Bill Belichick isn’t going to second-guess his players’ decision when it puts them in danger, at least not when it comes to wanting to win.
The New England Patriots head coach might have been on the receiving end of a scare Sunday afternoon when quarterback Tom Brady took a big hit at the end of a 17-yard run in a win over Miami. Instead of sliding, Brady instead lowered his shoulder and braced for contact, likely feeling the full effect of a big hit from Dolphins safety Walt Aikens.
If Belichick had a problem with Brady going for contact instead of getting down, the coach wasn’t saying so Monday.
“Well, you know, I never — I’ve coached for a long time and I don’t question players’ decisions on the field when they try to make them to help the team win,” Belichick explained Monday on his weekly conference call with reporters. “I think that they do the best that they can. They’re trying to win; they’re trying to win just as much as everybody else on the team is.”
But then again, if you read between the lines, you could gather that Belichick might have been a little nervous about Brady’s decision.
“I’m not saying every decision is a great one, and the same thing with a coach, same thing with me. I’m not saying every decision is a great one, but every one is made with the intention to help our team win and do the best that I can, or an individual player can for the team. So, I don’t second-guess those. I think what he does at the time he does it is what he thinks is best and I don’t second-guess him.”
Brady’s scramble and run was a big part of the winning effort, too. The 17-yard pickup came with New England holding a slim 14-13 lead. The Patriots eventually scored on the drive, and the run helped spark a 27-0 run on the way to New England’s 41-13 win.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
