Why should Bill Belichick take his starters out?

Question

Why should he take his starters out of the game just because they are winning in a blowout? The only argument... ONLY ARGUMENT... I have read is that it risks hurting your starters and that Belichick doesn't care about his players. Welp... that doesn't make much sense to me. How is he risking hurting his players, namely Tom Brady, when they haven't been able to defend them all game? Brady comes out without a trickle of sweat on him and his jersey still clean... how is he gonna get hurt? Your risking hurting your players more when you are playing a close hard fought game... where the QB has been sacked like 8 times. You don't take them out until the game is through because your starters give you the best chance to win. Are you saying you should pull your starters then to prevent them from getting hurt... if you say yes then you have no IDEA what's going on. All the Patriots can do is get as much practice in for when they have close game... which will probably be against Indy this week.

All these comments about class and taking out the starters is saying is "Our team has no chance against yours with your best guys in... they should take them out to give us a chance." Really? Why should the Patriots not use the weapons they have just to make you feel a little better. If you want your team to play better complain to them.

All you guys are saying is "Take it easy on my team." In their first three superbowls your team couldn't beat them in the close ones and you cried and said the Patriots really aren't that good. Now... that they are demolishing teams your asking them to take it easy. I know it's frustrating watching your team lose... but get frustrated at your team, the one that can't play... not the one that won. I know your being loyal to your team, so am I... but there has to be a point where your like "Hey, my team should be doing more to be as good as them." Get mad at them... not the Pats. And I'm gonna tell ya, I have a feeling the Patriots might take it a little easy if they come out with a win in the Colts game. All these games leading up to this one have been practice and getting as much as possible. If they get the win in Indy... I think their margin of victory will be slimmer because they know they have to take it easier to play effectively in the playoffs.

Alright... some have hit a chord... SCREW YOU to the guy that said I have never played... I was captain of my wrestling team and the freaken starting QB of my football team.... I blew my goddamn ACL when we were leading late in the game and I couldn't wrestle that season because of it, my senior year was ruined... our season wasn't. I'm tired of hearing people whine when they haven't even felt what it's like to be taken away from the sports that I care most about. The Patriots have every right to score... it's football, it's sports... get over it!

Answer 1

It is idiotic to play your stars in a blowout. All it takes is one bad hit, a slip, or a freak accident and you could lose your stars for the season. Why would you risk it? You claim there is no motivation to take them out. I just gave you one motive. It's a damned good one. Now give me a motive to leave them in. There isn't a single good reason to do it.

Answer 2

There are only two reasons why I'd say to bring out the starters during a blow out like they recently had:

1. The biggest thing is minimizing the chances of an injury. At some point you may want to be cautious about players on the other team deliberately trying to hurt Brady or another member of the offense. It has been known to happen in the past, and I know former players turned commentators have said that it would be done with some of the former players they played with. Even though they lost to the Patriots in the play-offs, the Chargers resting Tomlinson during blowouts helped propel him to his best season yet.

2. That interception by Cassell might signal a reason to keep Brady in, but I say the opposite. I say that it shows he needs to get more playing time. What if something does happen to Brady? Where would the Patriots be with a back-up quarterback with very limited playing time? If they can give him some playing time when the game is out of reach it would at least get him more prepared to step in if an injury occurred to Brady than if he never does come in.

I don't care about any "Mercy Rule" as there is none. There are no division I-AA type teams in the NFL. Those two reasons above would be the only reasons I'd bench my starters.

Answer 3

You grossly understate the damage that injuries can cause to a NFL team.

It often causes players to be out for more than just one game.
And it can be especially damaging if the injury happens to a star player -- Case in point: Where would Indianapolis be without Bob Sanders?

Many times the injured players can recover and continue playing, but they will never play at the same level that they did before the injury. Some have said this about Shaun Alexander on the Seahawks.

And on some occasions, the injuries can be career ending.

Sure, the odds of it happening on any given Sunday may be low, but why take the risk when you don't have to? Why not just take the knee? And/Or put in your backups?

Secondly. Even if Tom Brady is well protected. you must consider the Offensive line. They are probably the most important players on any given football team. Sure -- the quarterback takes the spotlight and gets all the ink when a team wins... But without a solid Offensive line, even a superstar like Brady would be roadkill.

So it's not just about protecting the QB, it's about protecting your other players as well.

You argue that the extra time can be used as more playing time (practice) for the starters... which can be used in subsequent games. Viewed differently, it means less practice for the backups.

I would also say that practicing against a "much easier" NFL team may actually cause more detriment to a team than benefit. Because a lot of stuff that works on the easy team is not going to work on a tougher team. For example, throwing into double coverage... You have seen Tom Brady do this many times now. And so far...it has worked for him.

It is, however, a very bad habit for any quarterback to get into. And I predict it will come back to bite him eventually.

My prediction. Unless N. England loses to Indy; they will win perhaps 5-7 more games, and in that time -- one of their stars will be injured. And because of injuries mixed with complacency -- and because a lot more tape on New England will be available for opposing coaches -- you will see New England start to come apart about the same time as playoffs begin.

They may even be eliminated their first game. Everyone will be shocked that it happened; but not you. Because you will remember where you read it first.

Answer 4

I think a reson for pulling the starters is to give the backups some playing time. Than way, in the unfortunate case that a starter goes down for an extended period of time, their backup is more ready to play. The coach should have left the backup QB in the game against the Dolphins after he threw the interception, just to see how he would react. I think it would be to the Patriots advantage to get the backup's as much playing time as possible. What if they make the Super Bowl and Brady gets hurt on the first play of the game, wouldn't you like to know the next guy going in has had plenty of playing time to be comfortable in that situation?

