For Tom, thrill isn’t gone
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — There he lay, slammed onto his back by 603 pounds of human force at an age when most need glasses just to read about football.
So why does Tom Brady, 41, keep risking seeing stars on every play when he can do that by just looking at his wife or into a mirror? Why does a man who has nothing left to prove choose to continue taking brutal hits once a week?
Because at the other end of the play, the pass lofted to the goal line by Brady was caught by tight end Rob Gronkowski, who survived contact as well to score a 34yard touchdown that started the Patriots on their way to a 27-13 victory against the feeble Jets in front of 77,982 at Met Life Stadium.
It’s obvious the thrill of that moment never gets old for Brady, still performing at an elite level after all these years, still keeping the Patriots in contention for another ring.
“I didn’t really see the end of the play,” Brady said of the play late in the first quarter that tied the score, 7-7. “I heard the cheer, and I wasn’t sure if they intercepted it or if we made the play. I was so happy Gronk made it. It was a great play for him and a great play for us . ... Gronk’s probably the only tight end in the league who will make that play.”
Brady did just as capable a job of sharing the ball as he did the credit in a rare game when he had his full complement of weapons from which to choose. On that drive alone, Brady took advantage of strong protection to hit Josh Gordon for a 23-yard gain and Chris Hogan for 20 yards before the scoring strike to Gronkowski.
Concerns about Brady’s accuracy that surfaced in the weeks leading into bye week went back into hiding. There was nothing wrong with him that a full-strength offense couldn’t solve, despite nagging health concerns of his own. Brady’s practice participation was limited by a knee concern, and he missed Friday’s practice because of an illness. During the game, the training staff was seen working on a cut on the base of his right thumb and on what appeared to be a bruised right knee.
“It’s fine, it’s just a little scrape,” he said of the thumb, and added of the illness: “I’m feeling better today.”
Winning cures all, especially in the wake of a 34-10 loss at Tennessee heading into bye week.
Sunday marked just the fourth game this season that Brady had both of his favorite targets, Gronkowski and Julian Edelman (four catches, 81 yards, one touchdown) in the lineup the same week. To the chagrin of the rest of the league, the Pats are 4-0 in those games, two on the road, and average 33.3 points in them. With both in the lineup, Brady has completed 69 percent of his passes for an average of 322 yards per game and 8.3 yards per attempt. With one missing, he has completed 62.8 percent for 249 yards per game and 7.0 yards per attempt.
Not that Brady zeroed in on his most trusted targets Sunday. Gordon had one more reception (five) in five targets than he had in 12 targets against the Titans, and Hogan had two catches for 47 yards. Eight different Pats caught a pass.
Brady completed 20-of-31 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns, and for the fourth consecutive game didn’t throw an interception.
In the process, he broke another record, this one for most passing yards, regular season and playoffs combined. He has 79,280 yards, nudging Peyton Manning into second (79,279), ahead of Drew Brees (77,789) and Brett Favre (77,693).
Brady’s predictable reaction: Ho-hum. After all, they don’t hand out rings for records.