Joe Benigno: Joining us right now, here he is, the head coach [of] the three-time Super Bowl champion Patriots, the undefeated 9-0 Patriots – they're killing everybody – and that's Bill Belichick. Coach, Joe and Evan. How are you?
Bill Belichick: Good, Joe. Evan, how are you doing? I want to say hello to [producer] Ray [Martel], too.
Evan Roberts: Oh, that has just made his day!
JB: Let me tell you something. Do you realize, Coach, now that Ray actually has like a shrine at his house for you? Do you realize that at this point?
BB: Oh. Well, no. That's very flattering.
ER: It's also scary. It's a little scary.
BB: Especially from such an outstanding radio personality like Ray, that's a real compliment. I appreciate that.
JB: Oh, my god.
ER: His life has just been made.
JB: Coach, it's all over. He loves you. You know he loves you, anyway. But I tell you, Coach, let's be honest. You're 9-0. Let's go back to the Colt game two weeks ago – obviously you had your bye this week – you're losing 20-10. I'm watching the game, I said maybe the Colts are going to get them here. And then all of a sudden – all of a sudden – nine minutes to go in the game it's almost like you guys turned the switch on: 'Okay, time to win now.' And bing-bing, Randy Moss, long bomb, couple touchdown passes, Kevin Faulk's in the end zone and you win again. I've never seen anything like what you guys have done through the first nine games, Coach.
BB: Well Joe, you don't want to be down by ten in Indianapolis. Fortunately we were able to get a number of consecutive plays and everything went right for us in that eight-minute span: we got a big pass to Moss and a touchdown, and then good kickoff coverage, we got them backed up and then we stopped them and got a good punt return, hit a pass to [Donté] Stallworth then Faulk scored and then we got a strip-sack. So a lot of things really had to go right there in the last part of the game, that key eight-minute stretch there. And then we got the ball back after the strip-sack and converted a third down to [Wes] Welker and ran out the clock. So, it's not really the way you want to play the Colts; it's hard to come back like that on them. But fortunately things worked out for us. But we wouldn't want to count on that every week, I can tell you.
ER: Coach, do you ever take a step back and look at what you guys have accomplished? You're 9-0 [and] until the Indianapolis game you weren't just beating teams, you were crushing teams. And then to come back against the World Champions on the road the way you did, do you ever take some time to step back and look at what this team has accomplished over the first ten weeks of the year?
BB: We have a long way to go. We're a lot more focused on the Buffalo game coming up; that's really our next challenge. That's where all of our attention is. It was nice to beat Indianapolis but that game's behind us and we have to move on.
JB: Coach, what do you say to some of these people who say that you've been running up the score? Whether it was the Redskin game, whether it was Dallas, whoever, the first time you played Miami – what do you say to those people who say, 'What are you doing?' You know, 52-7, whatever it is. How about that? Going for it on fourth down late, [Tom] Brady in the game late when you guys have big leads – how about that?
BB: I think in all those individual situations, really, my decisions are just what's best for our football team. And that takes into consideration a lot of things: score, field position and so forth. So I don't think kicking a field goal with a big lead is…I don't think that's a great thing to do.
ER: Does the criticism bother you when you hear other coaches and other experts say, 'He is running up the score'? Does that get to you when you hear that?
BB: I don't know, really, what coaches have said that.
ER: There have been people around the league and I think ex-coaches on TV. There's been a lot of criticism that there has been running up the score. And Joe Gibbs didn't seem very happy in the Redskin game.
BB: I saw Joe's comments after the game, but again, we're just going to try to do what we think's best for our football team. The guys are out there playing. They're trying to play well. I don't blame them for that.
JB: We're talking to Bill Belichick, of course, head coach of the Patriots. Nine-and-0, getting ready for the Bills this coming Sunday night up in Buffalo. Does it mean something to you, Coach, to go 16-0? I mean, if you're in a position after 15 weeks and you're undefeated at 15-0, you come to the Meadowlands to play the Giants, will you go for the undefeated season? Will you rest your people? I mean, how about that?
BB: Come on, Joe. Come on.
[Laughter]
JB: So in other words, no doubt you're going for it. Is that what you're saying, Coach?
BB: We're just trying to go 10-0. We're not worried about anybody but Buffalo. That's it. You know, they've won four in a row, lost two other games to Denver and Dallas on the last play of the game where they basically led wire-to-wire in those games, so really to me they're a 7-2 team, minus a couple seconds in two games. Right now that's a huge challenge to go into Buffalo. You saw what they did against Dallas on that Monday Night game…
JB: It's still a loss. But still.
BB: There will be a lot of energy there, they got a lot of players back from earlier in the year when they had some guys banged up. We're just going to try to win another game, that's all.
