Under the current NFL rules, coaches are allowed to challenge plays any time before the two-minute warning. Any review that occurs during the last two minutes, however, must come from the officials’ booth. But legendary New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick thinks the league should change that rule.
“Provided the team has a challenge, they should have the opportunity to challenge really any play. I’m on record on that,” Bill Belichick said in his Monday videoconference, according to ESPN.
Belichick’s comments come after a controversial catch during Sunday afternoon’s game between the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings. A catch from Buffalo receiver Gabe Davis was not reviewed by officials with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but he clearly did not catch the ball.
“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 in an interview with sports radio WEEI, according to ESPN. “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].”
It’s probably safe to say plenty of coaches would agree with him.
[ESPN]
