Bennett on Belichick: 'He's a Savant,' says Pass-Rusher as Cowboys Prep for Patriots
FRISCO - If you think Michael Bennett's return to New England as a member of the Dallas Cowboys this weekend is a "reveng game,'' Bennett himself is happy to correct you.
Just four weeks after the Cowboys dealt a conditional seventh-round pick to New England for Bennett, the veteran defensive lineman is set to line up against his old Patriots teammates in Sunday’s matchup of high-profile franchises.
“It’s never personal in the NFL,'' Bennett said Wednesday at The Star. "It’s always business. I’m at the point now where I don’t have to prove myself. You go out there, you play as hard as you can, simply not for yourself but for your teammates every single time I go out there.
“It’s not really about me. It’s really about the guys lined up that are lined up next to me.”
The Patriots dumped Bennett, 34, to Dallas a couple of weeks ago in a trade that cost Dallas just a late-round pick. The Cowboys (6-4) have gotten fine production from Bennett, with three sacks in three games.
“Michael has played very well for us,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “Very impactful both in the run game and affecting the quarterback. We’ve gone against him for a lot of years now. … He’s hard to block.”
Dallas hopes that is the case this weekend in Cowboys-at-Patriots, and Bennett does, too.
“We’ve got a lot of growth,” he said. “There’s a lot of football that’s being played in September and October, but those games are just kind of 'games.' I think November and December is kind of where champions are made.''
The Patriots are 9-1 and seem as dynastic as ever. And Bennett offered the reason why.
"I learned a lot about football in New England,'' Bennett said. “As a player you go into the situation and you think you know football, then you meet somebody who’s above you (Belichick) and knows everything about the game. For me, I learned a lot about football ... learning how to execute at a high level, learning what it takes to develop players. I learned what it feels like to break down a game plan from a different perspective, and I think it was good for me as a player. If I ever want to be a coach, it would be a good situation to take into that.
Bennett offered more on the legendary Belichick, who suspended him just before trading him.
“At the end of the day, I just think Bill is a great motivator. I think he understands football from the beginning,” he said. “He’s a historian when it comes to football, plays. He can remember anything when it comes to it. He’s just a savant. I think he just knows how to put people in great positions to make plays, and I think you always go over every single thing about the game, the things that teams do, the chances that they might take, and I think probability plays a lot into the execution of the team.”
I've said that Bennett is a "mercenary'' of sorts. But as you see in the above video from before the Detroit game, he seems invested. Additionally, much of what Dallas thought about this transaction has come true, as you see below.
And the "journey'' he talks about that has brought him to the Cowboys? Maybe he can use the New England portion of his career journey to beat the Pats this week - no hard feelings.
