FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots are preparing for Andrew Luck and Matt Hasselbeck this week. In fact, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said his team prepares for everyone.
Luck officially is questionable to play for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday after he missed the last two games with a shoulder injury. Hasselbeck, his 40-year-old backup, has filled in admirably, going 2-0 for the Colts after Luck started the season 1-2.
“We prepare for all guys on the active roster. We just don’t prepare for one guy,” Belichick said Friday. “It wouldn’t make any difference. Last week, (Tony) Romo was out, so we didn’t have to prepare for Romo, but it was (Brandon) Weeden, it was (Matt) Cassel, (Kellen) Moore — we don’t know what they’re going to do. And after the first play of the game, anything can happen. Whoever you think is in there could be somebody else anyways.
“It’s the same thing with (Blake) Bortles or (Ben) Roethlisberger or any of those guys. Roethlisberger is there to start a game, can’t finish the game and he’s not there the next week. That’s the NFL. It’s like that at every positon. We know who the players are, we know who the backups are we think based on what we know, what we’ve seen, what we anticipate to happen.”
Belichick doesn’t put much stock in the practice report the opposing team sends out each week, either. So Luck’s questionable status probably didn’t register very highly for Belichick.
“With all due respect, I know a lot of people live and die on the injury report, but I don’t really care what’s on the injury report,” Belichick said. “Look, I don’t know how these guys are going to be, either. We can put down whatever we want. But they’re humans — some get better, some stay the same, some don’t get better. There is no way to know for sure, and there are a lot of times it comes down to game-time decisions.
“I’m saying that about our team, and I’m with them and I’m talking to our doctors and trainers every day, but other teams, they’re going through the same thing, too. Just because a guy is on the injury report, and whatever he’s listed as, that doesn’t really mean anything. Guys that aren’t well can make quick recoveries. Guys that are well can not turn the corner. So, we’re ready for those guys, too.
“Honestly, I don’t even care what’s on the injury report. I really don’t even look at it. Unless the guy is definitely out, then OK. If he’s not, then to me, we’ve got to be ready for him.”
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
