Matt Judon Got Tired Of Being Asked Tom Brady Questions: 'It's Not Like We're Afraid Of What Tom Brady Can Do'
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady, Tom Brady, Tom Brady, Tom Brady. That's all anyone's talking about this week -- understandably so! Tom Brady's return to Foxboro as a visitor -- and as the reigning Super Bowl MVP -- is a big deal.
Patriots linebacker Matt Judon understand that much. But the veteran pass rusher could only take so many questions about the former Patriots quarterback before declaring that the Brady topic was over for him.
"Bro," Judon said after a long pause and a quick laugh. "Uhh ... he's the next quarterback we gotta play. They also got two other quarterbacks on the roster. I know he was in this building for a long time, and what he's done can never be taken away from the game of football and what he did."
Judon added: "But it's not like ... it's not like we're afraid of what Tom Brady can do. We have to stop their whole offense. We gotta stop RoJo [Ronald Jones], we gotta stop Leonard Fournette, we gotta stop Mike Evans, we gotta stop Gronk, O.J. [Howard], [Cameron] Brate, whoever they have at tight end. We gotta defeat all the blockers up front and then we also have to play complementary football on offense and special teams. So, you know, Tom Brady is a great quarterback, and nobody can take away what he did. But that's not, I mean, we're not here to talk about that right now. We have to play the game, and we have to stop him from winning the football game."
In his first year with the Patriots after five years with the Ravens, Judon's obviously familiar with Brady. He played against the quarterback twice before, winning once and losing the other. Still, it was this sequence of questions that led him to that saturation point:
You've played against Tom Brady before. What's the experience like when you're going up against an offense with him as the quarterback?
What's the key to actually getting to Brady?
What do you think the emotions will be like, with the return of Brady and Rob Gronkowski on Sunday Night Football?
Do you think it'll be an advantage for you, considering you're used to going up against Tom Brady-led offenses?
You played against Tom, but your teammates played against him in practice for years. So what are those conversations like with Dont'a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy going into this week?
When you hear the name Tom Brady, what are some words you think of?
It was that last question that sent him down the road of being exhausted by the questions.
And after that soliloquy, Judon was asked if there's too much Tom Brady admiration going on in New England this week.
"Bro, I don't know, man," Judon said with a laugh. "I always just play against the guy. It's always been one week for me. Like I said, y'all been here, y'all have spoken to the guy and y'all gave him his flowers and everything he's done for the game in this city and this organization. But since I've been in the league, it's only been one week for me. It's only been, 'All right, we have to play the New England Patriots, and this is what Brady does well and this is how we have to defend him.' And so this week, it's the same. It's the same. I'm just in a different uniform, he's in a different uniform."
