Bill Belichick compares Ndamukong Suh to J.J. Watt
Bill Belichick hailed Ndamukong Suh as one of the best defensive players in the NFL by comparing him to J.J. Watt ahead of the New England Patriots’ showdown Sunday with the Miami Dolphins.
Belichick cited Suh’s ability to take up blockers and disrupt the line of scrimmage as reasons he remains a player who can wreak havoc despite the defensive lineman’s statistically sub-par 2015 season.
“He’s kind of like (Texans defensive end J.J.) Watt,” Belichick said during his Wednesday press conference, via the Boston Herald. “He’s got that combination of power and quickness. So if you’re overaggressive he can just arm over you or slip you, and if you kind of play soft and wait for him to make his move, he’s got enough power to sort of run through blockers, guys that are in front of him, centers and guards. He can split those double-teams, guys that combination-block him. He’s got good pad level, can split the double teams. He’s made some good plays in pursuit, screen passes, plays like that, running 25-30 yards to get to the ball.
“He’s got a lot of disruptive plays. Similar to the Watt conversation, you take away one thing: He can hit you with something else. He’s got a lot of different skills.”
The Dolphins made a huge splash in the free agent market this past offseason, signing Suh to a six-year, $114 million deal that included $60 million in guaranteed money.
Suh’s productivity this season — at least from a statistical perspective — hardly merits such a monumental payday, nor should it arguably earn him such lofty accolades from Belichick, compliments that liken him to the best defensive player in the game. He has amassed 36 total tackles and 21 assists to go along with only 5.5 sacks, certainly not on-par with the dominance he routinely displayed in season’s past.
Interestingly, Belichick earlier this season compared Watt to one of the best players he ever coached: Lawrence Taylor. Does that mean by employing the transitive property, Belichick believes Suh is also similar to LT? Maybe so in the long run, but Suh definitely does not deserve it this season.
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