Belichick Talks Up How Good Colts Are To Prepare His Team

[bayone]

Now Week 13 brings the 0-11 Indianapolis Colts to Foxborough. Good luck finding a way to spin this one, Coach.

"Obviously, a couple of changes in personnel," Belichick said, offering the understatement of the year regarding the Peyton Manning-less Colts. "But it's a team we always have trouble with."

True, but this iteration of the Colts hardly resembles the team that Patriots fans have come to detest over the past decade. The bookkeepers in Vegas went so far as to establish the Patriots as 21-point favorites, while the schedule makers have already flexed the game out of its original prime-time slot.

And just how noteworthy is that 21-point spread? Four years ago, a soon-to-be-undefeated Patriots squad set a league record for largest spread not involving an expansion team by being 23½-point favorites over the (Donovan McNabb-less) Eagles.

Belichick likely will tell us that the Colts rank in the upper half of the league in rushing yards per carry (13th, 4.41-yard average) and sacks per pass attempt (6.35 percent). But those are the only major statistical categories in which the Colts are not buried in the basement of the league.

So Belichick's best bet might be avoiding all film from this season and sticking with archival footage. Show his team the recent history of this rivalry -- Manning and all -- and hope that it's enough to light a little fire under them.

Otherwise it will be easy for the Patriots to look straight past this one.

"Time to turn the page, get back in the [conference] and get ready for Indianapolis and start preparing for a team that we've faced many times that, schematically, looks pretty much the same as they usually do," Belichick said.

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/7293022/new-england-patriots-bill-belichick-tries-talk-winless-indianapolis-colts&ex_cid=MyESPNToday_Team

[Andy]

He's just sugar coating the situation, he knows that they're going to beat us by 90. Obviously it would be unprofessional to come and say "they suck, and we're going to kick their butt" so he's being nice about it.

[oldunclemark]

Bless his lying heart.

[Blue Horseshoe]

[DILLIGAFER]

Lets hope Bill and company have enough respect not to stick it to us and run up the points like the SSaints did. Some wont see it that way, but i view it as unsportsman like. Like in hs softball we had the mercy rule. The goal of a team is not to destroy its opponents, but to have a quality game and be sportsman. The player Suh comes to mind..

ya, we should have a better team and play better, but running up a score is unsportsman like. And i find it vulgar.

[objectivecoltsfan]

Lets hope Bill and company have enough respect not to stick it to us and run up the points like the Saints did. Some wont see it that way, but i view it as unsportsman like. Like in hs softball we had the mercy rule. The goal of a team is not to destroy its opponents, but to have a quality game and be sportsman. The player Suh comes to mind..

ya, we should have a better team and play better, but running up a score is unsportsman like. And i find it vulgar.

In pee wee football I would agree with you but this is the NFL. Both teams get paid, and just because one team is astronomically better than the other doesn't mean they should feel sorry and take it easy on them. I hope the Patriots hang an 80 burger on us.

[Flash7]

Lets hope Bill and company have enough respect not to stick it to us and run up the points like the Saints did. Some wont see it that way, but i view it as unsportsman like. Like in hs softball we had the mercy rule. The goal of a team is not to destroy its opponents, but to have a quality game and be sportsman. The player Suh comes to mind..

ya, we should have a better team and play better, but running up a score is unsportsman like. And i find it vulgar.

The Patriots should play as hard as they possibly could. And if that means that the final score is 56-0 in favor of the Patriots, then that's our fault and not theirs.

[GoPats]

This is what BB does. The way he spins things with (insert name of opposing team here), you would think that the Colts are trotting out Manning and Unitas together in some kind of weird variation of the Wildcat, Edge and Marshall Faulk as the two-headed backfield threat, Marvin Harrison and Ray Berry on the outside, and 11 Bob Sanders/Dwight Freeney hybrid clones on defense.

This is a bit of a trap game for the Patriots though, and they've come out slow the past two weeks. If KC or Philly had made some key plays early on, either of those games could have been much closer.

