Bennett right back at it
Outspoken after return from Pack
DENVER — As if there was any doubt, tight end Martellus Bennett was back last night, and he was his old self in more ways than one.
Bennett caught three passes for 38 yards as the Patriots clubbed the Denver Broncos, 41-16, at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, including a pair of receptions for 32 yards on his first two snaps of the night.
And afterward, Bennett was as colorful as ever as he explained his distaste for the way the Green Bay Packers handled his shoulder injury and his gratitude toward the Patriots for giving him another chance.
“After trying to get (the shoulder surgically) fixed and getting waived,” Bennett said, “you’ve got that vengeance in your heart like, ‘All right, that’s how you’re going to do it? (Expletive) it, let’s go ball.’ ”
Bennett said he got opinions from six or seven doctors while trying to decide if he should have season-ending shoulder surgery. Last week, he said three of those doctors advised him to get the procedure, which he ultimately informed the Packers that he intended to do. When he relayed that wish to the Packers, they released him with the designation that Bennett failed to disclose his medical history.
Bennett’s snap count was severely limited last night. Time will tell whether that was due to his late arrival or an extra caution with the shoulder injury. But it is certain Bennett is willing to deal with the pain and the long-term implications of the shoulder injury to suit up for the Pats.
“It’s not about, ‘Could you play?’ It’s, ‘Should you play?’ It was one of those things,” Bennett said. “Right now, I’m just like, (expletive) it. At first, I told my agent to tell no teams to claim me because I was still trying to get the surgery. So when Bill (Belichick) called and said they claimed me, I was like, ‘No (expletive) way.’ ”
Even then, Bennett told the Pats coach he wanted to think about it some more. He was talking to companies like Netflix about taking a desk job for the remainder of the season while he recovered from surgery and had already accepted his fate. Bennett also said a text from Tom Brady was instrumental in his decision to report to the Patriots and play through the pain, as Bennett has a lot of close friends in the locker room that he wanted to be around again.
Bennett said he landed at 2:30 Friday morning, checked into his hotel and had to arrive at Gillette Stadium at 5:45 a.m. And then Belichick even convinced him to practice before the Patriots flew to Denver.
“Bill was like, ‘Can you practice?’” Bennett said. “I was like, ‘Bill, I just want to go to sleep right now.’ (Belichick said), ‘Oh, it’s a Friday. Just go out and get some snaps.’ I think he knows how to talk to me, too, so I’m like, ‘All right, I’ll go out there.’ ”
Bennett also said he doesn’t know if he’ll indeed retire after this season, which he claimed was a possibility during the end of his run with the Packers. Right now, he is just enjoying his second life of the 2017 season.
“It was pretty cool,” he said of getting back on the field with the Pats. “Last week, I thought I was going to be on IR, so it’s just been a surreal week for me.”
Tight spot
Rob Gronkowski’s backups at tight end had their most productive night of the season.
Bennett had the loudest performance, but Dwayne Allen had his first catch of the season — on his eighth target — for an 11-yard touchdown. He also had huge blocks on Dion Lewis’ kickoff return for a touchdown and Rex Burkhead’s fourth-down conversion.
“It felt amazing to get that monkey off my back and start heading in a positive direction,” Allen said. “It’s all about consistency.”
Prior to the game, Jacob Hollister’s three catches for 37 yards were the entirety of the backup tight ends’ production this season. Last night, Bennett and Allen combined for four receptions for 49 yards and the score. Hollister didn’t catch a pass, but he recovered a muffed punt in the first quarter that led to the game’s first touchdown.
But if a veteran like Allen can turn it around, it’d be yet another boost for the Patriots during the second half.
“You come here to a winning football club and learn you have to give up yourself for the benefit of the team,” Allen said. “That’s what it’s all about. Sometimes, you’re rewarded with a touchdown.”
Record company
Belichick won his 270th career game to tie Tom Landry for the third most in history. He now only trails Don Shula (347 wins) and George Halas (324).
“It’s flattering, but honestly, I don’t think that’s the story (last night),” Belichick said. “The story is what our team did, the way our team performed. To win games in this league, you need great players. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve had a lot of great players, a lot of great assistant coaches and great staffs. That’s really what it’s about. Players are the ones that deserve the credit. They’re the ones that go out and make the plays, and they did it (last night).”