The NFL rulebook describes a safety as "The important factor in a safety is impetus. Two points are scored for the opposing team when the ball is dead on or behind a team’s own goal line if the impetus came from a player on that team." To think that a team would intentionally hand points to their opponents is simply ridiculous. To do it within the final minutes of a game in which you are trailing, it's borderline insanity. But that is exactly what Bill Belichick did on a cold Monday night in 2003 against the Denver Broncos.
The Patriots were 6-2 entering Invesco Field at Mile High to face the 5-3 Broncos in front of a prime time, nationally televised audience. The Patriots were ravaged by injuries coming into the game and that fact only got worse when Richard Seymour was scratched just minutes before kickoff. The Broncos weren't about to show any sympathy, as they were trotting out career backup Danny Kanell as their starter.
On New England's first possession, a botched snap led to a Kenoy Kennedy fumble recovery. Four plays later, the Broncos were on the board when Clinton Portis scampered for a fifteen-yard touchdown. On the Patriots next possession, Brady was intercepted by Kennedy at Denver's 35. The Broncos drove down the field with ease, but were unable to get into the end zone. The usually reliable Jason Elam missed a 44-yard attempt, and the Patriots took over, still down by seven.
On the very next play, Tom Brady found Deion Branch streaking down the middle of the field for a 66-yard touchdown and a 7-7 tie. After the teams exchanged field goals, Kanell found Mike Anderson for a one-yard touchdown reception, giving the Broncos the 17-10 lead. Adam Vinatieri nailed a 46-yard field goal as the clock struck zero to pull the Patriots within four, 17-13, going into halftime.
The Patriots grabbed a temporary lead in the third quarter, when Tom Brady found a diving Daniel Graham for a 4-yard touchdown catch.
The score stood at 20-17 when the teams exchanged three-and-outs. Ken Walter shanked a wobbly punt and Deltha O'Neal returned it all the way for the go-ahead score, to take a 24-20 lead. After the teams went back and forth again, Denver punter Micah Knorr downed the Patriots inside their own 1 with 3:06 remaining in the game. After a run for no gain and two incompletions, the Patriots were forced to punt. It was at this time that Bill Belichick made a call that would cement his legacy in Foxboro.
Instead of kicking the ball to Denver and giving them good field position with a one point lead and 2:49 remaining, Belichick opted to give Denver the points. Long snapper Lonie Paxton snapped the ball off the upright, giving the Broncos a safety and a 26-23 lead. The call was questioned by fans and players alike. It was the kind of call that could potentially cost a coach his job. But Belichick knew what he was doing, and his genius shined on this night.
The Patriots caught a little bit of luck when the Broncos muffed the ensuing free kick. Denver was downed inside their own 15-yard line. The Patriots defense held the Broncos to four yards on three plays, forcing a Knorr punt with 2:20 remaining. Knorr's punt was shaky, and the Patriots had the ball at their own 42 with 2:15 left and one timeout.
Brady hit Kevin Faulk three times on the final drive, helping to move the Patriots to the Broncos' 18. With 30 seconds remaining, Brady calmly dropped back and fired to the sideline, hitting David Givens, who fell into the end zone for the go-ahead score. A stunned Broncos crowd and fan base were dejected, and Asante Samuel put the cherry on top, intercepting a last-ditch bomb by Kanell.
On this night, Bill Belichick was unquestionably the best coach in the league. Who else would have the brilliance to hand their opponents points in the waning moments of a game? His confidence in his defense and offense showed, and the Patriots took that confidence and ran the table in 2003, en route to their second Super Bowl victory in three years.
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