JB: Alright, let me ask you it this way then, Coach. With all you've accomplished, you've won three Super Bowls, you've won Super Bowls as an assistant with the Giants, we all know that, the three championships coaching the Patriots here, this would be a chance for you to go to a completely different level. You're going to tell me if you're 15-0 you're not going to try to go 16-0?
BB: I'm not worried about next week, next month or next year…
JB: Alright.
BB: I'm worried about five days from now in Buffalo. That's all we're worried about.
JB: I'm trying, Coach, I'm trying. I know it's hard. It's hard, but I'm trying. I really am.
ER: No, you made a great attempt. Coach, let me ask you this: Corey Dillon, there have been some rumors that he may want to come back. Obviously you have some injuries – Sammy Morris. Is there any interest in bringing Corey Dillon back?
BB: You know, right now our roster's full. We'll do whatever we think's best for our football team. Corey did a great job for us. We have had a number of players that we released at one point or another during this season, or in previous seasons, that if they were available there might be a situation where they would come back. But right now we have what we have. We'll try to get those players ready and try to go up and win in Buffalo.
JB: Why do I get the feeling that you could plug me into the backfield, Coach, and I would be productive if I had a Patriot uniform on?
BB: [Inaudible] your speed, Joe.
JB: What's that? [Laughter]
BB: Your speed.
JB: Is that what…my speed, huh? Oh, okay. [Laughing]
BB: Not your size, but I'll take your speed.
JB: Alright. I don't know how that speed is anymore, Coach. I think I'm going backwards anymore. You know what I'm talking about?
BB: [Laughter]
JB: The whole comments that [Don] Shula made. He made some comments – and we all know what happened [with] the whole thing with [Eric] Mangini and you guys being accused of cheating and everything that went down there – and Shula basically said, look, there should be an asterisk if you guys go undefeated. What's your thoughts on that, Coach?
BB: Well, I've known Coach Shula for a long time; I knew him when I was a kid growing up in Annapolis. He and my dad were friends. They go all the way back to Ohio. And when I came into the league in '75 he was the head coach of the Dolphins and I was with the Colts. There's nobody I have more respect for than Coach Shula. His 347 victories sets a tremendous standard for anybody who coaches in the NFL, or aspires to. I have nothing but respect for him and what he's done. And also his sons, Mike and Dave, who I've worked with coached against when Dave was at Cincinnati. Coach is entitled to his opinion. I respect that. I have nothing but great respect and admiration for what Coach Shula has done. I'll always feel that way.
ER: Coach, you have any resentment towards the Jets and Coach Mangini because they kind of tried to bring this thing to the forefront and bring its attention to the NFL? Do you have any resentment towards the Jets because of that?
BB: That was a long time ago. Right now we're just focused on Buffalo. I'm not trying to live in the past, I'm just trying to get ready for the Buffalo Bills and really that's plenty on our plate right now. They're as hot as any team in the league right now and that's all we're thinking about, really.
JB: Coach, a lot was made in the offseason about the different guys you brought in: Randy Moss, how's that going to work with Belichick; and of course Donté Stallworth, Wes Welker. It seems to be working pretty good. Randy Moss, unbelievable the job he's doing. But really all those guys, Adalius Thomas and all these guys you brought in have just been huge for your team so far. How about these guys you got in the offseason?
BB: Well Randy and Wes were both trades in the Spring, and of course you never really know those trades are going to happen, but both of them did and certainly both players have been very productive for us. They've both shown a lot of leadership, versatility and ability to make plays in critical situations. We've gotten good depth on our roster from a number of those guys that we've brought in, like Sammy [Morris], of course, who unfortunately got hurt, Adalius, Eddie Jackson on the defensive side of the ball. Those guys, I think they've strengthened our team and they've played well for us. And they've worked hard: Wes and [Adalius Thomas] both were offseason award winners. They came in here and kind of earned their stripes right away in terms of setting the pace in the work ethic in the offseason program, things like that. There are still things that are a little bit new to them, and situations that come up in games – we've only played half a season – that we still have to fine-tune a little bit. But they've worked hard, they've been great additions to our program and have been very productive for us.
ER: Coach, you guys are 9-0, best team in football I think to everybody's opinion. There's probably a few things, but is there anything specific that you feel your team needs to improve on as you embark on the second half and make a bid to win another Super Bowl championship?
BB: Oh, I think there's a lot of things that we can do better. We'll have a lot of new challenges, teams that we haven't played, situations that we haven't been in. I think starting with the coaching staff, myself, we need to do a better job of looking at what we're doing, getting the more productive plays run, the ones that aren't as productive either getting them fixed or getting rid of them and going with something else. Like I said, we've only played half a season. Nobody's ever won anything in the beginning of November in the NFL, so we have a long way to go. We haven't played very well in the red area defensively, that's for sure. That's obvious. Anybody can see that. We're last in the league in that statistic so we could certainly improve there; that wouldn't take much.
