Bill Belichick Regrets This Fourth-Quarter Decision In Patriots Loss

Bill Belichick had second thoughts about one call he made late in Sunday’s Patriots loss.

But not the one you’re probably thinking of.

New England’s head coach stood by his decision to eschew a field-goal attempt on fourth-and-3 from Philadelphia’s 17-yard line with 10 minutes remaining in the Patriots’ 25-20 defeat at Gillette Stadium. He did, however, wish he’d handled New England’s next fourth down differently.

Belichick opted to keep the offense on the field on a fourth-and-12 with 2:24 to play and the Patriots down five. He then stuck to his guns after a delay of game penalty made it fourth-and-17 from the Eagles’ 48, which New England failed to convert.

“Fourth-and-3, down by eight, I don’t have any regrets on that one,” Belichick said Monday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “Fourth-and-17, looking back on it, we had three timeouts. I might have punted that one. I don’t know how much field position we would have gained, but fourth-and-17 after the delay, that was tough.”

Bill Belichick explains the decision behind the Patriots going for it on 4th down. pic.twitter.com/PHoRMSoMMr

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— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) September 11, 2023

Belichick reiterated that when speaking with reporters Monday morning.

“We could have punted it — probably should have punted it on fourth-and-17,” he said. “We’re on their side of the 50; it’s too long for a field goal. Fourth-and-17 is a lot tougher than fourth-and-17.”

Ultimately, that choice had a minimal impact on the outcome. The Patriots forced a quick Eagles four-and-out and regained possession at their own 44-yard line, likely around where they would have been had the Eagles taken over deep in their own end and then punted.

New England drove to the Philadelphia 20 in the game’s final minute but came up empty on fourth-and-11 when rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte was unable to get both feet down in bounds on a sideline catch.

Belichick noted the Patriots failed to convert a two-point conversion minutes earlier that would have made it a three-point game. Right tackle Calvin Anderson was flagged for holding to negate a successful Mac Jones scramble, and Jones’ pass to tight end Mike Gesicki on the re-try fell incomplete.

“We had our chances at the end there,” Belichick said on WEEI. “The penalty makes it a three-point game, so we’d be playing for a field goal at the end. But the two-point conversion was nullified, so then it’s a touchdown game, so obviously we had to play for a touchdown there at the end.”