Cardinals coach thanks Bill Belichick for Tommy Kelly
Perhaps no player better encapsulates the prowess of the Arizona Cardinals' coaching staff than rejuvenated defensive end Tommy Kelly.
A disappointment in one season with the Patriots, Kelly was released in August as a 34-year-old veteran coming off ACL surgery. Now he's making plays on a weekly basis, filling three-time Pro Bowler Darnell Dockett's shoes on an overachieving defensive line that became the first this season to shut down DeMarco Murray.
"Tell Bill (Belichick) I said, 'Thank you,'" defensive line coach Brentson Buckner told NFL Media columnist Michael Silver Sunday night. "Kelly's been great for us. One man's trash is another man's treasure."
Kelly is symbolic of an organization that team leader Larry Fitzgerald recently compared to the San Antonio Spurs, the NBA's paragon of unselfish success.
"They say everything happens for a reason," Kelly explained to Silver. "I'm happy -- they work me hard but they treat me nice ... and no snow! It's a great group. We believe in each other. We believe in our scheme. And even with some big-time losses, we still feel we've got enough to get it done."