Confusion came in a hurry once Matthew Slater of the New England Patriots decided to kickoff to begin overtime against the New York Jets.
What became lost very quickly in today’s matchup between the New York Jets and New England Patriots was the epic drive Tom Brady came up with to tie the game at 20 with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
It was soon forgotten because of what transpired during the coin toss in overtime.
Pats special teams stud Matthew Slater won the coin toss and elected to kickoff. Upon first review it appeared that Slater was dumbfounded at the referee’s words (video above):
It had to be a mistake, right? Who would ever elect to kickoff with a Hall of Fame quarterback on the roster – one of the greats of all-time?
After clarification, however, Slater’s confusion was only relegated to the direction of the kickoff. He actually thought he’d get to choose the direction as well.
Bill Belichick actually wanted the team to kickoff if they won the toss. So all in all, the confusion was much to do about nothing.
Belichick’s decision came back to bite him in the ass as Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets promptly drove 80 yards on five plays resulting in a Eric Decker game-winning touchdown.