"If the Patriots' Week 16 game had gone far differently than what it inevitably became, which was a win, the conversation on Monday would be all about a head-scratching decision that immediately doomed their chances of leaving Baltimore the victors. Fortunately, that didn't come back to haunt them, and a fourth-quarter comeback led by Drake Maye allowed them to tie the Broncos for the best record in the league and maintain their one-game edge over the Bills for the AFC East."
"But, at the same time, the decision to go for it on 4th-and-10 with a fake punt is not something that should just be glossed over because it didn't end up becoming the crutch on which they could blame their loss. It's a move that was uncharacteristic of this coaching staff and cannot continue over the last two weeks, or into the playoffs, or we will be having a much different discussion about the 2025 Patriots than anyone wanted to have."
The Patriots rallied in the fourth quarter with Drake Maye leading a comeback that preserved a win and kept them tied with the Broncos for the league's best record while holding a one-game AFC East lead over the Bills. Earlier in the game the team settled for a field goal on 4th-and-2, yet later attempted a fake punt on 4th-and-10, a far riskier call that deviated from the season-long fourth-down pattern. The team had converted roughly 70% of fourth-down attempts before Sunday, making the fake punt a baffling, potentially game-deciding gamble. Mike Vrabel said the play had been practiced and he felt confident, but the failed attempt underscored concerns about uncharacteristic risk-taking late in the season and the need to avoid similar choices in the remaining games and playoffs.
Read at Musket Fire
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]