Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick

PRESS CONFERENCE

November 21, 2022

Q: The 10-minute delay to start the game. I wanted to ask you about it yesterday and it sort of got lost with the way the game ended. How did that affect you guys in terms of the replay? Did you have everything you needed? Or any affect on the delay there?

BB: Yeah, no. We were limited on the replays.

Q: Was that limited throughout the whole game? Or just initially?

BB: Yeah, pretty much. Scoreboard.

Q: Whole game?

BB: I don’t know. I think it might’ve switched during the game. I’m not sure. You’d have to check with the guys in the booth on that. I mean we had the scoreboard replay and then I think, we had replay after that up in the booth. But it was, it seemed like it was limited, at least part of the game.

Q: How much did that affect on the [Raekwon] McMillan punt thing? Because it looked like maybe there was a thought, I don’t know if I saw it right, to possibly consider looking at that from your view in terms of challenging.

BB: Yeah, right. It was a close play. I didn’t really think it was worth it, so I didn’t challenge it.

Q: Were you given an explanation on what happened on that? Like meaning the whole delay. What you were dealing with?

BB: You should talk to the officials about that Mike [Reiss], because they’re the ones that – you meet with them after the game on the pool stuff. So, you should really talk to them about it.

Q: Wanted to ask you about the offensive execution. You said you wanted to look at the tape before offering too much more comment in regards to execution below the 35-yard line. What did you see? What corrections do you think you guys need to make?

BB: Obviously, we need to do, just need to do things better. We’ll look at it in detail and talk about it moving forward.

Q: How difficult is it to prepare for a dynamic Vikings offensive unit during this short time period? Typically, there’s a key player you like to take away in these instances, how challenging is Justin Jefferson and getting ready for this group?

BB: Yeah, they’re really good. It starts with [Kirk] Cousins, outstanding quarterback, has had tremendous production throughout his career. Again, this year [Dalvin] Cook’s one of the top running backs in the league. He’s had tremendous production in the running game and in the passing game since he’s come into the league, really. [T.J.] Hockenson at tight end and then with [Justin] Jefferson and [Adam] Thielen, and so they’ve got a wealth of talent at the skill positions and a lot of guys to stop. So yeah, they’re as explosive as anybody we’ve seen.

Q: Is there any sort of update on David Andrews this morning? Are you still doing tests?

BB: Players haven’t been in yet. So we’ll see where guys are today when they get in.

Q: You guys just the other day added Kody Russey to the 53. Just wondering what you’ve seen from him in terms of growth since training camp?

BB: Well Kody [Russey] hasn’t gotten a chance to play. He’s been active for some games but hasn’t played much but just continuing to develop on the practice field. Did a lot of good things for us in training camp. Made a real strong impression. Now with the injuries we’ve had on the offensive line, so I think he deserves to be moved up there.

Q: Thinking about the Vikings and their coach, Kevin O’Connell, obviously was here with you in 2008 as a third-round pick, when you think back to that, what stood out to you about your time with him and maybe just sort of why it maybe didn’t last longer than maybe the one, plus, year there?

BB: Yeah, smart, smart kid out of San Diego. Had a lot of things to like about him, his size, arm, and all that, but ultimately it didn’t work out here, but he went on to play, I don’t know, four, five years in the league, whatever it was and obviously has done a great job with Minnesota. Followed his career from Washington, then out to the west coast and with Mike [Pettine] and the Rams, obviously great year last year. He’s done a heck of a job and climbed through the coaching ranks quickly. Based on the way the Vikings are playing this year, you could see why he’s done it. He’s done a great job.

Q: Thinking back, [Brian] Hoyer came in the next year in ’09 and Tom [Brady] was coming off the ACL, was that a tough decision to go with two quarterbacks, at that time I know the rules were different?

BB: It’s always tough to go with two. I mean, it’s what most teams did in those years, but whatever, it’s always tough to go with two.

Q: Yesterday you touched on how the wind affected the kicking game, but I’m curious how it affected the passing game both for your offense and defensively, if it changed how you defended and how the offense was run?

BB: I don’t think it changed too much on how things were defended, a little bit maybe, but I think offensively, you just had to be careful with some of the play selections and where we’re trying to throw the ball, based on which way we were going and so forth, what we had called and all that. Yeah, I think it had some affect on the passing game. It had more affect on the kicking game, but I think it had some affect on the passing game a little bit, yes.

Q: I want to get your thoughts on [Michael] Palardy and how he handled his first game punting?

BB: Yeah, I thought Michael [Palardy] handled things well, punting and holding. Experienced guy, he’s been in these situations before. We had a couple of situational backed up punts, we had some situational punts, I thought he handled things pretty well. We had pretty good coverage out of our punt team unit, and he gave us some good directional punts. Close on the plus 50 punt. Again, not the easiest day to kick in for punters or place kickers or snappers for that matter. But, yeah, I thought he stepped in and did a solid job for us.

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