ATLANTA — Finally, something that can stump Bill Belichick. The Patriots’ icon of a coach undoubtedly possesses one of the sharpest minds in NFL history,…
ATLANTA — Finally, something that can stump Bill Belichick.
The Patriots’ icon of a coach undoubtedly possesses one of the sharpest minds in NFL history, with a knack for quick adjustments and resourceful personnel moves, but I guess he’s human, too.
For all of his greatness, Belichick sometimes can’t immediately figure out who’s who.
Was that Devin McCourty or Jason McCourty?
“Bill still doesn’t know,” Devin, the Pro Bowl-credentialed safety who has only played for Belichick since 2010, said. “If it was up to Bill, we’d walk around with our jerseys on all day.”
The McCourty brothers — Devin wears No. 32, Jason No. 30 — are not only the first set of twins to play in a Super Bowl but also the first twin teammates in the NFL since Gene and Tom Golsen toiled for the Louisville Colonels in 1926. Talk about a fresh twist for the Patriots the franchise’s ninth Super Bowl appearance under Belichick.
Jason, a 10th year cornerback, was obtained from Cleveland last spring in an offseason trade that also involved swapping late-round picks. The trade reunited the identical twins on the football field for the first time since 2008 at Rutgers and fueled a season-long journey filled with personal markers — and the occasional mistaken identity moments.
Brian Flores, the linebackers coach and defensive play-caller who is pegged to become the Dolphins coach after Super Bowl LIII, has had multiple ID episodes — in the heat of games.
“You know, 30,32, it’s happened in games from time to time,” said Flores, recalling their chatter on the sidelines. “I’d say, ‘Dev, we’ve got to get back our double,’ and I’m really talking to Jason.”
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This must be some new type of double coverage. Although most of their teammates are said to know them apart, even Matthew Slater, the wily veteran of a special teams captain, has been tripped up.
“There have been a couple of times in the huddle when I’ll look up and see ‘3,’ and not see whether it’s ‘0’ or ‘2,’ and call out the wrong name,” Slater said.
