Belichick says that the Colts are using Wayne in a role similar to the one Ward filled in Pittsburgh.
Almost everything in Indianapolis has changed since the last time the New England Patriots faced the Colts.
There is a new playbook, a new hope at quarterback and a revamped roster. But Reggie Wayne still remains. The wide receiver could have left during the offseason as a free agent when there was a mass exodus among the players who were so long tied to Peyton Manning, but he chose to stay and fight it out with rookie quarterback Andrew Luck.
It's paid off. His chemistry with Luck was almost instant. He's caught 69 passes for 931 yards (second most in the NFL), with three touchdowns, but the resurgence hasn't just shown up in the numbers. The Colts have used Wayne in a way that is almost entirely new this season.
"They moved him around a little in the past, but not much. Now he's Hines Ward," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "He's in motion a lot. He's blocking. He cracking. He's doing a lot of things Hines Ward did in Pittsburgh, but he's always been good at what he does. ... He's good at all of it."
That should come as little surprise since Colts offensive coordinator and interim head coach Bruce Arians spent the last five seasons serving as the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator. Asked if there is any similarities in how Indianapolis operates compared to Pittsburgh, Belichick simply said, "A lot."
The system is working. The Colts enter Sunday's game against the Patriots fifth in the NFL with an average of 387.3 yards of offense per game, and have been able to jump out to a 6-3 record. A lot of that can be attributed to the chemistry between Luck and Wayne.
Some have been quick to call Wayne's rise a resurgence after he gained just 960 yards last season, but Belichick doesn't see it that way.
"I don't really see Reggie Wayne much differently that how I see him in the past," Belichick said. "There was some issues last year with their quarterback [Manning missed the season with a neck injury] and all that, but I didn't see any drop-off with Reggie Wayne as a football player. He's always looked good to me."