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Today's overtime game between the Jets and Patriots featured some controversy as Matthew Slater made an error after the overtime coin toss. New England won the coin toss, but Slater said he wanted to kick off. Because Slater asked to kick off, it both gave the Jets the ball and allowed them to take the wind with their back in overtime.
Bill Belichick said he wanted to kick off to start overtime.
Slater says he checked a few times with Belichick to make sure he wanted to kick if they won the toss. "There's not much to it."
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 27, 2015
"We thought that was the best thing to do." - Bill Belichick on decision to kick off in OT
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 27, 2015
You get to choose to either kick, receive, or take the wind after the coin toss. What Slater should have done is take the wind. Then the Jets would have had a choice to kick or receive. They would have chosen to receive but not had the wind.
In any event, the Jets scored a touchdown on their first series so the wind did not come into play as it might have on a long field goal attempt. Since Belichick wanted to kick off, Slater really did not cost the Pats anything.
Belichick's decision to give the Jets the ball, however, will likely get scrutiny.
UPDATE: The Jets agree with the decision.
Agreed. https://t.co/LVQVwVZlsL
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 27, 2015