Patriots Jabrill Peppers: 'I Don't Really Like All the Flak' Bill Belichick Has Taken

New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers defended head coach Bill Belichick following the team's 21-18 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football.

"I don't really like all of the flak [Belichick's] been getting," Peppers said after the game, via ESPN's Mike Reiss. "It's on us as players to go out there and execute. I personally feel like the game plan has been phenomenal week in and week out and when we've had the opportunities to make plays we didn't make them. But we made enough tonight."

The Patriots entered their matchup with the Steelers riding a five-game losing streak, averaging just 9.4 points per game on offense during the stretch. With New England owning a 2-10 record prior to the victory over Pittsburgh, rumors have swirled regarding Belichick's uncertain future with the team.

As the Patriots led by four points at the start of the second quarter, Peppers picked off a wobbly pass from Mitch Trubisky to set the team's offense up at the Steelers' 11-yard line. Two plays later, New England scored a touchdown to go up by double digits.

The Patriots surpassed the 20-point threshold for the first time since their Week 7 victory over the Buffalo Bills, although a win over a Steelers team that held a record of 7-5 before Thursday night is a step in the right direction.

While the Patriots are still likely to miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000, it's still a positive sign that the locker room is rallying around Belichick.