Former Patriots star shares wild Bill Belichick story

Nov 18, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick walks on the field before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is widely regarded for having unfathomable football acumen. His knowledge apparently extends to Gillette Stadium wind patterns.

On Tuesday, Belichick’s former player Devin McCourty appeared on the “This Is Football” show. Host Kevin Clark asked McCourty to share something unexpected that he learned from Belichick.

The 2-time Pro Bowler remembered one specific instance during his rookie year that forever solidified his trust in Belichick.

During the 2010 NFL season, the Patriots hosted the Jets for a Week 12 contest at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. McCourty recounted how Belichick gathered all the cornerbacks the night before the game and taught them about the unusual wind patterns along one of the sidelines.

Belichick told his secondary defenders that balls drop quicker because of how “the wind whirls.” The veteran coach assured his cornerbacks that any ball in that specific zone of the sideline would “look like it’s going further than it is, but it’s going to hit that wind and drop.”

“I remember sitting there like, ‘Really dude, the wind pattern?'” McCourty told Clark. “And sure enough, I get a go ball on that side against Braylon Edwards.

“I turn and remember what Bill said. I turn my head back. The ball drops right in my lap, get an interception. From that point on, there was nothing the guy could tell me that I would be like, ‘Nope.’ I believed in everything.”

Everyone knows Belichick’s football knowledge is unmatched. But hearing such anecdotes from his former players makes you realize just how far the man was willing to go to get an edge on the gridiron.

The Patriots ended up crushing the Jets during that 2010 matchup 45-3. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions that night, including the one McCourty caught thanks to Belichick’s advice.

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