TUCSON, Ariz. -- Trent Brown rarely speaks with Patriots reporters. But when he does, he often offers great quotes.
That was the case Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking after practice at the University of Arizona, Brown was asked for his thoughts on New England rookie guard Cole Strange, who's endured an up-and-down first season in the NFL. Strange, a first-rounder, was perhaps the most polarizing pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
"Just his willingness to work, never quitting," Brown said. "And I'm always trying to preach to him about ... moving on to the next play. You're gonna have a long career. Everybody has bad plays. You just gotta move on to the next one."
Brown then was asked a follow-up question on whether it's difficult for rookies to adopt a next-play mentality. His response was pure gold.
"I think, especially for him, he feels like he has a lot of weight on his shoulders," Brown said. "And he's his own biggest critic. So, I just try to tell him next play, have a short memory and everything will be all right. Everybody's gonna fuss, good or bad. The fans are gonna talk s--t, good or bad. F--k 'em."
Now those are some words to live by.
Strange had one of his better games of the season in Monday night's win over the Arizona Cardinals. He and the rest of the Patriots offensive line suffered some breakdowns in pass protection but also buckled down in the second half and were solid in run blocking throughout.
The group made life easier for rookies Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris, who were thrust into larger roles after Rhamondre Stevenson exited due to an ankle injury. Both backs scored the first touchdowns of their respective NFL careers, and Strong racked up 70 rushing yards, including a 44-yarder in the third quarter.
Strange, perhaps with a middle finger to the haters, will look for another strong performance Sunday afternoon when the Patriots visit the Las Vegas Raiders.
