New England coach Bill Belichick may not have been immediately aware he was facing the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl Feb. 5 in Houston, but he respects the offense.

At his Thursday press conference he spoke highly of Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, who in his first season in Atlanta caught 59 passes for 653 yards and 4 touchdowns.

» Photos: Patriots prepare for Falcons

“He has a great catch radius. He catches everything. He is a tough blocker. He’s hard to tackle. He’s an explosive player,” the Patriots coach gushed.

Then Belichick acknowledged Sanu is a passing threat.

“We know he can do it,” he explained.

Sanu is 5-for-5 with three touchdowns as a passer -- none this season.

So the Patriots’ defense is preparing for trickery -- something the Patriots’ offense is more prone to do than the Falcons’.

“This is the kind of game where a team could be working on [a trick play] all year and you’re running out of games,” Belichick said.

About the Author

Keep Reading

September 11, 2016 ATLANTA: Buccaneers tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins catches a touchdown pass past Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon for a 24-13 lead during the third quarter in an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton /ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Featured

Lee Reid, executive director of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, speaks during a board meeting in December. The board is looking to revamp its review process in response to concerns of inaction. (Christina Matacotta / For the AJC)