FOXBORO, Mass. — For the past three weeks, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has fallen into a new routine, practicing just twice a week because of an Achilles injury.
Brady missed practice Wednesday and Thursday this week before getting back on the field for Friday and Saturday. Brady was absent for practice Wednesday and participated Thursday and Friday prior to the Patriots’ Week 12 and Week 13 wins.
So, what is he doing?
“I’m here just getting treatment and watching a lot of film and trying to get physically as best I possibly can,” Brady said Saturday. “When the team is out there doing their thing then I’m in here watching film and getting treatment and getting ready to go myself. Nothing special.”
And who makes the decision for Brady to miss those sessions?
“I think me, and I talk to Coach and talk to Josh and just determine how I’m feeling,” Brady said. “I think they do pretty good without me actually out there. I’m like, ‘Man, I look good.’
“It’s just time for a little extra treatment. That’s really all it is. I could certainly go out there but you have just a couple of nicks and we take it week to week. You’d love to be out there physically every week feeling as best you can. Sometimes you’ve got to pay a little bit more attention to something so that you can be at the best you can be on game day.
“Just taking it week to week on that and not predetermine anything. We’re just trying to be smart. I know we’ve got four games left and they’re all important and you’ve got to be at your best for those days.”
The time off and injury haven’t affected Brady much, but his statistics have fallen off a bit. He had a 110.9 passer rating, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 3,146 yards with 22 touchdowns and one interception through the first 11 weeks of the season. He has a 101.6 passer rating, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 485 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions over the past two games.
Brady was being sacked almost three times per game in his first 10 games. He’s been sacked just three times over the last two contests.