Never take anything for granted. I know that for most of you, if you could see the Colts win just one game this year, this one would be it!

[DILLIGAFER]

The Patriots should play as hard as they possibly could. And if that means that the final score is 56-0 in favor of the Patriots, then that's our fault and not theirs.

Like i said. I find it rude and vulgar to bash another team. Regardless of professional ranking. Is that what we are teaching our youth? Unsportsman like play? Ive never been on the receiving side of an butt whooping, but have played on teams that were dishing it out. I didnt like it, neither did the opponents.

i realize these are professional player, but they should act like professionals. I guess i hold it to a higher standard.

[Flash7]

Like i said. I find it rude and vulgar to bash another team. Regardless of professional ranking. Is that what we are teaching our youth? Unsportsman like play? Ive never been on the receiving side of an butt whooping, but have played on teams that were dishing it out. I didnt like it, neither did the opponents.

i realize these are professional player, but they should act like professionals. I guess i hold it to a higher standard.

I am in no way in favor of unsportsman like behavior, so please understand my point of view comes from the other side of the spectrum. Look at it from this perspective...I played on a high school football team that was very good. Many times we would win lopsided victories. We prepared all week for the games, studied, worked out, and practiced with the intent of reaching perfection. Then we would go out and play an opponent that didn't work hard, wasn't prepared, and we would win handidly. It was not fair for US to have to sit out the second half of the game to let our second stringers play. I always felt that the other teams needed to work hard to make themselves competitive and that their lack of preparation was unsportsmanlike. Why should I sit out of a game because they were lazy?

So with that said, why should the Patriots work hard all week to prepare and then not play hard during the game because the Colts are so inferior. As I stated, the sportsman like thing to do is for the Patriots to play as hard as they could, and the Colts to play as hard as they could. That's the only fair way to proceed.

[NM_Colts]

Never take anything for granted. I know that for most of you, if you could see the Colts win just one game this year, this one would be it!

Yep! :cute: Beating the Patriots would take a LOT of sting out of this season.

"But it's a team we always have trouble with."

The only trouble BB is going to have is not blowing up the scoreboard.

[jwilli69]

Like i said. I find it rude and vulgar to bash another team. Regardless of professional ranking. Is that what we are teaching our youth? Unsportsman like play? Ive never been on the receiving side of an butt whooping, but have played on teams that were dishing it out. I didnt like it, neither did the opponents.

i realize these are professional player, but they should act like professionals. I guess i hold it to a higher standard.

So you are saying we should teach our youth to play down to a lesser competitor just because it hurts feelings and looks bad? Yeah, the country has pretty much done that over time and look how that has turned out for us. I say throttle all the way until the whistle and if we lose 80-0 so be it. Play better if you don't want to be embarrassed, nothing should be given to you!

[objectivecoltsfan]

Like i said. I find it rude and vulgar to bash another team. Regardless of professional ranking. Is that what we are teaching our youth? Unsportsman like play? Ive never been on the receiving side of an butt whooping, but have played on teams that were dishing it out. I didnt like it, neither did the opponents.

i realize these are professional player, but they should act like professionals. I guess i hold it to a higher standard.

NFL players are the least professional of all professionals in the world.

[GoPats]

Like i said. I find it rude and vulgar to bash another team. Regardless of professional ranking. Is that what we are teaching our youth? Unsportsman like play? Ive never been on the receiving side of an butt whooping, but have played on teams that were dishing it out. I didnt like it, neither did the opponents.

i realize these are professional player, but they should act like professionals. I guess i hold it to a higher standard.

All due respect for diverging opinions, but personally I find it more insulting when a team in any professional sport is obviously "lightening up" and taking their foot off the gas pedal. Like, "We just beat you so soundly, we're trotting out the bottom half of our roster and we don't even need to try anymore." If in the position of the losing team, I would rather see the winners play it out until the final whistle. At least give me your best for the whole game... don't treat me like I'm your little brother and you want to take it easy on me.

I suppose I understand the use of "rude" to describe it, but am a little confused by "vulgar." I'm not sure that term applies here.

