Chuck Pagano: 'I have to do better' preparing players

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts coach Chuck Pagano said he does not have any regrets for trying to trick the New England Patriots on a fourth-down play that backfired late in the third quarter of a close game Sunday night.

"Not pleased with the way I prepared the guys, coached the guys to go out and execute the play. That's on me. I have to do better," Pagano said Monday. "But I don't regret the play call."

Momentum in Indianapolis' 34-27 loss swung the Patriots' way when the Colts brought out the punt team on fourth down on their own 37-yard line. Rather than line up in their normal formation, the Colts, including punter Pat McAfee, moved out wide to the right, with only Griff Whalen as the center and safety Colt Anderson lined up under him to take the snap.

Whalen snapped the ball to Anderson, who was immediately tackled, giving the Patriots a short field.The Patriots scored six plays later to take a 34-21 lead.

"It turned out to be one of the most failed fakes probably of all time," McAfee said Sunday.

Pagano was asked why he didn't call a timeout from the sideline when there appeared to be confusion on the field with his special-teams unit.

"The design was to actually to get [the Patriots] to maybe burn a timeout that they might need later on or catch them with too many men on the field," Pagano said. "It didn't work out that way."

Whalen and Anderson stuck to their story Monday that it was a miscommunication issue on the play.

"I obviously didn't do a good enough job of getting the thing coached up correctly," Pagano said. "Again that's on me. That's not on the players."