FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots players have been asked about new cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner so frequently this summer that the word “revisandbrowner” might as well be added to the team’s lexicon.
Tom Brady was grilled on the star cornerbacks on Thursday after the Patriots starting quarterback threw a pick-six to Revis in practice. Brady is quickly realizing that he has less room for error in practice this summer.
“They’re both great players, so when you make a mistake, they make you pay, and I think that’s the mark of a really good corner,” Brady said Thursday at Gillette Stadium after training camp. “As a quarterback, you’re always trying to find the weak link in the defense, and neither of those guys are weak links. Sometimes, we’ve got to go after them, (and) we’ve got to try to see if we can make a play. But like I said, if you miss a little bit, they end making the play. It’s great work for us, and you understand what you’re up against.”
Brady can kiss goodbye to the days when practice was easy, and he could pick on the likes of Darius Butler and Antwaun Molden. Brady faces a challenge every time he drops back from center in practice, and it can only help him improve as he gets ready to face less talented cornerbacks during the 2013 season. Brady was picked off by Revis in practice on Thursday on an attempt to wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins.
The days of training camp run into each other, but the Patriots are able to keep the practice sessions fresh with some friendly (and sometimes not so friendly) competition between the offense and defense. Brady is turning 37 on Sunday, but he still has the exuberance of a rookie in training camp. The QB believes that giving anything less would be a disservice to the rest of the Patriots.
“I think I owe it to my teammates to bring the enthusiasm and energy every day,” Brady said. “There are no days off for the quarterback. I think we try to set a great example, and I learned that from the guys that I’ve played with my whole career, whether it was at Michigan, or whether it was Drew Bledsoe or Damon Huard — all the guys I’ve taken something from. I’ve been lucky to do something I really love to do. I’d love to keep doing it, so that’s a great motivation for me to come out. Where else would I rather be? This is a lot better than any cubicle I could probably think of. It’s a pretty good office.”
Brady has been solid at training camp despite facing one of the league’s best secondaries. He was 4-for-4 in 7-on-7 drills on Thursday and 7-for-13 in 11-on-11s.
