FOXBORO, Mass — Martellus Bennett followed his self-proclaimed worst game as a Patriot with one his better games with New England.
The Patriots tight end struggled all around in New England’s Week 13 win over the Los Angeles Rams, recording only two receptions for four yards while struggling as a blocker. He wasn’t 100 percent due to his lingering ankle injury, but he still was a tough grader on himself later in the week.
Fast forward to Monday, when the Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens 30-23 at Gillette Stadium, and it was a much different story.
Bennett had four receptions for 70 yards with a highlight-reel touchdown on “Monday Night Football.”
So how would he grade this performance?
Phoenix-like.
“I’m not a teacher. I’m not really into grading papers,” Bennett said. “… I just said it was one of my worst games. I knew I had to bounce back and continue to battle and get better this week for my team and myself and for the coaches. And I talked to all my teammates and they all knew I was gonna come back.
“I told them, I was messing around with Slater, and I was like, ‘I’m like the phoenix. I’m gonna rise from the ashes.’ It’s just kind of an ongoing joke. It felt good to (be) back out there and block well. I felt like I blocked well — I had a lot of 1-on-1 blocks against (Terrell) Suggs and other guys, and that’s why I felt I did a good job this week that I didn’t do a good job last week.”
And perhaps most importantly for the Patriots, Bennett’s health wasn’t an issue.
“I feel a lot better,” Bennett said. “This is the best I’ve felt in a long time.”
As usually is the case, Bennett had a few more gems for the media after the game. Here are a few of his best moments.
— Ravens linebacker Zachary Orr had a chance at Bennett’s touchdown reception, too. Or did he?
“Nope. I had it. I had it,” Bennett said. “Sometimes there’s one slice of pizza left and there’s two hands to reach into the box. I’m always gonna get the last slice, unless it is my wife’s hand. Then I’ll let her get it.”
— New England has the inside track on earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but that’s not the kind of seed Bennett talked about afterward.
“I’ve never had any seed, except for pomegranate seeds,” he said of the importance of the No. 1 seed.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports Images
