‘Haven’t changed that in 20 years’: What Bill Belichick had to say about Antonio Brown
"Yeah, I'll talk about the game."
Unlike Antonio Brown, Bill Belichick spoke to the media following the Patriots’ 43-0 win over the Dolphins. Naturally, the Patriots’ coach was asked about the newly-acquired wide receiver.
In his debut with New England, Brown caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Belichick was initially asked about the 31-year-old’s contribution.
“We’ll take a look at it on film,” Belichick said. “It was one week. There are a lot of things we can work on. But it was good to have him out there.”
Asked about Brown’s status regarding the lawsuit he’s facing, Belichick fell back on his earlier statement.
“Yeah, I’ll talk about the game. I’ve already commented on that, I’m not going to say anymore,” Belichick told reporters.
On the team’s opening drive, Brown made an immediate impact. He caught three passes, helping New England score to take the early lead. When asked if the Patriots tried to get Brown involved early, Belichick had a strong response.
“No, we run the offense,” Belichick countered. “Try to throw the ball to the guy that’s open. Haven’t changed that in 20 years.”
Belichick was asked if they intentionally tied to give Antonio Brown @ab84 early in the game.”
“No we run the offense we try to throw to the guy that is open. We’ve been doing that for 20 years.” #Patriots pic.twitter.com/B1y4dtHu9g
— Chad Amaral (@Chad_Amaral) September 15, 2019
One notable talking point after the game was Belichick’s decision to keep the offensive starters on the field even as the Patriots had the game essentially won late in the fourth quarter. Asked if he was sending a message about playing a complete game, Belichick quickly declined.
“No, just trying to play 60 minutes.”
Regarding Brown’s acclimation to the new offense in only a week, Belichick took the long view.
“We’re making progress,” said the Patriots’ coach. “We’re certainly not there yet.”
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