A Football Move

I subject myself to sports because I like winning, but I have to accept that sometimes I lose. Some victories are sweeter than others and some losses are more bitter. Sunday’s Patriots game was among those all-time terrible losses that will live with me forever. Playing the undefeated Colts, The Pats took an early lead and held it until :20 seconds remained in the game… I could not sleep on Sunday night and since then the pain has lingered but subsided. True, it will never be as bad (I hope hope hope) as losing the 2007 Superbowl with :34 seconds left, but it was excruciating to watch them blow it in the final quarter. And then there was Bill. In one of the most unconventional play-calls ever, Belichick kept his offense on the field for 4th and 2 at their own 29 yard line, nursing a 6 point lead with 2 minutes remaining. Conventional wisdom has the team punting every time and bringing on their defense to stop the Colts, but Peyton and co. were on a roll, having scored touchdowns on 2 consecutive 80 yard drives in 2 minutes. So Coach went for the win right then and there, counting on his offense to gain 2 yards in one play rather than grant the Horseshoes 2 minutes to go 70+ yards. It was a stunning call and unfortunately did not work out as hoped, a completed pass tackled a foot shy of the finish line.
BB got HAMMERED in the media for that play, but I believe he made the right call. Not only that, but I love that he went for it and defied everyone’s expectations. I don’t know if there’s another coach who would do that (and to be fair, not many have an offense like the Pats) but Bill stands alone, making calculations completely independent of the textbook. He lost the gamble, but it was a risk either way and he chose what he believed to be the safer bet. If I were a football coach, I would like to be able to play like that, but the truth is I probably wouldn’t because people lose their jobs for taking football wisdom into their own heads. He will be eternally mocked, but also respected, for his unorthodox approach, not unlike my favorite character in literature, Howard Roark. I wish that events had transpired differently on that play and that I had slept well that night, but what happened happened, the team suffered a crucial loss and stirred up a controversy, yet I can’t help but love my team for playing to win, rather than just playing not to lose.