Brady, Patriots Talk Tebow
FOXBORO (CBS) – Tom Brady will be dodging the Denver Broncos come Sunday, but the Patriots quarterback got a little bit of practice on Wednesday.
During his weekly press conference, Brady was blitzed with questions about Denver quarterback Tim Tebow. But rather than just talk about the opposing play-caller, Brady deferred and talked about the team as a whole.
"I think they have a very good team. I think they've obviously got a bunch of guys that play hard and play well together," said Brady. "I think they complement each other very well – offense, defense, special teams. Honestly, I've been focusing on their defense. I haven't watched a lot of Broncos offense this week. I've seen all their games and they have a lot of good players – D.J. Williams, Champ Bailey – obviously I've played against him a bunch. I really have a lot of respect for a lot of those guys on the defensive side of the ball. That's really our challenge this week. We'll let the defensive guys handle their offense."
Patriots Talk Tim Tebow
Really Tom? Not even a little peak at all the fourth quarter "magic" that Tebow has been bringing to the field on a weekly basis?
"I mean, I appreciate good quarterback play. I'm always watching around the league, whether it's Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees having phenomenal years. Obviously, Tim is having a great year," said Brady. "You watch guys and the way that they perform under pressure and it says a lot about who they are and the way their teammates feel about them. It's a big challenge. It's going to be a very electric environment out there. We've had some really great games against the Broncos over the years. I'm sure this will be no different."
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While Tebow has had his fair share of doubters, mostly questioning his arm strength and accuracy, the Patriots are not part of that group.
"I don't agree with any of that," head coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. "I think his passing is good. It was good in college; he was a very productive passer in college and he's thrown the ball well in this league. Throws it good short, throws it intermediate, can throw it deep. He's got some very good throws, as good as anybody that you want to put in there."
"Be alert, every play," said corner Antwaun Molden, who faced Tebow as a member of the Texans last year. "He can hurt you in the pass; some say he can't pass but from what I've seen on film the guy can pass... He is more accurate than people think."
It helps that he can get it done with his feet too.
"He obviously has the skill set as a quarterback that not many have. His team follows him just like we follow Tom. I think you just have to go out there and play him like we play every other quarterback," said linebacker Rob Ninkovich. "From the first quarter to the fourth quarter, (we'll be) playing the same way and keep him in the pocket. Don't let him beat you with his feet."
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It seems like Tebow saves his best for last, doing everything better in the fourth quarter than the first three.
"It's an important part of the position," Brady said of fourth quarter poise. "You're the one calling the plays. You're obviously the coach in the huddle. It's a responsibility that I think every quarterback takes very seriously – leading your team and representing what your coaches are trying to put across on the field. Obviously he does a very good job of that."
"He's a tough competitor," said Molden. "As you can see their record, they're 7-1 with him, that speaks for itself. They're winning."
Tune in to the Patriots-Broncos game Sunday on WBZ-TV and 98.5 The Sports Hub at 4:15pm. Pregame coverage begins Sunday morning at 11:30am on WBZ-TV with Patriots Gameday; pregame coverage on the Hub begins at 1pm. After the game, tune in to The Postgame Show on 98.5 and Patriots Fifth Quarter on MyTV38.
