What do you think of the Pats' call on 4th and 2?

[GolfDiveNCougs]

I realize there isn't much of a BYU connection here, besides Austin's contributions to the win by the Colts over the Pats last night, but the other thread about the game prompted me to request your collective opinion:

What do you think of the call at the end of the game by Belichick? Everybody and their chicken are second-guessing the guy, but you know what? I think it was the right decision on his part.

The media keeps saying he was stupid for risking giving Manning a 30 yard field to win the game, but the way I see it, if Belichick was sold on going for it, it meant he was expecting Manning to be able to knock off 70 yards in two minutes anyway. Agreed, it's MORE likely the Pats defense could find a way to stop him in 70 yards than 30, but apparently that wasn't more likely ENOUGH to get Belichick to change his mind. If I were him, I'd have banked on my team getting 2 yards in one play for the guaranteed win, than keeping the best quarterback in the game from getting into the endzone from 70 yards out in 2 minutes. Has little to do with trust or distrust of a defense. It has everything to do with what you can control and what you can't. Sucks for him his team didn't make it, but he'd have been a hero if it'd worked, and nobody'd have thought another thing of it.

In my opinion, Belichick's STUPID call of the game wasn't the 4th and 2, it was the two timeouts BEFORE it. After looking at the replay of the non-forward progress call, I can't help but think a booth replay wouldn't have given the guy a better spot. Ref said because of the bobble he didn't HAVE posession til he hit the ground, and while he didn't have it AT first contact with his hands, he did GAIN it BEFORE he was pushed that far back. Who knows where they'd have spotted it taking exactly when he gained posession of the ball before accounting for forward progress. There's NO excuse for Belichick pissing away his only option for instant replay on the biggest play of the game, since it was outside the 2 minute warning and wouldn't automatically be reviewed. THAT, in my opinion is what lost the game for him, not the 4th and 2 call.

I'd be interested to hear everyone's thoughts.

[BroncoBot]

I realize there isn't much of a BYU connection here, besides Austin's contributions to the win by the Colts over the Pats last night, but the other thread about the game prompted me to request your collective opinion:

What do you think of the call at the end of the game by Belichick? Everybody and their chicken are second-guessing the guy, but you know what? I think it was the right decision on his part.

The media keeps saying he was stupid for risking giving Manning a 30 yard field to win the game, but the way I see it, if Belichick was sold on going for it, it meant he was expecting Manning to be able to knock off 70 yards in two minutes anyway. Agreed, it's MORE likely the Pats defense could find a way to stop him in 70 yards than 30, but apparently that wasn't more likely ENOUGH to get Belichick to change his mind. If I were him, I'd have banked on my team getting 2 yards in one play for the guaranteed win, than keeping the best quarterback in the game from getting into the endzone from 70 yards out in 2 minutes. Has little to do with trust or distrust of a defense. It has everything to do with what you can control and what you can't. Sucks for him his team didn't make it, but he'd have been a hero if it'd worked, and nobody'd have thought another thing of it.

In my opinion, Belichick's STUPID call of the game wasn't the 4th and 2, it was the two timeouts BEFORE it. After looking at the replay of the non-forward progress call, I can't help but think a booth replay wouldn't have given the guy a better spot. Ref said because of the bobble he didn't HAVE posession til he hit the ground, and while he didn't have it AT first contact with his hands, he did GAIN it BEFORE he was pushed that far back. Who knows where they'd have spotted it taking exactly when he gained posession of the ball before accounting for forward progress. There's NO excuse for Belichick pissing away his only option for instant replay on the biggest play of the game, since it was outside the 2 minute warning and wouldn't automatically be reviewed. THAT, in my opinion is what lost the game for him, not the 4th and 2 call.

I'd be interested to hear everyone's thoughts.

I agree. The guy would have been a hero if they got the first down, but because the Pats didn't get the 1st, he's now being questioned.

Just part of the game. Belichick had to make a call and either way he could have ended up looking like an idiot.

[Schmoe]

This isn't Madden '09, it's pro football in real life. You do the smart thing and kick the freaking ball. If not, you come up with a much better way to get two yards. If I were on the Pat's D I'd be fuming.

[GolfDiveNCougs]

This isn't Madden '09, it's pro football in real life. You do the smart thing and kick the freaking ball. If not, you come up with a much better way to get two yards. If I were on the Pat's D I'd be fuming.

According to Bruschi, they are. Honestly, couldn't happen to a nicer guy, or nicer team. Dunno why, but I'll not feel bad for the Pats for a long time when something bad happens to 'em. I know everybody cheats, but there was sure a lot of impunity at them being caught. You call that karma.

[frdbtr]

I liked it because it cost them the game, and I hate the patriots.

[BroncoBot]

This isn't Madden '09, it's pro football in real life. You do the smart thing and kick the freaking ball. If not, you come up with a much better way to get two yards. If I were on the Pat's D I'd be fuming.

But it still is a game. The players still get paid and both teams are headed for the playoffs. Big deal.

[SpiffCoug]

I guess Belichek was trying to lose by 1 rather than win by 6. It's the exact same argument when BYU lost to Stanford in 2003. BYU was winning, went for an ill-advised 4th down late in the game. They didn't make it. Crowton later said I was trying to win by 9 not 2. I understand the logic of both decisions to go for it. If you make the yard or two needed the game is over. You'd like to think your offense can get the necessary 36 or 72 inches. Both were bad decisions. Understandable, but poor.

[hawkwing]

It's the exact choice 50,000 fans at LES would want the coach to make, it would work 80% of the time in their NCAA 2010 game, and those times it didn't, they just hit the reset. But you gotta put the game on the shoulders of your defense at that point.

[bostoncoug]

As a Pats fan, I liked the call to go for it. The defense was gassed, Manning was moving the ball at will. I like my chances with Brady to get two yards, rather than the defense to stop Manning and that Colts offense gaining 70 yards. My problem is that he didn't have any timeouts. They called a time out immedietly following a change of posession, and then just prior to the play. Those were the bone headed decisions in my opinion.

[GolfDiveNCougs]

As a Pats fan, I liked the call to go for it. The defense was gassed, Manning was moving the ball at will. I like my chances with Brady to get two yards, rather than the defense to stop Manning and that Colts offense gaining 70 yards. My problem is that he didn't have any timeouts. They called a time out immedietly following a change of posession, and then just prior to the play. Those were the bone headed decisions in my opinion.

Couldn't agree more, Boston. And my thinking was, the 3rd and 2 play was a passing play. Why wouldn't Belichick be thinking 1 play ahead in the event the pass was incomplete? It's not like he'd have to make a decision again based on how far they had to go with an incomplete pass. Same distance. Why is your last timeout necessary? Granted, who would have known he'd need a replay on potentially the last meaningful play of the game, but that's not something you leave up to chance either! Especially now that a timeout isn't just to stop the clock! I still say it was the difference maker. A replay could EASILY have given them a 1st down spot.