Other than not converting on 4th & 2 and allowing Peyton Manning and the Colts to score from 28 yards out with 2 minutes left in the game, here's 5 other reasons why the New England Patriots lost last night that could have salvaged a win if successful.
Maroney Fumbling On The 1 Yard Line
Laurence Maroney was handed the ball four yards out and fumbled on the 1 yard line. Even if he hadn't scored on that play, even if he was just tackled on the 1, the clock would have continued running with 2:41 left in the third quarter. The Patriots could have scored on the following play or even kicked a field goal if they were unable to punch it in, giving them a larger lead.
Points Off Turnovers
In the fourth quarter, the Patriots intercepted Peyton Manning and took it back to the Colts 31 yard line with 7:44 left in the game. At the time, that Pats were up 31-21 and had control of the clock. The Patriots ran six plays (3 run, 3 pass) taking three and a half minutes off the clock and getting 3 points on a Gostkowski field goal of 36 yards, increasing their lead to 13 points. If the Pats were able to stay on the field and run more clock or even best case, punch it in for 6, the game would have ended differently.
Defense, Defense, Defense
Everyone in the NFL knows that Peyton Manning can and will make all the halftime adjustments that he needs to make and can come back from any amount of deficit. On any given possession at any given time in the 4th quarter, if the Patriots were able to make that one third down stop that they needed to make, they wouldn't have lost the trust of their coach to have their backs to the wall with a 6 point lead from 28 yards out.
Clock Management
I don't think that the time out called before the final offensive drive had anything to do with this loss. I don't feel that having that time out would have changed any of the decisions or the outcome of the game. I think the play calling and inability to run out the clock when they needed to gave Peyton Manning and the Colts too much time and too many chances to win this game.
On Purpose
As a die hard conspiracy theorist, did Bill Belichick lose on purpose to see everything he could see from the Colts in the two minute drill to prepare for the playoffs? Think long and hard about it before you come to a decision. We just saw everything the Colts will do at home, down by 17 with the chance to come back and win. How will we beat them when it counts? By game planning against everything they just did. Whether we won or lost, the Colts most likely will have home field advantage, so we know exactly what we'd have to go into in the AFC Championship game. I can't wait to see that game in January.
Thanks to jdn for the photo of Bill Belichick.
Give this article a standing ovation? Tell the world below!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Without a doubt – Bill’s surprising move at the end of the game was NOT the reason the Patriots lost. Maroney’s fumble was huge blow to the team. There is no excuse for that other then sloppy play. But did we lose the game on purpose? I have a really hard time believing that one.
More from author
Why is it hard to believe. Win or Loss, we’d be facing Indy in the AFC Championship this season. Now we know what they have in store for us in the 2 minute drill with a short field, down by a TD.
We are now fully prepared to beat them when it matters.
More from author
I don’t think we lost on purpose, as much as Bill didn’t really care if we won or loss and instead wanted to see how they’d react.
Basically his #1 goal was to learn and his #2 goal was to win.
And what’s the lesson?
If you give the Colts the ball on the 28 with two minutes left, let them score immediately, leaving time for a field goal drive. Playing defense at that point was, well, pointless.
More from author
Ah, but what if the team doesn’t score even if they are given an open field? MJD against the Jets, taking a knee at the one and running the clock down then kicking a game winning field goal so the Jets don’t get the ball back with time on the clock and a chance to score. I’m sure Peyton would tell his guys to do the same thing. He’s a pretty smart football player.
Hopefully we will see them again in the AFC Championship (and not the Divisional round).
More from author
Well, at the least we should’ve pushed Addai in instead of tackling him at the 1, that was the real bone headed play.
More from author
Thanks Josh for using my photo!
I’ve been a Pats fan since childhood, my dad and his brothers had season tickets and I suffered through decades of bad play, bad ownership, bad traffic and a crappy stadium.
My kids only know the ‘good’ Pats, the champions, the teams with classy players like Troy Brown and Tedy Bruschi, and all of that has come in large part courtesy of Coach Belichick.
So as I sat there last night with my son, watching them blow a 17 point lead, have two turnovers in the end zone, etc. I knew we were doomed last night. I’m not quite ready to believe that BB lost on purpose, but I wouldn’t put anything past him.
What I need more than anything is a blow out of the Jets, with the defense leading the way. Sacks, interceptions, pick sixes, that’s what this D needs to regain its mojo.
More from author
Thank you Jack.
I’ve seen a bit of both sides of the Patsies, never the extreme losing season, but the ever so great under .500 teams of the early to mid 90’s. I must say, the newer generation Patriots are much healthier for the heart.
You’re right about the defense, but it kills me that they didn’t make the stops that they needed to last night. Whether that final drive was 28 yards or 70 yards, either way, they were expected and trusted to make the stop.
More from author
How about the mid to late 80’s Pats? Andre Tippet, Irving Fryar, Steve Grogan, and so on. Great players and even greater uniforms.
One thing I did consider last night, Belichick may have lost on purpose to put the undefeated season pressure on the Colts. Other than the Broncos, the rest of the Colts schedule is filled with mediocre teams.
More from author
Just accept the loss, BB’s arrogance influenced his decision making and therefore it backfired on him. When it is all said and done, Peyton and the Colts won. NE outplayed them for most of the game and should have finished them off but didn’t. This game may have further implications down the road and we’ll just have to wait see how much. I also disagree with your last reason. Do you really think BB would purposely lose a game of this magnitude, with more than likely homefield advantage in the playoffs on the line? I think he would take homefield advantage any day, plus there could be another loss down the road. You only do that when you know there is nothing else to lose. It’s also not a guarantee that they will meet again.
I don’t think that BB going for it was as big of a deal as everyone is making it out to be. The Defense was playing horrible in the 4th and they looked completely gassed. You know that if they converted that 4th down, everyone in the media would be going “Oh my god, BB is such a genius!”
I feel that BB will sit down with the Defense this week, admit to them that he made a mistake, and they’ll go out and beat the Jets. The Patriots will be fine. Aside from the New Orleans Monday night game in two weeks, they have a very easy easy schedule and should cruise to the playoffs and a first round bye with a 12-4 record at worst.
While I don’t want to believe that #5 could be true, I accept that it is possible. After all, BB is like Darth Vader in a hoodie. It’s nice to see an article that doesn’t automatically say that BB lost the game. If the Pats had played mistake-free football, the game wouldn’t have come down to that (in hindsight) ridiculous call.
More from author
Interestingly enough, check out this article that shows the percentages of winning are higher for going for it on 4th and 2 than punting it!
Honestly it makes sense. Punt the ball and watch the Colts drive down the field or convert then and run the clock out. Going for it doesn’t concern me. Not standing down on defense afterwards does.
More from author