Brady On Patriots Fans Overrunning Redskins' Stadium: 'That Was Ridiculous'
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Somebody needs to file a grievance to the NFL. The Patriots have managed to sneak themselves an extra home game.
While technically Sunday's game was a road game for the New England Patriots, it did not feel like for the men sporting Flying Elvii on their helmets. The Patriots played in front of thousands upon thousands of their own fans on Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., as folks from New England very clearly made it a priority to travel to this game.
The flood of red, white and blue was evident before the game, and with the visiting team slowly grasping control of the game, they grew louder and louder to become the dominant noise in the crowd during the Patriots' 33-7 win over the Redskins.
It ended with Brady being showered with uproarious applause on his way off the field.
That was similar to the scene that met Brady when he took the field for pregame warmups, too.
"That was … that was ridiculous. That was pretty amazing," Brady said of the support. "That felt like a home game, right from the time that we got to the hotel yesterday afternoon until we ran in after the game. That was pretty sweet. So we appreciate all the support down here, and good to come down here and get a win in front of them."
Likewise, defensive captain Devin McCourty noted that the reception in D.C. certainly was nicer than what the Patriots received in Buffalo a week ago.
"Yeah it was awesome, man, to come in here. Even driving in, compared to last week. In Buffalo … wasn't greeted nicely," McCourty said. "Coming here today, saw a lot of Patriots jerseys, a lot of fans in the stadium. So that's always a plus, you come on the road and you've got a lot of fans and a lot of people traveling to support you. And we really appreciate that as a team."
Josh Gordon, who caught five passes for 59 yards, said he felt right at home while playing in the Redskins' stadium.
"Most definitely, it was confusing. I would say it felt like a home game," Gordon said. "Just like Foxboro, to be honest. It's great to have that support, our fans traveling. Maybe we got some converted Redskins fans. But it was awesome nonetheless."
While the support likely made Bill Belichick happy, the win was obviously much more important. Brady has shared numerous times this year that the head coach has stressed the need for improvement on the road. With a 3-0 record on the road this year, the Patriots have already matched last year's road win total, as they went 3-5 in games away from Gillette Stadium during last year's regular season.
Belichick, who grew up in nearby Annapolis, also found himself receiving Brady-like cheers on his way off the field, and he offered a sincere appreciation for the traveling fans -- and even the local ones.
"Yeah, it was amazing. Oh my God, there were so many Patriots fans," Belichick said. "Surprising and overwhelming. It was great to see them. Appreciate the support from all of our traveling Patriots fans -- or maybe they're from here, I don't know. But it was great to see them. It was awesome."
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
