Tag: Tom Brady

Robert Griffin III has funny story about imitating Tom Brady on scout team

Tom Brady is a hard man to imitate. But not for the reasons you’d expect.

Tom Brady is a hard man to imitate.

There are all sorts of issues with emulating his game: his pinpoint accuracy, his speedy and on-point decision-making, and his general command for an opponent’s game plan. But there’s one more thing: his speed. He’s slower than most quarterbacks, which can make life difficult for the opposing scout-team quarterback who is pretending to be Brady and is also likely faster than the 42-year-old.

When Robert Griffin III was tasked with preparing the Baltimore Ravens for Brady before Week 9, RG3 resorted to running in slow motion in order to properly simulate Brady’s speed. Ouch.

Here’s what RG3 told NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo in the video below.

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Nate Gerry a person of interest as Patriots gameplan for Eagles’ defense

Philadelphia linebacker Nate Gerry will play a huge role in the Eagles matchup with the Patriots

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Any Eagles related conversation focusing on Nate Gerry is certain to bring a variety of opinions centered on his value as a linebacker in Philadelphia’s defense. Gerry for the most part, is either beloved or severely questioned by local fans and media on a weekly basis.

This week, the Eagles face the king of getting the most out of key matchups, when Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots come to town.

With the Patriots practicing and preparing for a tough Eagles front-7, ESPN’s Mike Reiss pointed out New England focusing and preparing specifically for Fletcher Cox, and Gerry.

With Belichick having a highlighted jersey for Gerry at Patriots practice, Belichick is either concerned about the Birds inside linebacker or, he’s sees something he can obviously exploit early and often.

With Sony Michel, James White and Rex Burkhead in the backfield, Josh McDaniel’s and the Patriots could choose to center their offensive game plan around targeting Gerry’s man whenever he’s forced into pass coverage.

Gerry has shown himself to be the Eagles’ most versatile linebacker, playing upwards over four positions during the past five or six weeks. He’s amassed 33 tackles, a sack, two interceptions, and a pick-six over that time span.

Eagles Wire discussion forum: Does Carson Wentz need to outplay Tom Brady in order for the Eagles to defeat the Patriots?

Wentz needs to outplay Brady when the Eagles meet the Patriots

Carson Wentz will have the opportunity to prove that he’s elite on Sunday when he goes head to head with New England Patriots star, Tom Brady for the first time in his career.

“It’s always cool to play a competitor like him, arguably one of the best ever,” Wentz said Wednesday. “Ton of respect for him and what he has done.”

If not for a league-leading amount of drops from his receiving corps, Wentz might be in the discussion for MVP. He’s definitely in the discussion for the NFL’s best quarterback and entered last Week as the second-highest-rated signal-caller in the NFL behind the Seahawks Russell Wilson.

Through nine games this season, Wentz has completed 62.7% of his passes, completing 190 of 303 pass attempts, for 2,060 yards, 15 touchdowns, and four interceptions. The Eagles have been successfully utilizing a heavy dose of Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders over the past few weeks.

A successful running game has always been the remedy for slowing down the Patriots and thus keeping their explosive offense off of the field.

Even with the uptick in explosive plays for the Eagles, Bill Belichick will attempt to take away the Birds beast weapons, and likely put the ball in Carson’s hands. For the Eagles, Sunday could truly be Wentz’s coming out party.

‘I really love his tenacity’: What Tom Brady, Patriots are saying about N’Keal Harry

All is relatively quiet about N’Keal Harry.

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N’Keal Harry has been working out of sight, though definitely not out of mind. As he started the season on injured reserve, only his teammates and coaches know first-hand how he’s progressing in his first season with the New England Patriots. Expectations were high after Bill Belichick drafted Harry with the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft — the highest Belichick has ever selected a receiver.

But the Patriots have shoved down those expectations in recent weeks. New England kept Harry inactive during its Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, even though the rookie receiver was eligible to play for the first time. Tom Brady and Belichick have separately made comments that haven’t been exuberantly positive. A part of the holdup, receivers coach Joe Judge said, is that the rookie is trying to get back to game speed after so much time on injured reserve.

That’s not easy when the 21-year-old is matching up against Stephon Gilmore, arguably the best cornerback in the NFL, every day at practice.

“I just try to work on my technique and push him. He’s a big guy and can make big catches,” Gilmore told Patriots Wire at his locker on Thursday. “He works hard every day. You can’t control injuries and things like that.”

Just about every Patriot will tell you that Harry is working hard. He’s grinding. He’s relentless at practice.

“He’s got a great edge about him,” Brady said during an interview with WEEI on Wednesday. “I really love that. I really love his tenacity and he’s learning every day, and he’s working hard to get better.”

His injury seems to have presented some challenges as he learns the offense – because studying the playbook isn’t really enough in New England’s offense. Players have to get on the field and execute. It seems that’s where the uncertainty lies — with knowledge and execution of the playbook. When it comes to his physical tools, there aren’t many questions.

