Pats’ loss tough to swallow

    Monday morning came far too early for New England Patriots fans following Sunday night’s disappointing loss to Indianapolis. Sunday night’s game between the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts certainly lived up to the massive amount of hype surrounding it.     Dubbed the “Rivalry of the Decade” by Sunday Night Football’s television program, the game featured two of the game’s best quarterbacks of the modern era — Patriots’ Tom Brady and Colts’ Peyton Manning — going toe-to-toe in a high scoring affair.
    If only one bone-headed decision by Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick in the final two minutes of the game had not ruined everything, that is.
    With the Patriots leading 34-28, coach Belichick’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-two from the Pats’ own 28-yard line with 2:08 to play left television analysts, national sports writers, and sports fans in general scratching their heads. Why not punt the ball and force the Colts to drive the majority of the field with time against them?
    The answer? Ego.
    In a move normally reserved for playing Madden NFL 10 on Xbox 360 Live video games, the Patriots decided to try for the first down when logic would dictate that punting the ball made more sense.
    Even more curious was the formation that New England selected. In choosing a five wide receiver set, the Pats took away even the slightest notion of running the ball, allowing the Colt defenders to merely sit at first-down line and wait for the receivers to come to them. Brady completed his pass to shifty running back Kevin Faulk, who at first seemed to have enough for the first down, but the referees spotted the ball inches short of the mark.
    Why not try a fullback dive to pick up the two needed yards? After all, that was precisely what New England did in its game against Atlanta Week three in the season and it worked flawlessly.
    On Boston talk radio station WEEI Monday afternoon, Belichick defended his call, stating he felt it gave his team the best chance to win. There is truth to that. Had New England picked up the first down odds are the Pats could have run out the clock to win the game.
    In reality, what the coach was really saying was he did not have faith that his defense could stop Manning and the Colts from essentially driving the length of the field. Indianapolis burned two of its timeouts before the two-minute warning, meaning the Colts had just one chance to stop the clock after the two-minute warning.
    Even former New England players Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi, who are now analysts with Sunday Night Football and ESPN respectively, were overly critical of the coach’s decision.
    Belichick is no stranger to making difficult, and often controversial, decisions. Back in 2001, when then-starter Drew Bledsoe was fully healed from a nasty chest injury, the coach decided to stick with the relative-unknown Brady over the longtime quarterback. In 2003, he cut veteran starting safety Lawyer Milloy five days before the start of the season. And just this year, he traded away defensive stalwarts, and team leaders, Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour.
    Sunday’s loss has likely cost New England any chance of home field advantage throughout the playoffs, as the Pats are now three games behind the Colts in the AFC. Home field advantage is huge in New England. Just ask the Oakland Raiders. Now, any hopes of returning to the Super Bowl will mean another trip to Indianapolis.
    Lost in the negatives of game’s ending were several positives from Sunday night’s game. Left tackle Sebastian Vollmer did an exceptional job filling in for the injured Matt Light. Vollmer handled Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney for most of the night, allowing Brady the time to hit his receivers.
    And hit them he did, at least in the first half.
    New England led 24-14 at halftime, with wide receiver Randy Moss tallying 144 yards and a score. All signs pointed to a Pats rout, but in the second half, the offense sputtered. Brady finished the day completeing 29-of-42 passes for 375 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Manning was just a little better, completing 28-of-44 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns, with one pick.
    Of course, had the Patriots converted on what is sure to be known as “the play” and gone on to win, all of this would have been a moot point. Belichick would have been showered with praise for having the intestinal fortitude to make a tough call on the road.
    Sports fans are fickle that way. Win, and you’re loved. Lose, and you’re skewered. That’s how it is with sports.
    Joseph Cyr is the Sports Editor for The Star Herald in Presque Isle and The Aroostook Republican and News in Caribou and a staff writer for The Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at joe.cyr@live.com.