When Bill Belichick finished his conference call with the Tampa Bay media Wednesday, it was unclear whether he was preparing for the 2009 Buccaneers or the 1985 Chicago Bears.
New England's future Hall of Fame head coach talked up the 0-6 Buccaneers as a promising club brimming with star power.
"I see the Bucs as a relatively young team that's talented,'' said Belichick, who led the Patriots to three Super Bowl wins this decade and an 11-5 mark last year with Matt Cassel replacing an injured Tom Brady under center. "I think they're getting better each week. They're coming together and executing. You just can't afford to be sloppy or not execute well because there's enough talent on the field to make you pay for it.''
Despite Tampa Bay's brutal start, Belichick sees potential all over the field.
"Aqib Talib's as good a corner as we've faced this year,'' he said. "If you throw the ball around him and you're not careful, he's going to end up with it. The same thing with (Tanard) Jackson. We've got to defend a great set of backs. This is as talented a backfield as we'll see this year. The Bucs can hurt you in a lot of ways. They're explosive and they're dangerous. They're great in the kicking game. We haven't faced a quarterback like (Josh) Johnson this year that has that kind of mobility and speed. A middle linebacker like Barrett Ruud that makes every tackle. I hope we'll be able to be competitive against them.''
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