David Tyree.

Those are the two words.

David Tyree.

That's the name that will forever haunt the Patriots.

Pats fans had never heard of David Tyree before the final minutes of Super Bowl XLII. Now, his name will forever live in New England sports infamy.

The Patriots were a few ticks over two minutes away from making NFL history, from beating the New York Giants to complete a perfect, 19-0 season and win their fourth Super Bowl in seven years.

Tom Brady had just given the Pats the lead with a touchdown pass to Randy Moss and, following the kickoff, the Giants were 83 yards away from the end zone, needing a touchdown to win.

All the Patriots, with Harrison at safety, had to do was stop them.

They couldn't do it, in part because Tyree made a spectacular catch with Harrison hanging on him that kept the game-winning (for the Giants), season-spoiling (for the Patriots) drive alive.

Harrison -- considered by many to be the "dirtiest player in the league" -- wasn't rough and tough enough to prevent Tyree from hanging on to a ball that was perched precariously atop his helmet.

Those are things that haunt you.

It may have been one of the things that, at least subconsciously, influenced Bill Belichick's highly-controversial -- and spectacularly unsuccessful -- decision Sunday night to have Brady and the offense try to pick up a first down on 4th-and-2, rather than punting the ball away to Peyton Manning and the Colts.

"You have to trust and believe in your players," the outspoken Harrison, who's now a televison commentator, opined afterwards. "You cannot give Peyton Manning the opportunity on the 30-yard line to drive the ball and score a touchdown. This was the worst coaching decision I have ever seen Bill Belichick make."

It couldn't have turned out worse. But that doesn't mean it was a bad decision.

Harrison saw first-hand how Peyton's baby brother Eli, shredded the New England secondary in the waning minutes of Super Bowl XLII.

Harrison had to remember how, in the final two minutes of the 2006 AFC Championship Game at Indianapolis in 2006, Peyton Manning took the Colts 80 yards to the winning touchdown, erasing an 18-point, first-half deficit and capping the greatest comeback in a conference title game in NFL history.

And Harrison saw Sunday night how quickly and easily Manning moved the Colts downfield and into the end zone on a pair of 79-yard drives in the fourth quarter that got Indy back into a game that should have been over after the Patriots opened up a 31-14 lead early in the final period.

Belichick trusted Brady could pick up two yards in two downs. He believed Brady and the offense could pick up two yards on fourth down.

Belichick knew very well that, as Harrison said, he couldn't give the ball back to Peyton Manning.

If Belichick didn't trust his defense, didn't believe they could stop Indianapolis, then Harrison, of all people, ought to understand why.

In Rodney's case, two words should serve as a reminder: David Tyree.