New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick praised tight end Mike Gesicki for trying to make something happen on the final drive of Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins.
After hauling in a pass from quarterback Mac Jones, Gesicki tossed a lateral pass to guard Cole Strange, who made a valiant effort to get a first down in a 4th-and-3 situation. However, after initially ruling the play a first down, the officials concluded his knee was just short and overturned the call.
Buy Patriots TicketsThe lateral was just one of Gesicki’s contributions on Sunday night. He also tallied five catches for 33 yards against his old team. Unfortunately, the Patriots still lost the contest and started the season 0-2 for the first time since 2001.
Belichick appeared on “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday and made sure to credit Gesicki for the near conversion, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Zack Cox.
“He’s a smart player, and that was the right decision on his part,” said Belichick. “I guess we came up a couple inches short.”
Bill Belichick on @TheGregHillShow praised Mike Gesicki for trying to make something happen on the final play: "He's a smart player, and that was the right decision on his part. … I guess we came up a couple inches short."
Called it "a very instinctive, heads-up play."
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) September 18, 2023
Gesicki has found a productive role within the New England offense. There will be other opportunities for the Patriots to pick up wins this season, and the veteran tight end should play a significant role in those games.
