TOM BRADY: Not bothered by the precautionary knee brace he now wears. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Last season, in the Patriots’ season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Brady suffered a torn MCL and ACL in his left knee early in the game and was lost for the season.
Matt Cassel filled in admirably in Brady’s absence, leading New England to a credible 11–5 record, but the team still missed the postseason.
Cassel was dealt to the Kansas Chiefs during the off-season meaning that the Patriots’ brass is pinning their hopes once again on No. 12.
Two seasons ago, Brady and his New England Patriots made history going 16–0 in the regular season. Brady did his part completing 398 of 578 passes for 4,806 yards with 50 TD passes, and only eight interceptions.
The Pats would eventually lose the perfect season in Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants but were picked by many to make another trip to the Super Bowl at the outset of last season. But that hit a snag with the injury to Brady.
Brady’s road to recovery has been a long one, rife with many reports of setbacks, more surgeries, infections, and even a false report about the end of his career.
Still, the Michigan Wolverine alumnus has looked good at practice and has been a full participant at training camp, taking all the snaps.
In New England’s first exhibition game on Aug. 13, Brady went 10–15 for 100 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT in a 27–25 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
At the post game press conference, Brady said that he felt fine physically and didn’t feel any effects, not even from a brace on his repaired knee.
“You put [the brace] on and after that you don’t notice it,” he said.
“It’s just precautionary at this point. I don’t think about it much.”
Brady saw limited action and went 4–8 for 57 yards in the team’s second preseason game, a 7–6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Thursday. While his numbers weren’t stellar he did take a hit from Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers and got up with no problem. In fact, Brady was a little relieved to get hit in the game.
“Before the game, you always have this anxiousness, nervousness about the game. Then, once you take a hit, usually, it goes away . . . part of playing quarterback is taking those hits and getting up,” Brady said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Lots of Help
Coming back after major knee surgery can be hard and even if Brady doesn’t fully return to his pre-injury form, the ingredients are still there for a very good season.
Randy Moss, who caught a career-high 23 TDs with Brady as QB in 2007, still managed 1,008 receiving yards and 11 TDs last season. He is one of the premier deep threats in the league and will help Brady put up good numbers again.
Fellow wide-out Wes Welker caught 111 balls last year and provides Brady with a good possession receiver.
The team also bolstered the ground game in the off-season, adding former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor to a backfield which already had Laurence Maroney. The running game can be a QB’s best friend and the Taylor addition enables New England to grind it out, if that’s what it takes.
The offensive line also features many of the same hogs as the 2007 team, including C Dan Koppen, LT Matt Light, and LG Logan Mankins. So Brady will be lining up behind a familiar O-line, particularly on his blindside.
With two more games to work off the rust and many of the same weapons as on that famed 2007 team, Brady seems intent on putting the injury behind him.
“Moving forward, you’ve just got to try to work as hard as you can to get back to your normal self and I really feel like I am,” Brady said.
