Patriots file amicus brief in Deflategate case

The New England Patriots' team attorney Daniel L. Goldberg filed an amicus brief in federal court Wednesday on behalf of the team, defending quarterback Tom Brady.

Via the Providence Journal:

[T]he 13-page brief takes several shots at the NFL. The point of the brief is to support Brady’s legal team, which filed for an en banc hearing on Monday, after two judges ruled 2-1 to reinstate the quarterback’s four-game suspension. 

"Under the existing 2-1 decision, the Patriots stand to lose their All-Pro quarterback for 25 percent of the upcoming regular season based on a severely flawed process,” Goldberg wrote. “But the impact of the majority opinion is not limited to professional football. It threatens to undermine vital principles governing arbitration of collective bargaining agreements throughout the national economy."

READ MORE >>

Tom Brady's camp files petition for suspension removal

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s legal camp filed a petition Monday afternoon for a rehearing of his suspension case against the NFL in the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.

Via WEEI:

If the court accepts the petition, there would be a stay of Brady’s four-game suspension until the new ruling, and he’d be eligible to play. 

If the court chooses not to rehear the case, Brady could petition the U.S. Supreme Court and ask for a stay of the second circuit decision. If the second circuit doesn’t grant a stay, Brady and his lawyers can ask for a stay of the decision from the Supreme Court.

According to legal experts, this kind of decision usually takes about a month.

READ MORE >>

Brady suspension ruling upheld; will sit vs. Bills, 'Phins

Barring further appeal or a deal with the league, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will miss the first four games of the 2016-17 season, including two home divisional games, as a federal appeals court upheld Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision Monday and overturned a lower court's decision to throw out the suspension handed down last year.

The 2-1 ruling, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, stated Goodell "properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement" and "did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness."

That's good news for the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, who are slated to face New England in weeks 2 and 4, respectively.

READ MORE >>

Brady, Gronk among top 10 in 2015-16 player sales

The New England Patriots may not always open their wallets, but their fans certainly do.

The NFLPA released the top 50 player sales list for the 2015-16 season Monday, which is based on total sales of officially licensed merchandise. Three Pats players landed in the top 25, with Tom Brady snagging the top spot.

Rob Gronkowski was No. 8, while wideout Julian Edelman came in at No. 23.

Ryan Tannehill (No. 34) was the first non-Patriot from the division to make an appearance in the top 50, while a pair of Bills (Sammy Watkins, No. 47, and LeSean McCoy, No. 49) snuck in toward the bottom of the list.

Only one Jet — Darrelle Revis — made the cut, coming in at No. 45.

Check out the full list here.

Von Miller: playing Brady, Gronk makes him nervous

Von Miller is indisputably one of the best defensive players in the NFL; a Superbowl MVP award and an exclusive franchise tag certainly help bolster that argument.

That doesn't mean he isn't sweating a bit when faced with stopping the New England Patriots' dynamic Brady-Gronk combination.

Miller spoke on NFL Network's Total Access Wednesday about the duo and Brady's abilities, even now as the veteran signal-caller inches closer to 40 years of age.

"If he looks at you, it just gives you that nervousness," Miller said via WEEI.com. "Every time I'm in coverage and Tom Brady is looking over there, I'm like, 'He's going to pass the ball to my guy. He knows what coverage we're in. He knows what’s going on.'

"He's just a smart player."

Brady, Pats reportedly agree on two-year extension

Tom Brady's goal of playing until he's 50 got the just a hair more realistic Monday, as the 38-year-old and the New England Patriots have reportedly agreed on a two-year contract extension.

Tom Brady and Patriots reached agreement on 2-year contract extension, tying him to NE through 2019, league sources told @diannaESPN and me.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 29, 2016

The move will likely do what most Brady contract decisions have done in the past — give the veteran QB some well-earned cash in hand while easing some of the cap pressure the team is facing.

If Brady plays out this extension in its entirety, he'll be 42 when it expires.

Broncos labeling Gronk, Brady as cheaters, crybabies

Put your gloves on and ring the bell — the trash-talk between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots has officially started.

