New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick isn’t one to dish out a bevy of compliments toward his opponent, so when a player is on the receiving end of his praise, you know it means something. Or does it?
You see, deciphering a Belichick compliment, like anything else he says, is a near impossible task. The 70-year-old can be completely genuine, like when he calls the opposing punter a “weapon.” There also are times where he’ll throw the old “can make every throw” tag on a quarterback he very clearly doesn’t respect.
Ahead of the Patriots’ matchup with the Jets in Week 11, Belichick levied some high praise on New York linebacker C.J. Mosley, who seemed to be aware that not all compliments come from the same place.
“Yeah, I did,” Mosley said when asked if he heard Belichick’s praise of his game this week, per the Jets. “It’s definitely an honor coming from a coach of his stature, having seen a lot of football, seen a lot of players and being around ball a long time. Anytime you get a nod or a pat on the back from one of those types of coaches, it’s always appreciated.
“But it’s in one ear, out the other. You appreciate it but you take it with a grain of salt. I put a lot of time and effort into my style of play, so it definitely feels good to get recognized for it, but you understand the nature of the business.”
No player exemplifies the backhanded Belichick compliment more than Mosley’s teammate Zach Wilson, who has often been on the receiving end of seemingly empty words from Belichick. It’s easy to believe the Patriots coach when he talks about Mosley, however. The linebacker did go to Alabama after all, and was lauded for calling out New England’s offensive plays in their Week 9 matchup.
Mosley and the Jets will travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots this Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
