Sunday will mark Belichick and the Patriots' first exposure to the red-hot Darnold, who didn't play in the teams' first meeting in Week 12, won by the Patriots 27-13. New England enters Sunday's regular-season finale with the 23rd-ranked passing defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 254 yards per game. Liked a seasoned vet, the 21-year-old quarterback told the media the Pats' defense, which is known for not surrendering a lot of points (21.5/game), does "everything right."

"That's what they've been doing and that's what Belichick-coached teams do," he said. "They just do the right thing and they are in the right spot and they make plays. We've just got to go out there and do the same thing, make our plays and take advantage of opportunities when they're there."

While the No. 3 overall pick won't literally line up against Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, he relished the opportunity to go toe-to-toe against an all-time great, much like last week against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

"Yeah, there's always something there whenever you're playing Brady, guys like Rodgers and everything like that," Darnold said. "For me, I grew up watching those two play and dominate, so at the same time, I'm not just going to ignore the fact that I'm playing those guys. I know that I am and I want to step up, but at the same time, every single game that's my mentality.