There may not be a player in NFL history that Bill Belichick has gushed more about than Ed Reed. Every time the New England Patriots took on the Baltimore Ravens, Belichick spoke at length with the media about the problems Reed created for an offense and what a dynamic player he was. This week, we saw an example of the type of play Reed made that used to keep Belichick up at night.
Belichick joined the NFL Network to film a six-part special for its NFL 100 All-Time Team, and of course Reed is part of the roster. In the latest installment, Belichick spoke about the “best play I’ve ever seen a free safety make.” It was an interception Reed had against Peyton Manning.
“One of the greatest plays I’ve seen in the NFL” – Bill Belichick@TwentyER recalls the time he outsmarted Peyton Manning.
: #NFL100 All-Time Team on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/cb5e1xBV2d
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2019
Those watching at home probably thought the throw was simply a poor one from Manning, but Belichick’s enthusiasm about the play shows that there was a lot more to it than that. As Cris Collinsworth said, Manning studied Reed’s tendencies all week, and Reed changed them on that particular play. Manning thought he had 1-on-1 coverage on Reggie Wayne on the outside after Reed turned toward the opposite side of the field, which is exactly what the Ravens legend wanted him to think.
In many ways, Reed was like a quarterback for the defense. He often knew what the QB was going to do with the ball before the throw was made, which is why he somehow seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. It’s a shame that this situation never played out with Reed and Belichick, because that would have been a lot of fun to watch.
