Yahoo Sports: Were Saints Right To Run Up Score For Brees’ Record?

[just dave]

I agree that this is the least of our problems but there is no way in the world that a Smith-led team would have gone for the record like the Saints did. I(t) will never happen.

You're probably right about that.

[adectus2112]

Oh its relevant who dat if the Falcons had any kind of killer instinct somebody would have laid out Brees for trying to run up the score on a game that was over period. Screw Brees they want him in there late trying to pad the stats his head knees whatever should have been fair game. Have a good day.

You are a true fan of the game. Yes you are.

[Peyton]

I guess I am classless to. If I were Payton, I would have done the exact same thing he did.

I can live with being classless I guess.

[metrymudbug]

Another reason to go ahead get the record last night.

The Carolina game next Sunday is not meaningless to the Saints. In the event the Rams upset the 49ers (granted highly unlikely), the Saints need to win to take the 2nd seed.

Brees and the Saints didn't need another week of media focus on breaking the record. Now its been put to bed.

[just dave]

The final TD was a result of the Falcons turning it over on downs so close to the goal line. If the Falcons had punted ( I know the situation didn't allow for it) the Saints would have probably run it out after they had the record. The Saints are still in the hunt for the #2 seed and it looks like their starters will play as long as the 49ers are not blowing out the Rams. So I'm sure the Saints don't want the distraction of this record hanging over them all week with the press coverage it would generate while they are getting ready for their last home game against another division rival. What is classless to me is professionals whining about another team playing better and that is essentially what they are saying. If the don't like it they should keep their mouths shut or say all the" right things" and do something about it the next time they play. They could take the "Rex Approach" and mouth off and **** the bed when the time comes.

Edited December 27, 2011 by just dave

[BankerBird™]

The Saints did what any self-respecting NFL team would do: kick an opponent when they're down, which is a characteristic that is sorely missing in this Falcons team.

[Peyton]

The final TD was a result of the Falcons turning it over on downs so close to the goal line. If the Falcons had punted ( I know the situation didn't allow for it) the Saints would have probably run it out after they had the record. The Saints are still in the hunt for the #2 seed and it looks like their starters will play as long as the 49ers are not blowing out the Rams. So I'm sure the Saints don't want the distraction of this record hanging over them all week with press coverage it would generate while they are getting ready for their last home game against another division rival. What is classless to me is professionals whining about another team playing better and that is essentially what they are saying. If the don't like it they should keep their mouths shut or say all the" right things" and do something about it the next time they play. They could take the "Rex Approach" and mouth off and **** the bed when the time comes.

You make a good point. If the Falcons were ready to raise the white flag, they shouldn't have gone for it on 4th down from their own 30 yard line.

[FRALIC]

You are a true fan of the game. Yes you are.

I understand the game very well, the speed its played at is something sometimes Qbs are hit a little late, it happens quite often. Most of the time its unnecessary but then theres always that classless

scenario where the other team is running up the score and padding stats where maybe it could be considered justifiied.

[philosophico]

I have issues with bunch of grown men crying about a team running up a score on they sorry selfs. These guys are making high 6, 7 and even 8 figures a year to play this game.

Yet you want to cry cause you SUCKED at your job? I know if I sucked at my job I'd be getting chewed out by my boss and warning that if this keeps up im fired. Not these jokers, Soft Smith will defer the blame to the saints and say dont worry guys, it was them.

[kiwifalcon]

Were Saints right to run up score for Brees’ record?

By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports

NEW ORLEANS – Drew Brees tucked the record-setting ball in his oversized brown leather bag as a reporter asked him if it was one day headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

“They already got my uniform,” Brees said with equal parts incredulity and amazement, and a dash of humor as he smiled. The New Orleans quarterback got everything he, his team and Saints fans could have wanted in a 45-16 humiliation of the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

There was the NFC South title, at least one home game in the playoffs, a sweep of archrival Atlanta and the topper of all: Brees breaking Dan Marino’s all-time record for passing yards in a season on his final throw of the game.

The lingering question that surrounds the whole thing is just how classy the move was and, more important, if Atlanta can do anything about it. The 9-6 Falcons will return to 12-3 New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs if the NFC seeding holds form after the final week of the season.

