Perhaps the only thing colder than air during the beating of the Buffalo Bills to the New England Patriots was the handshake between the coaches after the game.
After the Bills sent him to the worst playoff loss of his career on Jan. 15, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t seem in the mood for postgame compliments on his colleague.
The acrimonious exchange between Belichick and Bills head coach Sean McDermott after the final whistle was captured on video, leading to some criticism of the Patriots coach.
Belichick criticized for his behavior
Just seconds after the Bills wrapped up a resounding 47-17 win over the Patriots by kneeling three times — the only time the Bills touched the ball without scoring a touchdown — players and coaches poured onto the field to post game greetings McDermott approached Belichick, but the Patriots coach quickly backed away, giving no time for a word.
A video of the exchange made its way to Twitter, where many criticized Belichick for his behavior.
“Unsportsmanlike conduct, unbecoming of a coach”, wrote a fan.
Another fan wrote on Twitter: “Enough with this guy. He is a man in his late 70s who acts like a child half the time. The worst loser ever. Treat trainers who beat you with the same respect they show you when you beat them!! Grow up and learn to take charge when you lose!”
This isn’t the first time Belichick has been the target of criticism for his postgame actions following a loss. He was criticized for not shaking hands with Tom Coughlin after the New York Giants upset the Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl, and again for refusing to be interviewed after the Patriots Baltimore Ravens beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game in 2013.
For that snub, Belichick drew criticism from sports analyst and former tight end Shannon Sharpe, who noted that other coaches have been willing to talk to the media after tough losses.
“There is something to be said for being courteous in defeat,” Sharpe said according to CBS Sports. “We have seen the New England Patriots be victorious five times in the last twelve years. And we’ve seen coaches who lost come and talk to our Steve Tasker. Coach (Bill) Cowher did it when [los Steelers] they fell before them. We saw the same thing last week [cuando los Patriots derrotaron a los Texans].”
Belichick may have been frustrated by his sudden reversal of fortune against McDermott and the Bills. After dominating Buffalo for nearly 20 years, the Patriots have lost four of the last five including Saturday’s blowout.
There might also be a simpler explanation for the terse postgame interaction between Belichick and McDermott on Saturday — temperature. The game was one of the coldest in Buffalo history, played in single-digit temperatures with a sub-zero wind chill. Belichick had been out for more than three hours by the time the clock struck zero, and the outcome was out of the question for much of that time.
Belichick’s modest congratulations to the Bills
While he didn’t give McDermott much time to chat immediately after the game, Belichick did have some good things to say about the Bills later.
They were too much for us tonight Belichick told reporters at his postgame press conference.
When asked about the Patriots’ poor performance on the field, Belichick opted instead to praise the Bills and McDermott.
“We just couldn’t keep up with them tonight,” he said. “They definitely deserved to win, well managed, the team executed well, and we couldn’t – there just wasn’t much we could do.”
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