What was he thinking???? Patriots defense gets kicked in the balls by their coach

[Saltheart]

The worst coaching decision I have ever seen in my life.

I'm a big fan of his but he crapped the bed tonight.

Not only was it a stupid decision but he essentially ruined his relationship and the confidence of his defense for the rest of the season.

Come on Bill.....What were you thinking???

[Duke41]

agreed

[stcroixman]

bad move, but that scrimmage coming up on sunday should make everyone feel better. They should hang 40+ on that green and white mess.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

The worst coaching decision I have ever seen in my life.

I'm a big fan of his but he crapped the bed tonight.

Not only was it a stupid decision but he essentially ruined his relationship and the confidence of his defense for the rest of the season.

Come on Bill.....What were you thinking???

You don't give Payton 2 min and even 100 yds of field. If the made the 1st they would have had the game. Maybe a different play like wielker underneath but, the running game can suck.

[Slipknot]

I was fine with that decision
he thought they had a play that would pick up the 2 yards needed to end the game, even if they failed or it was incomplete, the defense would have had to step up and that is a tall task.
I blame Maroney for not holding the ball with 2 hands at the goaline, Faulk would have and should got the ball on that play and he would have had 2 hands on the ball

give the colts credit, they scored more points and deserve the win. manning is on fire

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by striperman36

You don't give Payton 2 min and even 100 yds of field. If the made the 1st they would have had the game. Maybe a different play like wielker underneath but, the running game can suck.

Agreed. The outcome and maybe execution was AWFUL, but I understand the logic under the circumstances.

You KNOW what Peyton is and can do (history tells you this), and all you need is two yards to stop it. You have Brady who tends to win when he has the ball in the 4th quarter (history also tells you this) and a good chance keep the ball out of the hands of a great quarterback. I just don't see it as illogical as it's being made out to be.

Call it "scared" if you want to, but I wouldn't want to give the ball to Peyton with more then 2 minutes left and a time out either.

[MarshCappa]

Maroney fumbling sucks and that played a big part in the Pats loosing. Belichik had to make the final decision though to go for it on 4th down on your own 28. It's his fault we lost. He made a big gamble and it cost him. What do you think? Should we fire him? I'd rather lose this one than the possible next time we see them in the playoffs. Seems like this one will burn the fires for awhile and keep player hungry to win out.

[The Dad Fisherman]

I thought I'd share an e-mail I got from my Bro-in-law on the game...I had asked him what he thought about the decision.....I laughed my ass off when I got his answer.

"Not what I would have done............but I don't think it was as bad of a call as the Boston media does.

There were 4 worse reasons why they lost....

Lawrence Maroney stinks
Lawrence Maroney fumbled
Lawrence Maroney runs like a girl
Lawrence Maroney is the worst RB in the NFL

You know why Belichick should be criticized? Because he keeps playing Lawrence Maroney! "

[Mike P]

You have the ball on your 20, up 6, and the opposition is down to one time out left with the clock winding down to the 2 minute warning.

So of course, you help them out by calling your last two time outs on that possession--which also bankrupts your challenge account, so you can't even challenge the spot on the 4th down play.

You want to talk about boneheaded coaching moves--there's one you can chew on

And of course the play you call on 4th down is one where the receiver runs a stop pattern right to the first down marker, instead of the inside slant to Moss, which was open all night. Or a quick out in the flat to Welker, who you just know they would have had to kill to keep short of the 30.

[Duke41]

The bottom line is that the season is far from over. At worst this costs our boys a shot at having home field advantage for the play-offs. The Pats will be back in Indy in 9 weeks or so. I gaurantee you coach will not make the same mistake twice.

[luds]

I'm not listening to sports radio all week and I'm just going to put that one behind me. It's sucked enough watching it happen nevermind focusing on the negativity that will surround it this week. I shouldn't have even opened this thread.

[Saltheart]

Moroney fumbling the ball turned the tide for the colts but we still should have won.

It takes a lot more time or way more risky passes to move the ball 80 yards instead of 30. If we punted we may have even gotten inside the twenty yard line so maybe more than 80 yrads with 2 min and a timeout. It wasn't like the sudden death field goal situation , they needed a TD .

I also wondered about the button hook pattern being so shallow. That kind of pass is almost indefenseable but should be like 5 to 8 yards past the line of scrimmage , not 2 , right at the first down line.

Nobody will convince me that it was anything but the worse call possible. If I'm on the defensive squad , I have to think that its a slap in the face that the coach just doesn't think they are any good. So in addition to the lose of the game the D takes a big confidents hit.

Do I want to fire him??? Of course not. Nobody said he wasn't the best coach out there. He just blew that call and he blew it real badly! Brady deserved that win. Bill took it away from him , not Manning!

Its been exciting football this year though. Each game almost anything can happen instead of a nearly sure win like in 2007. Very exciting for the fans when each game is a real contest.

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by luds

I'm not listening to sports radio all week and I'm just going to put that one behind me. It's sucked enough watching it happen nevermind focusing on the negativity that will surround it this week. I shouldn't have even opened this thread.

I hear ya! I'm not going to listen to the radio much now either. it will be over anyalized and beat to death until the next win. That's going to be the hard part is winning the next game and putting this in the rear veiw mirror. I still think NE is the better team over the colts. It's a bitter pill to swallow but they have to move on and win the next game.

[Mike P]

When they first broke the huddle, I thought that they were going to try to draw Indy offside. When they called time-out, I thought that someone up in the booth brought Belichick to his senses, and that they were going to punt.

