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Belichick on Saints: They're good.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick has used this week as a compliment offensive toward the New Orleans Saints. He has, at various points, suggested he would not be surprised if the Saints broke the 2007 Patriots offensive record; compared Reggie Bush to Marshall Faulk; said they’re a more balanced team than Colts; pointed out the Saints typically run the clock out in the third quarter; mentioned that Drew Brees rescues sick children from mine shafts in his spare time and sometimes between quarters on Sundays*; and claimed he could not imagine a more difficult scenario to lead a team into.
*Everything else is true.
The latest bouquets were thrown today, both at his press conference here with local media and on a conference call with New Orleans media. Starting out here in the media workroom, Belichick was asked if the Saints were unique in that a coach cannot choose just one weapon to single out.
“I can’t even point to one weapon at one position,” Belichick said. “Look at their running backs. [Reggie] Bush, [Mike] Bell, Pierre [Thomas]. Those guys have all been productive. They’re different styles. They compliment each other. Same thing with the receivers. They all make plays. Tight ends. Defensively, they’ve got good pass rushers. It’s a good linebacking group. They can make plays in the secondary. They’re solid across the board – returning punts, returning kickoffs. They spread it around. Look, they’ve got 18 different guys that have scored touchdowns. You’re going to stop one and let the other 17 go? I know a lot of those are defensive touchdowns. But still. That’s a lot of different guys.”
Later in the day, in the middle of discussing Sean Payton’s impact on the franchise on the New Orleans conference call, Belichick again took stock of the Saints from an overarching perspective.
“They have a great football team,” Belichick said. “There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. They have a great football team. They really haven’t been in a competitive game all year. They’re basically running out the clock in the middle of the third quarter most of the time. There were a couple scores that were really close at the end, but the games really weren’t that close. They’ve just been dominant in all phases of the game, returning kicks, covering kicks, offensively, turning the ball over on defense. 29 turnovers is …I don’t think most teams get 29 turnovers in practice during the year. They’re at 29 turnovers halfway through the season. Gregg [Williams] and Sean, they’ve all done a great job down there. You can’t say enough about them.”
A New Orleans media member – this is true – told Belichick “It sounds like you’re ready to concede right now.”
Belichick’s response just about proved them right.
“I’ve seen a lot of teams and we’ve played a lot of games where – they’re as good as anybody we’ve faced,” Belichick said. “There are no weaknesses. The players are good. The coaches are good. The schemes are difficult. They’re playing at home. It’s Monday night. There will be a lot of energy in the dome. We know we have our work cut out for us. Look, nobody’s really been that competitive with them. I know the Dolphins were ahead at halftime, but again, by the fourth quarter, they’re running out the clock in that game too. They’re a strong, explosive team.”
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