The two teams are set to meet up in the AFC Championship game for the second time in three years, and a few Denver defensive players — part of the league's No. 1 unit — had no problem starting the week with some haymakers directed at the Pats' top performers.

First up was linebacker Brandon Marshall on why tight end Rob Gronkowski is difficult to cover:

"I say ’cause he pushes off," Marshall said via ProFootballTalk.com. "I mean, he pushes off and he gets away with it about 98 percent of the time."

Then came defensive lineman Antonio Smith on whether Tom Brady is a crybaby:

"That would be an accurate statement. I’ve never seen any quarterback look to the referee right after he gets sacked more than Brady."

He went on to compliment Brady's competitiveness, which you can read here via WEEI.com.

Then Tuesday, Denver defensive end Malik Jackson called Brady a "whiner" and said he "throws temper tantrums."

If history is any indication, don't expect much from the Pats in terms of retaliation through the media — a topic Mike Reiss touched on Tuesday. 

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

How good was Tom Brady in Patriots' win over Chiefs?

The New England Patriots handed all the keys to quarterback Tom Brady Saturday evening, as they should have. It paid off in a 27-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, as New England advanced to the AFC Championship for the fifth straight season.

Brady amassed 302 yards and a pair of scores through the air, in addition to a 1-yard touchdown on the ground. According to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss, the second-level stats were even more impressive.

Writes Reiss:

"New England dropped back to pass on 77 percent of its plays, including its first 14 plays of the game. Although Tom Brady's raw passing statistics (28-of-42, 7.2 yards per attempt, two touchdowns) might not blow anyone away, his total QBR tells a different story. 

Brady posted an 86.4 QBR against the Chiefs. That's the highest by any player so far this postseason. To put that in perspective, a player with a QBR of 85 or higher in a season is considered to be playing at an All-Pro level. 

Taking it a step further and accounting for Brady's efficiency and usage (46 action plays), he added significantly more value to his team, when compared to the baseline of an average quarterback, than any other quarterback has in a playoff game this season."

READ MORE >>

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

RPT: Ankle sprain won't keep Brady from playing

Twelve days of rest should be enough time for Tom Brady's ailing ankle to heal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Brady, who's MRI Monday reportedly showed only a sprain and no serious damage, should be able to start in the Patriots' home playoff game on Jan. 16. The veteran signal-caller suffered the injury in the second quarter of the team's eventual loss to the Dolphins Sunday.

Brady played nearly every snap of the team's 20-10 loss, missing only the final two minutes or so after the game was out of reach.

READ MORE >>

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

James White's sub-back role is 'critical' for Patriots

James White has earned the trust of the New England Patriots.

The passing-down back has snagged 21 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games, taking on an increased workload in the absence of Dion Lewis.

Quarterback Tom Brady said the "sub back" is a crucial position for the Patriots, though White's hands are only part of what makes him a perfect fit.

"[I]t's not just catching, it's also blitz pickup," Brady said, via ESPN Boston. "It's really gaining the confidence of everybody that you know what to do, you know how to do it. And then you never know when your number is going to get called because Gronk gets throws, Julian [Edelman] gets throws, Danny [Amendola] gets throws.

"Then all of the sudden, man, the sub back is there and he makes a play, so it's such a critical role in the red area, on third down. James really came through for us, so it's been great to see."

READ MORE >>

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Tom Brady rediscovers quick release against Texans

Last week, the Philadelphia Eagles forced New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to hang on to the ball a littler longer than he'd like. In fact, it had been an issue throughout the team's two-game losing streak.

Sunday against the Houston Texans, the clock was more in the veteran signal-caller's favor, and the Patriots got back on the winning side.

Per WEEI:

By our count, Brady took an average of 2.09 seconds from snap-to-throw Sunday night against the Texans. It was his quickest average time since Week 9 against Washington. 

The quarterback was fairly consistent throughout — averaging 2.16 seconds from snap-to-throw in the first half and 1.99 seconds in the second half. Brady was incredibly efficient as well. Out of his 30 attempts, he didn’t have any back-to-back incompletions.

