Less than two weeks after becoming a Patriot, Eric Lee is already making a name for himself
AP Photo |
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is notorious for finding lesser-known individuals and turning them into polished and skilled NFL stars.
In Sunday's 23-3 win over the Buffalo Bills, defensive end Eric Lee, made Belichick look like a mastermind.
Less than two weeks after coming off the Bills' practice squad, Lee put on a massive showing in front of his fomer team. He finished the game with four tackles, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, two passes defended and one interception - a performance so well done that the Patriots' newcomer earned some praise from the head coach himself.
"He's smart. He picks things up well," Belichick said of Lee. "He's a sharp kid, he works hard and hes got good skills. He's long, has good power and he can run."
"He was asked to do a little more yesterday than he was last week against Miami," Belichick said. "So maybe that role will increase, maybe it will stay the same, maybe it will decrease a little depending on the game plan and so forth. We'll just have to see how that goes, but the last two weeks, the opportunities he's had, he's given us some good plays and I'm glad we have him."
And Lee is more than glad the Patriots have him, too.
"It's awesome," Lee said. "It's something I've been telling myself all year that I want to contribute. I feel like I'm feeling comfortable and learning and being able to prepare and execute and stuff like that. I feel like those are the things that I'm in the NFL to do, so when it comes to having a role, that's all I've ever wanted. So, to really embrace that role and that passion for the game and everything like that, all that plays a part into everything that's happened so far."
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