“You go back to that Detroit game (in preseason) of him being able to catch the ball away from his body,” cornerback Jason McCourty said. “A contested catch. He almost got away from the first tackler, so I think things of that nature. Obviously he’s a big body, so he plays big. And that helps him create space. I think he’s a guy that does a good job of going up and getting the ball.”

Patriots rookies as a whole have not seen the field much beyond special teams. Third-round pick Chase Winovich leads the pack with 28% of defensive snaps. Second-round cornerback Joejuan Williams, third-round running back Damien Harris and fourth-round quarterback Jarrett Stidham have barely played. Third-round tackle Yodny Cajuste and fourth-round guard Hjalte Froholdt will miss the season with injuries. But Williams said the lack of playing time isn’t getting him or Harry down.

“We both know what the deal is, so we’re just always being ready when our number is called,” Williams said.

Much was made of Brady’s comments about Harry during Week 9 when the quarterback said “it’s up to him to go out there and earn it.” The remarks were tonally different from what Brady had been saying about veteran Mohamed Sanu, who was drawing praise from his quarterback. So speculation ensued: is Brady dissatisfied with Harry? The quarterback cleared that up during an interview with WEEI on Wednesday.

“I think with our team, what I think we’ve done over the years is we’ve not projected expectations for people that put them in an unfair position that people are expecting things that, you know, are not in my control,” Brady said. “If you want to ask someone like N’Keal how he feels he’s doing, you should ask him. To ask me, and then put unfair expectations on a younger player, I don’t think that is helpful at all. It is really up to each individual player. It is not just N’Keal because I like N’Keal a lot. Everybody’s role is earned and I think that is the mark of the Patriots and that is part of the culture — you have to come out here and you have to earn a spot and earn a role. You do that through practice, earning the trust of your teammates and your coaches that you can be talented when the moments are their biggest.”

Belichick wouldn’t say whether Harry will play on Sunday against the Eagles in Philadelphia in Week 11. That could be when Harry gets a chance to show the products of his hard work and tenacity.

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Tom Brady’s body coach says QB feels he can play until he’s 47

Will Tom Brady play for the Patriots? Alex Guerrero’s tone was less certain.

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Tom Brady’s body coach Alex Guerrero gave some insight into the New England Patriots quarterback’s thoughts on a potential retirement as he continues his 20th NFL season.

Apparently, Brady feels like he can play 25 seasons.

As Brady and Guerrero hone the TB12 Method — designed to elongate Brady’s muscles and, in turn, his career — the quarterback has grown hopeful his stint in the NFL can last even longer than even he expected. Previously, Brady has said he intends to at least play until he’s 45 years old. He’s currently 42. But Brady is beginning to feel like he can make it to 46 or 47, Guerrero told WEEI sports radio during an appearance on Thursday.

The interview did come with a less hopeful look at Brady’s future in New England, however. The Patriots quarterback is playing on an expiring contract, which will make him a free agent in the upcoming offseason. Even though Brady is saying he might not stop playing until he’s 47, Guerrero provided no certainty about the quarterback’s status with New England. Guerrero was asked if Brady will be at Patriots training camp in 2020.

“I don’t know. It’s not July 2020,” Guerrero told WEEI. “I am focused on today.”

Spoken like Bill Belichick.

Brady has also acknowledged the uncertainty with his contract. He has never played on the final year of his deal. This is unprecedented for him. Add in that Brady and Guerrero are trying to sell their homes. It’s an apparently tenuous situation.

“If you spend all your time and energy on those things, you lose track of what is really most important, which is happening right now,” Brady told WEEI on “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday. “This is where I want to be. This is the team I want to be apart of and leading. I am really excited about doing that. There really isn’t more to read into than that.”

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Former Saints LB Vince Biegel turning into a bright spot for Dolphins

Few would argue that the New Orleans Saints made a bad move in swapping linebackers with the Miami Dolphins back before the NFL roster cuts deadline, shipping out a special teams ace and defensive reserve for a starting-quality veteran. Kiko Alonso …

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Few would argue that the New Orleans Saints made a bad move in swapping linebackers with the Miami Dolphins back before the NFL roster cuts deadline, shipping out a special teams ace and defensive reserve for a starting-quality veteran. Kiko Alonso has played well for New Orleans in his first few months on the job, gradually picking up more of the defensive playbook and earning increasingly-high snap counts.

But this is a case where both parties came away feeling good about what they’d gained. For Miami, it meant a talented pass rusher who’s just happy to have the opportunity. Vince Biegel has turned into a bright spot in a season that’s been tough to watch for Dolphins fans. He ranks second on the team in sacks (2) but leads the defense in hits (11) by a landslide. If he put up those same numbers for the Saints, he’d rank third-best in each category.

