The New York Jets probably have better talent than the New England Patriots, but during the NFL regular season it certainly didn’t seem that way. The Jets upset the Pats Sunday because they out-coached Bill Belichick and his staff. Period. As much of a genius as I usually regard the hooide to be; he looked like kind of a moron Sunday night.
By Paul M. Banks
Now I said right after the loss that the decision to bench Wes Welker was DUMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Granted Welker was benched for only the first series, and he still led the team in receptions with seven on the day. But he dropped a sure TD pass in garbage time, and overall his yards per catch was way below his average.
Basically, Welker wasn’t himself. Meaning….the Jets got in his head- because Belichick let him.
The whole point of their smack talk was to gain a psychological edge, and Belichick’s bone-headed decision to NOT have all hands on deck the entire game (which is what you do in all postseason games. period) backfired badly.
Thinking you can win without playing Welker makes you look extremely arrogant. Or rather “Jet like.”
So congratulations, you let the Jets beat you by letting their mind games control your decision-making.
Great article, by the Fox Sports Kevin Hench, who brought up another example of why Welker’s benching backfired horribly for the Pats:
So what happened on that first possession?
On first-and-10 at the Jets’ 28, the Patriots called an ill-advised screen pass to BenJarvus Green-Ellis, which Tom Brady airmailed, leading to a pick and a 58-yard return by David Harris.
Green-Ellis had been targeted a total of 16 times all season, catching 12 passes. Welker was targeted 122 times, hauling in 86 receptions, including countless quick screens. Had Welker been on the field on that first possession, it’s not unreasonable to assume the Patriots would not have gone to the BenJarvus Green-Ellis-as-primary-receiver well.
Hench brought up the botched fake punt attempt, and I’m not sure I agree with him completely or not on whether that decision was bone-headed or not. I think I need more inside info about it. But I do agree with him about the Pats terrible lack of discipline, and dumb penalties.
Most importantly, and this made me want to rip my f%^&ng hair out, the 8 minute drive to nowhere in crunch time; where the Patriots lollygagged the whole time despite being down two scores, and time running out.
it’s less clear how much of the blame Belichick should bear for his team’s glacial, 7-minute, 45-second fourth-quarter drive down by two scores.
If it’s possible to play with less of a sense of urgency than the Eagles displayed down the stretch of Super Bowl XXXIX, the Patriots pulled it off. On several plays during what became the death march of their season, the Pats used the entire play clock despite trailing by 10. When they finally turned it over on downs on a drop by Deion Branch, the game was essentially over.
The only reason I didn’t bring it up yesterday was because I was still too blind with rage to actually form a coherent post criticizing it. Finally, Hench brings up some numbers that I meant to post as well. There are some simple facts that convey how the Patriots are anything but an empire anymore. Some people think they’re the NFL version of the L.A. Lakers or the New York Yankees, a front-runner team for douchebag frat boys to adore, but they’re really not.
(Even though the Pats fan base does still have plenty of annoying front runner frat boy douchebags within its boundaries.)
In his past three playoff games, Bill Belichick has been favored by a total of 24-1/2 points and gone 0-3 while being outscored 78-49.
Since winning his third Super Bowl after the 2004 season, Belichick is 5-5 in his past 10 playoff games, including a 38-34 loss to the Colts in the 2006 AFC Championship Game in which the Pats led 21-3.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net. He’s also a regular contributor to the Tribune’s Chicago Now network, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com.
He does a weekly radio segment on Chicagoland Sports Radio.com and Cleveland.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank