Bill Belichick's answer on OMF Monday had the entire NFL talking Tuesday.
First came the head coach's proclamation during his weekly interview on WEEI where he offered a candid explanation to the Patriots' lot in life.
“Look, we paid Cam Newton $1 million. I mean it’s obvious we didn’t have any money. It’s nobody’s fault," he said. "That’s what we did the last five years. We sold out and won three Super Bowls, played in a fourth and played in a AFC championship game. This year we had less to work with. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a fact.”
Then came the responses, including a pointed one from former Patriot Ross Tucker on the Ross Tucker Podcast.
"Now Belichick is talking about the salary cap and we sold out. I've got to tell you, he does not sound very Belichickian right now with making these excuses," Tucker said. "Dude, your team is bad. You've got a bad football team. You're the head coach of a bad team. Don't make excuses. You don't let anybody else make excuses, certainly players. And you had plenty of salary cap maneuvering you could have done. You're a bad team. Stop making excuses."