Bill Belichick has previously stated that he doesn’t agree with the rule that prevents teams from challenging plays that happen under two minutes. So it was no surprise that the New England Patriots coach had an issue with the controversial play on Sunday that helped keep the Buffalo Bills’ game-tying drive going at the end of an epic back-and-forth meeting with the Minnesota Vikings.
The play happened in the waning seconds of the 4th quarter when Bills quarterback Josh Allen linked up with wideout Gabriel Davis on a 20-yard sideline catch that would have been overturned if the play had gone to review. However, it allowed the Bills to ultimately tie the game and send the contest into overtime.
When speaking with reporters on Monday, Belichick claimed teams should have the opportunity to “challenge any play.”
He spoke more on the matter during an appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.”
“There have been other examples of that, plays that have occurred in situations where teams couldn’t challenge because it was in two minutes or the rules prohibited those plays from being challenged,” said Belichick. “I get the forward progress and things like that, that you can’t challenge. I’m not talking about that.
“I’m saying not having the ability to challenge a play that could impact the outcome of the game, even calls like holding and pass interference and things like that, I don’t see why those plays can’t be reviewed. Again, that’s not my decision. It is what it is.”
Though the Vikings ended up winning in overtime, the missed call became a discussion point afterward. NFL officiating executive Walt Anderson acknowledged it had been a mistake to not review Davis’ catch.
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“Even though it happens fast and Buffalo hurries to the line of scrimmage for the next play, if the replay official can’t confirm that it was a catch on that long of a completed pass, we should stop play to ensure it was a catch,” Anderson told NFL reporter Lindsay Jones. “It would have been reversed to an incomplete pass because he did not maintain control of the ball after he hit the ground and the ball touched the ground out of bounds.”
The NFL doesn’t allow coaches to challenge plays in the final two minutes before halftime or the end of regulation, in part so they aren’t allowed to manipulate challenges strategically to stop the clock.
Belichick is in his 48th season coaching in the NFL.
The Patriots are coming off their bye week. Just before that, they destroyed the Colts 26-3 to give them a record of 5-4 which would be good in any other division, but has them in last place in the AFC East.
The Patriots have a prime chance to tie the Jets record wise if they defeat them in their next game.
