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Chuckie gets Belichick's back

Posted by Albert Breer  November 16, 2009 11:45 PM
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Funny exchange just went down on Monday Night Football, as the Ravens-Browns game crawls to a finish.

Play-by-play man Mike Tirico set up the debate for analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski -- Did Patriots coach Bill Belichick make the right call in going for it on fourth-and-2 on Sunday night?

"Well, with access to the results, it’s easy to say it wasn’t a wise choice," Jaworski said. "When it first happened, I said, ‘Well, punt the football, make Peyton Manning go 70 or 80 yards.’ But then I thought, ‘Wait a minute, Peyton had just gone 70 or 80 yards twice in that quarter.’

"So maybe the best thing is when you got a hot Peyton Manning, you give the ball to your future Hall of Fame quarterback and let him try to make a play. It’s easy to second guess when you’ve got the results, but Belichick’s been a guy that’s unconventional, will make tough decisions, and he did. But what I would’ve done? I would’ve punted the football."

A smirking Gruden then stepped in: "That’s long, drawn-out explanation, man. How you gonna dismiss coach Belichick? Give me a break." And after a commercial, Gruden shared his perspective.

"Well, I’m not 180 like you are," Gruden said to Jaworski. "I’m gonna be consistent with what I said. I agree with the call. I went against Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football. We had a 35-14 lead with five minutes left, and we punted it to him – Not once, twice. And he ended my night. Peyton Manning is that good.

"I don’t care how good your defense is, and whose feelings you hurt. You got Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, they had the play they liked, and really they had the matchup they wanted. They just didn’t execute the play. How you gonna fault Bill Belichick?"

Seconds later, the broadcast cut to the game that Gruden referenced, from Oct. 6, 2003.

"Thanks a lot," Gruden said, laughing. "This is the guy right here – I told you his name is The Sheriff, he always gets his man. And when you have Tom Brady against Peyton Manning, it’s gonna come down to those two quarterbacks. This guy right here, I don’t care how good you play defense, Jaws, that guy is the best I’ve ever seen.

"He got his man again last night."

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