Invoice Belichick on the commerce deadline, NFL officiating, and the way forward for Kyle Dugger with the Patriots

A day after the Patriots fell to 2-6 with a 31-17 loss to the Dolphins, Invoice Belichick supplied a fast overview of what went mistaken in his group’s newest setback.

“Simply couldn’t make sufficient performs in important conditions, and Miami did,” Belichick defined throughout his weekly interview on “The Greg Hill Present” on WEEI. “That was clearly the distinction.”

New England was in a position to pull the sport again to a one-score deficit within the fourth quarter following JuJu Smith-Schuster’s landing on a fourth-and-goal with 8:30 remaining.

But simply when Belichick wanted his protection to make a stand, the Dolphins had been in a position to put collectively a 10-play, 75-yard landing drive. It culminated with Miami vast receiver Jaylen Waddle making a large open catch earlier than scampering 31 yards for the landing.

“We blew the protection on Waddle,” Belichick stated of the important second. “That was a horrible mistake.”

The Patriots’ coach pinpointed the problem on protection.

“Third and lengthy,” stated Belichick. “We obtained them in third and lengthy and weren’t in a position to convert all of them. We must always be capable of convert them and we didn’t.”

One of many speaking factors that emerged from Sunday was the officiating, with a number of calls (and perceived non-calls) drawing consideration.

Belichick was requested about his “mindset” in how he coaches defensive gamers to be throughout the guidelines, and the way he expects officers to make calls.

“We coach it the best way we’ve at all times coached it, which is the secure technique to play, main with the shoulder,” he stated. “We don’t ever wish to hit within the head. These are defenseless gamers and all that.

“I don’t know, I’d prefer to really feel like our gamers are getting protected like all people else’s,” Belichick added of the officiating. “The tripping on Ezekiel Elliott, that’s one other harmful play. Stuff like that, there shouldn’t be anyplace for that in soccer.”

Later, within the digital press convention following the radio interview, the topic was raised by ESPN reporter Mike Reiss.

Requested by Reiss how essential it’s “that your gamers are protected,” Belichick responded by merely saying, “Essential.”

When queried for what steps he might take if he feels that his gamers aren’t being protected, Belichick supplied a terse response.

“Let’s hope it occurs.”

With the NFL commerce deadline (4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 31) approaching, New England might be a possible vendor.

“Yeah I don’t know, we simply obtained again from the sport final night time,” stated Belichick of attainable trades. “We’ll regroup right here immediately and see the place issues are at.”

“Each state of affairs’s completely different,” he stated of the group’s strategy to the deadline. “It takes two folks to make a commerce. It’d need to work out for each groups, whichever groups these are.”

The Dolphins, that includes arguably the quickest vast receiver group within the NFL, contrasted with the Patriots’ lack of playmakers on Sunday. Does Belichick want the Patriots had tried to place extra offensive weapons round Mac Jones?

“Everyone desires quick gamers,” he stated. “We have now quick gamers. I imply, I don’t know if anyone’s as quick as Tyreek Hill, however we’ve got some quick gamers.”

And with regards to participant personnel, Belichick — who’s each head coach and has remaining say on roster choices — was requested concerning the strategy of how the group finds attainable commerce targets or free agent signings.

Particularly, the query was raised about if he personally scouts gamers or is counting on others within the personnel division to do this.

“There’s no means I might probably do this,” Belichick stated within the radio interview. “I imply, teaching is a full-time job. Personnel is a full-time job. In some unspecified time in the future, they need to merge collectively and be on the identical web page and work out what’s greatest for the group. However you may’t be a full-time personnel individual and be a full-time coach. It’s inconceivable.”

One participant whose future is in query past the 2023 season is security Kyle Dugger, whose contract is up after the present season. Belichick was requested by WEEI if he’d prefer to see the 27-year-old keep in New England over the long run.

“Yeah, in fact,” Belichick replied. “Completely.”

Have there been any discussions a couple of new deal?

“No, I’m not going to get into any contract conversations.”