Hernandez 'Felt Pretty Good' In Return With Knee Brace
BOSTON (CBS) – Patriots quarterback Tom Brady got one of his favorite targets back in Aaron Hernandez on Sunday, but the tight end looked a bit rusty after missing two weeks with a knee injury.
For Hernandez, he said it did not take long for him to get back into the swing of things.
"I felt pretty good out there, felt like the knee wasn't hurting and I'm ready for next week," he said after New England's 31-20 win over the Jets. "As soon as you catch that first ball or make that first block, if I made that block, you get kind of comfortable and get into the game."
"Aaron has really worked hard the last couple of weeks to get back out there," said head coach Bill Belichick. "He's in here early, he stays late; he's leaving when the coaches are leaving. He's getting a lot of extra treatment. He was able to come out and practice later on in the week and handle a little more each day and kept getting better, so we felt confident going into the game – and he felt confident going into the game."
Hernandez On Return, Knee Brace
"Aaron is such a great player, anytime you can get more weapons out there on the field and more places that we can go with the ball, it's always going to help us out. It's always great to get those weapons out there," receiver Wes Welker said after the game, benefiting from Hernandez' return.
Hernandez sported a knee brace on his left knee, something he said will take some getting used to. Once the game began, he did not think it played too much of a factor in his game.
"It maybe slowed me down a little bit, but you don't really think about it when you're out there. I thought I felt pretty good," he said.
Read: Pats-Jets Highs and Lows
Other Patriots have had to get used to a knee brace in the past, Brady and Welker being the most famous cases. Welker offered some words of wisdom to the second-year tight end when it came to getting used to the new piece of equipment.
"Wes told me it's going to feel a little weird, but when you're in the moment at a game with all them fans out there, national TV, you kind of forget about the brace," said Hernandez.
Hernandez was targeted a team-high nine times by Brady, hauling in five catches for 56 yards.
His biggest play came on a catch he did not make though.
With the Patriots threatening to score right before the half, Brady went Hernandez' way towards the end zone. Hernandez got two hands on the ball, but couldn't make the catch. Instead, it landed in the hands of Jets corner Antonio Cromartie for the interceptions, Brady's first red zone INT at home of his career.
Stats: Pats-Jets Box Score
"I sat down between the two defenders. That's just me. Big time players have to make big time plays," Hernandez said of the play.
As for any messages from Brady about the play, Hernandez said it was all positive.
"He said, 'Don't worry about it, let it go.' But obviously as a player, when you love the game, it hurts you," the tight end said. "It will still bother me until this night is over. But like I said, you've just got to turn your game around and bring it back next week."
Although the bobble could have been costly in the end, the Patriots are happy to have their speedy tight end back on the field, confident the rust will be knocked off very soon.
"He got behind the defense a couple times, so he obviously got his speed back," said Belichick. "I thought he had a good couples days of practice at the end of the week and was able to carry it over into the game. He's a tough guy to match up against. He's a good player."
