Patriots

ESPN analyst compares Bill Belichick building Patriots roster to God creating the Earth

"The only other person they talked about building things in his likeness and image? It was in the Bible."

By Tom Westerholm

December 7, 2021

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On a day full of Patriots hyperbole, former NFL player Ryan Clark went perhaps the furthest by comparing Bill Belichick to … God.

No, that’s not a “GOAT” typo: Clark — who has “Child of God” in his Twitter bio — went on ESPN following the Patriots’ 14-10 victory over the Bills on Monday. In his hit, Clark said Belichick created the current Patriots roster the same way God created the world in Genesis.

“Bill Belichick is the greatest of all time,” Clark said. “That he understands how to build football teams in his likeness and image. You know the only other person they talked about building things in his likeness and image? It was in the Bible, and it was God.”

Clark, of course, is referencing Genesis 1:27: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

This is the kind of praise you receive when you win a game with just three throws.

Here’s a look at the odd moment as Clark spoke to Scott Van Pelt.

The 9-4 Patriots vs. the entirety of Earth: It’s easy to see the parallels.

Belichick, of course, is many things: A six-time Super Bowl champion who has coached every kind of football team imaginable. He’s an ingenious strategist, particularly on the defensive side. He seems to get the most out of players who buy into his system. He identifies talent and seems to have an almost preternatural sense of when to let a talented player walk away. Clark is right about one thing: Belichick could be the greatest NFL coach of all time.

Still, to steal an admittedly salty phrase from Bills coach Sean McDermott on Monday: “Let’s not give more credit than we need to give credit to Bill Belichick in this one.”