Patriots' Bill Belichick discusses facing Eagles' Matt Patricia

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick sounds unbothered about facing former New England assistant coach and current Philadelphia Eagles senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia this coming Sunday. 

"I mean, this type of thing gets talked about every week and every year," Belichick explained during a Monday appearance on sports radio station WEEI, per Dakota Randall of NESN. "There’s always somebody on the other team that we know or somebody that’s on our team that was with somebody else. So, it’s pretty common in the National Football League. I have a ton of respect for Matt. Matt’s helped us win a lot of games (and) championships here. But Sunday’s game will be about the Eagles and the Patriots. You won’t see either one of us playing on the field — which is probably a good thing." 

Patricia first served as an assistant and later as defensive coordinator under Belichick during a Patriots tenure that ran from 2004 through the 2017 campaign until the former became head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2018. In Patricia's first season with Detroit, the Lions defeated Belichick and the Patriots 26–10. 

Patricia ultimately returned to the Patriots after the 2020 campaign and reportedly served as New England's offensive play-caller last season. Fans and analysts blamed him for the regression of quarterback Mac Jones, and the Eagles officially hired Patricia as a senior defensive assistant this past spring. 

"We’re going to have to play really good team offense," Belichick said about facing a strong Philadelphia pass rush. "I don’t think there’s any one person that can stop their aggressive front and pass rush. We’re going to have to do a good job of, of course, blocking them, but also getting open. Getting the ball to the receivers who are open quickly. Can’t stand back there and hold the ball all day." 

As of late Monday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Eagles as the favorites (-180, -4) to defeat the Patriots on the same afternoon that New England will honor retired quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady at Gillette Stadium.