Vince Wilfork

Defensive lineman Vince Wilfork made his weekly appearance on the Dale & Holley show Tuesday morning to talk about Monday night’s 45-3 humiliation of the Jets. To hear the interview, go to the Dale & Holley audio on demand page.

Wilfork said the Patriots had their best week of practice in the last two seasons, as the team showed it could work together and play a complete game. “I think everybody’s focus level was where it needed to be, and it showed last night,” he said. “That was very encouraging when guys come in and take care of business, especially coming off Thanksgiving week in Detroit, then come back home with a divisional rivalry, and playing for first pace in our division. So, hats go off to all of our teammates and coaching staff. I think our preparation was everything this week.”

Late in the game, Bill Belichick huddled with a group of players and gave a pep talk that elicited some smiles. Said Wilfork: “He basically told us we’re going to finish this game, and we’re going to play for 60 minutes, so don’t let up. And you know what, he took the words out of my mouth, because I was getting ready to tell the defense the same exact thing. That’s why I kind of smiled and chuckled about it, because sometimes we think alike and it comes out.

“And you know what? Everybody felt it. Everybody felt it. We wanted to win. We did everything in our willpower to go out and play a good football game against a good football team. And I think it started in practice. But Bill said it best: 60 minutes of football. And we’ve been saying it all year: Let’s see how 60 minutes of good football looks. Because we didn’t do it all year. We never played 60 total minutes of good football. And I think last night was the first time that we did that, and you saw the results.”

Wilfork said Belichick is the best at preparing his team for games, and Wilfork doesn’t ever want to play for another coach. “The only thing I’ve known in the league is Bill Belichick. And you know what? He’s going to go down as probably the best that ever [coached],” Wilfork said. “To be coached by someone like him, that’s an honor. That is an honor. A lot of people wish they could say that, but I’m living it now. I’m with him every day. He’s teaching every day. Even seven years in the league, he teaches every day something new that I’ve taken away from his preparation. … I don’t see myself playing for anybody other than Bill Belichick.”

Wilfork acknowledged that the Patriots defensive line did not do a great job stopping the Jets running game, but because the defense stifled the passing game, the team’s strategy still worked. “One way or the other, we needed to make them one-dimensional,” he said. “Once we got that, we really had them where we wanted them. We just came together when we needed to. They ran the ball, they got some plays on the ground. But when they really needed to get plays, and down the field to [Braylon] Edwards and those guys, they couldn’t do it.”

Added Wilfork: “If you can take away an offense’s strengths — one of their strengths — and make them one-dimensional, your chances of being successful are very high.”