Who Deserves More Blame for Patriots' Loss, Bill Belichick or Tom Brady?

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will certainly both get their fair share of heat for New England's loss in Super Bowl XLVI, and there is definitely a lot of blame to go around. While Brady wasn't as perfect under center as we've come to expect from him in the past, Belichick is the one who probably deserves the most scrutiny.

While he's undoubtedly one of the best head coaches in NFL history, Sunday night was not Belichick's best performance. His clock management over the final five minutes of the game was puzzling, and I still can't believe some of the mistakes he made. 

Allowing the Giants to score with 57 seconds to go was the right call, but Belichick lost the game well before that decision was made. When he challenged Mario Manningham's spectacular sideline grab, that was where he lost me.

While Manningham's reception was certainly borderline at full speed, Belichick should have saved his timeout. It happened right in front of him, so maybe he thought he saw a slight bobble or a foot draft on the white out-of-bounds line. But still, there were two officials right on top of the call, and he had to know that once the Giants got the ball back on that possession, there was very little chance of his defense holding them scoreless.

With the way Eli Manning had performed in the clutch all season long and with how porous New England's secondary had been all year, Belichick's goal should have been to preserve as much time as possible.

If the defense stopped the Giants, great, then it would be an opportunity for Brady and company to run the clock out. If not, his 34-year-old quarterback would have ample time to move the ball down the field.

Instead, the Patriots got the ball back with just 57 seconds to go and only one timeout. Yes, there were some drops on that final possession that, if caught, could have led to a different ending. But everything on that final drive seemed rushed. With more time, things could have been different.

I would normally never question Belichick, given his track record. But, even at the time, I thought challenging Manningham's catch was a make-or-break decision that could end up costing his team greatly. It turned out to be the wrong call, and as a result, the Giants were able to chip away at the clock and leave Brady without enough time to make some magic happen.

You can blame the loss on bad luck or a few tough breaks, but if you're looking to question someone on New England's sideline, the man in the hoodie is who you should level your gaze at.