Will the fact that the Saints essentially ran up the score matter to the Falcons?

After the game, the Falcons said all the right things. Atlanta coach Mike Smith congratulated the “classy” Brees for the accomplishment. However, underneath that, those close to him said Smith was seething over the move.

Up 38-16 with 5:08 remaining, New Orleans stopped Atlanta on downs at the Falcons’ 33-yard line. At that moment, Brees needed 30 yards to break Marino’s record. To some, this would have been a time to run the clock out and head home with a victory. New Orleans coach Sean Payton saw it as a time to go for the record. With a packed house and a national television audience watching, Payton made a choice that those who value sportsmanship will undoubtedly hate. He called for passes on five of the next six plays as Brees put up 32 yards to run his total to 5,087 yards for the season, passing Marino’s mark of 5,084, set in 1984.

Classy? Not so much, and Payton pretty much admitted that when he said he stretched his ethical standards for this situation.

“Someone is going to ask this question, so I am going to answer it before it’s asked,” Payton said. “Typically, would I be throwing there? … probably not. In fact, the answer is I wouldn’t be. But I thought it was appropriate to get [the record] and we did it.”

Payton went on to say, “We have a ton of respect for Mike [smith], his staff and the players we just played against. It seemed like the right thing to do. As a coach, a lot of times you trust your gut and you either get complimented or criticized and you go from there. I felt real good about the decision.”

This rivalry has featured its share of ugly moments, such as last year in Atlanta after the Saints beat the Falcons. Approximately a dozen New Orleans players returned to the field and pretended to urinate on the Georgia Dome field. Early in this game, Saints running back Pierre Thomas pulled a Christmas bow out of his uniform pants after scoring a touchdown, put it on the ball and handed it to a fan in the stands. Payton called that move “uncharacteristic.”

Likewise, Brees said, “I hope Mike Smith knows that. We weren’t trying to run up the score or anything.”

Maybe so and Brees is one of the classiest guys in the NFL. He was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year in 2010 for leading the Saints to the Super Bowl victory and for his charity work in New Orleans. But you can’t say that you’re not trying to run up the score when you actually are running up the score.

For their part, Falcons players didn’t seem too upset. Then again, it’s hard to act indignant after you just allowed your opponent to put up 45 points.

“No man, it’s our job to stop them,” said linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who missed New Orleans running back Darren Sproles on the record-setting play. “I can’t say I’m upset by them running up the score or anything like that when I had a chance to make a play.”

Said wide receiver Roddy White: “We didn’t make plays. We had to make plays, stop them and do our job, not worry about what they’re doing. Now, in a couple of weeks if we have to come back here, I might feel different. [but] not now.”

And Brees did his best to squelch any problem by being, well, himself. He talked about sharing the moment with so many people, from every teammate to the equipment people to even the media. After the game, his teammates made him give an impromptu speech.

“They forced me to speak,” Brees said. “This record isn’t about one person. There may just be one person that goes on the ledger, but it’s really about the team. I want every man years from now, hopefully a lot of championships from now, to be able to look back and say I blocked for that guy when it happened or a guy on defense say that they had a big stop that gave the ball back to those guys. I want a receiver to say that they caught 50 balls that year for 600 of those yards. I want everyone to feel like they were a huge part of this.”

With that in mind, what did Brees expect to do with the ball?

“I wish I had 150 of them to give out to the team and everybody in the building. I guess we could cut it up. I don’t know. I guess the ball itself is not as important to me as the memory, because that’s something that will live forever.”

http://sports.yahoo....o_falcons112711

I have to say at 38-16 yes we could have tried to stop them but everyone here seems to be saying the right things I think it could well be said if the shoe was on the other foot I don't think Mike Smith would have done the same I believe it would have been 4 runs by Snelling or Rodgers whoever would have been in the game at the time to run the clock out.

This situation smells much like what Andy Reid did with the E-Girls a couple of seasons back they bought Vick in and he went pass happy also scoring a TD when the game is in hand.

I think Brees is all class as a player but I think ego's of the coach has got in the way here as it seems and sure looked like they were'nt to worried about running the score up when up 38-16 and just bowed to TV and the crowd in the end.

