FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – You still see T-shirts around the home of the New England Patriots with coach Bill Belichick’s scowling face and the mantra “In Bill We Trust.”
But more than any time since the hoodied football guru began filling the team’s trophy case, fans here are beginning to question his judgment.
Two decisions to forego a field goal and go for it on fourth down in Sunday’s AFC championship game was just the latest in a series of calls that didn’t work out for Belichick and the Patriots this season. The Broncos won 20-18 to earn a trip to Super Bowl 50 that the defending champions had considered their birthright.
“I think each of us that competed in the game – players, coaches – probably feel the same way,” Belichick said on Monday. “A couple of plays, calls, that you’d like to have back.”
The Patriots wouldn’t have even been in Denver – where quarterback Tom Brady has a 2-7 record – but for a rare December collapse by a team that has been one of the league’s best finishers.