Destiny Isn't Just The Name of a Stripper

I'm inclined to believe that luck - good or bad - is nothing more than a small data sample.

After these last two games, though, I'm inclined to wonder: Does Fate regress to the mean?

Whether the reversal of Kelvin Benjamin's almost TD was luck (good for the Pats, bad for the Bills) or corruption (or a correct call based on replay) is the very definition of a moot point. Pigskin pundits and bobbleheads can argue, tweet, and shout all they want but it is what it is. Or rather it was what it was. I find it interesting the argument has been made that the real crime was not that the replay official got it wrong, but that they should instead slavishly support the call on the field. Quoting Mike Pereira's tweet…

It is more and more obvious that there isn't a standard for staying with the call on the field.

To be fair, Pereira is arguing there wasn't "clear and obvious" video evidence to overturn the call on the field. From the replays I've seen, I would argue the replay was clear and obvious and Benjamin did not get both feet down before gaining control. Whatever. (See "moot point," above.)

Too bad the league hasn't installed pylon cameras which would've helped to confirm Benjamin's right foot was not down inbounds. When will the NFL be having that bake sale, anyway?

Here's the larger point.

Let's say the Bills got screwed on that call. You can understand the devastating, negative psychological impact this would've had. After all, this was the first time in the history of the NFL a team got screwed by the refs so - wait, what? It wasn't the first time in the history of the NFL a team got screwed by the refs? Oh, okay then...

After the replay reversal, the Bills kicked a field goal to tie the game at 13-13. They would receive the second half kickoff and march down the field to kick a field goal and take the lead, 16-13.

The Patriots then reeled off 24 unanswered points, dominating play on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

A little hard truth for the Bills and their fans this snowy Christmas morning: If you let a single bad call in the first half defeat you, you don't deserve to win. If you don't want to man up and admit you got beat by New England because you played hard for 30 minutes while the Patriots played harder and better for 60, don't even think you're ready to challenge for a playoff spot. There was a lesson to be learned from this game but it wasn't that the officiating crew got paid by Tom Brady; it's that mental toughness is as important - if not more important - than physical toughness.  

Also, touchdowns count more than field goals.