The wave is euphoric at first. An energized NFL team scripts an aggressive offensive attack, and your team has a sizable first-half lead. But, wait -- the best quarterback of all time is on the other side and he owns 54 fourth-quarter comebacks and the tide can turn quickly.
“You’re free-wheeling because you don’t know if you’ll be in the game, so you’re shooting your gun,” said one NFC coordinator, explaining the common psyche for coaches against elite teams such as the New England Patriots. “Then it’s like, ‘Oh s---, we’re up.’ It can change you and you get conservative.