errors that a lot of teams make. I see these things as coaching responsibilities, but maybe a team needs a Guru to point these things in the heat of battle, you know a little devil on your shoulder reminding a coach of these things. I thought of it instantly last night, not after the fact, so surely there are guys that could digest these things fast enough to relay them to a coach before it is too late.

[BrunellMVP?]

Kickoff

1. In addition to a kickoff, the other free kick is a kick after a safety (safety kick). A punt may be used (a punt may not be used on a kickoff).
2. On a safety kick, the team scored upon puts ball in play by a punt, dropkick, or placekick without tee. No score can be made on a free kick following a safety, even if a series of penalties places team in position. (A field goal can be scored only on a play from scrimmage or a free kick after a fair catch.)
3. A kickoff may not score a field goal.
4. A kickoff is illegal unless it travels 10 yards OR is touched by the receiving team. Once the ball is touched by the receiving team or has gone 10 yards, it is a free ball. Receivers may recover and advance. Kicking team may recover but NOT advance UNLESS receiver had possession and lost the ball.
5. When a kickoff goes out of bounds between the goal lines without being touched by the receiving team, the ball belongs to the receivers 30 yards from the spot of the kick or at the out-of-bounds spot unless the ball went out-of-bounds the first time an onside kick was attempted. In this case, the kicking team is penalized five yards and the ball must be kicked again.
6. When a kickoff goes out of bounds between the goal lines and is touched last by receiving team, it is receiver’s ball at out-of-bounds spot.
7. If the kicking team either illegally kicks off out of bounds or is guilty of a short free kick on two or more consecutive onside kicks, receivers may take possession of the ball at the dead ball spot, out-of-bounds spot, or spot of illegal touch.

sounds like the ravens would have gotten the ball wherever it went out of bounds if new england chose that strategy...

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by scowan

GTripp, what you are saying is my point, why blindly kick it out of the endzone when there are other options that are much better? I just continue to be amazed at what I see as strategic errors that a lot of teams make. I see these things as coaching responsibilities, but maybe a team needs a Guru to point these things in the heat of battle, you know a little devil on your shoulder reminding a coach of these things. I thought of it instantly last night, not after the fact, so surely there are guys that could digest these things fast enough to relay them to a coach before it is too late.

I'm saying dont onside kick it.

I would not have kicked that out of the end zone. I would have kicked it out of bounds inside the 20. Belichick I'm sure was not 100% certain on the rule, so he opted to play it safe.

I think the worst thing that can be done there is to give Baltimore a chance to return it. Once you break through the first wall, you're gone.

[scowan]

Originally Posted by BrunellMVP?

sounds like the ravens would have gotten the ball wherever it went out of bounds if new england chose that strategy...

I guess the answer would have been to ask the ref before the kickoff "Where will the Raven's get the ball if our kicker kicks it out of bounds?"

If the answer was "wherever it goes out of bounds as long as it goes 10 yards" I would have told my kicker to kick it into the stands out of bounds anywhere inside the 20 and get it to go out as close to the 1 yard line as you can.

[70Chip]

I think if the Giants catch a windy one in the last game, they could beat New England. Bad weather sort of puts offense right back to the stone age.