Tom Brady on his block against the Bills: ‘I was like a speed bump’
Brady left the relative safety behind his offensive line to keep two scoring drives alive.
Tom Brady laid his 41-year-old body on the line in the first half for the Patriots against the Buffalo Bills. The quarterback, best known for carving defenses apart from inside the pocket, left the relative safety behind his offensive line to keep two scoring drives alive.
Early in the first quarter, New England faced 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 35-yard line. Brady tossed the football to Julian Edelman, then “blocked” Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander.
“I was like a speed bump,” Brady told reporters after the Patriots’ 25-6 victory. “I wouldn’t say that was necessarily a block. I just tried to get in Lorenzo Alexander’s way, but he’s a big, strong guy I’ll tell you that.”
Brady managed to stay in the way long enough for Edelman to motor for six yards and a first down. When a reporter asked if the New England coaches told the quarterback to avoid those collisions next time, Brady shot down the question.
“It’s my assignment, actually,” he said. “It was just good to get Julian around there. I think that was a third down play, too. Anything you got to do to gain yards, get third down conversions, and win the game — that’s what is most important.”
Eight plays after Brady’s block, Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 25-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead.
Tom Brady out here throwing BLOCKS 🙅♂️ https://t.co/epsrDlxObv
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) October 30, 2018
Gostkowski doubled that lead on the next New England possession after an 11 play, 58-yard drive. The drive nearly stalled deep in Patriots territory, but the quarterback again surprised the Bills defense with a play from the bottom of his bag of tricks.
On 3rd and 7 at the New England 23-yard line, Brady dropped back to pass and saw no one open downfield. He stepped up in the pocket as the Buffalo pressure arrived, then tucked the ball under his arm and took off.
“It’s a hard thing for me to do,” Brady said. “Instinctually, I just don’t make that fast decision to go, but when I do I can make a couple yard gain.”
Instead of sliding short of the first down marker, Brady absorbed a hit for an 8-yard gain to move the chains. Nine plays later, Gostkowski split the uprights on a 40-yard field goal to finish the drive with three points.
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1057073849706065920
