Jealous Rant: Normally Tight-Lipped New England Patriots' Bill Belichick Praises Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt For 5 Minutes
FOXBORO — New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is known for heaping effusive praise on his opponents prior to a given matchup.
While the 71-year-old has occasionally been accused of doing so for the sake of a seemingly undeserving foe, the plaudits with which he showered Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt were both sincere and well-deserved.
Despite being a man of few words — especially in the recent midst of a 2-10 season, his worst as ‘HC of the NEP’ — Belichick spoke uninterrupted for over five minutes while answering a pair of questions regarding Watt’s abilities as a linebacker on the eve of the Pats Week 14 matchup with the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
“He’s a very instinctive player,” Belichick told reporters via videoconference on Wednesday. “He’s very quick off the ball. He has a good edge pass rush. He’s got really good lower-body strength and balance. He does a very good job of closing to the quarterback and rarely gets knocked off balance. He might get hit but he’s able to play through contact and stay on his track. He really does a good job of condensing the pocket; even when he doesn’t hit the quarterback, he forces the quarterback into a smaller space that helps everybody else who’s rushing … he’s really good.”
Full Text of Belichick’s Response:
As a former Defensive Player of the Year, Watt is certain to command the attention of every opposing offense he plays, including the Patriots in Week 14. The three-time, first-team All Pro is enjoying another stellar season, having collected 47 total tackles, 14 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) moves in to sack legendary New England Patriots QB Tom Brady
Cred: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In contrast, New England’s quarterbacks have been sacked 30 times this season, five of which were laid on starter Bailey Zappe by the Los Angeles Chargers defense in their 6-0 loss to the Bolts last Sunday at Gillette Stadium. With Watt expected to feast on an injury-riddled and inferior Pats offensive line, he may be in line for a standout showing in prime time.
Still, it should be noted that Watt has not illuminated the stat sheet in his three career games against Belichick and the Patriots. Having not faced New England since 2019, the 29-year-old has just six solo tackles, one assist and one sack. Ultimately, the stats have done little to deter the Patriots coach in considering Watt among the elite players at his position — both presently and historically.
“I think that rating a player is a little bit like a jigsaw puzzle,” Belichick stated. “There's a lot of pieces that go in there. Instincts are important … Speed — Strength and balance — coordination of the hand and footwork — they all fit together differently for different players and their skill sets.”
Perhaps the highest compliment given to Watt by Belichick, however, was his recognition of the single season sack leader’s (tied with Michael Strahan at 22.5) ability to act as a facilitator for his teammates. Whether it be his tendency to command the double-team, or his own star quality that raises the bar for his fellow defenders, Watt is typically at the center of mostly every defensive highlight - something that occurs by design rather than happenstance.
"That helps everybody else. There are a lot of plays where he himself doesn’t get he statistic for it, but his play leads to disruption by somebody else – either inside or it could be [Alex] Highsmith on the other side, or it could be a blitzing linebacker. He really restricts the width of the pocket and doesn’t give up scramble plays in doing that. He’s really good.”
