Jets' Robert Saleh In Awe of Patriots' Belichick: 'Transcended NFL'
Sunday's home game against the New York Jets will mark the end of the New England Patriots' 2023 season, and potentially the end of an era in team history.
There's a very real chance that legendary coach Bill Belichick, who led New England to six Super Bowl titles over his 24 years with the club, could be coaching the Patriots for the final time on Sunday. That seemed impossible before, but with the Patriots falling off a cliff this year, many believe it's time for a change.
Ahead of what could be Belichick's final game in New England, Jets coach Robert Saleh looked back on what he has done for the game at large.
Bill Belichick
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“I don’t know him on a personal level, but from afar, what he’s done for the game of football, he’s transcended the sport,” Saleh said Wednesday. “In terms of the way they prepare, their in-game management, their communication. Everything they do.
“They’ve been a model of consistency. They’ve produced a lot of really good football players, obviously. They’ve had a lot of championships. The guy has won over 300 games. You’ve got to stick around a while to do that. He’s a special, special football coach.”
If any team knows how hard it is to beat Belichick, it's certainly the Jets. Since Belichick joined the Patriots in 2000, they are 38-11 against their AFC East rivals. It doesn't help that Belichick was originally supposed to replace Bill Parcels as the Jets' coach, but defected to join the Patriots instead.
New York also hasn't beaten New England since 2015, but Saleh and co. are determined to change that and potentially send Belichick out with a loss.
“Every week is the same," Saleh said. "We’re just going out there to do our best and try to win a football game.”
