Patriots coach Bill Belichick has long embraced special teams, getting involved in coaching in the kicking game and prioritizing special teams players on his roster. He says it’s one of the areas of the game where a team can find the biggest edge.
Belichick said in an interview with The 33rd Team that he sees the potential in significant game-changing plays through special teams.
“I really kind of look at those as bonus points, bonus yardage,” Belichick said. “You can’t count on those. You never go into a game saying, ‘We’re going to be able to block a punt for a touchdown.’ But if you can get one of those plays, then that seven-point swing is statistically a huge, huge difference. No different than a defensive score. A special teams score kind of equates to that. So those bonus points that you can get, or bonus yards that you get, make a big difference ultimately in the points, and that’s the name of the game, those extra points.”
The Patriots are coming off their worst special teams season of Belichick’s career, particularly on punts and kickoffs, where New England ranked near the bottom of the league. Belichick wants to see that turn around in 2023.
