Clinging to a 42-21 lead against the Cardiac Dolphins in the fourth quarter of yesterday's game, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick re-inserted starting quarterback Tom Brady. In a wonderful postgame moment, an incredulous Belichick talked about how the Dolphins were one touchdown away from making it a two-score game.
Belichick could've let defensive tackle Vince Wilfork take over under center, and the Patriots still would have won. But at this point, Belichick craves anything resembling adversity.
Week after week, the Patriots are running away with games, and that's why this man is desperately looking for "teaching moments." Don't think for a minute he pulled Matt Cassel out of fear that the Dolphins' offense would suddenly come to life.
He did it because he wants his players to remain engaged. The Cowboys are the only team that has presented a challenge this season, and that didn't last long.
And as for Belichick's reputation for the screw you touchdown, what goes around comes around. At this rate, though, it may be a couple of years before it comes back around.
Here's the tense exchange from yesterday's postgame news conference:
After Matt Cassel threw the interception returned for a touchdown, you put Tom Brady back in. Why?
"Because of the score."
And the other quarterback, Matt Gutierrez? Was something wrong with Matt Cassel that Gutierrez went in?
"We were just trying to win the game, that's all. We were just trying to win the game."
But the score was 42-21
"Yeah, one more turnover and it's a 14-point game in the middle of the fourth quarter. Yeah, I was at the game."
Is that why you went to the two-minute offense at the end of the first half?
"It's the first half. It's the first half. Look, we've all seen games -- the Tampa-Indianapolis game a couple of years ago, 21 points in four minutes, whatever it is -- I mean, don't tell me about leads in this league. Until the final gun goes off, it's not a win."
Does anyone know who the reporter was asking those questions?
