One of the side stories to come out of the tremendous game in Indianapolis last night was the idea that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick did not have faith in his defense, which led to his decision to go for it on fourth down in a situation where most other coaches would have punted. But it doesn't appear that Belichick's decision will have a lasting effect on a defense that wasn't likely to stop Peyton Manning on a final drive, whether it was 70 or 30 yards.

The PFW spin

Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi, two longtime Patriots defenders who often acted like coaches on the field, both had negative reactions to Belichick's decision. Now that they are in the NBC and ESPN booths, respectively, they are free to make their opinions known about how they would have been disappointed if they were on the sideline and the coach essentially called "no contest" on the defense.

But the fact is that Harrison, Bruschi and a host of other former Patriots are not there, leaving the responsibilities to a younger cast of players. Would Belichick have made this decision with a more veteran group? Impossible to tell, but also pointless to speculate. Yet Belichick clearly feels he did what was right in that situation.

"I tell the team, and I think they believe, I do what I think is best for our football team to win every game," Belichick said Monday. "I put the team first and I put those decisions first. And I would hope everyone understands that."

Look at the defense. Jerod Mayo is in his second season. Gary Guyton, too. Ty Warren and Jarvis Green, seventh- and eighth-year guys, did not play. The defensive backs are mostly all first-, second- and third-year players. Vince Wilfork, with six seasons, was one of the more experienced defenders out there at the end of the game.

Belichick will not lose this group. They are, in many cases, too young to know better. If anything, the message he might have sent to them in going for it was this: You have to get better over the course of the season to earn respect. Perhaps they will.

You have to consider that three of the Colts' second-half scoring drives had spanned 2:04, 1:49 and 1:47, which is the same neighborhood of time Manning would have had if the Patriots had punted. The first drive of the fourth quarter covered 79 yards in that 2:04, showing that the Colts were more than capable of going that same distance, or less, with a fourth-down punt instead.

The Patriots will get Green and Warren back. They were without two of their best pass rushers, Tully Banta-Cain and Rob Ninkovich, late in the game and surely will get them back, as well. There are three division games left to wrap up the AFC East, plus home games against the suddenly meaningful Panthers and Jaguars, and challenging road tests at New Orleans, Miami and Houston.

The opportunities exist for this defense to prove it to the coach, not the other way around. It's a young group with talent and promise, and one that defended the Colts very well at times early on. They also know that if there is to be a rematch in Indianapolis, they will have to play 60 minutes of better football next time around.

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