Nickell Robey-Coleman Tries To Backtrack Out Of Freddie Mitchell Territory
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
ATLANTA (CBS) -- Whether he wanted to or not, Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman may have thrust himself into a land where few have dared to step.
The man may have entered Freddie Mitchell territory.
Now, it's perhaps too early to fully hand that dubious distinction to Robey-Coleman. But after the 27-year-old made waves by telling Bleacher Report that age has "taken a toll" on Tom Brady, you can bet he was the center of attention at Opening Night on Monday in Atlanta.
And once the microphones got in front of his face, Robey-Coleman was quick to step back his comments on the 41-year-old Patriots quarterback.
"They asked me how Tom Brady is from then to now, the only thing I said was his age. I said nothing about that he's too old. I never said that he can't do anything," Robey-Coleman told the NFL Network. "Only thing I said is his age is the only thing that's changed, from now to here. And I feel like his skills and his arm is still strong. He's still the GOAT, he's still a legend."
Robey-Coleman actually managed to take backtracking to another level by completely turning the tables on the world.
"I could never talk about somebody that … that's like a sensei of football. You can't talk about a sensei of football," Robey-Coleman said in a video posted by NESN's Zack Cox. "It's a respect level. And at this point, I feel like a little disrespected that people think that I would disrespect Tom Brady. I've got nothing but respect. I'm a class act."
That ... that is one masterful mind trick.
Whether it actually works, remains to be seen. But for the sake of clarity, here are all the things Robey-Coleman said about Brady in the Bleacher Report article.
"We [the defense] have to stay connected. And [Brady] will slowly start to reveal himself."
"Yes. Yes. Age has definitely taken a toll. For him to still be doing it, that's a great compliment for him. But I think that he's definitely not the same quarterback he was. Movement. Speed. Velocity. Arm strength. He still can sling it, but he's not slinging it as much. Whatever he was doing -- because of his age and all that -- he's not doing as much of that anymore. He's still doing the same things; he's just not doing as much of it. And sometimes, it's not the sharpest. But it still gets done."
"I've got Buffalo blood running through my veins, so you know I hate these guys. I naturally hate them. I never liked New England."
"S--t like that. Little s--t to look down upon a team. Little ass---- stuff like that. That's what makes you not like New England."
"Stick a dagger in them. They're not a team that you want to play around with. Stick the dagger in them and don't leave it in them! Take it out! And let them leak. Let them leak slow. Put the dagger in them, pull it out, and let them leak slow. Just kill 'em slowly. That's how you do them."
And here's what he said Monday night:
"I've got nothing but respect. I'm a class act."
Feels like a slightly incongruous statement, given what's already been said.
Nevertheless.
Robey-Coleman's self-proclaimed hatred for the Patriots has manifested itself before, as he was part of the group of Buffalo Bills that engaged in a little pregame shoving match with Malcolm Mitchell and Jacoby Brissett prior to a game in 2016.
And in what could be the most overlooked part of the Bleacher Report story, Robey-Coleman's "one-on-one assignment Sunday, he knows, will be Julian Edelman." And while Brady certainly doesn't need any motivation at this point in his Hall of Fame career, it might be safe to assume that Edelman clings to those earlier comments instead of the Monday night clarification. After all, Edelman told Brady during a locker room embrace after beating the Chiefs, "That's why I play. I just want to make you the best." So just the same way Belichick got to spike the football by declaring Freddie Mitchell to be "terrible" after Super Bowl XXXIX, you can bet Edelman will be looking forward to having a similar moment of his own come Sunday night.
One does not simply tiptoe out of Freddie Mitchell territory. The Patriots, in case you haven't noticed, have been pretty good lately at grasping on to any negative thing said about them and using it as fuel. Monday night's Moonwalk won't even enter their collective consciousness.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
