4th & 2

On Sunday, Peyton Manning & Tom Brady renewed their rivalry as the Colts & Patriots took the field for what would become a game for the decade. Prior to the game, the friendly rivalry between both team's quarterbacks was described similar to the one held by Magic Johnson & Larry Bird. However the game itself was no friendly a fair. Although the quarterbacks were sure to make headlines, it was a decision made by New England head coach Bill Belichick that stole the spotlight. With a little more than 2 minutes left on the clock and the ball on the 30-yard line, Belichick decided to go for it with a 6 point lead, only to come up short.

After a New England turnover, Manning & the Colts only had to march some 29 yards and scored the winning touchdown four plays later. Manning's favorite receiver Reggie Wayne made a leaping grab in the end-zone with 16 seconds remaining, as Wayne finished the day with a total of 126 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 receptions. It wasn't long before Belichick took some serious heat after his risky late game decision, as he addressed the media soon after the game. Monday was no different as Belichick was slammed by just about every analyst possible, including some of his former players. Former Patriot Tedy Bruschi played under Belichick for 9 seasons and criticized his former head coach by saying "His decision to go for it was a slap in the face to the defense by showing he didn't have faith in them."

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Pats held a 17-point lead but failed to hold on as they lost the game 35-34. Although the decision to go for it on 4th down has been a success for Bill Belichick in recent years, this one just might linger in the coach's mind for quite some time. As for his quarterback, Tom Brady said "I Loved the decision made by coach Belichick, I never question his decision."