Belichick, Patriots Focused on ‘This Game,’ Praises Brady and More

The Patriots head coach discussed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ prowess on both sides of the ball, as well sharing his thoughts on facing Tom Brady.

With the image of the New England Patriots’ Week Three loss to the New Orleans Saints continuing to shrink in the team’s rearview mirror, it is time for the Pats to turn their attention to the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The teams will meet on Sunday, October 3at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Prior to taking the practice fields on Wednesday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick addressed the media. Belichick praised the Bucs as a “team that does all things well to win football games” with great players on all sides of the ball. New England’s man-in-charge also complemented the abilities of former Patriots’ Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, while deflecting comment on recent rumors resulting from the latest ‘tell-all’ publication on the team.

Here are some additional highlights from Belichick’s Wednesday morning meet with the media:

On facing the defending Super Bowl Champions:

“Really interesting to watch Tampa…it is a team that we don't play very often. Did a great job last year. They score a lot of points, and don’t allow many. They do all things well to win football games. They brought everyone back from last year. And that is obvious in their execution and communication . There is a lot to get ready for this week …And, I know some of their players well…especially Tom [Brady] and Rob [Gronkowski]. I appreciate them and what they have done for me and for the organization.. But Sunday we are on opposite sides of the field…and we have to do all we can to try to make them not enjoy the night…and I know thy will do the same”

On whether he is surprised by Tom Brady’s success:

“Nothing Tom does surprises me…Tom does all things well…plays hard, takes care of himself. He’s talked about playing until 50…if there is anyone that can do it, it’s probably him”

On whether he would not meet with Brady in-person when he decided to leave the organization [as insinuated from Seth Wickersham’s ‘It’s Better to be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness.’]

"Yeah, no. That's not true. There are a few things about this book - sounds like it's a lot of second, third, fourth hand comments. I’m moving forward from that…I’m going to focus on this game..and preparing for this game"

On what exactly did happen between he, Brady and [Robert] Kraft in March 2020:

‘I’m going forward on that”

On whether N’Keal Harry may be close to a return:

“Possible”

On facing a Bruce Arians offense and whether he sees similarities in the Brady-led offense from New England:

“Absolutely. At times, you can call almost every play. The running game is a bit different, but the passing game is very similar.”

On Todd Bowles’ defensive schemes with Tampa Bay:

“They mix it up…they do enough to keep you off balance. When they get into their base-defense, there is a lot of rush, and they add in some defensive backs. They play a variety of zones, they mix in some man…some pressures…They certainly do enough to keep you honest.”

On his thoughts regarding Tom Brady’s career:

“Tom has had an unbelievable career. It’s impossible to put enough superlatives or adjectives to it.”

On his current relationship with Tom Brady:

“I think it's good. It's always been good.”

On whether Tom Brady is a tough quarterback to defend:

“Yes…he is as tough to defend as any quarterback is or ever has been. In every way possible [in every statistical category] It doesn't get any tougher than him.”