The quote about Ed Reed was jarring even before you knew who said it. “He probably covers more field back there as a single safety than most teams can cover with two. He’s got great instincts. He’s a tremendous player. … Can’t say I’ve ever coached against anybody better than Ed Reed in the secondary.”
That was New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick gushing to reporters on Wednesday about Reed before this weekend’s AFC title game between his team and the Baltimore Ravens. And you don’t get the sense Belichick is doing his best Lou Holtz impression. Reed must be accounted for this weekend — even if he isn’t at full health with a sore ankle.
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Belichick couldn’t tell anything was wrong on the final play of last week’s game against Houston when Reed — essentially playing over the top on the left side of the field to stop Texans star receiver Andre Johnson — sprinted all the way to the other side to help break up a Hail Mary pass. Now there were two other Ravens defenders there and the ball did hit Houston receiver Kevin Walter in the shoulder. But it was still an incredible display from a 33-year-old safety — even if he did land awkwardly and was limited in practice Wednesday. Baltimore needs Reed if it’s going to defend New England quarterback Tom Brady and his prolific passing game.
“They got a lot of guys over there. They’re very explosive,” Reed said. “They score a lot of points. We’ve all seen that. It’s going to be an all-day affair for our defense. … [But] it’s not up to me to read Tom Brady. He has a lot of teammates out there to help him. It’s about me doing my job.”
– Brian McNally
