‘Patriots JV!’ Coach Bill Belichick Best Year Ever - Rex Ryan
After a 23-21 victory over the Dolphins on Sunday, the New England Patriots leapfrogged Miami for the final spot in the AFC playoff picture.
A team that once appeared dead in the water would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
Of course the season still has one game left and the Patriots could very well miss the playoffs, but that doesn't make their season any less impressive. Especially to Rex Ryan, who compared the talent level of this Patriots team to the ones he faced when he was the coach of AFC East rival New York Jets.
“When I look at it, because I compare the current New England roster to when I coached against them, there’s one player on that team that would have started for those teams — and that’s Matt Judon,” ESPN’s Ryan said. "Everything else, none of those guys would have started. That’s why I call it a JV team."
While the talent level is significantly different between the two editions of the Pats, what the Patriots do have still is Belichick.
"The roster may be JV, but the coaching’s not. This dude has done an amazing job. Might be his best year coaching that I’ve ever seen," Ryan said. "What he does is he plays to the strength of this team. You have a great defense.
"And here’s the thing about that defense: it doesn’t just stop you or make you punt, or whatever, it forces turnovers. But that’s not it, they score with those turnovers.”
The season is not over and a playoff spot is far from guaranteed for the Patriots. That being said, the fact that they're even in contention is yet another testament to Belichick's coaching ability.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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