Coach Bill Belichick 12/17: "It was competitive, they're a good football team"

Bill Belichick (0:03)

All right. Questions?

SPEAKER_2 (0:09)

We have questions?

SPEAKER_3 (0:10)

We have a mic grease in the back.

Bill, was JC. Jackson available today?

Bill Belichick (0:19)

No.

SPEAKER_3 (0:21)

And what happened that he was active for the game but wasn't available?

Bill Belichick (0:27)

He wasn't available.

SPEAKER_3 (0:28)

And why was he active for the game?

Bill Belichick (0:33)

He wasn't available, let's leave it at that.

SPEAKER_5 (0:44)

Bill, just a thought on what you saw from your team. Obviously, you continued to fight once you guys get down, but that and how important was that turnover with Bailey there in the third quarter?

Bill Belichick (0:54)

Yeah, well, there were a lot of big plays in the game.

We got a couple of turnovers, had one called back, had another touchdown called back. So there's a number of key plays in the game that could have helped us a little more than the way they turned out. But it's competitive, they're a good football team, they're well coached. Obviously, you got a lot of good players, but you can't get them any extra opportunities.

SPEAKER_6 (1:32)

Bill, question, fourth and two, you like to go for it, and Bailey Zappi throws that touchdown pass to Hunter Henry. What went into that decision to go for it on fourth down, and what was the feeling on the sideline after the payoff of the touchdown?

Bill Belichick (1:50)

We felt that was the right thing to do at that point in time.

I think we had a good play. Bailey made a good throw, Hunter made a good catch, so. Just felt like we had a good play.

SPEAKER_2 (2:05)

Bill, along those same lines, you went for it early in the game, fourth and two, and got the touchdown.

SPEAKER_7 (2:09)

Later in the game, early fourth quarter, it was fourth and three, kind of near midfield.

SPEAKER_4 (2:13)

You decided to punt.

SPEAKER_7 (2:15)

What went into that decision, and you thought to go for it there?

Bill Belichick (2:19)

Yeah, before we got the interception.

SPEAKER_7 (2:23)

Yeah, it was like, I think you're down by 17 It was fourth and three.

Bill Belichick (2:27)

And then we got the interception. Right.

I mean, at that point, we'd lost three starters. Worried about the pass protection, worried about the, just what we'd be able to execute in that situation. Felt like we were playing good defense, and get the ball back on a turnover, three and out, get the ball in a better field position.

SPEAKER_4 (2:50)

Bill, last three minutes, you had called the timeouts to get the ball back. You're working from your own end zone.

Seemed to huddle, substitute a lot. One of the offensive players in the locker room lamented the tempo that ran the clock down to two minutes. Were you okay with the tempo there, down 10, with a couple of minutes left?

Bill Belichick (3:06)

We ended up on a check play there, and, you know, yeah, we, I mean, could have gone quicker.

SPEAKER_8 (3:21)

Right on your right.

SPEAKER_2 (3:23)

Bill, we saw you come out and check on Cole Strange when he went down. Just how tough was it to lose him, and do you have any update on him?

Bill Belichick (3:29)

Yeah, it was tough to lose him, it was tough to lose Connor, it was tough to lose Hunter. So, you know, kind of at the end there, we were not, I want to say, didn't feel like we were able to, you know, do probably what we should have done in that situation, at the end of the game I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_2 (3:52)

Hey, Bill, how would you assess Bailey's performance today?

Bill Belichick (3:54)

Yeah, I'll take a look at it on film. Can't watch everybody out there.

SPEAKER_9 (4:04)

Along those lines, do you have any update on Hunter Henry, and are you expecting to possibly lose him for a long time?

Bill Belichick (4:10)

Don't have any update. Game was just over.

SPEAKER_10 (4:18)

Bill, when Ben was asking about a fourth-down decision, I think you thought it was fourth-down from your own 33 There was another series previous to that. It was the first set of plays you guys had in the fourth quarter.

Same decision-making for you in terms of the injuries and not wanting to go for it there as fourth and three is at your own 42

Bill Belichick (4:37)

It's not a question of not wanting to go for it. It's a question of doing what you feel like is best at that point.

SPEAKER_10 (4:41)

Was that related to the injuries, though, like you mentioned for the previous situation?