Bill Belichick Criticizes Veteran Receiver For ‘Really Selfish Play’

Bill Belichick is proving to be a gloves-off kind of NFL analyst.

Belichick didn’t hesitate for a second in Week 1 when he called out Titans starting quarterback Will Levis for making a “terrible decision” in Tennessee’s season-opening loss. The former New England Patriots head coach was similarly straightforward Monday night when he assessed a key play in the Falcons-Eagles clash at Lincoln Financial Field.

With Atlanta trailing Philadelphia by four late in the second quarter, Kirk Cousins and Ray-Ray McCloud connected for an 18-yard pass on a second-and-10 from Philly’s 41-yard line. The Falcons only moved up 3 yards, though, as McCloud was hit with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for taking a jab at C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

The costly penalty in a crucial spot drew a harsh but fair criticism from Belichick.

“Yeah, that’s not good,” Belichick said on ESPN2’s “ManningCast.” “That just hurts your team. That’s a really selfish play. Hope McCloud feels good about that because I don’t think anybody else on Atlanta does.”

McCloud wasn’t the only member of the Falcons who Belichick targeted Monday night. The future Hall of Famer also shaded owner Arthur Blank, who didn’t hire him over the offseason, when he looked back on memories from Super Bowl LI.

McCloud’s lapse in judgment didn’t end up haunting Atlanta, which kicked a field goal on that drive en route to a 22-21 win.