Patriots' Belichick Defends Fourth-Down Calls vs. Eagles: 'No Regrets!'

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick maintains that his decisions to go for numerous fourth down were the correct ones, even if they didn't work out.

Late in Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the New England Patriots had to resort to desperate measures to keep themselves alive.

Of New England's four fourth-quarter drives, three ended in a turnover on downs. One of them was a short attempt on 4th-and-3, but the other two came when the Patriots needed more than 10 yards to keep the drive going.

Even though the Patriots came up short, the fourth-down calls were necessary to stay in the game. They trailed by more than a field goal in every situation.

After the game, coach Bill Belichick defended his risk-reward decision-making.

“Thought it was the best decision for the team,” Belichick said. “If we kicked, I’m sure you’d be asking why we didn’t go for it.”

On Monday morning, Belichick went more in-depth with his thoughts on each attempt. Specifically, he doubled down on the decision to go for it on 4th-and-3, despite it resulting in a Mac Jones incompletion.

“Well, fourth and three down by eight, I mean, I don’t have any regrets on that one,” Belichick said on  WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show.

On the other hand, Belichick felt less confident in his decision to go for it on 4th-and-17, which was originally a 4th-and-12 but became even more difficult after a delay-of-game penalty. That play, which took place on the Eagles' 48-yard line, was another incompletion from Jones to tight end Hunter Henry. That stop nearly iced the game for the Eagles, and it was only after the Patriots got a fourth-down stand of their own that they had another chance.

“Fourth and 17, looking back on it, we had three timeouts, might’ve punted that one,” Belichick said. “I mean, I don’t know how much field position we would’ve gained, but fourth and 17 after the delay, that was tough.”

At the end of the day, the Patriots' missed opportunities are just that, and they now must move forward. Next up, a Sunday night matchup against the Miami Dolphins provides a chance to get back on track.

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