Julian Edelman includes nine Patriots in his photoshopped Thanksgiving photo

Julian Edelman had a table full of Patriots in this Thanksgiving photo.

Two of the most active social media accounts for New England Patriots players are ran by Tom Brady and Julian Edelman.

Between the two, you can almost expect entertaining content after a Patriots win, or even on a holiday. Edelman came through on Thanksgiving with a photoshopped Twitter picture that included Brady, Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, Sony Michel, Chase Winovich, Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty and Devin McCourty.

The 10-1 Patriots are preparing for a Week 13 matchup against the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

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Tom Brady laughs off challenging turnover at receiver and tight end

Tom Brady cracked up when asked about all the adversity he has faced this year.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady says time and time again that he’s not responsible for the management of personnel. But he does have to work with whatever Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio and Bill Belichick provide for the offense.

This year, the provisions have been scarce, though not for lack of trying. The Patriots have seen Demaryius Thomas, Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon come and go. They’ve managed injuries to Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, Phillip Dorsett and N’Keal Harry. And that’s just the receiver position. The tight end position has dealt with a notable retirement (Rob Gronkowski) suspensions (Benjamin Watson) and injuries (Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo).

During an appearance on Westwood One on Monday night, Brady was asked about managing that adversity. The interviewer, Jim Gray, read a tweet which listed many of the issues Brady has faced. The quarterback got a good, long laugh after hearing that list.

“Well, I would say the guys that I’m in there with and playing with are fighting hard, and they’re battling, and I love being out there with them,” Brady told Westwood One’s Jim Gray. “I’ve had a lot of challenges over the course of my career. Our team has. And we’re not listening to anyone outside of our locker room. We’re ignoring the noise. We’ve talked about that. We have a belief of the things we need to do, and we’re going to work hard to make those things happen.

“And I’m proud of our record. We’re 10-1. We’ve got 53 guys on the roster. It’s the ultimate team sport. That’s what it’s about. It’s about the team — T-E-A-M. And you try to win the game however you can, and every week it’s going to be a little bit different. And we’re playing against a great caliber of opponents that have incredible amounts of talent, discipline, well-coached, and I’m just happy we’re finding ways to win. That’s what we’re going to need to continue to do.”

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Tom Brady says he had extra treatment on elbow after Cowboys game

Tom Brady’s recent elbow injury may be something worth monitoring. 

Tom Brady’s recent elbow injury may be something worth monitoring.

There’s been countless times in Brady’s career that he’s been limited in practice or questionable because of soreness. But, there were reports that Brady couldn’t finish practice on Friday before the New England Patriots’ Week 12 game against the Dallas Cowboys. He went on to play that day and the Patriots walked away with a 13-9 victory — while Brady threw for 190 yards and a touchdown on 37 attempts.

The 42-year-old quarterback joined his weekly Westwood One interview on Monday night and spoke about the injury in more depth.

“I like to believe that over the years I’ve gotten a little bit smarter about how to take care of myself,” Brady said, transcribed by Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. “I know when I need a little time, whether it’s a day or a practice, rather than be stubborn and push through things like I probably used to. I think sometimes it’s smart to try to get ahead of injuries.

“I spent a lot of time with Alex (Guerrero) getting extra treatment and did so after the game last night, did so today. I’ll be feeling good this week and be ready to go. I’ll be excited to take on our toughest challenge of the year in going to Houston and trying to win a game on ‘Sunday Night Football.’”

If Brady can play through the injury, history has said that he will. The last time that he missed a game due to injury was in 2008, after he tore his ACL. There isn’t a sense of panic in New England yet, but an aging quarterback with a lingering elbow injury could become problematic.

Time will tell, and his next test will be on Sunday night against Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans.

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Breaking down Tom Brady’s perfect pass from the Patriots’ win over Cowboys

“It was a great throw and great catch.” -Bill Belichick

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hasn’t had much time to work with rookie receiver N’Keal Harry. But they didn’t look lacking in chemistry on their touchdown connection during New England’s 13-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

The Patriots managed a blocked punt, which gave the offense terrific field position. They converted into their only touchdown of the game.

