The New England Patriots will be going up against an elite receiver on Sunday in Davante Adams. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has nothing but respect for the wideout, as his team gets ready to face the Las Vegas Raiders.
Adams has had success against New England in the past, catching 12 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in two games against the organization. His most memorable effort came back in November 2014, when he caught six passes on 11 targets for 121 yards. He averaged 20.2 yards per reception and made life difficult for the New England defense.
The second meeting came in November 2018, when he caught six passes on nine targets for 40 yards and a touchdown. Although he was a bit quieter in that game, he was still able to find a way to make an impact.
Belichick and the Patriots got to see Adams up close at training camp. New England took part in joint practices with the Raiders, before the teams faced off in the preseason finale in August. The coach had nothing but respect when talking about the All-Pro receiver, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Dakota Randall.
“Good, really good,” said Belichick. “Really special to see him up close on the practice field. Obviously, saw him at Green Bay, that was his breakout game; got his career started there. But great ball skills, really smooth, very crafty runner. Slick. Good length. Does a real good job at changing speeds. He’s just a really hard guy to cover with elite ball skills and elite, I would say, intelligence and savviness — if that’s a word.”
New England will certainly have their work cut out for them, as they look to win their second game in a row. A victory on Sunday would certainly help boost their playoff chances.
