New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick rarely tips his cap, but sometimes he likes to give effusive praise to quality players.
One such player Belichick admires is Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt, who ranks second in the NFL with 14 sacks on the season.
Watt also faces the Patriots in a pivotal Week 14 matchup for Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football.
So when Belichick was asked about what makes Watt so great, he didn’t mince words.
“He’s an instinctive player,” Belichick said, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “He’s very quick off the ball. He has a good edge pass rush. He’s got really good lower-body strength and balance. He does a very good job of closing to the quarterback and rarely gets knocked off balance.”
Bill Belichick, admirer of Steelers OLB T.J. Watt, with the 2:30 answer on what he thinks makes Watt great:
“He’s an instinctive player. He’s very quick off the ball. He has a good edge pass rush. He’s got really good lower-body strength and balance. He does a very good job of…
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 6, 2023
Watt will now face a reeling Patriots team barreling toward the No. 1 overall pick in the spring.
New England’s offensive line has allowed 30 sacks on the season, which is the 14th-most in the NFL.
Even worse, though: The Patriots offense ranks 28th in yards per play (4.7), 29th in first downs (203) and 32nd in scoring (12.3 points per game).
It hasn’t matter who’s started at quarterback between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Nothing has gone right for New England, and now they’ll face one of the premier edge rushers in Watt on one of the best defenses in the league in Pittsburgh.
Watt will enter Week 14 with a slight injury, though Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin affirmed Watt wouldn’t be limited on Thursday night.
Maybe that’s what makes him so great, too.
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