[dmo_dlo]

I guess I am classless to. If I were Payton, I would have done the exact same thing he did.

I can live with being classless I guess.

Maybe I'm too old school. I think in general you play the game to win and ultimately win the big game. In my opinion, playing for records and stats is classless in general. It is particularly classless when the outcome of the game is not in doubt anymore. If records happen as you try to win the game then there shouldn't be any stigma attached to them but when they are made for the sake of making records/stats, they stink in my opinion. The losing side can (and should) continue to look for a miracle but the winning side should constrain itself to just winning the game.

[Knight of God]

Ehh if the roles were reversed the Falcons would have probably went for it too. Trust me, this is way down on the list of problems that the Falcons have.

Nah, Smith would have had Ryan to take a knee, or run Julio out of the backfield.

[Peyton]

Maybe I'm too old school. I think in general you play the game to win and ultimately win the big game. In my opinion, playing for records and stats is classless in general. It is particularly classless when the outcome of the game is not in doubt anymore. If records happen as you try to win the game then there shouldn't be any stigma attached to them but when they are made for the sake of making records/stats, they stink in my opinion. The losing side can (and should) continue to look for a miracle but the winning side should constrain itself to just winning the game.

The Saints got the ball back with 5:08 left in the game on the Falcons 33 yard line. You think they should have just downed it 3 times and punted?

[dmo_dlo]

The Saints got the ball back with 5:08 left in the game on the Falcons 33 yard line. You think they should have just downed it 3 times and punted?

No I think they should have run the ball and passed only on 3rd and long to get a first and keep the ball away from falcons. They should have run the ball, try to get a 1st and in the worst case kicked a FG and to make it a 4 score game. Instead they passed 5 times and ran once. Payton admitted he did it for the record and not to properly wrap up the game.

Do you question that the play call at the end was only to get the record? That they played for the record when the game was over?

[Peyton]

No I think they should have run the ball and passed only on 3rd and long to get a first and keep the ball away from falcons. They should have run the ball, try to get a 1st and in the worst case kicked a FG and to make it a 4 score game. Instead they passed 5 times and ran once. Payton admitted he did it for the record and not to properly wrap up the game.

Do you question that the play call at the end was only to get the record? That they played for the record when the game was over?

No...I don't question that. I don't think there was anything wrong with it either.

My point is..it isn't the reason they scored, thus "running up the score". If the Falcons had punted on 4th down, the Saints could have gotten the record without scoring.

And they probably would have scored even if they just ran the ball at the end. They might have even scored faster.

[dmo_dlo]

No...I don't question that. I don't think there was anything wrong with it either.

My point is..it isn't the reason they scored, thus "running up the score". If the Falcons had punted on 4th down, the Saints could have gotten the record without scoring.

And they probably would have scored even if they just ran the ball at the end. They might have even scored faster.

You're right, my bad. What I find questionable was playing for the record not running up the score which was inevitable if the record was to be broken.

Again, I think playing for the sake of records and stats when the outcome is already decided are not in the spirit of the game.

[theProf]

Same here. I can't believe our fans are whining about this instead of whining about our defense giving up 3rd and longs over and over and over again.

Well it was not just the fans whining about Saints lack of class and sportmanship, but to some extent, Atlanta's coaches and players also. But I agree with you, what everyone should be most upset about is Atlanta's defense not being able to stop third and long plays. This basic problem has been clearly evident, and even identified by our coaching staff as a very real problem, ever since preseason. However, the Falcons are still no closer to solving this problem after endless months than when they first begun this season.

[sdogg]

Yes the Saints were right. If the Falcons dont like it, then stop it. The Falcons still havent done a thing about the Saints posing and pissing on our logo. So they can cry all they want and the Saints are just going to keep humiliating them. We have some weak players. No kille instinct or mentality. We need a James Harrison type on our team.

[BlazerHarvard]

The Saints did nothing wrong.

It was MNF, at home, and against their biggest rival (us).

In my opinion, that record deserved to be broken last night given the aforementioned circumstances.

And let's not be hypocritical, either. If one of our players had a chance to break an all-time great record on MNF against the Saints in the Georgia Dome, we would all be for it happening on that night.

