Leading by six points, facing fourth-and-2 at their own 28-yard line, with 2:08 left in the game, the Patriots elected to gamble.

Bill Belichick is no stranger to controversial decisions, but opting to go for it in that situation — which failed and ultimately led to the Colts’ 35-34 comeback win on Sunday — was a blunder unlike any we’ve seen from Belichick, writes Boston Globe columnist Christopher L. Gasper:

He chose Tom Brady over Drew Bledsoe in 2001. In Super Bowl XXXVI, instead of kneeling on the ball with 1:30 left and no timeouts and playing for overtime, he let a second-year quarterback fire away and set up the winning field goal. He cut starting safety Lawyer Milloy five days before the 2003 season, and watched his team win its last 15 games, including the playoffs, to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Those all turned out to be strokes of genius. But last night, we witnessed the biggest error of the Belichick era.

Other stories from Around the Web on Monday:

• Whoa, daddy! RB LaDainian Tomlinson had a day to remember in the Chargers’ 31-23 win over the Eagles.

• The Bengals completed the sweep of the Steelers by pulling the curtain on Pittsburgh with defense.

• The Packers desperately needed a win like Sunday’s 17-7 victory over the Cowboys.

• The best and worst of Cowboys WR Roy Williams emerged during Sunday’s loss in Green Bay.

• There is no room for error, but the Panthers’ season still has a pulse after a 28-19 win over the Falcons.

• The Dolphins’ 25-23 win over the Bucs was the gutsiest Miami victory — ever.

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