04/24/24
January 23, 2017
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
There's a somewhat substantiated rumor that Belichick made Dion Lewis (who had 3TDs against the Texans, but a couple of bad fumbles) carry a football all week before the Steelers game, and teammates were told to try to slap it out of his hands. I wonder what he'll make Gostkowski do; the Patriots have a habit of winning or losing by a FG margin. I'd forgotten how in 2007 Bill passed up on FG attempts that in retrospect could have won that game. 14-17. Dammit. :'(
Honestly, I just need this to be a blowout, one way or another: I couldn't take another last minute lost/circus catch/fluke play. I like the Patriots' chances, since they do have a better defense than Atlanta and if anyone can come up with a shut-down defensive plan that will give Brady room to outscore the Ryan and the Falcons, it's Belichick.
posted by hincandenza at 06:54 PM on January 23, 2017
Belichick can't be pleased that Gostkowski missed another PAT. That has to stop.
He didn't trust Gostkowski to make critical kicks as a rookie and it cost the Patriots their first Super Bowl loss to the Giants.