The New England Patriots won the opening coin toss and opted to take the ball first in the AFC championship game.
So what's the big deal?
Bill Belichick almost never does. And early on, the move backfired.
How rare is it that the Patriots take the ball first? According to MMQB, they've only taken the ball twice in the past eight seasons to start the game when winning the snap. Twice!
Why? The idea, in theory, is to get the ball first to start the second half, and the daily double the Patriots pull off more than any team it seems is also having the ball on the final possession of the second quarter.