Joe is a hard-working kid. He has good instincts, he kind of has a nose for the ball and a good feel for what’s going on,” Belichick said. “He had an opportunity to get some playing time as we went through preseason and he took advantage of those opportunities, made a few plays, had some production, and it probably led to a little bit more opportunity. “I think that there are a lot of things that he’s improved in, in terms of technique and recognition and reaction. He’s got a long way to go, but he’s definitely making progress. “He’s usually the first one on and the last one off the field, or close to it. He puts in a lot of extra time, tries to get better at the things he needs to work on, and that’s helped him.