Bill Belichick: Bone Head of the Week

Good Monday morning loyal reader, I'm back for another edition of Bone Head of the Week .

First let me start out the article by confessing that I had not intended to watch football this weekend.

At about two in the morning Friday I was awoken by my one year old son screaming from his bed.

I had assumed like most parents that he probably wet himself and was uncomfortable and wanted his daddy to get out of his nice warm bed to change him.

I was wrong though, when I lifted him up he was burning up.  I woke my wife and we took his temperature.  It was pushing 103.

We rushed him to the doctor and found out he had contracted the dreaded Swine Flu.

Needless to say I didn't sleep the rest of Friday and because the risk of bacterial infection is so great amongst infants with H1N1 that I spent my entire Friday night watching over my sleeping baby.

With my son sick and the Redskins playing so terribly I had not only written off football this Sunday, but it was tough to see the point in watching it.

Saturday night my son's fever broke and I was less worried and was actually able to sleep.  I awoke Sunday morning to a happy and well baby boy.  My son was crawling all over me and just laughing up a storm.

I took his temperature one more time and he was back to normal.

However, between the sleeplessness nights and the worrying, I had lost my concept of time and had no idea what day it was.  It was roughly three or so in the afternoon when my son was playing with the remote to the television that he stumbled upon football.

So my viewing started late, but at least it started and with a healthy baby I was able to concentrate and enjoy my afternoon.

Now, with that out of the way, on to the bone heads.

So, after watching the afternoon games I thought I was all set for my article. 

The award was going to be a tie between Green Bay Packer's coach Mike McCarthy and the officials in the Packers, Cowboys game.

McCarthy was going to get the award because of his attempt at a third challenge, even though he had failed on a previous challenge, which could have also contributed to the award since his player was clearly down at the one and he basically threw away the challenge and time out.

The officials were to receive the award because first they didn't know the rule on challenging a loose ball, and because after McCarthy threw out his third challenge instead of telling the coach that he was out of challenges they went ahead a wasted at least two minutes reviewing the play before coming out onto the field and telling the stadium that they couldn't review the play.

The topper is all of that took place within minutes of each other.  It felt like we went from a professional football game to amateur hour.

However I do feel there is something wrong with both rules.  First off on the fumble that Dallas wanted reviewed that play should be reviewable.  As much as I hate Dallas, Jone had control of that ball and was down so the Boys should have retained possession.

Secondly throwing out a phantom challenge flag should at the very least cost a team a time-out or a delay of game penalty.

I mean, if calling back to back time-outs is a personal foul a phantom challenge should at least net a five yard penalty.  The Pack basically got a free time-out. 

If I was a head coach in the league and my defense looked gassed or my offense was about to get a delay of game penalty and I was out of challenges I'd toss the flag out there.  Even if the officials realize I'm out of challenges I've still bought my team some time to rest or get to the line and snap the ball.

That span of maybe ten minutes in the Packers game was what was going to garner the Bone Head of the Week award this week, but apparently I had gotten ahead of myself.

The Sunday night game was still to be played (also Monday night, but I don't think it will top Belichick).

In a game that looked to be all but over at the start of the fourth quarter had a few surprises left in it.

I've never been one to count out Peyton Manning, but this wasn't the Colts against just anybody.  The opposite team was the New England Patriots.  Surely Tom Brady and the boys could control enough clock that a 17 point lead with 15 minutes to play would be enough.

It wasn't.

In the final two and half minutes we saw the normally cool Patriots (still up by six mind you) burn through two unnecessary time-outs and go for it on a risky fourth and two.

Did Belichick not read the scoreboard right and thought his team was down by six?

Regardless of his confidence in his defense you can't go for it deep in your own territory like that on fourth down at any point in the game, that is, unless you're losing in the last three minutes.

Instead of Peyton have a long field and short amount of time to go, with the time-outs and going for it on forth down, the Colts had a lot of time and a short field.

Of course Manning and Wayne hooked up for the game winning score with 13 seconds.

So with what some call a gamble, but I call Belichick losing his ever loving mind, I award him the coveted Bone Head of the Week Award.

I think it will look quite nice in the trophy case next to those three Lombardis.