Bill Belichick finds himself in another Patriots controversy

None of the storylines that have unfolded during this Patriots season seem to be discussed more than the latest news or gossip involving Mac Jones. The season began with intense criticism regarding the quarterback’s second-year progression and has grown into several discussions since then, the latest of which has created quite a stir online and in the media.

After the Patriots’ tough loss against the Bengals in week 16, much focus swung back to Jones and evolved into hyper-focusing on a single play in the game. The infamous incident occurred after what was ruled as a fumble and a recovery by Germaine Pratt of the Bengals. As the linebacker ran the football down the field, nearing Cincinnati’s end zone, several Patriots offensive players were right with him. As he got to the 30-yard line, Jones dove in front of Eli Apple and took the cornerback down at the knees, prompting many to conclude it as a dirty play.

Although this wasn’t the first occurrence in his young NFL career, the latest incident sparked a lot of debate and even produced a new unfavorable moniker for Jones. The play also warranted an investigation by the NFL and NFLPA, resulting in the quarterback being fined $11,139 for the hit.

Despite the punishment handed down by the league and Apple not sustaining an injury from the hit, the controversial play is still dominating Patriots news in New England. Because of that, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald chose to ask Bill Belichick about his quarterback being referred to as a “dirty player.”

"“Yeah, I’m not going to sit up here and comment on that. I mean, we can go through the rest of the roster and ask the same questions, right? About different things about players and all that. So I’m not going to get into any of that.”"

In typical Belichick fashion, the coach dodged the question and attempted to pivot the conversation elsewhere. But Callahan wouldn’t let up, following up his original question urging Belichick to essentially “clear” Jones of the current narrative surrounding him. And once again, the Patriots head coach declined to provide a real response.

"“Right now, my focus is on the Miami Dolphins. It’s not on some other game, some other play, some other year, what somebody else said or didn’t say. We’re trying to get ready for the Dolphins. Honestly, I don’t even think about those things.”"

Because the media insists on pushing for sound bites and stirring up drama, the reporter pressed Belichick again on the issue, insisting that his lack of a proper response and strong defense of his quarterback may run the risk of alienating Jones.

"“I have a good relationship with all the players. I talk to all the players. I talk to the team every day. I talk to the players individually on an as-needed basis or anything that’s relevant. So I feel comfortable in my relationship with every player, every coach, every staff member if that’s what you’re asking.”"

Although this is a lot of nothing and not out of character for Belichick to decline to answer certain questions, his actions or lack thereof added fuel to the fire. Whether or not Jones is a “dirty player” is subjective, and those who have made their minds up one way or the other will likely not be swayed.

With that in mind, Belichick’s refusal to comment on the situation shouldn’t be made more of than it is. This is the same man who didn’t vehemently deny allegations about Tom Brady during Deflategate, so why would he change now?

A lack of response should not be assumed to mean something favorable or not. A team is not responsible for responding to gossip or debunking rumors regarding the organization or any specific player. The media certainly has a job to do, but creating a controversy out of Twitter narratives is a waste of time.