The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos look like they’re on a collision course in the AFC.
It comes as no surprise to Broncos general manager John Elway, who has noticed something different about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady since the offseason’s Deflategate drama.
“The last thing you want to do is poke the bear,” Elway said, according to Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column. “The bear got poked, and this is what happened.”
Brady has been masterful through New England’s first five games this season, racking up 1,699 passing yards and 14 touchdowns with only one interception. Even the lone pick wasn’t Brady’s fault — it was the product of wide receiver Julian Edelman bobbling a pass Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts — and one could argue the 10-time Pro Bowl QB is playing the best football of his illustrious career.
Of course, Deflategate always will hang over Brady’s legacy despite his four-game suspension related to the under-inflated football scandal being vacated last month in federal court. Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback, doesn’t view the whole thing as a big deal, though.
According to King’s article published Monday, Elway even went to his equipment staff after Deflategate broke and had footballs inflated to 13 PSI, 12 PSI and 11 PSI so he could feel them and test them himself.
“I mean, it’s not that big a difference,” Elway told King. “It’s hard to tell the difference. Not a big enough difference to have the attention on this that it’s gotten.
“What I come down to is, does it really matter? Some guys like the ball a little softer. And if a guy likes a harder ball, that’s fine too. We want the quarterbacks to be as successful as they can be, and we want them to give the fans the best entertainment they can. Who cares if a quarterback likes it at 10 1/2 (PSI)? If that makes him play better, fine.”
The Patriots (5-0) and Broncos (6-0) both remain undefeated. Denver squeaked by the Cleveland Browns in overtime Sunday afternoon, while New England defeated Indianapolis — the team that tipped off the NFL about Deflategate — in a nationally televised revenge game later that night.
It doesn’t sound like Elway is ready to give Brady any more motivation. The Pats and Broncos will square off Nov. 29 in Denver, and that might only be a precursor to an even bigger matchup down the road.
Thumbnail photo via Thomas J. Russo/USA TODAY Sports Images
