INDIANAPOLIS - The fourth-down call got all of the debate after the game, but it wasn't the fourth-down call that got the Patriots on Sunday night.

It was Tom Brady's end-zone interception at the start of the third quarter.

It was Laurence Maroney's lost fumble at the one-yard line on the next possession.

It was the defense giving up two 79-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drives, one in 2:04 and the other in 1:49.

Heck, it could have been the Pats burning their final timeout to set up the fourth-down play - and thus leaving them with none to challenge after there was a question of whether or not Kevin Faulk crossed the first-down mark.

It was the opportunities lost that led to New England's stunning 35-34 defeat at the hands of their rival Indianapolis Colts, not the decision of Bill Belichick to go for it on fourth down from the Pats' own 28-yard line.

Because, really, it shouldn't have come to that for the Patriots.

"I know why we lost, it's not a surprise," Tom Brady said. "We had our chances. When you play a good team, you can't miss your good opportunities."

New England was up 31-14 just 42 seconds into the fourth quarter, yet still found itself on the short end of the scoreboard 15 minutes later, its fifth loss to Indianapolis in the last six tries.

The Pats' collapse over the final 14:18 of the game negated a 375-yard performance by Tom Brady -- his fourth straight and 31st career 300-yard game, but just the fourth time New England has lost when its franchise QB has hit that mark -- another sterling showing by Randy Moss, and a strong outing by Faulk, who was his usual reliable self with 79 yards rushing on just 12 carries and two receptions.

But in the quiet of the Patriots' postgame locker room, where for long stretches the only sounds were of wet shower shoes squeaking on carpet and players slowly packing their gear into massive team duffle bags, Faulk's answer spoke volumes when asked about his own play:

"I'd give it all back for the 'W,'" he said.

New England came out of the locker room at halftime with a 24-14 lead, and got the ball to start the third quarter. Brady picked up where he had left off before the break, moving the offense, and in short order the Pats were at the Colts' 33. Brady looked to Moss in the end zone, and safety Antoine Bethea came across the end zone and picked off the pass.

"It was just the coverage," Bethea said. "Coach always tells us, 'Read the quarterback.' Randy got behind us a couple of times early in the game, and we knew they were going to come back to him. I got a good read on the quarterback."

But Peyton Manning (28-for-44, 327 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions) gave the ball back four plays later, fooled by a dummy defensive call the Patriots made. Manning looked deep to Pierre Garcon, and Leigh Bodden made the easy interception.

Again, New England began marching down the field, and again, they gave the ball up in the shadow of the end zone. Laurence Maroney got the ball on second-and-goal from the two, gaining a yard before the ball was forced out by Philip Wheeler and recovered by Gary Brackett in the end zone for a touchback.

The Colts could do nothing with the ball once more, and Welker returned the punt 69 yards to the seven-yard line for the final play of the third quarter.

In two plays, the Patriots were in the end zone and up by 17 points.

Starting from their own 22, Manning completed passes of 19 and 11 yards to Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon, followed by a nine-yard run by Joseph Addai, who struggled for much of the day, and an 11-yard run by rookie Chad Simpson.

On first down from the 29-yard line, Manning hit Garcon in the end zone, his longest pass of the night.

New England stalled again in the red zone, settling for a 36-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal. But still, it was up by 13 points with four minutes to play.

And in those four minutes, the Patriots lost.

The decision to go for it on fourth down was a simple one, Belichick said after the game: He wanted to win. Had New England converted -- and a photograph taken from above the field shows Faulk over the 30-yard line, which is where he needed to be for the first down, but the official said he didn't have control of the ball and therefore would not be credited with forward progress -- it would have been another brilliant decision by Belichick.

"I thought we could make the yard," Belichick said. "I thought we had a good play. If we had made it we win."

If the Patriots had taken advantage of any of the other opportunities they had, things would not have come down to that fourth-down play.

smanza@projo.com