The faintness of hearts

Come on now, folks. It's not like gambling isn't part of the NFL's deal now, with it going to Vegas and all.

(Oh, and more on the NASH-unal FOOT-ball League tomorrow, when the Blob rolls out its weekly The NFL In So Many Words. Patience, children. Patience.)

Anyway, there was Frank Reich Sunday afternoon in sun-washed Lucas Oil Stadium, where they rolled back the roof and apparently the traditional conservatism so cherished by NFL coaches. The Colts were looking at fourth-and-4 from their own 43-yard line to keep alive a potential winning drive in overtime in a game that had looked hopeless for them for most of the afternoon. The smart move was to punt away, give the Houston Texans the long field, play for the tie.

Not how Colts coach Frank Reich rolls.

No, Frank Reich, rookie head coach, opted to go for it. Andrew Luck threw a one-hopper to Chester Rogers. The ball went over, the Texans had the short field, and they capitalized with the field goal that ended it in their favor, 37-34.

"I'll address it now: I'm not playing to tie," Reich said later. "I'll do that 10 times out of 10."

Lots of people, including some in Indianapolis media, thought those were the words of an inexperienced head coach. Those people thought what Reich did was dumb.

Those people are probably right.

But it was also magnificent.

Magnificent, because nowhere are there more faint hearts per capita than on an NFL sideline, where gambling, unlike elsewhere in the league, is not allowed. The fourth-and-1 punt at midfield is as much an NFL staple as Brady-to-Gronkowski down the seam. This is because jobs are at stake in the NFL, and they're precious few. It is also because money is at stake, especially if you're gunning for a spot in the postseason. So it just doesn't pay in most cases to cowboy up.

And when you do ... well, you get criticized. Even when it works.

That goes for rookie head coaches and also Mt. Rushmore head coaches, like Bill Belichick, who got dinged for going for it on fourth down from deep in his own territory against the Colts a few years back. The attempt failed and the Colts went on to win. And Belichick heard about it.

Of course, that was the Patriots, for whom the playoffs are always in the mix. But these Colts?

Even four games into the season, it's become apparent (if it wasn't from Day One) that this isn't a playoff team. It's a team positioning itself for the future, with a glut of promising young players, particularly on defense, who are still growing into their jobs.

So if they play it safe and get the tie, great. And if they roll the dice and lose because of it?

Well, as Reich said, at least they set the proper tone. And at this stage in this team's development, you can argue that holds at least as much value as a tie.

A 1-2-1 record vs. 1-3, after all, is pretty much the same thing right now for these Colts. Especially if you're playing the long game Reich seems to be playing.

That may be giving the man more credit than he's due. But the Blob will give it anyway.

And for cowboying up, instead of trading down.