Belichick's Genius?

I was as mad as anyone after the Patriots lost to the Colts on Sunday night. I haven't been able to get that 27-20 score out of my mind. The thing that killed me was that the Pats stopped running the football on offense, instead relying on Tom Brady to pass them to a win -- a decision that backfired as Brady wasn't his usual great self. Mr. Super Bowl in the 21st Century was off target all night and tossed four interceptions (three of which were tipped before landing in the hands of the gracious Colt defender) against zero TD's. Just imagine David Ortiz bunting with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning with the Red Sox trailing 3-0. When the Pats put the ball in the hands of Corey Dillon (13 carries/48 yards/2 TD's), Laurence Maroney (13/63), and Kevin Faulk (4/24) they had success. When they put the ball in Brady's hands (20-for-35, 201 yards, 4 INT) they failed. Ultimately, this is why the Patriots lost to the Colts. And this is why, if (when) these two teams meet in the playoffs, the game will be played indoors on the fast carpet of Indianapolis' RCA Dome instead of on the frozen dirt of Gillette Stadium. And what will the Pats offense turn to when (if) that game is played in January? The running game. That will be Belichick's answer to the Colts and their high powered offense. And that is why I think Belichick decided to throw the ball around on Sunday. His line of thinking was to pass, pass, pass in November and damn the consequences so he could run, run, run in January and defeat the Colts for the third time in four years in the postseason. Why give the Colts their gameplan? Why show off their path to success in November when it can be unleashed when the games matter most. Hey, give Manning, Dungy, and all of Indianapolis a false sense of hope now -- all the better to crush their spirits two months from now. Belichick hasn't won three Super Bowls through luck. He didn't earn the respect of the NFL and all of its' followers because he's a dumby. He knows how to win games but he also knows that wins in November mean little if the wins stop coming after New Years Day. Wait until January. Wait until Maroney carries 24 times for 117 yards and a TD. Wait for Dillon to pound away 19 times for 84 yards and 2 TD's. Wait for Brady and Belichick to again crush the Colts in the playoffs, hopefully on their way to a fourth Super Bowl in six years.