On a second-and-8 from the 10-yard line, Brady dropped back with excellent protection. He released the ball just before Harry, who was running a fade route, turned his head to track the ball, which seemed to be a sign that Brady trusted the young receiver to get to the right place to make the play. That’s just what he did. Harry used his big body to shield cornerback Byron Jones from a perfectly placed ball. The rookie receiver did a nice job spinning in the red zone to catch the back-shoulder throw while keeping both feet in bounds for a score.

“It was a great throw and great catch. The ball could be put in only one spot. And it was a great adjustment from N’Keal (Harry),” Bill Belichick said in an interview with WEEI on Sunday.

Brady suggested that Harry took an aggressive approach during the week, which paid off on Sunday.

“Rather than feeling like, ‘Oh man, I haven’t played much and I’ll be a little worried going out there,’ he really approached it like he had been there all season,” Brady said on Monday morning during a radio appearance on WEEI. “He made a lot of good plays in practice and improved on things that he had done and were corrected. I really love N’Keal’s attitude.”

That’s a good sign for the 2019 first-round pick, who spent the first eight weeks of the season on injured reserve before being a healthy scratch during Week 9 when he returned from the injury. New England seemed like they were taking it slow with Harry, but injuries to receivers Mohamed Sanu (ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (concussion) forced Harry into an increased role in Week 12.

Even with his touchdown, there’s significant space for Harry to improve. His six-point play was his only reception on four targets. Brady seemed to go to Harry in contested or challenging circumstances, which again showed the quarterback’s trust in the receiver. But that trust may have waned slightly when Harry failed to haul in the ball.

“It’s been good,” Harry said Sunday after the game when asked about working with Brady. “Every day you get to connect more, feel each other out more. Everything will just come with time. … I’m definitely not satisfied, and anybody that knows me knows I’m about to turn it up a notch. I’m about to really hit the grindstone and really get back to work.”

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Tom Brady shares Instagram message that Patriots are just ‘warming up’

Despite the winter weather, things are just warming up in Foxborough, according to Tom Brady. 

Despite the winter weather, things are just warming up in Foxborough, according to Tom Brady.

Brady and the New England Patriots will enter the month of December with a 10-1 record. Although the offense isn’t exactly where Brady wants it to be at this point, he’s still excited for what’s ahead.

His recent Instagram post will prepare you for the football weather, along with the final stretch of the season.

The Patriots will travel on Sunday night to play the Houston Texans in Week 13 and then they’ll host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14.

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Tom Brady explains why frustrations ‘can help refocus’ the Patriots

“My teammates know how I am and know how I think about them and how I care about them.”

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was under fire last week when he expressed frustration after a win in Week 11. Even former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski admitted Brady’s comments and the Patriots’ doom-and-gloom attitude was one reason why Gronk was happy to stay retired.

But Brady knows what he’s doing. He has explained after a win in Week 12 that he’s being genuine, rather than faking positivity. That genuine display of emotions is a product of his leadership style.

“I think I have a lot of emotions over the course of the year, and I think part of it is just processing them and dealing with them and putting them in the right place,” Tom Brady said on Westwood One on Monday night. “I hope my emotions never effect my preparation for the next game, but I think they can help refocus as well.”

He added: “I think I balance out those emotions with positivity, enjoyment, happiness and leadership. I think in the end, they all balance out. … My teammates know how I am and know how I think about them and how I care about them.”

Brady said he needs to be honest with himself, with the media and with his teammates in order to open a healthy line of dialogue. The Patriots offense looked like a mess in Week 11. And perhaps partially as a product of Brady’s frustration, the unit improved in Week 12, even if it was without receivers Mohamed Sanu (ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (concussion).

Maybe Brady looked mopey and ticked off after a win over the Eagles in Week 11. And maybe he also knew the offense wasn’t good enough to keep winning if they played like that. So the moping and the frustration was an effort to motivate his teammates for the coming weeks, when they will need to step up.

“I feel like I have some accumulated knowledge of what it takes to be a very high caliber offense, and we’re working to get there,” Brady said. “I know we haven’t found our stride quite yet, but we’re working hard to find it. There’s times where you find it early in the season and there’s times where you find it late in the season.”

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Tom Brady shares a message for Patriots fans on Twitter after Week 12

“Alright, we’re back. 10-1. It feels really good.”

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady put together his weekly message to fans on social media on Monday. Brady celebrated the Patriots’ 13-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Week 12 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots quarterback also added a personal touch this week.

