Bill Belichick gave a lot of praise to a 2-13 football team.
In his weekly “Belestrator” segment with Patriots.com, Belichick once again threw himself at Jets head coach Adam Gase and quarterback Sam Darnold, among others, as he previewed Sunday’s regular season finale.
“You can see Darnold here against a blitz in Miami and he’s really making a great throw here,” Belichick said in the video about Darnold from the loss of Jets’ Week 12 to the Dolphins. “He can do all the throws, deep throws, intermediate throws and use his back.
“… Darnold has a big arm and he’s a big guy who can fit in his pocket there and do a good job delivering the ball.”
Although it is not uncommon for coaches, especially Belichick, to praise future opponents, the Patriots head coach has long struggled to do so.
Belichick began taking Darnold with compliments on Wednesday, though many believe he has regressed this season. This has led to speculation that the Jets could select a replacement for the 23-year-old in the 2021 NFL draft.
Gase recently took responsibility for Darnold’s fights, but Belichick said he doesn’t think anyone is better for the job at Florham Park. It has been speculated that Gase could join Belichick’s team next season as Gase is expected to be sacked by the Jets after Sunday’s game.
“Coach Gase is an excellent game planner, he designs difficult pieces for defense and does a good job in the calling area of the games, in terms of calling at the right time, he has a very good feeling for the rhythm of the offensive game and so on. “, Belichick said in the video shared on Twitter on Saturday.
Belichick complimented wide receiver Jamison Crowder in the preview video, as well as defensive heads Nathan Shepherd and John Franklin-Myers and defender Tarell Basham.
As for Belichick’s team, the Patriots (6-9) will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.