Ahead of the New England Patriots’ (8-1) Week 11 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles (5-4), Bill Belichick didn’t mind talking about Super Bowl LII, a game which he admitted was a prominent memory.
How could it not be? It’s one of the New England Patriots coach’s three Super Bowl losses.
Belichick also seemed open to praising some of his opponent’s top players, like quarterback Carson Wentz, linebacker Brandon Graham and tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, among others. (Belichick is always ready to kill his opponent with kindness.)
But there were some substantial issues that Belichick didn’t want to address. Let’s make sure to broach those topics, even if The Hoodie elects to deflect on them. Here’s what Belichick wouldn’t say this week.
1. Is Carson Wentz playing well this season?
What Belichick said: “He’s a good quarterback. He can throw from anywhere. The longer the play extends, the harder it is to cover, but he can make all the throws in the pocket too. I think that’s an issue.”
What we think Belichick’s thinking: What’s really the issue? Wentz is averaging 2.7 seconds before his throws, which is 27th worst in the NFL, according to ESPN. Belichick will make that an issue for Wentz. In part, his slow release is probably because his receivers have struggled this season with separation. But whether the blame falls on Wentz or his receivers, he’s leaving himself vulnerable to the Patriots’ pass-rush, which has 32 sacks, fourth-most in the NFL. They may not bring much pressure (Wentz actually thrives against blitzes). But they’re going to try to fool him with their amoeba defense to generate pressure with three- and four-man rushes.
2. What similarities are there between Belichick and Eagles coach Doug Pederson?
What Belichick said: “I don’t know. Good question for somebody else.”
What we think Belichick’s thinking: There are a few similarities. For a time, Pederson was an aggressive decision-maker, who was building innovative and trendy schemes. The biggest difference? The Patriots excelled after winning Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI and LIII. Pederson, meanwhile, is struggling to keep Philly over .500. That’s the most substantial difference. Oh, and the Eagles “have some fun” but the Patriots don’t — or whatever.
3. Any thoughts on Myles Garrett’s bout of blind rage?
What Belichick said: “We’ve addressed that multiple times. … We can go back and look at 50 of these through the years, some type of fighting or ejections or whatever. They’re all a little bit different. I wouldn’t say that it’s – like offside penalties, there’s a lot of – different things happen, different situations, so forth and so on. But yeah, fundamentally, I tell players what we should do in those situations, how we should handle them, and I think they’ve done a good job of it.”
What we think Belichick’s thinking: Tom Brady told reporters that Belichick used Garrett’s outburst as a coaching moment for players on Friday. And while there seems to be a narrative that the Patriots are immune to such behavior, retired tight end Rob Gronkowski was suspended for a dirty, late hit on Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White in 2017. (But Belichick would never remind the media of that PR nightmare.) Something similar happened in New England — though not quite on the insane scale of Garrett’s violent behaviors. The helmet attack was fairly close to unprecedented.
4. By way of Alex Guerrero, Tom Brady mentioned he might play until he’s 47. In the context of history, that’s a pretty wild idea, right?
What Belichick said: “I’m really just trying to focus on getting our team ready to go against the Eagles and trying to get myself ready to do a good job down there. So, we’ll leave all of that for another day.”
What we think Belichick’s thinking: It would be remarkable, but it ain’t happening. Brady is not falling off a cliff, but he’s also not the same player he was in 2007, in part because of aging and in part because of personnel. It would be shocking if Brady made it to 47. Considering Brady’s contract expires after this season, it would be fairly surprising if Brady made it 45, his original target age.
5. So… Is N’Keal Harry playing on Sunday?
What Belichick said: “We’ll activate the players that we feel give us the best chance to compete against the Eagles.”
What we think Belichick’s thinking: He wasn’t ready for the game against the Ravens, who the Patriots clearly respected as one of the best teams in the NFL. New England couldn’t afford to test the waters with the rookie — they needed proven players they could trust. Against the Eagles, perhaps the Patriots see avenues to getting Harry involved. And while Mohamed Sanu’s reviews of Harry were positive this week, Phillip Dorsett told Patriots Wire that Harry, the 2019 first-round pick, is still figuring things out. It’s probable that Harry plays. It’s possible he doesn’t.
6. What does he remember about Colin Kaepernick’s game from 2016?
What Belichick said: “I don’t really have any comment on that. We’re trying to get ready for the Eagles. That’s really where my focus is.”
What we think Belichick’s thinking: Belichick let defensive end Michael Bennett skip the national anthem during his tenure with the Patriots. So Belichick will allow a level of disclosed protest. But it’s fair to question whether Kaepernick might see that as repression. Regardless, Kaepernick would provide an intriguing option to replace third-string quarterback Cody Kessler, lately because the Patriots face a handful of mobile quarterbacks in the coming weeks. Kaepernick has the skillset to be an asset on the scout team. But maybe that value doesn’t outweigh the political dialogue and media attention that Kaep brings.
