(Audacy) The Bears called off the dogs late in their 33-14 win over the Patriots on Monday Night Football -- much to the dismay of ESPN personality Peyton Manning.
While co-hosting the "Manningcast" simulcast alongside brother Eli, Peyton expressed his disappointment when Bears coach Matt Eberflus instructed quarterback Justin Fields to take a knee on fourth-and-goal from the Patriots' 2-yard line late.
"Do not take a knee," Manning moaned with the Bears up 19 points and 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
"You didn't like that one?" laughed Eli.
"If you have a chance to score 40 in Foxboro, you score 40 in Foxboro," Peyton said.
Under longtime coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots have long been accused of running up the score a few times over the years.
Perhaps most famously, the Patriots' ill-fated 2007 season -- during which they went unbeaten in the regular season only to fall to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII -- was widely seen as a revenge tour after they were punished by the league as part of the Spygate scandal.
Even as recently as last season, Jets players complained after they were drubbed by the Patriots by the score of 54-13.
Meanwhile, the Patriots delivered a few of the most devastating losses in Manning's illustrious career, including in the divisional round in January 2005 and a 24-point comeback in 2013, with both games being played in New England.
So, perhaps Manning was just holding on to some bitter memories in wanting the Patriots to be on the wrong end of a lopsided score.
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