It’s not often Tom Brady rips New England Patriots coaches, offensive or defensive players. The All-Pro quarterback is normally as cool as a cucumber. But the past two seasons have been a bit of a roller coaster, and it appears Brady’s starting to crack.
The quarterback took to the airwaves on Boston sports radio station WEEI 93.7FM following the Patriots’ Monday Night Football demolition by the Kansas City Chiefs this week. Normally Brady uses his weekly interview on the station to pontificate about his team’s performance.
This week he just plain cut loose.
“I don’t think we’ve played well for a long time,” he told the show’s hosts. “There is no magic play, there’s no magic scheme. It is us as players playing better — a lot better than we’re playing.”
Brady went on to tell the radio station that the Patriots Monday Night Football game was just the latest in a string of disappointments this season.
“I was obviously disappointed that the outcome of the [Monday Night] game was what it was,” he said on air. “It’s been very frustrating all season the way that we have performed offensively. But we are trying to figure it out to become a better offense.”
And that’s where Brady’s rant ended.
Brady is a consummate professional, hair and all, and everyone’s entitled to blow off some steam from time to time. The fact that it came from the New England Patriots quarterback was perhaps more surprising than the fact that it was said aloud. And after that little episode, Brady went on to say things will improve.
In fact, they have to.
After dropping their MNF game to the Chiefs 14-41, New England now has a 2-2 record. Although that’s the same record as two other teams in the AFC East, the Pats are near the statistical bottom of every offensive category. New England ranks 20th in points per game, 29th in yards per game, 30th in passing yards and 23rd in rushing yards.
Things are much better on defense, where the Patriots have the top-rated pass defense and rank fourth in yards allowed. But things need to improve on offense — and quickly — if New England hopes to turn things around in their Week 5 Sunday Night Football game against the Bengals.