Belichick Discusses Colts, Harris, Phillips and More as Patriots Return from their Week 14 Bye

The Pats head coach had offered his thoughts on Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor, as well as some well-deserved compliments to Indy’s coaching staff.

After a much-needed and well-deserved rest during their bye in Week Fourteen of the 2021 NFL Season, the New England Patriots will begin preparations for their Week Fifteen matchup with the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, December 18.

The 9-4 Patriots enter this Saturday night showdown as both the top-seeded team in the AFC, as well as the division leader in the AFC East. Knowing that the Pats hold the number one spot in the Conference via tiebreaker (over both the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs, wins are essential to keep pace with the remainder of the contenders for a coveted first-round bye in the playoffs.

With the team set to return to work this week, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick met with the media to discuss the team preparations for Indianapolis, as well as a few bye-week topics.

Here are some of the highlights from Belichick’s Monday morning media meet:

On defensive back Myles Bryant’s positional fleibility:

“Myles played a number of different positions at [the University of] Washington, and he has done that. Whether it be corner, safety, or some tough nickel spots. He is a smart, instinctive player…communicates well. Players with a lot of confidence on the field, and that has led to some big plays for him. He makes a lot of good decisions and makes them quickly too.”

On a potential ‘warm weather greeting’ front the fans in Indianapolis:

“We’ll see what happens. Haven’t been there in a while”

On the health status’ of running back Damien Harris and safety Adrian Phillips:

“We haven’t done anything since then [both players left Week Thirteen’s matchup with Buffalo Bills with injuries.] We will see how things progress when we are ready to get out there.”

On the challenges presented by the Colts:

“They have done a really good job in all phases…On defense, guys like [Darius] Leonard, [DeForest] Buckner, Kenny Moore [etc.] have been great for them all year. They are a good team..they run well, they are fast…very well-coached and all of their players have great awareness for the football, especially on defense. When you have a guy like Leonard, who has si forced fumbles…that’s a lot…but they do a lot of things well.”

On the prowess of Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor:

“Well, the Colts are a well-balanced team. They have a lot of experience on the offensive line, and they know what they are doing. [Much of that unit] has been at it together for a long time. The backs have a good feel or the line. Taylor is a hard guy to tackle …he’s strong, he’s fast, and not a lot of guys can catch him. He can catch the ball well, too. If you miss a tackle on him, he can break for a 60-70 yard run. But it is a team effort too. They run a variety of plays…run gap plays..zone plays…that can open things up for Taylor and any of their backs.”

On Frank Reich’s ability to prepare his team:

“The Colts are the best first quarter team in the league in getting points on the board…they play good complimentary football. They are among the league leaders in points-off-turnovers…and they don't turn the ball over, themselves…so, that always leads to good results. They are well-coached..they have a great staff, and obviously Frank has a big hand in it. All of their units are productive, and they do a good job of taking advantage of their opportunities.”

On the potential of the Patriots ever being on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ (as the Colts were previously):

"There's a lot of reasons why I wouldn't be excited about it."

***Belichick was asked this question as a follow-up on a previous question about whether a team’s appearance on ‘Hard Knocks’ is studied as part of the scouting process. Belichick said they have people who study each opposing team, which includes checking out ‘Hard Knocks.’

On Devin McCourty’s leadership;

“Devin does a tremendous job for us…on and off the field. He possesses great leadership and communication skills. His confidence and decision making on the field allows his teammates to maximize their skills…and that puts them in great position to make plays. He has done a great job with that for us this year, and really, his whole career.”

On team leadership:

“It’s always an interesting process, each year. New players come in and there are new dynamics. We’ll see how it all works out down the stretch, here. This team works hard…they come in ready to put in a solid day. And then off the field, they put the time in for workouts, film study [etc.] Whether it be new players, or guys who have been here, we have a lot of leaders…not just the captains…we have multiple leaders at every position. They have earned their success…hopefully we are ready to keep earning it.”

*quotes paraphrased for readability