Bill Belichick used diabolically clever field goal trick to gain Patriots edge in shocking reveal

Bill Belichick and the Patriots made sure opposing kickers were seeing double.The legendary coach allegedly utilized the scoreboard at Gillette Stadium to showcase the yellow uprights before opponents’ field goal attempts and thus leave the kicker seeing four different yellow bars before an attempt, as revealed by the “Paganetti and Underhill” podcast.Ryan Paganetti, who has worked in the analytics departments for the Eagles, Jaguars and Raiders, posted multiple screenshots to X of kickers lining up while the Jumbotron showed a pair of yellow lines.He said he analyzed more than decade of TV broadcasts and provided screenshots of the Patriots playing mind games with the kickers, including Billy Cundiff’s infamous missed 32-yard attempt in the 2012 AFC Championship game that sealed the Patriots’ win over the Ravens and a trip to the Super Bowl.“When opposing kickers lined up at Gillette Stadium, the video board displayed a reverse view of the kick, placing a second, offset set of yellow uprights directly behind the real ones,” Paganetti tweeted Tuesday night alongside four photos showcasing the extra lines.“In windy conditions, even the orange streamers on the video board appeared to point in the opposite direction from those atop the physical uprights, making the illusion even more disorienting.

I found dozens of examples.”Belichick is known for utilizing — both legally and illegally — every little bit of information he can to enhance his team’s chances to win and this certainly fits the bill.It’s hard enough to kick at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., especially when its cold, and it’s all the harder if you’re seeing four lines.Paganetti said on the podcast he reviewed kicks from roughly 2012-20, and detailed that it was easier to execute on one side of the field since the Jumbotron was directly behind the bars.“They legitimately did it every single chance that they could,” he said on the podcast.“They consistently did thi...