The New England Patriots edged by the Green Bay Packers last Sunday 31-17 to grab their fifth straight win that saw them effectively defend against star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

It was a performance in the second half of the game that saw the Patriots limit Rodgers and the Packers to just one scoring drive that resulted in a touchdown. During a recent clip of the game that was filmed by Showtime, it showed head coach Bill Belichick bashing Rodgers a bit in his talk with his defensive players during the game.

“Keep him in the pocket. He's tried to throw us two interceptions now. We're gonna get one. He's just lobbing it up there.”

Although this seems to be a bit out characteristic for Belichick to go this route when discussing another player, especially Rodgers, it is likely dialogue used to pump up and motivate his team. There is a strong respect for what Rodgers has accomplished as a passer in the league throughout his career, but at this moment it was an opportune time for Belichick to use his play at that moment to give extra motivation to his team.

Rodgers may have been able to pass for 259 yards with a pair of touchdown passes but was able to force him to complete just 24-of-43 attempts in the contest. Aside from the scoring drive to begin the second half, the Packers struggled to move the ball down the field two punts and two turnovers. The first was a fumble by running back Aaron Jones while the latter was a turnover on downs.

This strong effort in the second half to limit Rodgers throwing the ball helped the team secure another huge win that has pushed them a step closer to their goal of reaching the playoffs to compete for the Super Bowl once again.