Patriots Player Offers Fervent Defense Of Bill Belichick After Win Over Steelers

 

Has Bill Belichick lost his fastball?

Perhaps so.

But New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers sure doesn’t think so. And Peppers is tired of hearing people come after his head coach.

“We needed it. I just feel good we could get it done for Bill and the rest of the coaches,” Peppers said of New England’s 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

He then expanded on the thought.

“I don’t really like all the flak he’s been getting, because it’s on us as players to go out there and execute,” he told reporters. “I personally feel like the game plan has been phenomenal week in and week out and when we had opportunities to make plays, we didn’t make them.”

Belichick’s bust in Canton is probably already made. He’s as much a Pro Football Hall of Fame lock as any coach or player has ever been before.

But recent years have no been kind to him. Particularly after Tom Brady opted to pack up and leave New England.

Even after the Patriots’ win on Thursday night, the team is just 3-10 and many are questioning Belichick’s future.

The win over the Steelers gave the legendary head coach 301 victories in his career. That’s just 27 short of Don Shula for the most all-time. But the clock is ticking and 27 wins for this Patriots team may take several years.

Will he take his coaching talents elsewhere? Or will New England find a quarterback capable of getting him back to his winning ways.

Or, perhaps, will Belichick retire without ever reaching Shula’s milestone?

The latter seems unbelievable to some. But it may just be the way that things are trending.

One thing is certain, Belichick’s players have no problem stick their neck out for the oft-maligned coach. And Peppers proved as moved on Thursday night.