Tom Brady tossed for 296 yards and four touchdowns Monday, but it was a six-yard scamper that fired up the Patriots quarterback as much as anything.
On the final play of the third quarter, Brady extended New England’s drive by scrambling for six yards on 3rd-and-5. After hopping to his feet, Brady’s excitement was obvious. The veteran emphatically signaled first down, much to the delight of the Gillette Stadium crowd.
“I don’t run too often, so I’ve got to show them that I can still do it a little bit,” Brady said after the 42-14 victory. “I was pretty fired up at that point. That was a big moment in the game. I’m happy we got the first down.”
Brady not only picked up the first down just before the start of the fourth quarter, but the Patriots also scored two plays later when Danny Woodhead fumbled into the arms of Brandon Lloyd. The ensuing extra point increased New England’s lead to 35-7, and the rout was on.
So who exactly was Brady trying to show off his wheels to on the first-down run?
“All the rest of the people out there — the opposing defenses that say I can’t run and won’t move out of the pocket,” Brady told reporters. “At least there’s a little bit of a threat there. Not a big threat — I’m not like RG3 back there or anything, but I can make a first down.”
Surely, no one is mistaking Brady’s “mobility” for Robert Griffin III‘s speed, but whatever gets the job done for TB12.
