Brandon Meriweather wasn’t a superstar, but most NFL fans know who he is. The former New England Patriots safety gained a reputation over his nine-year career for being one of the dirtiest players in the game with his vicious hits and violent style of play.
Thus, it came as no surprise when the two-time Pro-Bowl selection said he would have “destroyed” Tom Brady if the two crossed paths in the open field.
In his weekly interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Rich” on Wednesday, Meriweather was asked how he would have approached a situation in which Brady was running outside the pocket, much like the scenario last Sunday against the New York Jets when the Patriots quarterback found himself being the lead blocker for running back LeGarrette Blount.
“Unless I was the only one there to make the tackle, then I would have shoo-shooed (Brady) to make the tackle. But as long as I knew there was someone else around to make the tackle, I would have destroyed Tom,” Meriweather said.
Meriweather also is a firm believer that Brady gets preferential treatment from the league, which in turn affects an opposing defender’s style of play.
“If you hit Tom too hard, you’re going to get fined. He’s Mr. NFL,” Meriweather said. “Anytime you have someone like Tom or Peyton (Manning), someone of that caliber, you try not to hit them.”
Violent play certainly will be a topic of conversation around New England this week, in particular, as the team is set to face off against the Los Angeles Rams, whose defensive coordinator is Gregg Williams. Williams was one of the central figures of the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal, in which he was suspended indefinitely and was banned from applying for reinstatement until after the 2012 season.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
