Bill Belichick Shares Insight Into Key Plays In Patriots’ Win Over Falcons

It’s safe to say Bill Belichick was pleased with the New England Patriots’ defensive performance in last week’s 25-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Patriots head coach focused exclusively on defense in his latest team-produced “Belichick Breakdown,” spotlighting plays by Adrian Phillips, Dont’a Hightower, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Matthew Judon, Carl Davis, Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger, Kyle Van Noy and others.

“That’s a beautiful picture right there defensively,” Belichick told host Scott Zolak as he watched his defense cave in the left side of Atlanta’s offensive line on a running play.

Later, Belichick highlighted Davis and Phillips’ fourth-and-1 stop (“Really well-played defensively”); McCourty’s interception, which Dugger helped force with aggressive coverage on tight end Kyle Pitts (“Pitts was their top receiver; Kyle really did a good job on him”); and Van Noy’s late pick-six (“One of the best parts on this play really is Kyle running with it”).

The Patriots’ shutout was their first since last December’s 45-0 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. New England has allowed seven points over its last two games, 13 over its last three and just 10.0 per game during its current five-game winning streak.

Overall, the 7-4 Patriots have allowed an NFL-low 16.1 points per game while also leading the league in interceptions and ranking in the top 10 in nearly every defensive category. They’ll look to maintain their momentum and improve their playoff standing when they host the AFC-leading Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.