Longo: Losing to Jets would be a good thing
Dec 16th, 2007 by Bill Burt
Eagle-Tribune’s Hector Longo has an interesting story that didn’t make all papers about the Pats-Jets game.
Check it out here:
Patriots should do the right thing and lose today
FOXBORO | Patriots fans crave blood today.
They want Eric Mangini’s Jets to pay and pay dearly for implicating this team in “videogate.”
I say Bill Belichick and his players should do the best thing for this franchise. Put their egos in check for one day and tank.
Give the Jets and Mangini the win. Let them have a freebie. Congrats, boys you’re 4-10.
This is not one of those, “the unbeaten pressure is simply too much on the Pats,” diatribes. Those, “a loss would help ease the pressure,” theories are for the non-athletes, the dweebs in my profession.
No, plain and simple, a Jets win moves them ahead of San Francisco on the victory ladder and props the Niners up a notch on the draft order.
We all know who’s got the Niners’ No. 1 pick come April. The earlier the pick, the higher the value.
For the Patriots sake, New England should lose today. Lose ugly and healthfully.
It won’t hurt.
All the Pats need is one more win or one more Indy loss to clinch home field throughout. Winless Miami comes to town next week and a Giants team that won’t be trying hosts in the Meadowlands, two weeks from yesterday.
Belichick has basically given away inconsequential games in the past.
But how much pride does the coach have? You don’t get any more money, and the championship isn’t any sweeter if you’re season is perfect.
Did the 1985 Bears crumble when the Dolphins pinned a loss on them?
How about the 13-0 Broncos in 1998? They lost two straight to the Giants and then Miami but waltzed to the Super Bowl XXXIII title.
No problems there, right.
While it won’t happen, you have to wonder if Belichick has contemplated this tactic.
Whether the league likes it or not, it remains in the best interest of the franchise to pump up the value of its assets, namely that draft pick from San Francisco.
Wright injury will hurt
Facing a pivotal third-down in the third quarter against Pittsburgh last week, Richard Seymour headed for the sidelines.
No injury. No Bill Belichick defensive gimmick. It was a straight switch with Mike Wright sliding into his spot.
Wright’s transfer to the injured reserve list, ending his season, isn’t some simple throw-away move.
Luckily, it’s also not critical.
“Richard Seymour isn’t coming out of the game because he did something wrong,” said Vince Wilfork. “He can still play anywhere he wants on this defensive line. It’s just the way we’ve been playing our rotation. Part of it is to keep us fresh. This line has five guys who can go out and make plays.”
Don’t be surprised if Wilfork’s “five” becomes six as newcomer Le Kevin Smith replaces Wright in the rotation.
Smith has looked good in limited work, but has had to wait his turn with three inactives out of the 13 games so far.
