Brady left off roster for upcoming Pro Bowl
Patriots QB now has something to prove entering playoffs
Maybe it’s nothing. No big deal. Water off a Duck Hodges’ back.
And maybe it will wind up being the turning point of the New England Patriots’ season, if an 11-3 first-place team actually needs such a thing.
When the NFL Pro Bowl rosters were revealed Tuesday, Tom Brady’s name was absent from the AFC team.
It was the first time the Patriots’ 42-year old quarterback hadn’t been selected to the Pro Bowl since 2008.
Was Brady distraught over the omission? We don’t really know. He hasn’t played in the Pro Bowl since 2005, either because he’s been busy preparing for the Super Bowl or he decided to skip it.
At the same time, this would have been Brady’s 15th Pro Bowl selection, breaking the record of 14 he shares with Peyton Manning, Tony Gonzalez, Bruce Matthews and Merlin Olsen.
That probably would have been special for him.
But other Super Bowl contenders probably should be concerned about what the snub will do to the ultracompetitive Brady. The Patriots have lost two of their last three and three of their last six. They have the No. 1-rated defence in the NFL. The problem is on offence, where Brady has thrown for less than 200 yards in three of the last four games.
Brady, who is rated ninth among NFL quarterbacks in passing yards, was passed over by Pro Bowl selectors in favour of Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
For all of them, it’s safe to assume winning the Super Bowl would be more important.
And Brady having something to prove now just might give the Patriots the bump they need.
ON SECOND THOUGHT: Odell Beckham Jr. turned stories that he wants to be moved by the Cleveland Browns into a joke on Wednesday. He even dragged the CFL into it. “I’ve been talking to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts, you know, a couple of Canadian league teams that I’m also trying to get traded to,” Beckham told reporters. So, when Beckham reportedly told opposition players and coaches to “come get me” earlier this season, maybe he was challenging them to track him down on the field. You know, a “catch me if you can” type of thing. Or maybe he’s had a sudden change of heart. Either way, the Browns uber-talented and controversial receiver doesn’t want to be traded. Or so he’s saying now. “I’m not going anywhere,” said Beckham. … It’s certainly no given that Emmitt Smith’s son E.J. — who committed to Stanford on the first day of the early signing period Wednesday — is going to become an elite running back. Even with the Hall of Fame pedigree. Even though the five-foot-11, 195-pounder is the No. 96 recruit on the ESPN 300. Jarrett Payton, son of Bears legend Walter Payton, was the MVP of the 2004 Orange Bowl, but his NFL career consisted of just 13 games as the No. 3 running back for the Tennessee Titans. He also had one good season with the Montreal Alouettes and a brief stint with the Toronto Argos.
THIRD AND GOAL: Paging Dr. Elliott, Dr. Ezekiel Elliott to the podium please. The gifted Cowboys running back told reporters on Wednesday his teammate, quarterback Dak Prescott, suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder in last weekend’s win over the Rams. While coach Jason Garrett said Prescott had an MRI after the game, he added “everything seems to be OK.” Said Garrett: “He just banged it up and it’s hard for him to function right now.” Oh, is that all? Prescott was a limited participant in practice and, as far as anyone knows, did not throw a pass. First place in the NFC Least will be on the line when the Cowboys visit the Eagles Sunday. EXTRA POINTS: Quarterback Daniel Jones is expected to return from injury to start Sunday’s game, which means Eli Manning may have taken his last snap for the New York Giants.