If the Patriots' Week 16 game had gone far differently than what it inevitably became, which was a win, the conversation on Monday would be all about a head-scratching decision that immediately doomed their chances of leaving Baltimore the victors.
Fortunately, that didn't come back to haunt them, and a fourth-quarter comeback led by Drake Maye allowed them to tie the Broncos for the best record in the league and maintain their one-game edge over the Bills for the AFC East.
But, at the same time, the decision to go for it on 4th-and-10 with a fake punt is not something that should just be glossed over because it didn't end up becoming the crutch on which they could blame their loss.