While some NFL players, including one in the AFC East, have used this offseason as a time to express their confidence against the post-Tom Brady Patriots, another one of New England’s division rivals seems they’ll stay clear of providing the Patriots with any bulletin board material.
New York’s third-year quarterback, Sam Darnold, told the media Tuesday while Brady leaving “is a big deal,” he and his Jets teammates aren’t going to take the Patriots “any more lightly.”
“With a great player like Tom Brady leaving, (it) is a big deal. It’s headlines,” Darnold said, as transcribed by Newsday’s Bob Glauber.
“For us, every single game in the NFL is a tough one, and I think any player can attest to that,” Darnold added. “So, we’re not going to take anyone more or less lightly just because — even though one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player of all time, left the organization. We’re not going to take them any more lightly.”
It’s probably not a bad idea for Darnold to proceed with caution. He is 0-2 against the Patriots while completing 45 percent of his passes with four interceptions and zero touchdowns.
And after all, it wasn’t Brady who made Darnold see ghosts on Monday Night Football during the 2019 season. That was the job of head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense.
