The Newest Desperate Attempt to Stop the Patriots: Change the Overtime Rules
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We’re two days removed from the Patriots win over Kansas City and have you noticed a pattern emerge yet?
Part of me is interested in pursuing some other topic besides how asshurt and outraged the world is by yet another dramatic Pats postseason win. I do consider myself a bit of a Renaissance Man with a wide variety of interests. But today in Blogger School I learned that the internet moves fast and when you’ve got a hot topic, ride it. And right now, nothing to me is as big as the insane overreaction to the 29th playoff win [pause while that sinks in] of the Bradichick Dynasty.
And that reaction includes ever
yone screaming for a rule change. And I do mean everyone outside of New England. It took me all of 20 seconds to find those four Tweets but there are thousands more all saying the same thing. The system is unfair. The Patriots won on a coin toss. Patrick Mahomes should’ve been allowed to get the ball. We were cheated out of a fitting ending. The rules need to be changed.
Why? Here’s why. In the simplest possible terms:
The 2001 Divisional game. Super Bowl LI. And now, the 2018 AFC championship game. Those are why the Sudden Death rule, which has been in effect forever and a few years ago tweaked to eliminate the opening possession field goal victory scenario, suddenly (no pun intended by I’m not rephrasing) has to be scrapped. Because Tom Brady can’t be stopped when he gets the ball first.
Look, if they want to rewrite how overtime is decided, they can knock themselves out. In the words of the great Tedy Bruschi, if you want to change the rules, change ‘em. “We still play. And we win. That’s what we do.”:
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As a matter of fact, Bill Belichick has been advocating for a change for years now. He wants a full extra quarter. Run, officiated, coached, strategized and played just like the other four. Why change, his argument goes, what isn’t broken? Play to the end. And if it’s still tied, play another quarter until it is. And he’s been ignored. Just like he was for years over moving the extra point back to make it a competitive play. And still is, over something as simple as replay cameras in the pylons, which the league says they can’t afford. (Maybe,” he once said “We could hold a bake sale.” Classic Belichick.)
Of course, no one would’ve bitched about this if Kansas City won the toss and the Patriots were helpless when it came to making a stop. Or if Drew Brees hadn’t thrown a pick in overtime and marched down for a game winning touchdown. It was only when Brady looked out over the Chiefs defenders gasping for air across their goal line while Andy Reid hung onto his time outs like they’re savings bonds before handing it to Rex Burkhead for the win did anyone decide things needed to be done differently.
The Pats won the toss. They also completed FIVE passes of 10-20 yards. THREE on 3rd & 10s. That’s not luck. That’s not a 50/50 chance. It’s not a coin flip. It’s excellence.
So again, knock yourselves out. Like you did with the coverage rules in 2004 because the way the Patriots were defending the pass was unfair. Like you did with the Ineligible Receiver rules in 2015 because the way the Patriots were freeing up legal route runners was unfair. Like you did with the jumping the center rules in 2017 because the way Shea McClellin blocked a kick against the Ravens was unfair. Do it.
Do it because once a team wins the coin flip against the Patriots, scores on the opening drive and then the Pats comeback and win, you’ll want to change them again. And whatever you change them to, the Pats will be #StillHere.