Bill Belichick on Monday admitted what was obvious to anyone watching Sunday’s New England Patriots-Arizona Cardinals game: He should not have challenged that sideline completion to DeAndre Hopkins.
“Obviously, it was a bad challenge,” Belichick said in a conference call one day after the Patriots’ 20-17 victory at Gillette Stadium.
The catch in question came on the first play of the fourth quarter. Hopkins caught a pass in front of cornerback Stephon Gilmore to move the chains on second-and-5.
Belichick challenged the call, arguing Hopkins did not get both feet down in bounds. But replays clearly showed a completed catch.
The Patriots lost the challenge, costing them a timeout. They burned their final two on Arizona’s last possession, leaving them with zero when they took the field down three with 1:47 remaining.
Belichick has thrown his red challenge flag just twice this season. He won the first, which gave Cam Newton a touchdown during a Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos.
There also have been a few notable plays Belichick opted not to challenge, including one involving running back James White in that same Broncos game.
