There was a slew of officiating errors during Sunday’s game between the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings and a lot of people noticed – including New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
During his Monday press conference, Belichick was asked about an overtime play where Buffalo had 12 men on the field. Belichick believes coaches should be able to challenge a play if they have challenges remaining in the final two minutes of a half.
“Provided the team has a challenge, they should have the opportunity to challenge really any play,” Belichick said. “I’m on record of that.”
The NFL does not allow coaches to challenge a play in the final two minutes of a half in an effort to prevent coaches from manipulating the clock, but the Vikings were burned twice by the rules in Sunday’s victory.
Bills receiver Gabriel Davis made a diving catch on the final drive of regulation but replays showed the ball hitting the ground. The play was not reviewed – despite NFL Senior Vice President of Officiating Walt Anderson’s ruling that it should have been reviewed and ruled incomplete – and Buffalo tied the game on a Tyler Bass field goal.
On the Vikings’ first drive in overtime, Buffalo had 12 men on the field on a first-and-goal play where Dalvin Cook was stopped for a loss of three yards. If the correct call was made, the Vikings would’ve have had first-and-goal from the 1-yard line and ended the game with a touchdown. Instead, Kirk Cousins was sacked on second down and Minnesota settled for a field goal to give Buffalo a chance to tie the game or win with a touchdown.
These things matter to Belichick, whose Patriots are one game behind the Bills and two games back of the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East. When asked about the 12 men play against the Vikings on Boston radio station WEEI, he reiterated his stance.
“There have been other examples of that, plays that have occurred in situations where teams couldn’t challenge because the rules prohibited [it],” Belichick said. “I get 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 [by a coach’s challenge].”
But as Belichick concluded, “the rules are the rules.”
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