Also, if you put the backups in and they continue to score, that would be more embarassing to the other team then the starters running up the score.

Answer 5

The only time we hear fussing about "running up the score" is when the Patriots, score big over another team... not when other teams score big.... such double standards....

9/6 Indy over New Orleans 41-10 Pittsburgh over Clevelant 34-10

9/23 Philly over Detroit 58-21

9-30 Dallas over St Louis 35-7

10-7 Washington over Detroit 34-3

10-14 Giants over Atlanta 31-10

10-21 Seattle over St Louis 33-6

10-28 Indy over Carolina 31-7 ... San Diego over Houston 35 10... New Orleans over SF 35-10

I don't recall hearing an uproar about "running up the score" after any of these games..... funny how's it's only an issue when the Patriots score big......

You all sound like a bunch of little children... "boo hoo .. it's not fair"

If your team can't keep up with the Patriots, it's not the Patriots fault... look to the management of the team... they are nor preparing enough, not practicing enough and not determined enough. They're not playing smart enough.

As for keeping the starters out of the game, at this point, I think the Patriots practice team, could probably beat such a bunch of whiners... If Belichick wants to keep the players in the game, that is his right, if he wants to play the backups, that's his right too.... heck even our backup quarterback was able to get a TD... and when we do have starters in, and beat other teams, they whine about that too.... booo hooo it's not fair.

It is a professional competitive sport. The objective is to score more than your opponent, while the opponent tries to stop you. If your team is not stopping the Patriots, it's because they are not prepared. If your team is not scoring against the Patriots, it's because they are not prepared.... they're just not coached well enough.

Lastly, I am thoroughly disgusted, by the number of people, so called adults, wishing bodily harm on someone, even death. Grow up.. it's a game.... if someone were to deliberately hurt another in a game, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and kicked out of the NFL. If somone (a coach) compels someone to harm another purposefully, to remove them from the game, that coach should be prosecuted as well..... I honestly think that no player would deliberately harm another player on the field, as it could just as easily be him....

It's a game... grow up and act like adults instead of whiney little 5 year olds.


Go Patriots !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

Oh this is hilarious. I love how you are making excuses up front in case the classless Patriots don't blow out the Colts.

I think it is in poor taste to not take a knee when you are up by 3 touchdowns with less than a minute and a half to go and it is second down. I don't believe that everyone believes all the starters should necessarily be taken out. I think that is why so many people dislike the Patriots. With Belichick's tarnished reputation he should do all he can to have good sportsmanship and not keep playing as if to say F you to the NFL and all the fans.

Just admit that your team has no class. Trust me the Colts don't need the Patriots to "take it easy" on them.

Answer 7

You all complain about other teams running up the score... I didn't see any of the other teams going for it on 4th and 1 instead of kicking a field goal... I didn't see any of the other teams throwing touchdowns with a 30+ point lead... When a team is getting blown out like the Skins were they start to take cheap shots out of frustration... One D-Lineman breaks through and cheap shots Brady... he's gone for the season... all they need to do was put in their backups and run the ball if the Skins stopped them just punt it away and make them drive all the way up the field and score... if Washington gets within 2 scores just bring your starters back and get your lead back comfortable but still run the ball... there was no need for New England to have to pass the ball at all in the 4th quarter of that blowout just run it and trust your defense.

Answer 8

Well anything could happen regardless of how well a team has been playing defensively. If one Patriots lineman misses a block, a defensive lineman could take Brady out for the season with one hit. That's the risk. As for keeping the starters in for other reasons. I don't see a problem with a team "running up the score". I've seen teams score 28 points in the last 5 minutes of play. You play until the clock stops. No mercy. I think if you have the opportunity to take knees to end the game though, you should do that. No point in calling timeouts to get a few more plays in when you're up by so much if you can get the game overwith.

Answer 9

It's stupid to leave your starters in and risk their health for a game that has already been decided. If Brady were to get hurt on one of those plays, then the Pats season is over. You can add all the Mosses and Welkers you want, but without Brady, the Patriots are over. Why would Belichick risk that just to show everyone his team can score a lot?

Answer 10

You've obviously never played the sport on a competitive team. It only takes one play for a guy to go down and lose his entire career. I played a game in high school where our starting qb had not been hit, pressured or anything for the entire game. His uniform was spotless. We were up by 3 with 4 minutes to play and the opposing team called a blitz - they sent 7 and covered with 4. We had 6 guys in the play to block and one of them came free. The QB saw the blitz coming and fired to his hot read for a 5 yard gain, but as he released the ball he was planted by the charging outside linebacker and blew his ACL and MCL. He was lost for the rest of the season on one play.

The fact is that in the NFL there is nothing gained for winning big. It's the same if you win by 1 point or if you win by 50. When you have a big lead late in the game and you leave your starters in, you have NOTHING to gain and everything to lose. Suppose Brady took a legal hit against Washington on the play that the Pats went for it on 4th and 2 up by 45 points. Suppose that legal hit caused him injury to be out the rest of the season - possibly ending his career. How effing smart would Bellichick look then? A smart coach does not put his best players at unnecessary risk.

Answer 11

What I don't get is when teams are down so much why they don't pass rush with 7 or 8 guys... Sure Brady might get rid of it quick alot of the time to a open guy, but your gonna get to his *** and hit him a good percentage of the time too. Bring 8 then act like your bringing 8 and bring 6, then bring 7, just keep mixing it up, but the key is you HAVE to pressure him. If you are getting to him every other time he drops back to pass Belichick will think twice about leaving him in there in a blowout...

All the games I've seen when its gets out of hand the defenses are doing prevent style to try to stop the big plays and only rushing with 4 or 5 guys... Your already losing, might as well try to put pretty boy down!