Nov 2009 4th and 2 at Indianapolis

[Lifer]

Sunday Night Football. This was the low point when everyone was laughing at Belichick. Colts fans at work the next day were quite gleeful. The dynasty was over. 2 seasons later, how sweet is this? At Indianapolis. Al Michaels and Chris Collingsworth. To win the 4th one, cementing Belichicks place at the top, Bradys place at the time, and the Patriots place along side the Packers, Steelers, and 49ers, in Indianapolis, would be ___________.

 

[PatsDeb]

I have to say I thought that was the dumbest play call ever by BB. It took me a while to get over it. I don't blame other fans for laughing. I would be too if I wasn't a Pats fan.

If we win a 4th superbowl, I will forgive BB for it. (J/K - I forgave him a long time ago. Still a really dumb play call).

Edit - would be awesome, but that would be in any venue.

 

[Gwedd]

Faulk's forward progress made those 2 yards and just a little more. It should've been called. Why it wasn't, only the Refs and Goodell know.

 

[the Patriot]

Going for it was the right move IMO. I'm not sure I agree with the play call though.

 

[JonVaughnTD]

It was the correct move. It's math. Anyone who disagrees simply doesn't get it.

 

[joeyscribe]

It was the right call. It was the right play. They made the first down. Too bad the linesman was affected by the crowd and missed the spot.

 

[Lifer]

Regardless of whether the call was right or wrong, my point was how great it would be for Belichick to go from where he was that night to where he would be Sunday night in the same place, from that ridicule to the very top again and perhaps for all time. And not just Belichick, but the entire franchise. After Colts and Saints games that year the Patriots had the look of the Celtics of the early 90's when the Big 3 were still there but they weren't really contenders anymore (some would say that describes the current team but the original big 3 team is a better parallel as they were a decade long dynasty). To reach the summit again at the home of their arch rival would be magical.

 

[randomk1]

It was the right call to go for it..not sure i like the playcall though..always hated it since that game.

As for the Colts and their fans...**** you, weakass laying down excuse of a franchise. Seems to me that the ******ed little brother will prove to be a better adversary.

 

[ivanvamp]

Faulk's forward progress made those 2 yards and just a little more. It should've been called. Why it wasn't, only the Refs and Goodell know.

The thing about that play is this: Welker was wide open over the middle on that play...no defender within 3 yards of him. It would have been as easy a pitch-and-catch Brady had all day, but he was determined (predetermined by the play design, maybe?) to throw to Faulk. Oh well.....

 

[letekro]

It would have been as easy a pitch-and-catch Brady had all day, but he was determined (predetermined by the play design, maybe?) to throw to Faulk. Oh well.....

Same thing happened on the critical 3rd and shorts in the 2006 and 2011 AFCCG.

 

[Gumby]

Agree on the right call wrong play philosophy.

I hated it then and I hate it now that the Pats can't in a KNOWN RUN play on 3-2 or less or 4-2 or less; come in and stuff the ball on the ground down someone's throat.

The Indy D-line was not that big; we should have been able to have our way with them for 2 yards.

The view of Welker open downfield makes you sick too.

 

[captain stone]

That whole 4-down series was a train wreck. Brady was lucky he wasn't intercepted on 3rd/2.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

My problem wasn't going for it, it was that it was pretty clear that BB only made the decision to go for it once he got to 4th down. The previous three playcalls don't support the idea that they considered themselves in a four-down situation starting the series.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

Faulk's forward progress made those 2 yards and just a little more. It should've been called. Why it wasn't, only the Refs and Goodell know.

Worse part...the same ref is the SB ref for the game. :bricks:

 

[everlong]

So fast forward to Sunday night. There's 90 seconds left and you're up by 4 on your on 40 and it's 4th and 2. Do you punt? It's not Peyton but his luckier than sh!t little brother. Do you want to give him the chance?

 

[brdmaverick]

The decision to go for it (or not go for it) should not be measured strictly by the result of the play. It was a good decision to go for it. They just didn't convert. I'm glad we have a coach that is willing to put himself out there and defy the conventional football wisdom to do what he thinks is best for the team. I'm glad he doesn't play 'by the book' to avoid media criticism.

 

[PrairiePat]

My problem wasn't going for it, it was that it was pretty clear that BB only made the decision to go for it once he got to 4th down. The previous three playcalls don't support the idea that they considered themselves in a four-down situation starting the series.

Not true at all. Watch the 'Football Life' programs on BB; he is already talking about 4th down before the 3rd down play.

Plus there had been numerous times in that show where BB talked about going for it on 4th down 'from anywhere on the field', because he was trying to light a fire under that 2009 team. Well, that fire never really got lit, and they made a quick playoff exit.

 

[PatsDeb]

It was the correct move. It's math. Anyone who disagrees simply doesn't get it.

I respectfully disagree and say you don't get it. It was dumb, dumb, dumb to go for it on 4th & 2 on the 28 when we were sputtering on offense. We could have punted them deep, even if the defense was tired. BB always operates on the idea of "team game" and he didn't let his defense try to bail him out or hang on. We didn't even have that bad a defense back then. I sat there in disbelief watching the game, yelling at the TV, "you are not seriously going for it here! you are not seriously going for it here!" even while they were snapping the ball. Look what happened in 2010 - Peytie Pie was driving for the winning score and our awful D picked him off and ended the game. That could have happened on 4th & 2, too, but NO, BB went for it in a real head scratcher (to me anyway).

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Not true at all. Watch the 'Football Life' programs on BB; he is already talking about 4th down before the 3rd down play.

That just makes the playcalls made even stupider, then.

 

[PatsDeb]

So fast forward to Sunday night. There's 90 seconds left and you're up by 4 on your on 40 and it's 4th and 2. Do you punt? It's not Peyton but his luckier than sh!t little brother. Do you want to give him the chance?

They were on the 28, not the 40 when 4 & 2 happened. I'd still punt if I was on my own side of the field. Would go for it if I was on the other team's 40 (maybe; would still have to think long and hard about it - plus in-game facts matter - have they been moving the ball on us all day and it's a shoot out, or have we been stuffing them all day and it's 14-10?)