Bill Belichick on Justin Herbert: ‘He’s going to be one of top quarterbacks for a long time’

The last time the Chargers played the Patriots, head coach Bill Belichick got the better of quarterback Justin Herbert.

Herbert completed just 49% of his passes — a career-low — and threw for 209 yards. He threw two interceptions, and no touchdown passes.

Despite the dismal output, Herbert put together one of the most prolific rookie seasons, shattering multiple records en route to winning the prestigious award.

Now, Herbert is amid a surging sophomore season, in which he has put himself in the MVP conversation. Through six games, he has thrown for 1,771 yards, with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Heading into this weekend’s bout between Los Angeles and New England, Belichick talked about what he has seen from Herbert since the last time the two teams met, highlighting his size, field vision, arm strength, and athleticism.

“I don’t think you’re going to find too many better than him. This guy is really an impressive player. I thought he was really good when we played them last year, and, luckily, we had a pretty good day, but I’m not counting on that again.

“I have a ton of respect for him. I think he’s going to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league for a long time to come.”

Regardless of the words that came out of Belichick’s mouth, inside his mind is a game plan that he is attempting to draw up to replicate last year’s defensive dominance.

Herbert was disrupted all game long by the stunts and twists up front and the disguised coverage schemes that Belichick enforced.

Of course, Herbert will be with an entirely different offensive system and personnel, which has proven to be successful up to this point. However, the brilliance of Belichick is not to be taken for granted.