FOXBORO -- Jake Locker has been named Tennessee's starting quarterback to begin the regular season, and the assumption may be that his inexperience could provide the Patriots with some difficulty as they prepare for him.
But Bill Belichick pointed out on Monday that's not necessarily the case.
"There's a decent amount of film on him, from when he played a couple games last year," said Belichick. "He's had a lot of experience and a lot of playing time this preseason.
"So I think we have a pretty good feel for what they've shown. What else they have, that they haven't shown, we'll see how that unfolds. But we did work on him coming out of college. I think he's pretty much the same player that we expected to see coming out of college. He's athletic, has a good arm, is a smart guy. He can certainly get the ball down the field, and he's a hard guy to tackle. He's elusive."
Locker isn't the only "elusive" player the Patriots will need to prepare for this weekend. And while their speed isn't the same, Belichick compared Locker's elusiveness to that of running back Chris Johnson.
"Johnson's speed is unique, and I'd say Locker's is pretty fast, too," said Belichick, when asked about preparing for Johnson. "So, it's hard to replicate that."