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Bill Belichick was asked if he feels supported by Robert Kraft about his future with the Patriots
Belichick also discussed what he specifically thinks Bailey Zappe has done well in a starting quarterback role.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots enjoyed a merrier Christmas following the dramatic 26-23 win over the Broncos on Sunday night. Returning to his usual media schedule on Tuesday following the holiday, Belichick described the team’s trip home from Denver.
“We had some guys who really play a lot of football, and just left everything on the field. It was pretty impressive,” Belichick told WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” during his weekly interview. “The effort that they put out there, I think there were a lot of tired people on the flight, but very satisfying to come out of there with a win. Tough place to play.”
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Despite New England’s 4-11 record, Belichick contested that his team needed motivation to keep playing its best.
“Our guys have been pretty consistent every day, every week, preparing, getting ready to go,” he said when asked how New England had been able to match (and exceed) the efforts of a Broncos team that was fighting for a playoff spot.
It was the Patriots’ second win with Bailey Zappe as the starting quarterback. The 24-year-old completed 25 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. He drove New England into field goal range late in the fourth quarter for what proved to be the game-winning score.
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Belichick praised Zappe’s development.
“The quarterback position, most important thing is ball security and protecting the team, and not turning the ball over,” he said. “That’s definitely gotten better for [Zappe]. He’s made some key plays on third down, and explosive plays down the field to different receivers.”
Zappe also received credit for making the offense run more smoothly.
“I thought he did a good job in Pittsburgh and Denver handling the crowd noise and handling the operation at the line of scrimmage pretty cleanly,” said Belichick. “We didn’t have many mental problems there. I mean there were a couple of times where we got beat and that kind of thing, but as far as just getting the plays called right, run right, blocked right, he did a good job on that.”
Noting that Zappe is “moving in the right direction,” Belichick concurred that the young quarterback’s confidence has grown with each start.
Another player on the offense, Ezekiel Elliott, provided a security blanket for Zappe. The veteran running back caught nine passes and led the team in rushing (albeit with just 27 yards), and scored a touchdown.
It was the type of late-season game that the Patriots brought Elliott in for when he was signed as a free agent shortly before the start of the season.
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Despite not playing for New England in a year when the December games are more important in terms of potential playoff scenarios, Elliott has remained a trustworthy presence.
Belichick was questioned about Elliott’s impact, though he pushed back at the notion that the Patriots have been consistently blown out in the team’s 11 losses in 2023.
“I wouldn’t say there have been too many games where we’ve been out of it on the scoreboard,” Belichick countered, “but [Elliott’s] done a good job for us.
“He’s very professional,” Belichick added of Elliott. “Obviously has a lot of experience, and other than a couple ball security issues, he’s given us a really solid level of play running the ball, catching the ball, and certainly his durability and dependability have been good. When Rhamondre [Stevenson] got hurt, his carries have ticked up and his playing time has ticked up, and he’s certainly been able to shoulder that load. He’s done a good job for us.”
With the regular season moving into its final stretch of games, questions about Belichick’s future in New England have grown. In the context of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson recently telling the New York Post that head coach Robert Salah and general manager Joe Douglas would be back in 2024, Belichick was asked about his relationship with Robert Kraft.
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Does he feel supported by Kraft?
“I don’t really know anything about the Jets’ situation, that’s about them,” Belichick said in response. “Trying to get ready for Buffalo here.”
A follow-up question was posed to the Patriots’ coach: Does he want Kraft to publicly endorse his future with the team?
“My job is to get the team ready to play every week,” Belichick replied. “That’s what I do, so that’s what I’m going to keep doing. It’s what I’ve always done.”
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