November 5, 2007
Coach-to-QB system
By Mike Reiss, Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH -- Here is some of the Q&A from Bill Belichick's press conference today regarding the team not being able to utilize its coach-to-quarterback system in Sunday's game against the Colts:
Did you notice any irregularities with the crowd noise? There is a report out there [on ProFootballTalk.com] that the Colts might have pumped in crowd noise.
"We definitely had a lot of problems with the coach-to-quarterback. We basically didn't have a coach-to-quarterback operation, so we had to signal in all the plays, which is unusual. But that's the way it was. What all was going on, I can't tell you. But I can tell you, from a functional standpoint, the coach-to-quarterback was basically useless."
But you didn't feel the crowd noise was ...
"Again, it's always loud. It's definitely loud when you're behind by 10 points, I can tell you that."
You must plan for that, like going to a generator when the lights go out. How much time do you put into that every week for when that system is not an option?
"We have to go to a signaling system, or let the quarterback call his own plays. Those are your two options. It would be one of those two things. You always have to be prepared for that. You never know when something is going to happen, something will malfunction, or whatever. We ended up with that, and we were basically in that mode the whole game."
By rule, did the Colts have to stop using their communication system as well?
"No. The headset rule is if you don't have communication with the press box, then you call the officials over and you tell them that -- 'we don't have communication with the press box.' Then the official says 'you guys take off all your headsets' and then goes to the other sideline and says 'you guys take off all your headsets.' At some point, on a touchback, or a change of possession or something, they'll come back and check with the sideline and if the technician says 'we think we have this straightened out' -- because they're testing it -- then they'll say [let's try it again]. If either side would have a breakdown -- let's say you put them back on for a series or two series or whatever, and you call the officials over and say 'it still isn't working.' And he'll say 'if yours aren't working, you have to take yours off, and they have to take theirs off.' That's what that is. It has nothing to do with coach-to-quarterback. That's a whole separate thing. ... It's independent."
Did you have communication with the press box?
"That was no problem. The problem was the quarterback hearing the plays from the sideline. And if you can't hear them, then you have to find another way to get the play into the quarterback."
Posted By: mreiss | Time: 12:40:56 PM
Big O quickly changed the subject as he obviously didn't want to get BB in the league's dog house.
