4th and Dumb

Bill Belichick’s coaching genius is taken as axiomatic around the NFL, so it’s good to see that nobody’s letting him off the hook for his epic blunder that cost his team a win in the weekend’s best game. Actually, it was a series of head-scratchers that left the Patriots on the wrong end of a 35–34 game at Indianapolis.

First, pass-rushing specialist Tully Banta-Cain injured a rib on a special teams play early in the first quarter and wasn’t a factor the rest of the way. I know it’s smart to put good players on special teams, but not players who are irreplaceable at their regular positions.

Then, in the game’s climactic sequence, the Patriots suddenly seemed intent on blowing a 34–28 lead. They needlessly burned their final two timeouts, then lined up on 4th-and-2 — not to try to draw the Colts offsides, but actually and inexplicably to run a play. Kevin Faulk’s bobble of Tom Brady’s pass led to an unfavorable spot short of the first down marker. Four plays later, Peyton Manning and the Colts were celebrating their go-ahead touchdown.

In one boneheaded sequence, Belichick may have cost his team a shot at homefield advantage in the playoffs while creating a crisis of confidence with his defense, which he apparently doesn’t trust to stop Manning from moving 70 yards in crunch time.

One game won’t chip away significantly at Belichick’s visage on coaching’s Mt. Rushmore. For now, though, let’s file away the genius tag.

Bungles No More

Steelers safety Ryan Clark said it himself: “They’re clearly the best team in the division.”

“They” are the Cincinnati Bengals, who out-Pittsburghed Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh throughout an 18–12 win.

The Bengals defense held Ben Roethlisberger & Co. to four field goals and 226 total yards. Cincy special teams produced the game’s only big play, a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Bernard Scott. The offense, which played the second half without running back Cedric Benson, was turnover-free and produced four second-half Shayne Graham field goals.

The Bengals are 4–0 on the road and an amazing 5–0 in the AFC North, rarefied air for a franchise that has long defined NFL ineptitude. “This is a breath of fresh air to be at this point of the season and to be playing for a reason,” said receiver Chad Ochocinco.

As a bonus, here’s your shocking stat of the day: The Steelers have now allowed a return touchdown in seven straight games.

Knee to the Gut

Another unusual coaching decision is being hailed as genius today, but I’m not convinced, even though it worked out. With a minute and a half left, the Jags trailed the Jets 22–21. Maurice Jones-Drew broke free for an apparent touchdown, but per instructions from his coaches, had the presence of mind to take a knee at the 1-yard line. The Jets, bereft of their timeouts, watched helplessly as the Jags milked the clock before kicking the winning field goal on the game’s final play. “Smartest play of the game,” said Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. “That’s an MVP play right there.”

But was it? Do you ever eschew a sure touchdown to set up a field goal? Granted, it was the distance of an extra point, and those have a 99 percent-plus success rate in the NFL. But Jack Del Rio was one bobbled snap away from joining Bill Belichick in coaching ignominy today.

And all that’s not to mention the angst that Jones-Drew’s fantasy owners are feeling. At least Mo-Jo-Drew had the courtesy to apologize to said owners, himself included. “Sorry to my fantasy owners,” Jones-Drew said. “I apologize. I had myself today. It was a tough call, but whatever it takes to get the victory, that's what counts.”

Terrific Tandem

With apologies to Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson, right now the game’s best, most explosive, most productive and most entertaining quarterback-running back tandem resides in Tennessee. Since Vince Young’s insertion into the starting lineup, the Titans are 3–0 and are averaging 35 points and 374 yards per game. Granted, some of those points have come courtesy of a suddenly big-play defense, but Young’s presence has seemingly energized the entire franchise. The primary beneficiary has been Johnson, who has been in another world the last three weeks — 631 yards rushing and receiving, 6.6 yards per rush, six touchdowns. Over that same span, Young has completed 71 percent of his passes for 507 yards, two touchdowns and only one interception. He’s also rushed for 73 yards and a score. The three-game tally for the dynamic twosome: 1,075 yards of total offense, nine touchdowns. “Defenses, they have to choose,” Johnson said. “Do you want to stop 10 [Young]? Or do you want to stop [28]? That’s what me and Vince say every day. Whichever one you choose to stop, the other one is going to have a good day.” Three of them in a row, in fact.

Ageless in Minneapolis

In this, the greatest season of his Hall of Fame career, Brett Favre seems incapable of playing a bad game. The 40-year-old threw for a season-high 344 yards and a touchdown in a 27–10 win over the Lions and had his sixth interception-free game of the season to run his season passer rating to 107.5, tops in the NFL and easily the best of his career. For the season, he’s thrown only three interceptions; last season, he had two three-interception games.

“We came in with our first goal, which was to stop Adrian Peterson, but with Favre landing bombs like he did it was kind of hard,” linebacker DeAndre Levy said. “It throws off everyone, from the D-line to the cornerbacks.”

I know what you’re thinking — big deal, it was the Lions, who became the second team in NFL history to lose 31 games in a 33-game span. I say, just shut up and enjoy the greatest final act in recent NFL history.