READ MORE >>

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Eagles force Brady to hold ball longer than he'd like

Tom Brady is at his best when the football is out of his hands quickly--something that didn't happen in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday.

The New England Patriots quarterback was actually pretty good despite the outcome, but he acknowledged after the game that the Eagles forced him to hold the ball longer than he'd prefer.

According to WEEI, Brady's "snap-to-throw" average in New England's second loss of the year was his highest this year.

By our count, Brady took an average of 2.63 seconds from snap-to-throw, his highest average of the season. Furthermore, Brady had 16 plays which took more than three seconds, something very uncharacteristic for the Patriots offense. Brady has averaged over 2.2 seconds from snap-to-throw in four straight games, which comes following the first eight games where he only had one game averaging over 2.2 seconds.

READ MORE >>

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Pierre-Paul on sacking Brady Sunday: 'I'm sure of it'

Jason Pierre-Paul may only have one game under his belt in 2015 -- and a few less appendages -- but his confidence in rattling Tom Brady on Sunday is in mid-season form.

The Giants defensive end, who missed the first eight games of the year following a fireworks accident on July 4, had two tackles last week in the team's win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He told reporters Thursday he's feeling good about New York's beleaguered pass rush against the league's top passer -- despite the fact they've only tallied nine sacks all season.

"I wasn't there," Pierre-Paul said of one the defense's poor showings this year. "So that's a big difference. Everybody knows that.

"They're undefeated, but they have to come through here. We'll get to the quarterback. I'm sure of it. I know I will."

READ MORE, via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Brady doesn't care if Greg Hardy ogles his wife

Following a bye week, the New England Patriots are set to face off against a Dallas Cowboys team recently bolstered by the return of Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy.

Hardy, who was suspended the first four weeks of the season for a domestic violence incident, took some time out of his first Cowboys press conference of the season to say some kind words about Tom Brady.

He took more time, however, talking about Brady's wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen.

"I love seeing Tom Brady, he's cool as crap," Hardy said via the Daily News. "Have you seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game. I hope her sister comes to the game, all her friends come to the game. One of my favorite games of the year, guys."

Probably not something you should say if you're trying to show you've turned over a new leaf.

Anyways, Brady addressed the creepy comments Wednesday in typical Brady fashion -- simply dismissing them and focusing on the X's and O's.

"I've got to focus on my job,” Brady said. "He's a great player. It's takes a lot of different things to handle a guy like that. But he’s a been a great player since he’s been in the league. We’re going to have to prepare for him and be ready for all different types of moves that he's got. 

"They count on getting pressure from their front four, getting to the quarterback so I really don't care about his personal feelings."

READ MORE

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Manley: "Garbage" Brady "can't pick up a first down"

Former Washington Redskins defensive lineman Dexter Manley thinks Tom Brady is "garbage," "can't pick up a first down" and is no better than Matt Ryan.

No, for real.

"Tom Brady can't even pack Joe Theismann's jock," Manley said today, via WEEI. "I think Tom Brady can't pick up a first down. He has no athletic skills, he's surrounded by good people, but the guy is in the toilet, in my opinion. In my opinion he's in the toilet."

Brady actually picks up a lot of first downs. It's not something that takes much "thinking." But anyway, carry on.

"I'll take Joe Theismann, I'll take [Matt Ryan], anything over Tom Brady. I'll take Joe Theismann first, I'll take Matty Ice second, and I might take Doug Williams third, but I'm not gonna take Tom Brady to lead my team nowhere. … Tom Brady is garbage. He can't pick up a first down. He has no athletic skill. He's surrounded by people, but Tom Brady is garbage. Garbage!!!! …

"Matty Ice is a pure passer. He can pick up a first down. ... [H]e's much better than Tom Brady."

Typically, we wouldn't give something like this the time of day. But it's so ridiculous that it's un-ignorable.

READ MORE

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Not guilty: Brady beats Goodell, four-game suspension

Here's hoping this is the last time we talk about this.

