The Arizona Cardinals will be in Massachusetts on Sunday for their first game against the New England Patriots in four years — and their first game at Gillette Stadium in eight years. Playing in Boston has a special meaning for Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

This is the first year the Patriots are without their star quarterback Tom Brady. But back in 2003, Kingsbury spent his entire rookie season as Brady’s understudy. He was a quarterback drafted in the sixth round and apparently left an impression on Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who spoke on the Doug & Wolf show on Arizona Sports radio.

“You could see right away that Kliff was very intelligent, had a passion for football, worked hard, was a great teammate," Belichick said. "And he went on to play, some in the NFL, some in the (Canadian Football League), and he gained experience the year he was with us."

For his part, Kingsbury says he has a lot of respect for Belichick, who is widely considered one of the most effective coaches in the league.

The 6-4 Cardinals take on the 4-6 Patriots at 11 a.m. Arizona time on Sunday.