Anyway, losing is a part of any game or sport. It's easy to conduct yourself with dignity when you win, but when you lose you learn a lot more about yourself. That's why I hate the notion of not keeping score in youth sports and things along those lines. We're not doing our kids any favors by coddling them and not exposing them to that aspect of competition. And as a result, we're setting them up for some potentially hard lessons later in life.

[The Fish]

Orlovsky is a secret weapon. We were saving him for this. It's obvious.

[GoColts8818]

They are going to be up 50 plus in the fourth lining up in the shotgun and still trying to score with Brady. The dude isn't going to let up because he's a jerk and yes I know Pats fans are going to defend BB and say he's just finishing the game or something along those lines but truth be told the dude's a jerk who enjoys rubbing it in the face of other teams in the NFL namely those he doesn't like and guess what he doesn't like Bill Polian.

[LUVTHESHOE]

Like i said. I find it rude and vulgar to bash another team. Regardless of professional ranking. Is that what we are teaching our youth? Unsportsman like play? Ive never been on the receiving side of an butt whooping, but have played on teams that were dishing it out. I didnt like it, neither did the opponents.

i realize these are professional player, but they should act like professionals. I guess i hold it to a higher standard.

They did pull Brees after 3 quarters, that is when the Colts should have stopped trowing and just run the ball.

[DILLIGAFER]

So you are saying we should teach our youth to play down to a lesser competitor just because it hurts feelings and looks bad? Yeah, the country has pretty much done that over time and look how that has turned out for us. I say throttle all the way until the whistle and if we lose 80-0 so be it. Play better if you don't want to be embarrassed, nothing should be given to you!

No dip. Pay attention. Humility. Get it? Its like talking to 5 year olds.

[Nadine]

So you are saying we should teach our youth to play down to a lesser competitor just because it hurts feelings and looks bad? Yeah, the country has pretty much done that over time and look how that has turned out for us. I say throttle all the way until the whistle and if we lose 80-0 so be it. Play better if you don't want to be embarrassed, nothing should be given to you!

I think it's poor sportsmanship.

[ViriLudant]

Like i said. I find it rude and vulgar to bash another team. Regardless of professional ranking. Is that what we are teaching our youth? Unsportsman like play? Ive never been on the receiving side of an butt whooping, but have played on teams that were dishing it out. I didnt like it, neither did the opponents.

i realize these are professional player, but they should act like professionals. I guess i hold it to a higher standard.

Big difference: NFL players get paid millions.

If they don't want the other team to score, stop them.

The Patriots do no "run up the score.". Never have, contrary to popular complaining .

Instead, they try to execute different plays/formations in live games.

[chad72]

If the score is 52-7 and Ryan Mallet is throwing it in the middle of the fourth quarter, I ain't complaining. It is valuable experience for him and other second stringers too if that were the case. The least we should do is stop them, right?

[GoPats]

No dip. Pay attention. Humility. Get it? Its like talking to 5 year olds.

For a person who thinks it's "rude" and "vulgar" to run up scores, that's a pretty insulting response there!

Are you totally missing the irony in what you wrote? Or am I misinterpreting "dip" and "it's like talking to 5 year olds?"

[objectivecoltsfan]

I think it's poor sportsmanship.

Poor sportsmanship is stomping on an opponent, mocking a player by pretending to be shot in the leg during a celebration, or taunting. What the Patriots do is play football.

[swflacoltsfans]

They are so confident they didn't bother to sneak in to tape our practices.

[DILLIGAFER]

For a person who thinks it's "rude" and "vulgar" to run up scores, that's a pretty insulting response there!

Are you totally missing the irony in what you wrote? Or am I misinterpreting "dip" and "it's like talking to 5 yea

Whats rude and vulgar is having words put in your mouth as the poster did and completely take what i said out of context. So ya, the word dip comes to mind. I also find it "rude" you stick your nose in others business. He doesnt need you to stick up for him. Hes a big boy.

[Phil J]

im imagining they top the SSaints by 10 and hang 72 on us. set the record this year.

