I can imagine not wanting to give the ball back to Peyton Manning with the game on the line, but boy oh boy, its one hell of a gamble. I can imagine a scenario where Bill Belichick and Ernie Adams are sitting around running “what ifs” by each other under florescent lights in the wee hours of the night. When the situation that arose once in the past, of giving the ball back to Manning at the end of a game, I see it playing out where they are evaluating down and distance and recent offensive success in the game to the times and situations. I wonder if they came to the conclusion that this offense picking up two yards to ice the game was a better option than giving the ball to Manning ANYWHERE on the field.
It’s a possible reality or it could be just a feel thing. One way or another Belichick gambled. Gambling on Brady isn’t such a bad idea either. One thing is for sure, and that is the team doesn’t belong to Belichick but to the team as a whole. He undoubtedly showed he felt he was giving his team the best chance to win. This isn’t absurd when the option is to give the ball back to Manning even if it would have forced him to drive around 70 yards to a victory. Remember that same Manning had two touchdown drives of almost 80 yards already in that QUARTER. This might be damage control taking place after that obvious lack of confidence in their defense. On the other hand, it showed that he truly believes in his offense, and it wouldn’t completely surprise me if he replicated this in the future. These sort of decisions aren’t to worry about offending one aspect of your team, it’s about trying to get a win.
I think the most surprising aspect was the way the Patriots spent their last two timeouts. If they had a timeout left it would have been interesting to see how the officials reviewed the play. It is a tough call, that is not in question, and would it have been easy and truer to the percentages to have just punted it away; sure it would have been. That said, I give him credit for making such a gamble, and keep in mind he was gambling on Brady and an offense that was clicking on all cylinders earlier in the game. Putting the game on one play when you don’t have to is always going to be the unfavorable move, but that’s why it was called a gamble.

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