Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando from Baltimore
Welcome to Baltimore. I'll be breaking down the Patriots and Ravens heading into their matchup on Monday Night Football. Right off, I'd like to apply some facts to one of the hottest arguments of the 2007 season: namely, whether the Patriots have run up the score on opponents this season, and whether their behavior along these lines should be accepted.
People who accuse New England of running up the score often site the Patriots' behavior on fourth down. This led me to ask ESPN researchers for a list of every play since in which a team "went for it" on fourth down while leading by at least 10 points. They produced a list going back to 2001. I narrowed the list to fourth-down runs and passes by teams that led by at least 28 points. The Patriots accounted for nine of 19 such plays (see chart).
Now, before we convict the Patriots, we should note that good teams produce more 28-plus-point leads than other teams. We should also discount plays originating deep in opposing territory, where punting is not a viable option. That leaves us with a very short list.
The first play listed stands as the most provocative example; the Patriots gained 21 yards against Washington while leading by 45 points. Then again, Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, as Buffalo Bills coach in 2003, went for it on fourth-and-4 while leading the Giants by 17 points with two minutes remaining. The Bills gained 14 yards. We'll crunch more numbers along these lines later in the afternoon.
Note: Stats current entering Week 13.