I was kind of surprised that they left the offense on the field when they came out of the time out, and when they actually snapped the ball, I was like, "holy %$%$%$%$, they're really going for it".

But thinking back--if they were going to try to draw the Colts offside inside that palace of bedlam, Brady would have been under center, not in the gun.

[ecduzitgood]

Have faith! I know a guy with a girlfriend that knows a guy who's cousin said his buddies x-wifes sister is seeing the man in charge of laundry at Lucas Oil Stadium and he found this in Peyton's underwear after sundays game and is going to sell it to finance his early retirement. So next game we should see a difference in Peyton's performance.

[doc]

...the more i think about it the call to go for it was not so bad and inconsistent with what bellichickhas done inthe past...but wasting the time outs...and the actual play call on 4th and 2 was pathetic...not to mention the 3rd down call...BUT the freaking maroney fumble...now that play alone was ridiculous...

[nightfighter]

We saw enough during the first three quarters to know the Pats can beat the Colts, that is a Colts with a depleted secondary... Now as to what the Colts can figure out from the films before they meet again, that's the real question. Home field advantage for playoffs is now out of their hands. Move on. Win the division, and get into the dance. Then get a home playoff game with a Wildcard team, and then see who wants to play when it really means something.....

[PRBuzz]

OK so the 4th and 2 backfired, this is a team with a history of going for it on 4th down. I also disagree with the masses that this was a slap in the face for the defense, I think it was just the opposite: a strong recognition that the Pats D had stopped Peyton several times throughout the game.

A recovery option (for a fast thinking coach) was to let the Colts score quickly, like on the running play where the tackle was made at the 1 yard line which permitted Indy to run down the clock. If he scored at that point there was about 1:10 left on the clock. Instead, Mr B was too busy taking off his headphones and hanging his head in defeat.

A similar strategy was attempted earlier in the day in the Jets/Jag game, but the Jag running back thought quickly and took a knee on the 1 yd line which allow the Jags to run down the clock and kick a field goal for the win. The Colts would have scored no ands-if-or-buts if given the opportunity to do so at their earliest opportunity.

[doc]

...i just hope all the frustration and disgust is expressed next sunday as we wipe the living snot of the jets all over gillette...

[Backbeach Jake]

The Colts had the Pats number at that point. If NE punted , they would have scored, If NE kept possession then they could run the clock. NE HAD to go on 4th but didn't get it done.

[JohnnyD]

They go for it on 4th, convert and Coach is a genius - they miss it, and everyone else *knows* that the call was stupid.

The issue isn't with the call to go for it on 4th, the issue is that there isn't enough confidence in the Defense to prevent the Manning from running a successful 2-minute drill.

[ProfessorM]

knew as soon as Moron e fumbled that ball it was going to come back and haunt them.

[Dad 818]

I agree with the call. Belichick knew his defense was gassed. He came into the game without Jarvis Green and Ty Warren. He lost Tully Banta-Cain and Rob Ninkovich early into the game.

Prior to the 4th & 2 the Colts last 2 drives looked like this:

11 plays covering 159 yards in 3:53. 3 minutes and 53 seconds!!

They convert that and the game is OVER!


It showed me they can compete with anyone in the AFC. The inability to keep their foot on the Colts throat is beginning to be a nuisance though.

I do like how everyone is bringing up the Maroney fumble at the goal line, but not the Brady INT in the end zone.

I hope to see the Colts again.

[Dad 818]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

It takes a lot more time or way more risky passes to move the ball 80 yards instead of 30. If we punted we may have even gotten inside the twenty yard line so maybe more than 80 yrads with 2 min and a timeout. It wasn't like the sudden death field goal situation , they needed a TD .

Colts last 2 drives before 4th & 2

5 plays 78 yards 2:04
6 plays 81 yards 1:49

Defense was gassed. BB knew it.

And I am pretty sure Belichick doesn't give a sh!t what Rodney and Tedy think anymore.

[ProfessorM]

Like the famous coach said " you have to play to win the game"

[nightfighter]

And WTF is with the stadium people shooting off fireworks inside the dome? Did you see the guys running out on the field to put out the fires it set off on the turf?

[beaver]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

I was fine with that decision
he thought they had a play that would pick up the 2 yards needed to end the game, even if they failed or it was incomplete, the defense would have had to step up and that is a tall task.
I blame Maroney for not holding the ball with 2 hands at the goaline, Faulk would have and should got the ball on that play and he would have had 2 hands on the ball

give the colts credit, they scored more points and deserve the win. manning is on fire

That says it all.

If Faulk had converted (which I think he actually did, maybe a little bobble lost the game) Bellicheck would have been a hero. I can't stand all the negativity from the press, but I'm especially ticked off by all the fans who point the finger at Coach B....A coach calls plays to try and win the game. That play would have won the game, a punt most likely resulted in a loss as well.

The one mistake they did make was fielding the last kick off in the end zone. Let it fly out for a touchback, take the ball with 13 seconds left on the 20 yard line and try to make a big play.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Like the famous coach said " you have to play to win the game"

What's that coach doing now? Radio commercials

[Pete F.]

I think it all boils down to "S**t happens" and that is why it's a game. Always easier to quarterback on Monday.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Mike P

What's that coach doing now? Radio commercials

notice I put an eye roll in their after famous I think he is a football analyst on one of those sports shows. I had a good laugh when that interview took place. It was a classic.