Steve Balestrieri
January 27, 2019 at 5:00 am ET
Good morning, here is your Sunday Patriots news 01-27.
Some Quick Hitters this morning: *No AFC East notes this week*
Jerry Rice is Impressed With Julian Edelman: Jerry Rice has never been shy about voicing his opinions on a variety of subjects. So it was no surprise that he was approached about Julian Edelman now being the #2 in career playoff receptions behind only Rice himself. His response, however, may not be what you’d expect.
“He’s got that attitude. That ‘f— you’ attitude: ‘I’m going to do what I want to do, and I’m going to go out and I’m going to ball. I’m going to make catches. I’m going to score touchdowns. I’m going to do whatever I have to do to help my team win.’ You can only have an appreciation for that.”
Rice was then asked if Edelman in the future would pass Rice in career playoff receptions, how would he (Rice) react to it, Rice responded in a similar vein.
“He’s coming after me. If that should happen, I would be the first one to congratulate [Julian Edelman] because of what he does on the football field. I think he’s making his own mark. He’s made a name for himself. Here’s a guy that was a quarterback then transitioned into a receiver, and he has done a fantastic job.”
Adams’ Actions Speak Volumes About the Difference Between NE and the Jets: The Pro Bowl is mostly a yawnfest between the skills competition and the lack of intensity in what passes as a game, it is a weekend I always take a pass on. We’ve seen better-spirited practices at Gillette during training camp.
But Jamal Adams’s actions of flattening the Patriots mascot were noteworthy for a couple of reasons. Beside the fact that it was stupid, immature, and dangerous to a guy unprepared for it and wearing a mask, and it was from behind to boot, Adams rode him into the ground, driving him into the turf.
And if the back-handed apology that he didn’t mean to hurt him and “I didn’t hit him that hard” reasoning wasn’t bad enough, his interview after the fact with Dianna Russini was the kicker. Asked if he regretted it, he screamed into the microphone, “Nooooooooo!”
These are the tidbits that reveal some players’ character or in this case, the lack of it. Future free agency opportunities loom for very talented players, such as Adams. But this won’t win him any high marks from anyone. Welcome to NY Adam Gase.
Brady’s Career Pre-ACL Injury and Post-Injury Are Both Hall Worthy: Tom Brady has had a remarkable career by any measuring stick, next Sunday will mark his ninth Super Bowl appearance which is more than any team.
But if you were to divide Brady’s career from pre-ACL injury in 2008 to post-ACL injury from 2009 onward, each would be a Hall of Fame worthy segment on their own. Which makes what is transpiring all the more impressive. After one hot take artist, who should be enroute with bag and baggage to Tijuana proclaimed in 2012 that Brady would never get to another Super Bowl, next Sunday will his third in a row and his fourth in five years.
Laser-Focused? NFL Isn’t: The NFL said it was “looking into the report” that a laser was pointed at Tom Brady’s face during the AFC Championship Game. Several times during the game a green light was shined on Brady’s face and shoulders from the stands. The light was visible on the television broadcast. Brady wasn’t asked about it in the post-game interviews nor was much made of it on television.
The NFL, however, leaped into action with all the alacrity of a tortoise marathon. The official response was that the league would “look into the report”. Well, I feel better. What didn’t happen was Mike Kensel running down to the Chiefs’ coaches yelling, “we gotcha!” What also didn’t happen was Ted Wells was being tasked with doing a witch hunt involving a team of junk science dweebs that would tell us that the lights were actually a natural phenomenon.
Robert Kraft took the high road and when asked about it, stated that Tom Brady was “laser-focused” and it didn’t have any effect on the game. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that this incident didn’t happen in Foxboro to Patrick Mahomes. Because it would have been the lead-in story of the “network” as well as the major television outlets all week. Complete with weepy ex-quarterbacks and all of the above-mentioned responses taking place.