JB: Coach, how about all these night games you've got coming up? They moved this game against Buffalo to a night game. I think the Eagle game after that is at night. You have…Baltimore is a night game, as well. You play a late game with the Steelers. A lot of these night games…
BB: Don't forget that night game against the Giants, Joe. That's the one you've been talking about.
JB: Well, you know…look, Coach, I fully expect…here's the scenario that I see. You want to hear it?
BB: Night games, day games, Saturday, Monday, Sunday…
JB: You don't care.
BB: You know, whenever they are, every team in the league's got them at some point. Whenever they are, you just adjust your schedule and play them. We don't really worry too much about that; that's nothing we can have any control over. The most important thing for us is to get ready for Buffalo and try to put our best performance out there whenever the game is – one o'clock, four o'clock, eight o'clock – to just adjust our preparations to be ready to go at that time, just like they do.
JB: Alright, now we talked about the Bills here a little bit. They have won four games in a row. Last time you played them they actually jumped out – I think they took the lead on you 7-0 and then I think you went 38-0 on them after that. What makes them different…
BB: It was 7-3 in the middle of the second quarter and, kind of like the Indianapolis game, we had about four or five plays there that went our way: we hit a touchdown to [Benjamin] Watson and then we had a good kickoff coverage and then we stopped them and got a good punt return and then scored right before the half. So that game was 7-3 in the middle of the second quarter, then within a span of just a few minutes it went to 17-7. And they had a lot of guys banged up. They lost [J.P.] Losman early in the game; [Trent] Edwards came in. I think they're a lot better football team now than they were six weeks ago. You've seen them twice…
JB: Yes. Oh yeah, I've seen them more than twice but I know what you're referring to, Coach. [Laughing] I have.
BB: And those games were both very competitive. But they're good in all three phases – they can return kicks and they're good on defense and they have a good running back and a good receiver, and they don't turn the ball over much on offense. So you've got to go out there and beat them; they're not going to hand you the game with a bunch of dumb plays. They make you beat them in all three phases of the game and that's what we're going to have to do.
ER: Coach, a question that needs to be asked. I'm sure everyone wants to know the truth behind this. You and Joe. How close are you guys? You guys buddies? What is the history?
JB: What are you talking about?
ER: I've heard, we've heard, the stories. You and the Coach are close. Let's hear it from the coach. What is the relationship between you and Joe Benigno?
JB: Coach, straighten them out, will you please?
BB: I used to…when I would come to work early, Joe was on and most of the time I would listen to him. Even up here, like in '96, the reception was so clear at 4, 4:30 in the morning, and get caught up on all the stuff. And then, of course, being down there at the Jets, Joe was my biggest fan. Then once I left the Jets he couldn't get rid of me soon enough.
JB: Well…
BB: That's alright. … Joe's very knowledgeable and I enjoy listening to him.
JB: By the way, when you play the Jets the next time, Coach, try to keep it under 80, okay? I mean I don't want to see Vince Wilfork catching 70-yard bombs, as I envision for this disaster coming up in a couple weeks. I just wanted to mention that, okay?
[Laughter]
JB: Oh my god, what a disaster that game's going to be. Coach, how about Brady? Have you ever seen a quarterback having the kind of year that this guy's having for you? Thirty-three touchdown passes in nine games, he's only thrown four picks – he's going to throw about 60-something TDs. How about the year Brady's having, Coach?
BB: Tom's having a good year, but Tom's played a lot of good football for us around here in the past. We've won a lot of games with Tom at quarterback. We've seen him make good plays through the years, and he's made plenty of them this year. There are always things for him to work on and improve on, and he knows that better than anybody. We all do. But that's one thing I really respect about Tom is his work ethic and his commitment to be better and to use all of his players on the team to the best of his ability, and he does a great job of that.
ER: He is a great quarterback, and we also admire him for just being a legend, being a…
JB: Does Gisele [Bündchen] ever come to practice? That's what we want to know. Does she ever show up at practice there or not?
BB: You know our practices are closed, Joe.
[Laughter]
ER: Even to Gisele?
JB: I guess so.
ER: If Tom Brady says, 'Coach, could Gisele come and watch?' would you let her in to a closed practice?
BB: You know our practices are closed.
ER: Okay.
BB: Maybe there'd be an exception.
[Laughter]
JB: Coach, it's great having you on. Look, tremendous job this year. What can you say? I think you're going undefeated, I really do. But we'll see how that all plays out. Good luck this week against Buffalo and the rest of the year. And as I said, try to keep it under 80 in that Jet game, okay Coach?
BB: Joe, thanks. It's always a pleasure to talk to you.
JB: Pleasure's all mine. Be well.
BB: Alright. Thank you.
JB: The head coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick.
ER: He did not make you a promise that he's keeping it under 80.
JB: Oh my god, that is going to be a disaster.
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