[Porsche-O-Phile]

Patriots can't constantly rely on their defense to be able to stay on the field so long, especially when they need to constantly run deep route coverage against a QB that loves to take shots down the field. It wears 'em down. 'specially after a game like S.D. a week ago. They looked tired and it got the best of 'em. Three red zone TDs? Very uncharacteristic. Possession time killed them in the 3rd & 4th quarters and Brady's 3-and-outs didn't help matters any in giving the D a rest.

That said, while the defense being on the field too much certainly killed them, the stupid penalties were a factor too. 12 guys in the huddle?!?! You gotta be *****ting me. They don't make that bonehead mistake, they get their first down, end up with a TD or at least another FG and it's a completely different game. Same with the call down at the 5-yard-line. Difference between a goal-line stand and FG for Indy versus a TD (made by their linebacker, no less). Overall a pretty clean game, but when you're that closely matched, one or two bonehead moves like that are a death sentence - and they were. ANY of those penalties going the other way could easily have made the difference, and likely would have.

The obvious game-winner was the final pick-off. If Brady makes that completion (or even if he doesn't and it's an incomplete pass), I guarantee they'd have gotten in the end zone and we'd be looking at Patriots/Bears in XLI in wake of yet another Brady "hurry up" victory. He went 50+ yards in 20 seconds. The last 25-or-so should have been the easy part, especially with time outs remaining. Gotta' hand it to the Colts' D on that one. That absolutely was the game winner and Brady will/should be kicking himself in the ass for that one all winter.

Doubt you'll ever see that mistake made again by him though. . .