Coach Bill Belichick is leading his New England Patriots preparing for Sunday's game quietly. Yes, actually they are preparing for a game, not a debate with Rex Ryan and his loose-lipped New York Jets.
As the Patriots coach said, everybody's got their own style and this is just his style. His style is a strict one: advising players on how to handle questions, monitoring their comments and imposing gag orders on those who stray far from the party line.
Unlike the Jets, Belichick always demands his team not talk too much before the games. He wants any pregame comments that might motivate an opponent kept in-house, not posted on the other team's bulletin board.
Offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan, a fifth-round draft pick in 2006, talked freely one day early that season. A week later, he said Belichick told him not to talk.
Former Patriots fullback Heath Evans was a go-to guy for reporters during his four seasons with the Patriots. He was known as unfailingly cooperative and articulate and finally Belichick released him after he obviously talked too much.
Belichick thinks that there is no need to risk talking about the team's strategies or injuries, which do no help to his team. Now, after the Jets advanced to Sunday's game in Foxborough with a 17-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night, the Patriots will meet the Jets in Sunday's divisional playoff game.
Jets tight end Dustin Keller said, "We've been wanting the Patriots for a while now." The Patriots lost to the Jets 28-14 on Sept. 19, then beat them 45-3 on Dec. 6.
Now the New England Patriots is doing as usual – preparing quietly and blandly and nicely under the lead of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick...
View the whole article...
As the Patriots coach said, everybody's got their own style and this is just his style. His style is a strict one: advising players on how to handle questions, monitoring their comments and imposing gag orders on those who stray far from the party line.
Unlike the Jets, Belichick always demands his team not talk too much before the games. He wants any pregame comments that might motivate an opponent kept in-house, not posted on the other team's bulletin board.
Offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan, a fifth-round draft pick in 2006, talked freely one day early that season. A week later, he said Belichick told him not to talk.
Former Patriots fullback Heath Evans was a go-to guy for reporters during his four seasons with the Patriots. He was known as unfailingly cooperative and articulate and finally Belichick released him after he obviously talked too much.
Belichick thinks that there is no need to risk talking about the team's strategies or injuries, which do no help to his team. Now, after the Jets advanced to Sunday's game in Foxborough with a 17-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night, the Patriots will meet the Jets in Sunday's divisional playoff game.
Jets tight end Dustin Keller said, "We've been wanting the Patriots for a while now." The Patriots lost to the Jets 28-14 on Sept. 19, then beat them 45-3 on Dec. 6.
Now the New England Patriots is doing as usual – preparing quietly and blandly and nicely under the lead of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick...
View the whole article...
