Carroll kept his team close and gave it an easy opportunity to win on the road. That's what every coach tries to do every week of the season when playing on enemy turf. But Vinatieri didn't make the play. Plain and simple. I concede that you can make a reasonable argument for the fact that Carroll is accountable for the letdown against Miami, but I hold the players responsible for that loss as well.
Football is about intensity, and players are payed millions of dollars to play football.
The losses that ensued after the bye week were also a result of players not making plays. A loss to the Colts saw receiver Tony Simmons drop an easy fourth down catch on the final Pats drive. A loss to the lowly Philadelphia Eagles saw an entire team pack it in. As the team stumbled into its final, meaningless game against the Ravens, Pete Carroll remained as positive and focused as ever, and the local media ripped him for it. He wanted desperately to win that game.