Belichick calls for challenges under 2 minutes

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots' Bill Belichick, the league's longest-tenured caput coach, repeated his stance Monday that coaches should beryllium allowed to situation plays nether 2 minutes.

Belichick did truthful aft being asked astir a cardinal play successful the Minnesota Vikings' thrilling 33-30 overtime triumph implicit the Buffalo Bills, successful which Buffalo receiver Gabe Davis' 20-yard drawback with 17 seconds remaining successful the 4th fourth wasn't reviewed by officials.

NFL elder vice president of officiating Walt Anderson aboriginal said the play -- which was captious successful mounting up a tying tract extremity to nonstop the crippled into overtime -- should person been reviewed and ruled incomplete.

The NFL doesn't let coaches to situation plays successful the last 2 minutes earlier halftime oregon the extremity of regulation, successful portion truthful they aren't allowed to manipulate challenges strategically to halt the clock.

"Provided the squad has a challenge, they should person the accidental to situation truly immoderate play. I'm connected grounds connected that," Belichick said successful his Monday videoconference.

In a Monday interrogation connected sports vigor WEEI, Belichick added: "There person been different examples of that, plays that person occurred successful situations wherever teams couldn't situation due to the fact that the rules prohibited [it].

"I get guardant progress, and things similar that, that you can't challenge. I'm not talking astir that. I'm saying not having the quality to situation a play that could interaction the result of the crippled -- adjacent calls similar holding and walk interference and things similar that -- I don't spot wherefore those plays can't beryllium reviewed [by a coach's challenge]."

Belichick is successful his 48th play coaching successful the NFL, his 28th arsenic a caput coach, making him 1 of the much influential voices connected league matters.

First-year Minnesota caput manager Kevin O'Connell, who was drafted by Belichick successful 2008 arsenic a quarterback, said of Davis' reception Sunday: "It was close successful beforehand of me. I didn't deliberation that was a catch. In that mode, that needs to beryllium thing that either is from up apical [in the property container with the replay official], oregon perchance New York [at the replay center]. We didn't get immoderate clarification connected that. I did ask."

As for Belichick, whose squad was disconnected implicit the weekend, helium often prefers to support his comments connected NFL rules backstage among coaches astatine the league's yearly meeting.

After sharing his thoughts connected the Davis play Monday, helium added: "The rules are the rules. The contention committee and the league votes connected those rules. Whatever they are, that's what they are."