It’s not often those inside the tight-lipped confines of Gillette Stadium let a little-known factoid slip, but Patriots star Matthew Judon did just that after New England’s Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
And it speaks volumes about Josh Uche’s well-respected standing on the Patriots’ defense.
Judon, who finished with three of the team’s nine sacks in Sunday’s 26-3 victory, praised Uche and referred to him as “probably the best pass rusher we’ve got.” But he also peeled back the curtain into Uche’s responsibilities as a whole, in addition to just getting after the quarterback.
“I don’t know if y’all know, but Josh actually calls the plays out there when we’re on third down,” Judon said after the game. “So our execution is from him.
“That’s hard for somebody that’s in year three, and hasn’t had that much success in the NFL, and it’s third and long and he has to make the right call, right?” Judon continued. “So for him to come out there, and have a game like he had and play lights out like that, that just allows him to see what he can do in this league.”
Uche also finished with a career-high three sacks on Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger, complementing a dominant performance for the Patriots’ defense. It might serve to be the long-awaited breakout the Patriots have been waiting for.
The fact the third-year linebacker is calling the Patriots’ plays on third down, though, served as a surprising detail given the veterans New England has that side of the ball. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick confirmed it while acknowledging Uche has been doing it for a while.
“He’s worked hard on that, starting in the offseason, going all the way back to after last season and into the early parts of the spring there with the offseason program,” Belichick told reporters Monday, per a team-provided transcript. “He’s been doing that for quite a while. We’ve given him that responsibility, as I said, back in the spring, and he’s really embraced it and worked at it, to the point where I think everybody has a lot of confidence in him doing that.”
It’s clear the 2020 second-round pick has the backing of those in the locker room, though nobody is more effusive in their praise for Uche than Judon is.
“He can be a premier pass rusher. I always tell him, he’s probably the best pass rusher we got,” Judon said. “I’m very happy for him. That’s my brother. I’m going to continue to speak him up and boast him, but that’s all him. He works his butt off, just to get out on the field. When he’s out there and he has success like that, I’m just happy for him.”
Judon, Uche and the Patriots return to action against the New York Jets in Week 11 after a Week 10 bye.