Judge Richard M. Berman ruled on Tom Brady's four-game suspension Thursday, overturning the commissioner's decision and thereby activating the four-time Super Bowl champ for the team's opening-day game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Per WEEI.com, Berman ruled, in part:

"The Award is premised upon several significant legal deficiencies including, (A) inadequate notice to Brady of both his potential discipline (four-game suspension) and his alleged misconduct; (B) denial of the opportunity for Brady to examine one of the two lead investigators, namely NFL Executive Vice President and General Council Jeff Pash; and (C) denial of equal access to investigative files, including witness interview notes."

The league still has the opportunity to appeal the decision, though Goodell has not made any mention of going that route (at least not yet).

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Week 1 preseason follow-up: Packers at Patriots

Tom Brady saw some playing time on Thursday night, but the spotlight was on backup Jimmy Garoppolo for the crux of the team's first preseason game.

Brady played one series, going 1-for-4 for 10 yards, while Garoppolo went 20-for-30 for 159 yards and an interception, taking seven sacks in the process.

Check out these post-game roundups for some in-depth analysis on the team's 22-11 loss:

Mike Reiss, via ESPN.com

Chris Price, via WEEI.com

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Cro backs Brady, bags Goodell on suspension decision

Yes, you read that correctly -- a Jet and a Patriot are on the same side of an issue.

A number of players across the league have come out in Tom Brady's defense following Roger Goodell's decision to suspend the Super Bowl champion quarterback for four games for his alleged role in the Deflategate scandal.

Thursday, Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie added his two cents on the commissioner's arbitrary punishment.

"Nobody's safe," Cromartie said via ESPN.com. "Nobody's safe no matter who you are. Roger is going to do what he wants to do. It don’t matter what the rules say. He's going to make his own rules as he goes. And it shouldn't be like that. 

"In the rule book, there's no suspension in the rules. There's only a $25,000 fine. So I don't see how you can try to lay the hammer down on someone when the rule states for itself there’s no suspension for it."

READ MORE, via WEEI.com

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

Blount thinks Garoppolo will 'hold his own' as starter

With Tom Brady's DeflateGate suspension still up in the air (no pun intended), the status of Jimmy Garoppolo as the Patriots' Week 1 starter remains unclear.

What seems clear at this point, however, is that the sophomore quarterback will see some playing time in the first four weeks of the season, a scenario veteran running back LeGarrette Blount is already fully behind.

"I like Jimmy a lot and I think he takes his job very seriously and he also has fun with it," Blount said on Sirius XM radio Tuesday. I feel like if he goes in there he's going to be productive and I think he's going to be good. I don't think he's going to go out there and do anything crazy. 

"I think he's going to go out there and do exactly what they tell him to do ... I think Jimmy is going to be good. I think he's going to be successful whenever he gets a chance to play."

Brady will be back in court next week for a settlement conference, which was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Berman. In the meantime, the two quarterbacks continue to receive their share of the camp snaps, with another day of practice scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

READ MORE (via WEEI.com)

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily

NFLPA vows to appeal "outrageous decision" on Brady

Your turn, NFLPA.

Just a couple hours after the NFL announced it has upheld its decision to suspend New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for four games, the league's players association has fired back.

Here is the full statement from the union:

"The Commissioner's ruling today did nothing to address the legal deficiencies of due process. The NFL remains stuck with the following facts:

• The NFL had no policy that applied to players;

• The NFL provided no notice of any such policy or potential discipline to players;

• The NFL resorted to a nebulous standard of "general awareness" to predicate a legally unjustified punishment;

• The NFL had no procedures in place until two days ago to test air pressure in footballs; and

• The NFL violated the plain meaning of the collective bargaining agreement.

The fact that the NFL would resort to basing a suspension on a smoke screen of irrelevant text messages instead of admitting that they have all of the phone records they asked for is a new low, even for them, but it does nothing to correct their errors. 

The NFLPA will appeal this outrageous decision on behalf of Tom Brady."

Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily