Bill Belichick at Patriots’ postgame news conference: Oh, the Falcons won?
New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick talks during a news conference after the AFC championship football game against Pittsburgh on Sunday.
By the time Bill Belichick took the podium for his postgame news conference Sunday night, he had known for quite some time that his New England Patriots would be advancing to Super Bowl LI.
The AFC championship game had been decided long before the clock ran out on the Patriots’ 36-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Plus after the game, the coach celebrated with his team, helped accept the Lamar Hunt trophy, was interviewed by CBS’ Jim Nantz and even had the time to change out of his game attire (a hoodie, of course) before addressing reporters.
Yet, apparently Belichick never thought to ask anyone which team the Patriots would be facing in the big game in two weeks.
The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Green Bay Packers, 42-14, in an NFC championship game that ended before its AFC counterpart started. But Belichick indicated he didn’t know that until he was asked about the Falcons during the news conference.
“I didn’t even know they won,” Belichick said. “We didn’t see the first game.”
Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have led the Patriots to the Super Bowl six times before this year. They’ve won four of those championship games, losing twice to the New York Giants.
And since quarterback Eli Manning and the Giants were eliminated from the playoffs two weeks ago, maybe it really doesn’t matter to Belichick which team the Patriots will be facing in Houston on Feb. 5.
Twitter: @chewkiii
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