Furthermore, b!tching about this is a poor attempt to deflect the attention away from the larger issue: we got our ***** whooped and we have less than two weeks to get it corrected before we have to play them in New Orleans...again.

Edited December 27, 2011 by BlazerFalcon

[theProf]

PY's article on this issue:

Did Sean Payton cross the line?

December, 27, 2011

2:56 PM ET

By Pat Yasinskas

The decision by New Orleans coach Sean Payton to leave Drew Brees in and continue throwing late in Monday night’s victory against Atlanta is drawing lots of criticism.

Brees broke Dan Marino’s record for passing yards in a season with a little over two minutes left in a 45-16 victory. The fact Brees was still in a game that was long over has some critics saying Payton broke an unwritten rule.

Two writers I know and respect enormously took issue with Payton’s decision. Pete Prisco writes that Brees’ record is tainted due to the circumstances under which it was finalized. Jason Cole writes that leaving Brees in the game and scoring a late touchdown wasn’t very classy.

I recognized both points and I’m generally opposed to anyone running up the score. I haven’t always agreed with everything Payton does and don’t disagree all that much when people say he’s arrogant or aggressive.

But I really have no problem with what Payton did Monday night. He was looking out for the best interest of his team. Had he pulled Brees, the media attention that comes with the pursuit of a record like this would have dragged on for another week. Sure, Brees could have broken the record in Sunday’s game against Carolina.

But why not get it out of the way as soon as you can? The Saints will have other things to worry about Sunday, like trying to get ahead of San Francisco and into the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

What Payton did was not at all out of character. He had a goal in mind and he went for it.

Are the Falcons unhappy about how things played out? Absolutely, although they were careful not to publicly criticize Payton and the Saints.

But the fact is the Falcons (coaches and players) are all professionals. They’re paid very well. They’re also expected to perform at a very high level. The Falcons didn’t do that Monday night.

Will they remember what happened and try to use it as a motivating factor if they end up playing the Saints in the playoffs? No doubt. Maybe that motivation provides a different result in a postseason rematch and it comes back to bite Payton in the end.

Or maybe the Falcons simply aren’t good enough to beat the Saints? Either way, it wasn’t Payton’s responsibility to act in the best interest of the Falcons. This isn’t Little League. Payton did what he felt was best for his team at the moment and that’s his job.

[theProf]

And another PY article:

Mike Smith: Falcons didn't stop Brees

December, 27, 2011

5:58 PM ET

By Pat Yasinskas

Although New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton drew some criticism for keeping Drew Brees in the game late in the fourth quarter Monday night, Atlanta coach Mike Smith wasn’t pointing any fingers at the Saints on Tuesday.

If anything, Smith said the Falcons have no one to blame but themselves for allowing Brees to break the NFL record for passing yards in a season in a 45-16 loss to the Saints.

“It’s our job as a defense to stop the offense,’’ Smith said. “It’s the offense’s job to try to gain yards and they’re going to gain yards in whatever way that they think they need to do it and we didn’t get it done. In regards to Drew Brees, it’s a monumental record that he set last night in the ballgame and my hat’s off to Drew for the season that he’s put together to beat Dan Marino’s record. But in terms of when it happened, why it happened in the ballgame, it’s our job as a defense to go out there and stop them. If they’re trying to run it, if they’re trying to throw it, we’ve got to stop them and we didn’t do that last night.”

[Butudontseeme™]

I got no problems with them going for the record. The next snap is not promised and a player could be injured on any play. Brees deserved the opportunity to go for it. He did, the falcons didn't stop them. Time to move on.

[Born Again Georgian]

Cut out the nice guy crap, this team needs some mean mofos. I want the Falcons to win **** it, no more moral victories. Ugh....

[Guest King Shot]

You can do whatever you want to when you beat a team 10 out of 12 times. If they want to drag the Falcons' moms onto the field and slap them in front of the entire Georgia Dome, they can, and we can't do anything about it.

It's like the Florida-Georgia rivalry. How much of a rivalry can you consider something when it's been so lopsided in recent memory?

[Jagdawg]

I didn't hear anyone in Atlanta complaining when the Falcons were still throwing the ball up 35 on the Jaguars. Hypocrites.