FOXBORO, Mass. — If Bill Belichick‘s postgame comments were any indication, Friday’s film session should climax when the coaching staff breaks down Buddy Farnham‘s interception against the Jaguars.
Coaches will always try to find some humorous moments to highlight from games and practices in order to keep the film sessions entertaining. Film work is a necessary evil for preparation, and it can get long an monotonous at times.
Belichick can thank the second-year wide receiver for some grade-A material.
“We’ve got a receiver leading the team in interceptions,” Belichick said Thursday. “It will be a point of embarrassment for the defensive backs, but it’s all right. They deserve it.”
Farnham, an Andover, Mass., native who went to Brown, was cut by the Patriots twice during their 2010 training camp, and he spent the last few weeks of the season on their practice squad before getting the invitation to return to camp this summer.
He’s a wide receiver by trade — he also caught three passes for 34 yards against the Jaguars — but he has also worked on the defensive side of the ball. Farnham got some work at safety last season, and he lined up on the defensive scout team again this week.
“It feels great,” Farnham said. “I’m a football player, and I’ll play any position, whatever is going to be best for the team. Any way I can help, I try to do my best at it.”
Farnham kept saying he was lucky to get his hands on Todd Bouman‘s pass, but the 24-year-old still had to haul it in. New England’s best safety, Patrick Chung, on the other hand, let an early interception bounce straight out of his mitts before bending over and staring at the turf for a solid 10 seconds. Chung joked after the game that his teammates have already told him to seek out Farnham for advice on how to finish the play.
It will certainly come up Friday, though it probably won’t be instigated by the reserved Farnham.
“It’s good to go out there and make some plays and play a positive role on the team,” Farnham said. “But there’s still a lot I need to work on.”
