New England’s defense has been tough for quarterbacks to solve for years and years.
But Pittsburgh’s Mitch Trubisky has something working in his favor for this week’s matchup between the Steelers and Patriots — a former New England defensive coach on his team’s staff.
Steelers senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach Brian Flores was with the Patriots from 2008-2018. Trubisky said he’s been picking Flores’ brain throughout the year, but Flores’ knowledge can be especially valuable this week.
“Having coach ‘Flo’ in our meetings and having him to ask about defenses and what he sees from his perspectives has been huge,” Trubisky said in his Wednesday press conference. “I’ve been talking to him throughout OTAs and training camp to just get his perspective on defense, what’s hard to cover and what I see from a quarterback perspective.
“I think him being there gives us a good insight on kind of what they may be talking about and how they may be game planning for us. If we keep those things in mind and have a good work week, I think it can be a good advantage for us.”
Trubisky added that he always expects a “great Patriots defense.”
“They’re fundamentally sound, they get after the football, and they make it hard on the quarterback,” Trubisky said. “We’ve got to have a great week of preparation. You always expect that, to be well coached and to have great players on that side. It’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
