To the rich go the spoils, but depending on who you ask, that’s not always the case in the NFL.
Given the New England Patriots’ stature, their regular-season schedule often is littered with primetime contests. That certainly was the case this season, as four of the Patriots’ first 10 games of the campaign were nightcaps.
There obviously are perks to tilts of this variety, chief among them being the opportunity to show your skills in the national spotlight. Tom Brady can do without the glitz and glamour, however, as the Patriots quarterback much prefers afternoon matchups.
“One o’clock games, 4 o’clock home games, those are the ones you love to see on your schedule a lot,” Brady said in a recent sit-down interview with Scott Zolak, as transcribed by WEEI. “When you play the night games, even at home, it is 2 a.m. before I am getting to bed. If we’re on the road it is 4 a.m. I think the point is the night of the game, it is nice to get a good night’s sleep and you feel Monday is a productive day. A lot of these days, Monday, you’re slogging through the day. You’re pretty tired. You’re worn out.”
Luckily for the Brady, the Patriots have no primetime showdowns on their remaining regular-season schedule. In fact, four of New England’s final six games kick off at 1 p.m. ET, with 4:25 p.m. ET starts against the Minnesota Vikings (Week 13) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 15) being the two exceptions.
Given Brady’s extensive health regimen, it comes as no surprise the veteran signal-caller puts heavy value in getting a good night’s sleep. But we have a feeling the 41-year-old will live if the Patriots are tabbed with a late-evening postseason contest.