“Alright, we’re back. 10-1. It feels really good,” Brady said to the camera in a video on Twitter. “Happy Thanksgiving to you guys. Have a great week. Enjoy your family. Enjoy football. And we’ll see you next Sunday night in Houston. Let’s go.”

The video then cut Brady’s touchdown pass on Sunday to rookie wideout N’Keal Harry. Here’s a look.

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Tom Brady addresses elbow injury: ‘How did it look yesterday?’

Tom Brady was listed as questionable heading into Week 12.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was dealing with an elbow issue heading into Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys. He was limited in practice on Friday, and was questionable for Sunday after leaving practice early. And yet Brady played — and did so in horrible conditions of snow, slush, rain, mist and low temperatures.

Brady completed just 45.9% percent of his passes for 190 yards and a touchdown, but he said the elbow issue felt good.

“It’s doing well. Thanks for asking. I appreciate it. Thank you,” Brady said on WEEI on Monday morning. “How did it look yesterday? I think it speaks for itself.”

Brady’s performance featured up and down moments, while he watched his receivers commit four drops. (The conditions surely contributed.) The Patriots also featured the running game heavily, and they were afforded a number of short fields, which contributed to Brady’s humble passing totals.

But there was no doubt that he had some struggles, with a few misfires to pass-catchers like James White. Brady also didn’t have his second or third receivers, as Mohamed Sanu (ankle) and Phillip Dorset (concussion) were ruled out before the game. The quarterback did the best with what he could.

Brady, 42, seemed to feel good about his health heading in Week 13, with a matchup against the Houston Texans.

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Rookie WRs N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers step up when Patriots needed them most

The Patriots beat the Cowboys with only four active wide receivers in Week 12 — one of which was Matthew Slater.

The New England Patriots walked away with a hard-fought win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12.

The low-scoring 13-9 battle reflected the rainy conditions and the lack of offensive firepower for both teams. New England found out before the game that they would be without Phillip Dorsett and Mohamed Sanu — leaving them with four active wide receivers. Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and Matthew Slater were the only targets that Tom Brady had at the wide receiver position.

Edelman is the only receiver out of this group to record more than 15 NFL catches. He finished the game with eight catches and 93 yards on 12 targets.

Rookie wide receivers Harry and Meyers were expected to step up, and that’s exactly what they did. They didn’t put up game-changing numbers, but they both provided just enough to help walk away with a victory.

Harry recorded the only touchdown of the game on a back-shoulder acrobatic catch in the redzone. The ten-yard touchdown reception was the first of his career and it put enough points on the board to slide past Dallas.

Meyers finished the game with four catches for 74 yards and he took numerous big hits without having to leave the field. Meyers’ longest catch was for 32 yards and it was mostly due to breaking tackles and gaining yards after the catch.

Brady talked about the young receivers in his postgame press conference and had nothing but good things to say.

“They played a lot of plays. Proud of those two,” Brady said. “They put a lot of effort in this week. They’re making improvements and it’s great to see. They both came through with some big plays for us.”

The Patriots added left tackle Isaiah Wynn to the mix against Dallas and had some positives to take away from the game. With a healthy receiving corps and an upgraded offensive line, the Patriots’ offense should begin to ascend with playoffs around the corner.

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Report: Tom Brady wasn’t able to finish practice on Friday with elbow pain

Tom Brady’s elbow injury could be worse than the Patriots originally thought. 

Tom Brady’s elbow injury could be worse than the New England Patriots originally thought.

He was listed as questionable heading into New England’s Week 12 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys with pain in his right elbow. Although Brady was listed as questionable, he was still expected to play and said that the injury was minor. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported before the game on Sunday that Brady couldn’t finish out practice on Friday because of the injury.

“My understanding is he was not able to finish practice due to elbow pain on Friday,” Rapoport said. “Jarrett Stidham, the backup, took the majority of the reps throughout the practice.”

This could just be precautionary measures, but it’s something worth monitoring. The Patriots are dealing with numerous injuries on the offensive side of the ball, including Phillip Dorsett and Mohamed Sanu. Dorsett was ruled out before the game and Sanu is a game-time decision.

Brady will have rainy conditions and only Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and Matthew Slater as wide receiver. This game will likely be sloppy and probably run-heavy.

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