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Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien conceded that Rob Gronkowski's controversial strike at the Patriots' fin was in fact a catch.
"On the coach's movie, I do it really [think it’s a catch]O'Brien said Monday. "He climbed, he caught her, [and] he kept both hands underneath. Now, with respect to some TV angles and some other angles of the video I've seen, maybe that was debatable. But from the coach's point of view on the coach's band, that seemed like a mistake for me. "
With just over a minute to play in the first period against the Texans on Sunday, Gronkowski used his helmet to bring a 28-yard pass to quarterback Tom Brady. The decision on the ground was a trap, but it was arguable that Gronkowski kept possession even though he had fallen to the ground in double cover. League offices in New York issued a request for revision, but the Patriots quickly accelerated the field and began the next game before the match officials received the message.
The take was then not examined and the Patriots scored a touchdown on the drive to enter at half-time with a 21-6 lead.
"I do not think he caught that ball," said Aaron Colvin, the Texans cornerback, after the Patriots' 27-20 victory. "I think it was the big game of the game."
O'Brien said he knew he would be penalized if he had thrown his red flag because the game had taken place after the two-minute warning, which means the coach does not have the responsibility to initiate an assessment – something that referee Tony Corrente confirmed on Sunday. O'Brien could have called one of Houston's three remaining time-outs to save time for the New York claim to be passed on to officials, but he chose not to – officials said the decision was deplorable.
"The clock was ticking and I did not feel like I was going out there," O'Brien said Monday. "I felt like we could still hold them to a field goal in this situation."
"I realize very well that I can take a break there," he continued. "I decided not to do it because I thought it was a catch and that's what I did. They were not buzzing in time. OK, I realize that I can take a time out. I just did not say that very clearly last night. "
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