It was a gutsy gamble, the type of bold decision that only a veteran Super Bowl coach with multiple rings in his pocket and balls of brass could make. Despite being deep in his own territory and up by less than a touchdown, Bill Belichick bucked the odds and made a well-calculated call, relying on his two most clutch veterans to execute a simple toss. Tom Brady fit the ball in perfectly to Kevin Faulk, one of the NFL's best critical-down performers, running a quick out route from the slot at precisely the right depth to move the sticks and effectively end the game.

But Belichick was not prepared for Colts S Melvin Bullitt to react so quickly, disrupt the ball and drill Faulk back almost to the line of scrimmage with a jarring hit after Faulk gained control of the ball he initially bobbled. With the Colts already having scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and momentum swinging clearly in their favor, the decision would have been praised as genius had it worked, as it would have prevented the Colts' greatest asset from touching the ball again with a hot hand.

Hindsight is 20-20 and it's easy to pile on Belichick for making the unconventional call and shortening the field, but based on Peyton Manning's unique ability to dissect a defense in a two-minute situation, and the Patriots' defense, without Ty Warren, Jarvis Green and Shawn Springs, having already shown signs of wearing down against the Colts' fast-paced, no-huddle offense, Belichick determined in a blink of an eye that his chances were greatest trusting his own Pro Bowl quarterback to make a play rather than having to ask his defense to stop Manning, who leads the league with 40 career fourth-quarter comeback/game-winning wins and feeds off the pressure that comes with performing in the clutch.

Could 40 yards of field position have increased the Patriots' chances of stopping Manning? Absolutely, many will argue. But with P Chris Hanson averaging an NFL-worst 38.9 gross yards punting the ball entering the game, and averaging a mere 33.4 net yards of field position, Belichick did not flinch — not with more than two minutes remaining on the clock.

From 29 yards out, it took only two plays for Manning to reach the 1-yard line and begin milking the clock to keep Brady stationed on the sideline. As so often has been the case in the battle of great quarterbacks, the one with enough time left to execute the final drive was the team that came away victorious.

• Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart is beginning to run with more confidence, following his blocks, stepping hard off the tail of his fullback and churning up the field for the game-clinching, 45-yard TD run with barely two minutes remaining against Atlanta. Although the loss of OLT Jordan Gross would appear to be a major setback, the Panthers experimented with Travelle Wharton at left tackle in the past and the big run came off the blocks of Wharton and substitute OLG Mackenzy Bernadeau, whom the Panthers stashed on the roster last season instead of taking the chance of letting him get sucked up by another team from their practice squad. An athletic blocker out of Bentley College, he has great upside and could ably fill in. 

• Lions rookie MLB DeAndre Levy had a clean shot on Vikings WR Percy Harvin coming across the middle and uncoiled a big hit on the tough receiver that made it appear as if Harvin had run into a brick wall, but Harvin bounced right off of it, staying on his feet and continued to roll around the corner, setting up Bernard Berrian to deliver a decleating, blind-side block on pursuing Lions DE Jason Hunter and allowing Harvin to gain another 30-plus yards.

• Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, a Mike Shanahan coaching discipline from the Eastern Illinois cradle, has done a fine job of keeping the game simple for Vince Young and not asking him to do too much, placing more of the offense in the hands of Chris Johnson since the job was handed over to Young. Young has captained a three-game winning streak by keeping defenses honest, with a threat to create with his legs when he is pressured, and by limiting his mistakes.

• In a game that did not feature any other touchdowns, the 96-yard kickoff return of Bengals KR Bernard Scott turned out to be the difference in a 18-12 victory over the Steelers. Scott deserves to give a big assist to Quan Cosby, who after clearing out a lane caught back up to Scott to stalk Steelers CB William Gay and keep him from closing in and then falling back to knock Stefan Logan off his feet as he was gaining ground from behind. Cosby's effort blocking stood out more impressively than the return itself. A victory over the Browns in two weeks is all that is keeping the Bengals from sweeping their division as they appear destined for their first .500-plus season and playoff berth since 2005.

• Showing equally impressive burst and acceleration was Lions CB Philip Buchanan, who tracked down Adrian Peterson from behind and punched the ball out of his strong hands unsuspectingly from behind. For a back known for finishing runs, Peterson surprisingly seemed to let up some as he neared the goal line.

• Resting a quartet of injured contributors against St. Louis, including Jabari Greer, Sedrick Ellis, Darren Sharper and Lance Moore, almost created a letdown effect for the Saints against the Rams, who stood a chance to win until the final snap when Marc Bulger launched a Hail Mary pass. Losing CB Tracy Porter did not help New Orleans' cause either. The Saints could rest more starters again next week against the Buccaneers in hopes of being rested for their Monday-night showdown with New England in Week 12.

• Dallas had the NFL's most efficient offense heading into Lambeau Field, but as often happens with dome teams in the cold, they fell part, as Charles Woodson continually spiked scoring drives with well-timed, well-disguised corner blitzes where he came through the line untouched. Woodson seemed to be everywhere at once, continually producing big plays and has really benefited from Dom Capers' scheme change.

• After fumbling the ball on the goal line, Laurence Maroney could be quick to regain the place he held early in his career — in the doghouse of the Patriots' coaching staff.

• In a quintessential team sport where the sum can be much greater than its parts, organizations characterized by me-first owners or littered with selfish, high-ego players continue to collapse. The Raiders and Cowboys set the standard, but the Bills, Jets and Bears, who have taken increased risks on high-end talent with combustive personalities, have also fizzled as individuals outshine the team. Terrell Owens scolding his coaches and teammates on the sideline, JaMarcus Russell coming out flat for another game and Jay Culter storming off the field with his chin tucked in his chest after his fifth interception all scream of overly individualistic performances that do not appear as if they will be corrected anytime soon. Washington, without its most vocal malcontent Clinton Portis, however, did produce a surprising upset with the hardworking, humble Ladell Betts filling in as the workhorse and carrying the Redskins to victory.

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