Belichick plays the long game, within each game, within each season and overall.
Many things don’t make sense in a vacuum. The other team gets paid too, so it’s not like, as is sometimes often suggested here, just will thinks to happen.
I think, proportionally to the points they allow, it may be accurate that they allow more on the first drive (I’d guess first quarter) but unless you honestly think one team can perfectly dominate the other, it’s a trade off.
There has been a lot of talk about the early defense yesterday. And really Houston gets credit for executing plays outside of their comfort zone, but the long game ended up with Houston’s final 5 drives (right after the flea flicker on the first drive of the second half) resulting in 20 plays, 81 yards, 2 first downs and no points.
That’s virtually half a game that they totally shut them down.
Im cool with a strategy that drives better play in the second half and 4th quarter at the expense not winning the first drive.