After last week’s New England homecoming, this week’s matchup for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers doesn’t quite have the same juice.
But with the Dolphins traveling up the state of Florida to face Tampa Bay, there will be another Patriots reunion on Sunday.
Miami head coach Brian Flores worked for the Patriots from 2004-2018, first in scouting and then on the coaching staff. So Flores had a front-row seat to Brady’s greatness for the vast majority of the quarterback’s run in New England.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Tom. We were on the same team for 15 years,” Flores said on Wednesday, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I learned a lot from him. Great to see him. Great to compete against him. When you’ve been around him and see the way he works, prepares, the way he takes care of himself, his passion for the game, it’s not surprising [to see his success at age 44].”
Flores added that he learned about preparation from Brady, just knowing how hard the quarterback works to find every advantage. That plus Brady’s experience makes him a challenge to scheme against.
“There’s no confusing [Brady]. He’s seen pretty much everything,” Flores said. “This is a great player. Smart, great command of the offense. Accurate, can find the space in the pocket. He’s playing great football right now.”
At 1-3, the Dolphins could use a victory. The last time Flores coached against Brady was the quarterback’s last regular-season game with the Patriots. Brady completed just 55 percent of his passes for 221 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception in Miami’s 27-24 victory.