In the Patriots’ game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Patriots dominated the majority of the game, leading 31-14 with 14:18 remaining in the game.
I know one should never count out Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning, but I thought this one made history.
The Colts quickly answered with a touchdown and eventually found themselves trailing by a score of 34-28 with a little more than two minutes left in the game.
Following a touchdown run by Colts running back, Joseph Addai, to cut the lead to six, the Patriots took over on their own 20-yard line. Following three plays, they found themselves staring at fourth-and-2 from their own 28-yard line.
Then the big call of the game came.
The call was for the Patriots to go for it on fourth down and risk the chance of giving the ball to the NFL’s arguably best quarterback with a short field and plenty of time to operate.
Well, the Patriots did not make the fourth down and Manning led the Colts to the end zone to complete the 37th fourth quarter comeback in his career.
While I am not a fan of either team, I laughed to myself as I saw Kevin Faulk get stopped short of the first-down marker. Belichick had this coming to him.
Belichick is an amazing football coach who led the Patriots to three Super Bowl victories, but I really don’t like him.
He has always come across as cocky and arrogant, and he did once again in the press conference following the Indianapolis-New England game.
While I understand that if the Patriots get the first down they win the game, this was the worst call I have seen in all of my years watching football.
The only reaction Belichick had when asked about his bone-headed call was, “I thought we could get the yard.”
He repeatedly said how he felt confident his team would get the yard, although they actually needed two yards.
He also took a shot at the officials by saying he did not see any way that they did not get the yard following Faulk’s catch.
I was not surprised to see this brashness out to Belichick.
He makes a habit of not releasing information to the media, but people are so enamored with him that he never gets the criticism he deserves — until now.
In the days following the game, people were not talking about “Belichick the genius” like they usually do. Instead, they were talking about “Belichick the bone-head,” who made a terrible decision and cost his team a game which they had dominated for three quarters.
It could not have happened to a better person.
By ERIC MCGUFFIN
Editor
demcguff@ius.edu