[shecolt]

At the college and pro level, I only have a problem when a team runs up the score by not sitting their starters and giving the second string the opportunity to play. This would bother me even more if a were a fan of a team that was doing so. Not only are they risking injury to their star players, but they aren't allowing the second string to gain valuable experience. Of course, there is the question . . . what score is high enough to warrant sitting the starters?

Now, if the second or even third string (at any level) continues to outplay the other team then so be it. If I were a coach, I couldn't ask players who rarely see any action to "take it easy" on the other team.

I view it a little differently at the elementary and high school level. Those athletes are still very much in the learning stages. I remember reading a story about a girl's BB team that defeated another team by some ridiculous score such as 100-0. The winning team continued to play their first string, used a full-court press, and shot a lot of 3 pointers until the very end. The way that coach handled the situation was very sad.

In high school, my son's soccer team once played another soccer team that was a co-ed team. By halftime, the score was 10-0. Since his team only had 2 players in the second string, most of the first string had to continue playing. But, the coach told them that although he still wanted them to play defense to the best of their ability, he only wanted them to score by heading it in.

I have always appreciated the way that coach handled the situation. He taught those boys a valuable lesson about sportsmanship while encouraging them to work on the skill of heading in the ball.

[Geekyone]

Lets hope Bill and company have enough respect not to stick it to us and run up the points like the Saints did. Some wont see it that way, but i view it as unsportsman like. Like in hs softball we had the mercy rule. The goal of a team is not to destroy its opponents, but to have a quality game and be sportsman. The player Suh comes to mind..

ya, we should have a better team and play better, but running up a score is unsportsman like. And i find it vulgar.

Not I. Beat them down! No mercy...you wanna make a game out of it, then make a game out if it. Don't roll over and ask for mercy. This isn't HS, nor are any of the players out there kids.

[supremecoltsfan300]

Patriots will run up the score like they always do. To be fair it's the only thing they're good at doing since spygate

[utall]

Orlovsky is a secret weapon. We were saving him for this. It's obvious.

It is all by design by the GM. Why cant you see that. The Gm is on a mission to get the #1 draft pick and they are right on target. They do not want to have an unknown QB that can mess up the overall gameplan. I find it ironic that now with the #1 pick almost assured that they are making this change. And I cant say that their plan is not the way to go.

[-JJ-]

While Belichick always praises the opponent regardless how good they are, it is because he is a good coach and fully understands unlike most of you that this is the NFL which only a handful of players make it out of the many thousands and there's not as much separation between teams as most of you think. In other words he takes the colts as serious as any other team he's playing and rightfully so.

As to scoring.. Belichick is concerned only with his team and not any other team and its also true many situations are tried in live play with a big lead.

Even in other games or any competition that I play I don't want anyone letting up on me no matter how bad I'm losing. Its called character. Give me your best shot every play..its how one learns to begin with...not by getting softballs.

Some of you just totally mix up what sportsmanship (read class to you) really is.

[since 1960]

They are going to be up 50 plus in the fourth lining up in the shotgun and still trying to score with Brady. The dude isn't going to let up because he's a jerk and yes I know Pats fans are going to defend BB and say he's just finishing the game or something along those lines but truth be told the dude's a jerk who enjoys rubbing it in the face of other teams in the NFL namely those he doesn't like and guess what he doesn't like Bill Polian.

I agree with you. They might be good but are also classless. They will run it up for sure. One thing I noticed about the Colts when Dungy was the coach they would not run up the score on anyone.

[Blue Horseshoe]

The guy I feel sorry for is the stadium electrician.

He is going to have to add another digit to all of the scoreboards.

[number28]

I wanna smoke whatever Bellichek is smoking.

[GoPats]

Whats rude and vulgar is having words put in your mouth as the poster did and completely take what i said out of context. So ya, the word dip comes to mind. I also find it "rude" you stick your nose in others business. He doesnt need you to stick up for him. Hes a big boy.

Other people's business? This is a message board, isn't it?

