Bill Belichick Gets Snippy When Asked Why Tom Brady Played Late Vs. Dolphins
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England offensive line had a tough day with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, meaning Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spent most of the afternoon on his back.
Brady hit the deck far too often in New England's 35-17 win, even if the box score says he was sacked just once. He was hit eight times and spent most of his day with Miami defenders in his face, delivering several cringe-worthy shoves and body blows to the face of the franchise.
But Brian Hoyer never took off his oversized jacket on the sideline, and Bill Belichick never thought twice about sending Brady back out there even as the Patriots held an 18-point lead with 4:51 to go. Brady went back out for three handoffs, and then again for three kneel downs to ice it a few minutes later.
Belichick wasn't in a great mood after the win to begin with, but he did not like a reporter asking why he sent Brady back out late in the game with the Patriots up by three scores.
"It's easy for you to sit there and say the game's out of hand. If you watch games in the National Football League, a lot can change in a hurry," he said gruffly. "The only time I think the game is in hand is when they're not going to have enough possessions to get the number of points that they need.
"Sorry, we just see that one totally differently," he added.
It's a fair point by Belichick, as leads can certainly disappear in the NFL. But then again, the Dolphins had Matt Moore under center and the New England defense had played well all afternoon. It was a question that many were wondering as the Patriots marched towards their seventh straight win, but one their head coach had no desire to answer.