Patriots Gridiron News 10/19: Bill Belichick Has High Praise for Le’Veon Bell

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan | Oct 19, 2016

Oct 9, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has high praise for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense, particularly running back Le’Veon Bell.

Bill Belichick won’t have to prepare for Ben Roethlisberger, but that doesn’t mean life will be easy for the defense of the New England Patriots come Sunday. The Steelers still has one of the best (if not the best running backs) in the NFL. A dynamic play-maker, Le’Veon Bell presents a lot of problems for a defense that hasn’t been spectacular so far this season.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Belichick lauded the Pittsburgh running back.

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"“Well, he’s not only a good runner but a good receiver,” Belichick said. “He does a great job with the ball in his hands however they get it to him. Tackling will definitely be an issue for us. [He has] good balance, good vision and I’d say he’s a very determined runner. He does a good job of fighting for extra yards, keeping his balance, but just making it difficult, too, to get him down.”"

With backup quarterback Landry Jones named as the starter, Bell will most likely have the ball in his hand a lot. If tackling does become an issue for the Patriots, it could be a long afternoon. But, Bell is not the only player the defense has to worry about. Belichick is full aware of all the play-makers Pittsburgh has.

"“They’ve got great vertical receivers with [Sammie] Coates and [Darrius] Heyward-Bey, [Markus] Wheaton as well as [Antonio] Brown, of course,” Belichick added. “They’re great catch-and-run players as well, like how Heyward-Bey scored on the reverse last week. There are a lot of threats there. Certainly [Le’Veon] Bell is a big one. [DeAngelo] Williams; we’ve got to be ready for all of these guys. They can all do a lot of damage.”"

Brett Farve impressed by Bill Belichick: On his Sirius/XM show Tuesday, former Green Bay quarterback Brett Farve took time to applaud Bill Belichick.

During the segment, Farve recalled meeting with Belichick while he was down South taking a closer look at linebacker Jamie Collins. He got to speak with the Patriots coach a little bit and left the conversation with “tremendous respect” for Belichick.

"“There’s a tremendous amount of respect that has to go to him, and how he’s just changed the culture there and really has dominated the league for so long,” Farve said. “And that’s so hard to do in today’s game. He’s done it the way he wants to do it, year in and year out, and if you don’t buy in you’re gone. And it’s impressive.”"

Practice squad: The Patriots made another addition to the practice squad Tuesday. According to Patriots.com, the team announced that they have signed OL Jamil Douglas to the practice squad.

The 24-year-old Arizona State product was a fourth-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2015. Standing at 6-foot-4, 308 pounds, Douglas played in all 16 games with the Miami during his rookie season. With six starts under his belt, his experience should provide some depth on the offensive line if the team suffers further injuries.

To make room for Douglas, the Patriots released OL Ian Silberman. He was signed to the practice squad twice. The latest being Oct. 11, 2016. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back before the season is over.

Next: Rick Porcello Can Very Well Win The American League Cy Young Award

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