Gabe Davis was controversially credited with a 20-yard catch on a ball that appeared to hit the ground during the Bills’ game-tying drive at the end of regulation against the Vikings in Week 10.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is taking that play and using it as an opportunity to lobby for changing the NFL’s coach’s challenge system.
Belichick explained during a Monday videoconference that he believes that teams should be able to challenge at any point of the game. That includes having the option to do so within the last two minutes.
“Provided the team has a challenge, they should have the opportunity to challenge really any play,” Belichick said, per ESPN. “I’m on record on that.”
MORE: Why wasn’t Gabe Davis’ crucial catch reviewed in Bills-Vikings?
As it currently stands, NFL teams are not allowed to challenge during the final two minutes of a game. Instead, replay officials can initiate a review if there are questions about the result of a play.
However, there are some inefficiencies with this system, as we saw with the Davis play. The replay center never buzzed in to review it as the Bills moved quickly to the line.
Officials didn’t review this Gabe Davis catch 🧐pic.twitter.com/vYTnTAU3AO
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) November 13, 2022
As such, the replay opportunity was lost despite NFL senior vice president of officiating Walt Anderson confirming it was the wrong call after the contest.
Belichick noted that this isn’t anything new; in fact, he believes that coaches miss a lot of opportunities to review important plays, whether they are in the final minutes of the half or they are simply unreviewable calls.
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“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. “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].
Indeed, Belichick has a point. After all, the main concern with not letting teams challenge plays with under two minutes left in the half is to prevent teams from manipulating the clock by using challenges.
That said, teams are only allowed to challenge if they have a timeout. If the NFL just keeps that requirement in place, clock manipulation wouldn’t be a problem at all.
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We’ll soon see if the Davis catch leads any other coaches across the NFL to lobby for changes to the NFL’s replay review system. However, given that it didn’t ultimately end up costing the Vikings a win, it might be hard for Belichick to garner enough support for his cause.
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