Are you a New England Patriots fan who had no idea who Eric Lee was before he landed in Foxboro last month? You’re not alone.
According to NFL player-turned-CBS broadcaster Tony Romo, even quarterback Tom Brady didn’t hear Lee’s name for the first time until late in the 23-year-old defensive end’s Patriots debut against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12.
“Tom even goes through that as a quarterback for the team,” Romo said during the Patriots’ 23-3 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. “He looks up last week against Miami — him and (wide receiver) Danny Amendola are sitting on the bench — and he looks at the monitor and says, ‘Oh, good job by … Eric Lee? Who is that? Wait, he’s on our team?’ He looks at Amendola and says, ‘Who is Eric Lee?’ ”
“They both had no idea,” Jim Nantz, Romo’s broadcast partner, said.
“He knows who he is now,” Romo added.
He sure does.
After recording a sack and four tackles against the Dolphins in his Patriots (and NFL) debut, Lee put forth a stellar performance against his former team. Playing an increased role with starter Trey Flowers out due to injury, he tallied four tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, three quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups and one interception as New England breezed past Buffalo.
Lee’s breakout had to be especially stunning for Bills fans, as he had spent most of this season on Buffalo’s practice squad before the Patriots signed him on Nov. 21.
