Bill Belichick is known for talking up his opponents in the week leading up to a game, but the New England Patriots head coach is going the extra mile for Russell Wilson.
Belichick is preparing his team to face the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday, and reporters asked him about Wilson on Thursday morning. Belichick called Wilson “underrated” and said he is arguably the best player in the NFL.
“Honestly, I think he’s in a way underrated by the media or the fans, I don’t know. But I don’t really see anybody better than this player,” the coach said, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “This guy is a tremendous player.”
Wilson plays in a far more conservative offense than quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Drew Brees. That is one of the reasons he tends to get less attention, but he has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons. Even though the Seahawks have historically been a run-first team, Belichick feels there is not a better passer in the NFL than Wilson.
“His passing numbers are extraordinary. You can put him up against anybody since he’s been in the league — literally anybody, in almost any category,” Belichick said. “His winning percentage is impressive. He’s there for every game — never missed a game. He’s got a great ability to do the right thing at the right time. He has tremendous vision, and sees the field extremely well.
“I don’t think there’s a better deep-ball passer in the league, in terms of decision-making and accuracy. He attacks literally every inch of the field.”
Of course, a costly mistake from Wilson led to one of the most important plays in Patriots franchise history in the Super Bowl several years ago. Many would argue that was not Wilson’s fault, however.
The Patriots have one of the better defenses in the NFL, so it will be interesting to see how they stack up against Wilson and the Seahawks. One thing’s for sure — Belichick is not going to let his team take the assignment lightly.
