Coach Bill Belichick seemed extremely pleased with the defense’s work after the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 25-0, in Week 11.
The Patriots defense stifled the Falcons, giving up only 155 yards in total. They made life difficult for the Falcons quarterbacks, recording four interceptions on the evening with an interception from three different QBs. Falcons starting quarterback Matt Ryan struggled while throwing for 153 yards and two interceptions on the evening.
It was a strong defensive effort for a unit that looks to be finding its stride. The team ranks first in the NFL with 18 interceptions on the season, and is sixth in the NFL with a +6 turnover differential.
Even though his focus has shifted to the Tennessee Titans, that did not stop Belichick from giving props on the Thursday night victory. There were a couple of plays that really stood out to him. In particular, Belichick had good things to say about the defense’s work on 2nd-and-4 with four and a half minutes left in the first quarter.
“That’s a nice thing to see,” Belichick told host Scott Zolak. “(Ja’Whaun) Bentley destroying a block, (Dont’a) Hightower destroying a block and (Adrian) Phillips coming through on the backside. Nice edge here from Judon and, really, just nowhere to run. … Nobody on the ground, nobody getting blocked. Just really a good defensive play.
He added: “That’s a beautiful picture right there defensively.”
Check out Belichick’s full film breakdown here.
The Tennessee Titans have thrown 12 interceptions, the third-most in the NFL. The Patriots’ secondary could have an opportunity to replicate their efforts once again, in what is going to be an important game for playoff positioning.