Archives for September 2019

‘“When you go on the road in the NFL, you’ve got to get used to [playing in hostile environments] because that’s a lot of what that’s about,’’ Brady said. “You go in there with however many guys — 46 active, five or six other guys, your coaches, a few fans in the crowd — but I think it’s always gratifying when you go in there and then by the end of the game you look up and there’s only Patriots fans left. I always think that’s pretty cool.’’’

‘Since McDermott took over in 2017, Buffalo has surrendered only three touchdown passes to Brady and picked him off four times in as many games. In those outings, Brady’s averaged 233 passing yards, while the Patriots have eclipsed 25 points just once. If Julian Edelman is held out of Sunday’s showdown due to the chest injury he suffered last weekend, the talent pool around Brady will dry up considerably.’

‘“The atmosphere is awesome,” McCourty said following practice Wednesday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. “I think as an away team if you like that type of atmosphere where everybody is against you and it’s just you and your guys there for three hours trying to get a win. When you can get a win in that environment it builds great character and bonds a team together. But it is going to be tough and we know how hard it is.”’

‘“I think like most young players the game has slowed down a little bit. Maturity-wise, second year in the system-wise, just in that off-the-field position or angle alone,” McDermott said. “And then on the field, he’s worked on the areas that he needs to work on. He’s worked on his fundamentals, his footwork. So that’s all important.”’

‘“I love the way he plays the game,” he continued. “Plays the game it’s meant to be played in terms of tough, hard, physical — and he’s a receiver. Usually when you use those adjectives to describe a player, it’s rare when it’s a receiver. He does a phenomenal job. He’s earned all the accolades that he’s gotten.”’

‘“Confidence is a hell of a drug, man,” safety Micah Hyde told The Athletic. “When you’re in this league and you have some confidence, you see some guys come out and play outside their realm. I feel like that’s what’s going to happen to him.”’

‘“It’s going to be a great environment for football. They’re going to challenge us. It’s going to be the toughest game we’ve had. We’re going to have to play a great game,” he said. “To go on the road in the NFL is tough. Certainly early in the game after their pregame tailgate, they’re a little fired up. They’re pretty into it. They’re pretty loud.”’

‘“First of all, you got to have explosive plays from broken plays. I need plays like this, Josh Allen,” Robinson said on NFL Network’s “NFL Total Access.” “Get outside the pocket. You know, when the play breaks down, be explosive in the passing game. Also, use your legs. You know some years back when the Wildcat gave Bill Belichick all those issues? Yeah, Josh Allen, he’s the ultimate Wildcat. You know why? Because he can actually throw the football, too.”‘

‘While it lacks star power, Buffalo’s D has to be considered one of the NFL’s very best.’

‘”We don’t care what they’ve done the games before because they haven’t played us yet,” Dawkins said Wednesday after practice, via NYup.com. “Once they play us and if it doesn’t change then that’s when y’all could start talking… You guys have seen Josh (Allen), our coaches, really all of us, we’re just on a different mission. We have something going and I don’t really care who it is (that we play).”‘

‘Brady’s 15 wins in Buffalo since 2001 (when he became the starting quarterback for the Patriots) are the most of any QB over that span.’

‘The Patriots likely will need another excellent performance from Brady in Buffalo if they are going to emerge from Week 4 as the leaders in the AFC East. New England’s run game has struggled through the first three weeks of the season, and with the Bills having one of the league’s top run defenses, much of the burden to score points could fall on Brady.’

‘”He’s like a running back,” Belichick explained. “He breaks tackles, he’s got good speed, good power and he’s shifty and he avoids and breaks a lot of tackles. Yeah, that’s another dimension. A sixth receiver in the passing game, if you will, and gives you another blocker in the running game when they have designed run plays for him.”‘

‘“When you go on the road in the NFL, you have to get used to that. You go in there with 46 active, five or six other guys, your coaches and a few fans in the crowd. I think it’s always gratifying when you go in there and by the end of the game you look up, and there are only Patriots fans left,” he said with a big grin. “I always think that is pretty cool. To go on the road in the NFL is tough, and certainly early in the game, after their pregame tailgate, they’re a little fired up. They’re into it and they’re pretty loud. We have to go out and execute early and start fast, which we’ve actually done a good job at this year. That is really important this week.”’