PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
PRESS CONFERENCE
November 3, 2023
BB: Alright, how's business?
Q: It's booming, how about for you?
BB: You know, getting there. A team that we know very well and getting to know them better.
Q: Good couple days of practice so far?
BB: Working through it.
Q: Alex Austin, what did you see from him that made you want to bring him in?
BB: Yeah, we had a roster spot, so we thought we'd take him. He was with Buffalo in the preseason and then a little bit at Houston.
Q: You had mentioned that you talked to him when you were out at the combine. What did you see from him coming out of college?
BB: Had some length. We really saw more in preseason than in college, probably a better chance to evaluate in preseason at Buffalo. Then, he was claimed, so obviously Houston saw something, too. He might have been a multiple-claimed guy, I don't know. It seemed like there was some interest in him based on his preseason play.
Q: Were you aware that he was very close with Willie McGinest?
BB: Yeah, just found that out.
Q: Impressive high school, Long Beach Poly, with Jack [Jones] and JuJu [Smith-Schuster].
BB: Yeah, Long Beach Poly has turned out a few of them, Snoop Dog.
Q: Did you have a relationship with Bobby Knight and how do you reflect on his coaching legacy in the wake of his passing?
BB: Yeah, I had a good relationship with Coach Knight. Very sad, the last few years have been tough. I met Coach Knight when I was probably under 10, known him definitely my whole adult life. He and my dad were good friends and Coach [Bill] Parcells, so I saw a lot of Coach Knight. Learned a lot from him, enjoyed my time with him. Wonderful man, and obviously a great coach, up there in the big five in basketball. Mike [Krzyzewski] kind of in from the same tree with [Adolph] Rupp and [John] Wooden. Unfortunately, tough loss for coaching.
Q: Sam Howell, what have you seen from him as you've game planned for a team, like you said, that you're not that familiar with?
BB: Yeah, he's had a good year, really productive. I think I talked about it. He throws the ball to all the receivers. He gets the ball out quick, pretty athletic kid, tough kid. He's been sacked some, but he's tough. He stands in there, makes some tough throws. Been in a lot of close games, you can see his poise. It looks like he's gained a lot of confidence from his teammates. He's earned it. So, he's had a pretty impressive year.
Q: We talked to Coach [Bill] O'Brien on Tuesday, and he said it was going to be a big week for the receivers with Kendrick [Bourne] not there and DeVante [Parker] dealing with what he's dealing with. What have you seen the last couple days from that group that makes you think they can answer that challenge, I guess?
BB: They've all worked hard, tried to take advantage of their opportunities. We'll see how it goes. They've all put in a good week.
Q: Specifically, do you feel like Kayshon Boutte is really taking advantage of the opportunities this season when he gets them?
BB: I think this has probably been his best week, yeah.
Q: What makes it his best week?
BB: His best week in practice.
Q: Is it just consistency that you're looking for?
BB: Performance, consistency, assignments, production – practice is practice, but there are opportunities out there for everybody. You either take advantage of them or don't take advantage of them.
Q: Another one is Tyquan Thornton who we didn't see last game, has he kind of stepped up at all this week?
BB: Yeah, I think all the receivers, they recognize the situation. It's an opportunity for the guys that are out there, and they're trying hard to make the most of it.
Q: Someone like Tyquan, how much is just him getting out there after the slow start?
BB: He missed some time, but he did all he could do, got back as quick as he could. He's been out there and is trying to take advantage of his opportunities, too. So, none of the issues with their work ethic or their preparation or what they've tried to do it on the practice field. We'll see how it translates on Sunday.
