Bill Belichick says Phillip Dorsett has ‘gotten better every week'

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By the results, the Patriots probably aren’t enamored with Phillip Dorsett. By Bill Belichick’s words, they are. 

Belichick was asked about the third-year pro and first-year Patriot on Tuesday morning’s conference call. Though Dorsett has just four receptions this season and only one since his three-catch game in Week 2, Belichick said the Pats are seeing improvement from the former Colt. 

“Phillip’s gotten better every week,” Belichick said. “We’ve expanded his role and scope, things that he’s learning and the areas that he’s responsible for every week. He’s a smart kid, he works hard and he’s making progress.”

With a 4.33 40-yard dash, the book on Dorsett coming out of Miami was that he would take the top of defenses. Asked to elaborate on Dorsett’s strengths, Belichick said, “He’s smart, catches the ball well.”

The Patriots picked up Dorsett just prior to the season in a straight-up trade that sent Jacoby Brisett to Indianapolis. While Brissett has been the Andrew Luck-less Colts’ starting quarterback since Week 2, Dorsett hasn’t made much of an impact despite the Patriots suffering multiple injuries at the receiver position.  

Whether that changes down the stretch remains to be seen. Though he was hardly a star in Indianapolis, his 33-catch 2016 campaign suggests he’s certainly capable of more than what he’s been able to muster so far as a Patriot. 

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