“He’s a great young player and I love watching him”, the 39-year-old Brady said.
Advertisement
Belichick had talked leading into the game about how it was important for Brady to play so he could be ready when he returns from a four-game suspension on October 9, and that his on-field presence was important for teammates too.
“I always take it as it comes”, he said at the end of his postgame press conference following the Patriots’ preseason-ending, 17-9 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who next week begins a four-game suspension for his role in Deflategate, saw his most extensive action in the preseason finale since September 1, 2011, also against the Giants. The Giants, on the other hand, fielded only two defensive starters, but the result was much the same as in the previous three preseason games. Jones was torched by Giants wide receiver Tavarres King on a crossing route that led to a 59-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Since the start of the 2010 season, Brady has thrown 203 touchdown passes and only 51 interceptions, and the Patriots have gone 75-21 in that span. The first drive ended when Dobson appeared to stop short and the short pass over the middle was intercepted by Trevin Wade.
Brady played most of the night with Cameron Fleming as his left tackle, as Nate Solder left the game after the second series and had his legs treated on the sideline. He made one big mistake, and a Patriots offense that was missing Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, and Malcolm Mitchell occasionally made things harder for him by dropping passes and fumbling twice. Bledsoe sat out a few games with an injury and was replaced by Tom Brady many years ago, and Brady has never looked back. However, he did cough the ball up inside the Giants 10-yard line during a promising drive midway through the second quarter.
The coach was also asked about what it will be like not having Brady at quarterback in a real game for the first time since 2008 when he tore his ACL in Week 1 of the regular season.
With the Giants up 10-6 to start the fourth, the Patriots, this time led by Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, threatened to take the lead.
Use this as your open thread for the second half.
In an historic night, Brady was a flawless 32 of 42 for 356 yards and two touchdowns. In 2012, his rookie season, he showed that he belonged in the National Football League by making 50 receptions for 805 yards and five touchdowns.
Advertisement
Rookie receiver Roger Lewis helped his cause with a nice adjustment in the end zone on a 17-yard touchdown catch on a pass thrown by Logan Thomas.
