Tom Brady Said Something That Should Get Patriots Fans Awfully Excited About The Defense
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady has been around for a while. Currently working in his 20th training camp with the Patriots, there are certain things Brady can quickly learn about his team at this time of year.
And when it comes to that knowledge, the quarterback said something Wednesday that ought to have New England awfully excited about what is to come from the Patriots' defense.
"We've got a very good defense this year. Those guys are challenging us on every day," Brady said after a somewhat disappointing day on the practice field for the Patriots' offense. "It's hard to complete passes on our secondary. I mean, that's just the reality."
Though the Patriots' defense allowed 359.1 yards per game last year (ranking 21st), the team ranked seventh in the NFL last season with 20.3 points allowed per game. In the playoffs, they held the Chiefs four points below their season average before holding the Rams to to nearly 30 points below their season average.
And though losing Trey Flowers will no doubt hurt, it seems as though Brady sees a Patriots defense that can be just as good -- but likely better -- than last year's unit
"It's actually great work for our offense to see how we measure up against a very good defense," Brady said. "Days like today are frustrating for us. We gotta learn from the corrections and try to come out and have a better day tomorrow."
While the offense would surely rather be displaying consistency on the practice field, Brady's commentary seemed to indicate that on most days, the offense won't have this much trouble with the opposing defense.
The results of that challenge should extend across the board. Rookie receiver N'Keal Harry -- who had ups and downs on Wednesday, just like everyone else -- will likely find it easier to do his job whenever he gets the chance to line up against a cornerback who is not as good as Stephon Gilmore. (That would be every other cornerback in the NFL.)
So, while a disappointing day on offense in extreme heat is probably not anybody's idea of a perfect day, Brady seems to have at least found a silver lining.