Sorry, just thought it was kind of a hoot that you're so offended by a professional sports team of millionaire athletes beating up on another professional sports team of millionaire athletes... and yet would refer to someone with a different opinion as a "dip" and telling them to "pay attention" and that it's "like talking to 5 year olds." My apologies but that really resonated with my sarcastic and dry sense of humor.

[ViriLudant]

I agree with you. They might be good but are also classless. They will run it up for sure. One thing I noticed about the Colts when Dungy was the coach they would not run up the score on anyone.

Another irresponsible, ignorant quote.

Classless? You mean like Polian saying "Break his leg!" when Flutie was playing QB for the Patriots?

The Colts never ran it up on anyone? Funny how easily you forget the Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions. That's a simple one to remember, among many others, such as the Broncos playoff win in '03-'04.

Please. Anyone who complains about "running up the score" in the NFL clearly does not understand the level of competition, and the fact that these are PAID ATHLETES, many making millions to play.

THe Patriots also try different schemes and techniques over the course of a game, particularly during games that they have in hand. Take the Redskins' game back in '07; it was a blowout, but it allowed the Patriots the opportunity to try out a play that allowed them to win a game a few weeks later against the Ravens, a VERY close game.

Class. Please. Only Colt fans care about "class", and after this season, that's all you can cling to?

[Malakai432]

Well obviously all the fantasy football freaks are going to start Brady, that's a given......

[DILLIGAFER]

Other people's business? This is a message board, isn't it?

Sorry, just thought it was kind of a hoot that you're so offended by a professional sports team of millionaire athletes beating up on another professional sports team of millionaire athletes... and yet would refer to someone with a different opinion as a "dip" and telling them to "pay attention" and that it's "like talking to 5 year olds." My apologies but that really resonated with my sarcastic and dry sense of humor.

Ooh, plus one. Give me a break. So the youth that watch these games see this and you justify it because its ok as long as your being paid to do it?? Really? Teach your kids what you want. I will teach mine humility.

So exxon mobile have record profits right now and are running up gas prices, but thats ok.. they are being paid millions to do it.

No wonder this country is sinking. No values or humility with americans anymore. The game of haves and have nots. I'm a competitive person, but i do have values and wouldnt shove someones face in my success.

[DILLIGAFER]

Another irresponsible, ignorant quote.

Classless? You mean like Polian saying "Break his leg!" when Flutie was playing QB for the Patriots?

The Colts never ran it up on anyone? Funny how easily you forget the Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions. That's a simple one to remember, among many others, such as the Broncos playoff win in '03-'04.

Please. Anyone who complains about "running up the score" in the NFL clearly does not understand the level of competition, and the fact that these are PAID ATHLETES, many making millions to play.

THe Patriots also try different schemes and techniques over the course of a game, particularly during games that they have in hand. Take the Redskins' game back in '07; it was a blowout, but it allowed the Patriots the opportunity to try out a play that allowed them to win a game a few weeks later against the Ravens, a VERY close game.

Class. Please. Only Colt fans care about "class", and after this season, that's all you can cling to?

And you can continue to be an arrogant, classless pats fan. Congrats.

[bayone]

'ViriLudant' timestamp='1322683766' post='80476']

Another irresponsible, ignorant quote.

The Colts never ran it up on anyone? Funny how easily you forget the Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions.

And you can continue to be an arrogant, classless pats fan. Congrats.

'ViriLudant'

u mean when Peyton left for the last quarter Vs Lions ( & LIVING IN DETROIT I CAN SAY THE FANS HERE WERE THANKFUL ) when if stayed in with already 5 TDs he may have set the TD 1 game record if he cared , & that year in 1st playoff game Vs Denver lets not forget he only played a series ( 2 series game before that ) Vs Denver in last game of season and then proceeded to get 4 TD's in that playoff game getting his feet wet again not to run up the score nor add to the 49 TD total which he could of obliterated with all the time taken off, & my Pat Friends in Dover Mass, Sherborn, Mass & Newton, etc all agree