Bill Belichick Says He 'Missed Some of the Great Reading' on Patriots 19-0 Talk

With expectations once again sky high for the New England Patriots in 2017, head coach Bill Belichick joked Wednesday about at least one prediction that his team would put together a perfect 19-0 season. 

"I guess I missed some of the great reading," Belichick said, via USA Today's Henry McKenna.

Belichick's comments came two days after USA Today's Nate Davis unveiled his preseason predictions for the upcoming season, which included the Patriots going 16-0 in the regular season and defeating the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl.

In typical Belichick fashion, he's also downplaying expectations for the Patriots by saying "none of us have done anything" as far as the 2017 team is concerned. 

It's hard not to be bullish about New England's chances of doing something special this season. The Patriots added wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a team that went 14-2 and won the Super Bowl in 2016. 

Belichick also knows better than anyone the dangers of high expectations. The 2007 Patriots are the only team in NFL history to complete a 16-0 regular season, but that group's quest for perfection was undone with a 17-14 loss against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.