Did you Know? From Inside Edge: Tom Brady threw for 250+ yards in 24 games since the 2017 season — tied for most of the Qualified QBs in NFL (File under cliff diving #1)
Did you Know Pt. 2: From Inside Edge- Tom Brady (NE) has averaged 9.5 Yards per Attempt (1,065 yards/112 attempts) in the 4th quarter this season — best of 28 Qualified QBs in NFL; League Avg: 7.3 (File under cliff diving #2)
Did you Know Pt. 3: From Inside Edge- Patriots RBs have averaged 24.3 carries per game (389 carries / 16 games) this season — 2nd highest in NFL; League Avg: 21.4
Patriots RBs have averaged 7.6 receptions per game (121/16) this season — best in NFL; League Avg: 5.4
The Myth of the AFC “Least” Not to be Confused with “System QB”:
You’ve all heard it. Heck, some of you probably have said it yourselves, because you’ve heard so many times that you may actually believe it…. You know, the only loser’s lament that, “the only reason the Patriots are in the Super Bowl is that they’re guaranteed a bye because the AFC East sucks.”
It has been repeated so often it rivals the other myth that #12 is a “System QB” or even that blasphemy that “the Patriots filmed the Rams walkthru before SB XXXVI”, thanks JT…for nothing.
Field Yates from ESPN posted this bit of information yesterday:
So, besides playing a first-place schedule every year where they face the division winners from every division the year before, they dominate that field as well while not another team is over .500. But please, sing us another one…
“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” – Vladimir Lenin
Edelman Comes Full-Circle in “Emotionally, Physically, Exhausting” Year:
After the Patriots win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, Julian Edelman was riding high. But life as he knew it changed quickly soon after. He became a dad for the first time, he then tore his ACL in the preseason against the Lions and missed all of the 2017 season where the Patriots wound up in the Super Bowl and lost, to the Eagles. Then he was suspended for the first four games of this season while in the process of coming back.
Now, after two big playoff games, he’s back in the Super Bowl, this time against the Rams with the chance to cement the team’s and his own legacy with another SB win. But, he knows it has been a long, hard road since that night in Houston two years ago.
“This is what you play the game for and it’s been a crazy year for me, two years. I have a kid, tear your ACL, you miss four games. It’s been a mentally, physically, emotionally exhausting year,” he told WEEI.
“You put all that effort into overcoming that for this game. It’s been a heck of a year to get to go out and play with your teammates and see how this thing’s evolved out. It’s always a great thing getting to play in the last game of the year.”
Edelman, despite what many are calling a declining year, had very good numbers in 12 regular-season games, he finished with 74 catches for 850 yards and six TDs. In two postseason games thus far, he has added 16 catches for 247 yards.
Brady, Patriots Not Interested in Pro Bowl Honors:
With the bye week before the Super Bowl, many media members will be making the rounds to players who have some insight on the current players getting ready to play in the biggest game of the year.
Sports Illustrated reached out to former Patriots and Bills linebacker Brandon Spikes about some insight into playing with Tom Brady. Spikes didn’t disappoint and told a great story about where the priorities lie in Foxboro. Spikes told his tale to SI as follows:
“I had one of my best years my third season,” Spikes said. “I’d been playing off the charts. And I didn’t get picked to go to the Pro Bowl. I was moping around, actually in tears, and a few guys were trying to lift me up, like, ‘It’s gonna be alright man. We’ve got to worry about what’s in front of us.’
Then The Pharaoh himself walks up to me — I used to call Brady The Pharaoh and he hated that — Brady walks up to me and says, ‘Hey B, you think I play this s*** to go to Pro Bowls? Get it together. Get your head up. We’re trying to win rings. That’s what it is here.’ That’s where I knew what kind of environment I was in, how blessed I was.”
And by the way, Brady was selected to his 14th Pro Bowl this season. But he won’t be going, he and Patriots are preparing to play for ring #6.
Super Bowl Prediction- Next Week:
Final Regular Season 165-89-2
Wildcard Weekend: 0-4
Divisional Weekend: 4-0
Conference Championship Weekend 1-1
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