Maybe it’s just because we so rarely hear Patriots speak in anything other than Belichickisms that it stood out.
But days after Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty said he hoped his move to cornerback wasn’t a permanent one, he did a quick backpedal.
“I’ve just got to play,” McCourty said, via Adam Kurkjian of the Boston Herald. “As a player, you’ve just got to go play football. Obviously, a new week, you’ve got to prepare and get ready to go for new challenges this week, but that’s all I can do.”
Whether that was because he got a scolding from Mr. “Do Your Job,” or whether the highly paid free safety realized he needed to set a better example, the difference in tone is clear.
On a team with few appealing options at cornerback after losing Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington, McCourty realizes he might not have a choice.
Asked if he thought he’d be back at safety Friday night against the Panthers, he smiled and said “We’ll see. . . . We’ll have to see.”
And somewhere, the hooded one smiled a small smile.