Comments on: The Football Gods Will Reward Bill Belichick For 4th Down Call

By: Janee Zacarias

Janee Zacarias — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:38:58 +0000

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By: wii console

wii console — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:45:39 +0000

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By: Jarvis Ground

Jarvis Ground — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:38:09 +0000

If you agree COlts are going to lose become a fan of FB page Colts Will Lose Super Bowl 2010!

By: AVilac

AVilac — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:52:13 +0000

As a football player, one who plays the game to win championships and not just collect checks, BB's call is exactly the call you want your coach to make. It's the challenge you train for and want to happen. It's the call that puts control in the player's hands because the ball is in their hands. As for a fan, that call is probably misunderstood more than anything because an enormous majority have never played a down of football in their lives. And right or wrong call, it comes to execution. BB thinks like a champion. It doesn't always work out. That's called life. Time will show if the rewards of that call are yet to be collected.

By: Mike from Allston

Mike from Allston — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:32:53 +0000

Being a Pats fan all my life it has been a tough week for me. But my agitation turned to anger when I found that there were a significant # of Pats fans calling for Belichick's head this week. The man has studied the ins and outs of football his whole life. He had one of the most successful Qb's ever to play the game waiting on the sidelines with a 2 minute warning and 3 time outs to win the ball game. The Defense had been slipping since the 2nd half, but your offense is still moving pretty well. Brady had been picking apart the Colt's D all game. Kevin Faulk excels in these situations perhaps better than any running back in football. The question boils down to whether you would rather but the game on Brady's shoulders were he has been so successful in these situations against a porious Colts secondary, or a your tough but tired D that had been fully analyzed by a great QB mind who runs a no huddle as effeciently as Jim Kelly.

By: PatsieWhiners

PatsieWhiners — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:49:45 +0000

Patriots fans are rapidly transforming into the biggest bastion of whiny, pathetic fanbois on the planet. The mystique of this team disappeared when Goodell burned their videotapes. Now they're just another team with a strong (albeit one-dimensional) offense and weak defense. They'd better pray for Moss to stay healthy, because without Brady being able to just throw the ball recklessly and have this freak grab it, they have little more than a dinky-dunky passing game. They deserved to lose the game, and they'll lose again in more convincing fashion if they return to Indy. The rookie receivers on the Colts dropped some perfect deep passes, and that won't be happening again…

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:43:48 +0000

It was an unbelievably exciting game with two brilliant teams playing against each other. In terms of coaching, there seems to be a fine line between being cocky and being courageous. In Belichick's case, during this particular game, he took the courageous risk because he believed in his team. It was a war and a beautiful one at that, to see such fine teams try to outsmart the other. Winning by one point shouldn't make the Colts feel that secure and will only make the Patriots stronger and more powerful next time around, with whatever team they play.
Impressive.
Go Patriots! All the way!

By: Embarassing

Embarassing — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:17:52 +0000

Is this a joke? You stole an entire concept from ESPN's TMQ and didnt even mention it? Wow……

By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:30:31 +0000

They claimed these games are a chess match between Manning and Belichick. During the early part of the decade, Belichick was the one with all the answers, messing with Manning's head. Now the tide has turned, and Manning flustered Belichick. He was afraid of Manning with the ball and 2:00 on the clock.

By: AVO

AVO — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:04:10 +0000

next time you steal an entire post from TMQ at least admitt it.

By: Big Bob

Big Bob — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:31:08 +0000

wow, you should be a professional football analyst. real insightful.

By: Wes G

Wes G — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:21:34 +0000

70% this 40% that. All I know is that at the end of the day the Pats 100% LOST and the Colts 100% WON.

By: Big Bob

Big Bob — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:48:14 +0000

conventional wisdom says that going for it was 'just plain dumb' but the statistics don't really back that up. and indy DID still have 1 time out left, so that makes a difference as well. The previous few touchdown drives by Indy had all been about 2 minutes long or less and they weren't playing with as much desperation as they would have been on a final 2 minute drill. obviously we'll never know for sure whether the pat's D would have stopped Indy on a longer drive.

By: big bob

big bob — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:41:54 +0000

i think belichick and the pats made some big mistakes towards the end of the game, but going for it on 4th down was not one of them. Burning the time outs did not allow them to challenge the spot, and it really looks like faulk had the first down. But i think their biggest mistake was passing the ball on 3rd down. If belichick knew that he was going to go for it on 4th down (maybe he didn't) then he absolutely should have ran the ball on 3rd and 2. I think the statistics prove that going for it on 4th down was, at the very least, a reasonable decision. And it didn't look like the Patriots were going to stop Manning whether he had to go 30 yards or 70. I am imagining a rematch in the AFC championship game. That will be something.

By: IndyTim

IndyTim — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:23:18 +0000

The Patriots Apologists seem to be out in full force today! Pretty much as expected.

Sure, Pats fanbois are going to stick-up for their favorite coach. That’s a given.

It’s also a given that Pats fans are going to point to other parts of the game and shout out ‘what ifs’ like crazy – “What if Maroney didn’t fumble ont he 1?”, “What if the Pats weren’t stalled on the 10?”. Etc. These are hilarious, because they don’t give any credit to the Colts D, and they also ignore all the Colts “what ifs”, too, like, “What if Peyton didn’t throw those two interceptions?”.

The only ‘what if’ that really matters is “What if the Pats would have punted”? Afterall, that’s what we’re talking about – the “Call heard round the world”. Well, if the Pats convert on 60% of their 4th downs of 2 yards or less, then apparently Bill thought the Colts would have had a better than 40% chance to score if he had punted.

Even as a Colts fan, I don’t think Peyton’s odds would have been 40% to drive 70+ yards without any timeouts for the win (and that’s thinking Peyton is one of the greatest of all-time).

The bottom line is – you can say the call was ‘gutsy’ or ‘brave’ or whatever you want – the end result is another L for the Pats. The call was terrible. Period. They lost. Onto next week.

Pats fans should still be feeling pretty good, though. They’re still in the drivers seat for their division, they get to seal it next weekend, and other than Pitt and Indy, I just don’t see anyone else having the juice to stop them in the AFC.

As much as I hate the Pats, they’re a damned fine team. But the ‘gutsy’ call last night was just plain dumb.

By: Robert Littal

Robert Littal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:15:14 +0000

All the comments have been so well thought out. I must say you guys are some intelligent readers

By: Robert Littal

Robert Littal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:13:38 +0000

That is a pretty funny comment

By: RJ410

RJ410 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:54:32 +0000

I actually agree with the decision because if they convert, they win, game over. I do disagree with the play. i would have thrown a screen to Welker who I don't think ever gets less than 5 yards on that play all night or to Moss. No route would have been less than 5 yards. The Pats simply could not stop the Colts from scoring at that point no matter where they had the ball and I think they understood that. I think the play was actually much closer than the spot, if not a first down. I am a Bucs fan with no horse in this race, but I would have gone for it, called a better play and if I failed, I would have let the Colts score quickly. Brady would have only needed about a minute to get into field goal range for the win.

By: Pats Fan

Pats Fan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:45:03 +0000

Excellent article!

By: Cheaters don't win

Cheaters don't win — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:47:44 +0000

Statistics aside. They still lost. Cheaters!!!!