Having His Favorites

Coach Belichick can never catch a break with his critics. He has been vilified for routinely running up the score against opponents. His response has always been that you need to play for 60 minutes, even when you're leading by 40 points.

It was different last Sunday against Tampa Bay. It's well known that Belichick and Buc's coach Greg Schiano are good friends. Both teams scrimmaged in training camp and Schiano's former school Rutgers has become a pipeline for talent to the Pats.

The game was hopelessly out of hand late in the fourth quarter. The Pats were moving the ball down the field and burning the clock. When it came to 4th down and and easy field goal, Belichick decided to go for it. The Bucs stopped them and got the ball back. By then, it was too late.

Belichick has been taking a beating on sports talk shows because some callers feel that he made Schiano an exception to his rule. Maybe he did. He has that right. The defense always needs to stop the offense. It's very basic and these guys get paid a lot of money to do it.