According to pressure rates charted by Pro Football Focus, Biegel places inside the top 10 for pass rushers league-wide, ranking just above Marcus Davenport. That shows that he’s performing well with consistency on a snap-to-snap basis, not just notching a few lucky plays.

And for Biegel and his family, the opportunity to start on a defense and make a career in Miami is something to be grateful for. Wins and losses are great (and his fortunes there would be widely reversed if the Saints hadn’t traded him), but the chance to write his own NFL story is something he appreciates.

“To be in (Dolphins coach Brian Flores) defense has been a blessing for me,” Biegel said earlier this season. “Coach Flo reminds me a lot of Dave Aranda, who was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, a guy who really loved to mix it up, a great defensive mind who really put guys in great positions to make plays.”

And he’s made some memorable plays for Dolphins faithful already, including his first career sack — which came against none other than New England Patriots legend Tom Brady. The list of players who can boast that kind of start to their career is brief, and it’s something Biegel takes pride in.

“For me, this has been the most comfortable defense I’ve been a part of so far in the league,” Biegel continued. “It’s been fun to be a part of this defense, make some plays, obviously for the team and continue to grow. As the season progresses, and hopefully (I) stay here for years to come I hopefully can grow and develop and to be a great, great player in this defense.”

So what does this mean for Saints fans? It’s certainly not something to complain about. Biegel was playing well in his role for New Orleans, but the opportunity to add someone as experienced as Alonso was too good to pass up, especially with Biegel buried on the depth chart. If anything, having someone to root for during Dolphins games is a plus for fans of the black and gold — so long as they aren’t the ones playing against Biegel and his new team.

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Tom Brady offers support for Celtics guard Marcus Smart’s charity work

Tom Brady made donations for Marcus Smart’s silent auction.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady appears to be supporting Marcus Smart’s charity work on social media and at a silent auction. The Boston Celtics guard hosted a digital silent auction for his Bowling Bash, which is an effort to raise money for the YounGameChanger Foundation.

According to the event information, Smart’s foundation “helps provide families with seriously and chronically ill children with encouragement and life-changing experiences. It is also a voice of motivation, empowerment, and encouragement to inner-city young athletes to be game-changers off the court or field.”

Brady donated an autographed jersey and football for the silent auction, but he wasn’t the only Patriots to contribute. Cornerback Jason McCourty also contributed a pair of autographed and game-worn cleats.

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Tom Brady says the Patriots’ 8-1 record doesn’t matter

Records are deceiving at this time of year.

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If the New England Patriots’ most recent loss reminded us anything, it’s that records can be deceiving. New England (8-1) fell to the Baltimore Ravens (7-2), 37-20. An even more dramatic upset took place in Week 10, with the Atlanta Falcons (2-7) beating the New Orleans Saints (7-2).

So while New England is in sole ownership of the AFC’s top seed, Brady isn’t putting to much stock into the Patriots’ 8-1 record after 10 weeks.

“What I think is at this point, it doesn’t matter,” Brady told Jim Gray during an appearance on Westwood One Radio on Monday. “Because 8-1 means nothing. In 2001, we won the Super Bowl and we were 5-5. In 2015, we were 10-0 and we lost four of our last six. You don’t have to look far. You look at the NHL — how were the St. Louis Blues halfway into (last) season? How were the Houston Astros two months into the season? Not very good. The point is any team at this point, their season is going to be determined by what happens the next seven weeks of football. Not the last nine or 10 — the next seven are going to determine what happens to these teams, their seedings, the playoffs and all that.

“And from our standpoint, I’m happy we’re 8-1, but I really want us to play our best football as we move forward. Everything that’s happened to this point, we’ve got to learn from, we’ve got to use it, and we’ve got to use those things and execute under pressure against the competition that’s going to be at it’s toughest. I’m looking forward to a great opportunity for our team.”

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NFL Week 11 Power Rankings: Upsets rule, and a new team at the top

In the wake of an unlikely trio of upsets, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar assesses the hierarchy of the NFL’s 32 teams.

Some weeks in the NFL, a series of things surprise you. In Week 10, three 1-7 teams posted victories, giving hope to fans of some much-maligned squads.

The Jets beat the Giants, 34-27, as safety Jamal Adams became the sixth player since 2000 to record two quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles and a touchdown in the same game. The Dolphins won their second straight game after an 0-7 start, besting the depleted Colts and proving that, at least to head coach Brian Flores and his players, any talk of tanking was pure bunk.

Then, the Falcons improbably whupped up on the Saints, sacking Drew Brees six times and holding New Orleans under 10 points in New Orleans for the first time since 1973.

None of these teams have realistic playoff hopes this season, but the ability to get your game together for even a short part of the season can provide some compelling narratives.

Here’s how all 32 teams stand in out Touchdown Wire’s Week 11 power rankings:

32-25 | 24-17 | 16-9 | 8-1

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