When Tom Brady was nit-picking his own body language last week, Patriots coach Bill Belichick shrugged it off and said his quarterback was one of the best leaders he had ever been around.
Brady took it another step Monday morning, placing some of the blame for a faltering offense at his own feet as well.
“I’m not making all the right plays, either,” Brady said during his weekly appearance on WEEI, via the Boston Herald. “It’s not like the rookie receivers are messing up all the time — no, not at all. Look, I’ve been really able to count on those guys. They’ve done an incredible job. I think we’ve got to improve in all aspects of our offense, and that will hopefully remove some of the burden that is fallen on the receivers right now. We have a lot of veteran players that aren’t playing right now, too, that if they were playing, the burden would be spread around to different guys who have actually been able to, would shoulder a lot of that responsibility that’s now fallen on the younger players.
“And the younger players are doing a great job. They’re working really hard. Their attitude is great. It’s been fun to work with them. Hopefully it all pays off in November and December when if we can ever get to a point where we have a lot of our guys back and healthy and playing really well.”
At the moment, the rookie receivers are standing out, for the wrong reasons. Brady has completed 9-of-31 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown when he throws to first-year wideouts Kenbrell Thompkins, Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce.
That he’s completing 65 percent of his passes to others, but 29 percent to the rookies he has to depend on, says plenty.
But the fact Tom Brady is willing to acknowledge his own role in it might say more.
