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Bill Belichick's answer (to everything)? 'We're on to Cincinnati'

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer
Bill Belichick's answer (to everything)? 'We're on to Cincinnati'

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick's news conferences are strange. He doesn't want to say anything but he rarely cuts it short. He'll often stand up there and talk for a long time before someone wraps it up.

That gave The Man Who Never Smiles plenty of opportunity to repeat the mantra over and over on Wednesday.

The Patriots are coming off perhaps the worst loss of the Belichick era on Monday night, a 41-14 loss at Kansas City in which they trailed 41-7 before a meaningless touchdown. Belichick had no interest in looking back on it, repeating the same thing: "We're on to Cincinnati." The Patriots play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night.

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And Belichick repeated that phrase, or some version of it, no matter what the question was (and after that loss, there are plenty of legitimate questions about the Patriots going forward).

Here's the Boston Globe's partial transcript:

Q: Is it difficult to react to the adversity of Monday night, and get back on track for Sunday?

A: We’re on to Cincinnati.

Q: You mentioned Tom’s age at the draft ...

A: [interrupting] We’re on to Cincinnati.

Q: Do you think having a 37-year old ...

A: [interrupting] We’re on to Cincinnati. It’s not about the past, it’s nothing about the future, it’s right now we’re preparing for Cincinnati.

Q: Do you feel the talent you have is good enough…

A: We’re trying to get ready to play Cincinnati.

Q: Have you done enough to help Tom Brady…

A: (interrupting) We’re getting ready for Cincinnati. That’s what we’re doing.

Q: So as you get ready for Cincinnati, does Tom Brady have the talent and protection around him to play Cincinnati?

A: We’re making the game plan, do the best we can, be ready to go Sunday night.

People always say Belichick isn't interesting. But there won't be a more entertaining presser this week than his "We're on to Cincinnati" routine. New York Jets coach and rival Rex Ryan thought so (via Kimberley Martin of Newsday):

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!