Insider: Belichick always has been unconventional

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ProFootballWeekly.com - Insider: Belichick always has been unconventional

The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

• "Everyone says the Patriots should have punted — Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi both ripped Bill Belichick's decision to go for it (on fourth down against Indianapolis). But I have two thoughts on it: One, when has Belichick ever played the odds? If you go down that road, this is the guy who benched his starting veteran quarterback (Drew *Bledsoe) when he returned from injury. He is short on safeties so he plays (LB) Don Davis there. Everyone said, 'You can't do that.' Belichick did — in a Super Bowl! He was short on cornerbacks, so he lined up a veteran receiver (Troy Brown) in the slot. 'You can't do that.' He didn't have a fullback so he had (OG) Russ Hochstein go play fullback. He has never been a conformist. My only question — he already lost (OLB Rob) Ninkovich and (OLB Tully) Banta-Cain, so he knew he was not going to get a rush on (Peyton) Manning. They went to an empty backfield on the final play. If this is the Colts' defense of 2008, that would have been a linebacker covering (Kevin) Faulk, not a safety. And you can go back and study it, but the Colts probably played press coverage 5 percent of the time under Ron Meeks. I don't think Belichick expected that coverage when he went to an empty set. I think he expected man-off and thought Faulk would have been covered by a linebacker. My question is: Did he get the matchup he was expecting? I don't think he did."

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

It is what it is - rematch next year after the Chargers clock out the Colts and NE gets another Vince.

 

[Patspsycho]

I mentioned that it was a rare press and BB probably saw it but had no timeouts to call and adjust.

I wondered why Brady didn't take an intentional delay of game so he could be audibled a change of play, and I was called an idiot.

Give the Colts credit. They also gambled huge on on that play as well.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

They should have punted and put Brady in as outside linebacker. Then we could really talk about Brady vs. Manning.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

I mentioned that it was a rare press and BB probably saw it but had no timeouts to call and adjust.

I wondered why Brady didn't take an intentional delay of game so he could be audibled a change of play, and I was called an idiot.

LOL Are you serious

Take a delay of game penalty and be pushed back even further so it`s no longer 4th and 2

 

[hyperpat]

Watching the play again (and again), it seems to me that Welker is open four yards deeper on a short drag pattern across the middle, whereas Faulk is right at the sticks. If Brady hits Welker, its game over.

None of this changes my opinion, however, that the Pats will beat the Colts in a playoff rematch.

 

[Gumby]

welker was open but the ref was standing between him and brady at the best point to lay that pass in. do you really want to take the chance the ref actually ducks and welker still sees the ball into his hands?

 

[BelichickFan]

I wondered why Brady didn't take an intentional delay of game so he could be audibled a change of play, and I was called an idiot.

4th and 2 is a far different play call scenario than 4th and 7. I fully agree with Belichick going on 4th and 2. But not on 4th and 7.

 

[Patspsycho]

It's a passing play. A five yard difference in a pass play is purely psychological. According to NFL advanced stats, the conversion rate on 4th and 2 is 77% and 4th and 7 is 56% if you follow their graph on 4th down conversions. That is still better than 50%

 

[BelichickFan]

According to NFL advanced stats, the conversion rate on 4th and 2 is 77% and 4th and 7 is 56% if you follow their graph on 4th down conversions. That is still better than 50%

77%. 56%.

Humongous difference.

 

[jbb9s]

4th and 2 is a far different play call scenario than 4th and 7. I fully agree with Belichick going on 4th and 2. But not on 4th and 7.

i think the poster you are responding to was implying that Brady could take a 5 yard penalty and then they could run out the punt team.

I can only assume, however, that if Brady was not comfortable with the defense and the play they had called, he would have audibled out of it. I don't remember the play clock though. Does this mean he didn't see the matchup coming? Even if he did, he still thought he would get to the 30 - and they did so blame it on the bobble not Brady.

Either way, although it hurt, it doesnt matter - the Pats weren't going to catch them for the #1 seed anyway so they go there for the AFCCG and now they know they can play with those guys. Throw in Green, TBC, and Warren, maybe Morris and Taylor and the Pats are back to their 5th SB in 9 years. But lets not get ahead of ourselves here.

 

[Gwedd]

i think the poster you are responding to was implying that Brady could take a 5 yard penalty and then they could run out the punt team.

I can only assume, however, that if Brady was not comfortable with the defense and the play they had called, he would have audibled out of it. I don't remember the play clock though. Does this mean he didn't see the matchup coming? Even if he did, he still thought he would get to the 30 - and they did so blame it on the bobble not Brady.

Either way, although it hurt, it doesnt matter - the Pats weren't going to catch them for the #1 seed anyway so they go there for the AFCCG and now they know they can play with those guys. Throw in Green, TBC, and Warren, maybe Morris and Taylor and the Pats are back to their 5th SB in 9 years. But lets not get ahead of ourselves here.

I agree, and I look forward to the rematch in the playoffs..

 

[BelichickFan]

i think the poster you are responding to was implying that Brady could take a 5 yard penalty and then they could run out the punt team.

No, this was discussed in a previous thread. He's convinced that 4th and 7 is close enough to 4th and 2 (especially if you're throwing, as we were) that it's not a big difference and we could have taken the penalty, come out in a new formation and still gone for it on 4th and 7.