Unwritten football rules the Baltimore Ravens, rest of NFL face
By Peter Panacy
Never pass for aggressive yards when you’re up big
It’s probably the equivalent of rubbing it in, and maybe Fernando Tatis rubbed some Rangers players the wrong way here. But swinging at a pitch, regardless of the situation, is just that: swinging at a pitch. In football, however, it’s pretty easy to differentiate between attempting a big-play pass versus a simple run up the middle when your team boasts a huge lead late in the game.
If you’re up big and there’s no way for the other team to come back, just run the ball. Don’t pass, especially if it’s an aggressive attempt.
Remember head coach Bill Belichick and the 2007 New England Patriots? There were plenty of 50-plus scores put up by the Pats against teams who scored 13, 16 or maybe 21 points in response.
Yeah, a lot of their opponents may subscribe to this unwritten rule. Or someone should have told Belichick putting up a ton of points on a regular basis doesn’t equate to NCAA-type poll rankings.