0xbt

”Patriots quarterback Tom Brady himself openly uses the word love to describe his bond with Julian Edelman Ja'Whaun Bentley Jersey , a receiverhe’s come to depend on during his career.As the duo prepares to play in a fourth Super Bowl together, each says the connection might be tighter ever — both on and off the field.“We have a great relationship, Jules and I, and I trust him so much,” Brady says. “He’s always been kind of like my little brother, in a good way. I don’t have a little brother, but he’s kind of like a little brother and he knows how much I love him.”In Edelman’s case, it’s a little brother who has established himself as one of the best slot receivers in Patriots history.He missed the entire 2017 season with a torn ACL and the first four games of this season for violating the league’s performance enhancers policy. But the 32-year-old helped Brady steady an offense that struggled early this season and had to adjust following the suspension of Josh Gordon heading into the final two games.Edelman ended the regular season with a team-high 850 receiving yards and was second on the team with 74 receptions and six touchdowns. His production has continued through New England’s first two playoffs games, with Edelman hauling in 16 catches for a team-high 247 yards.Heading into the matchup with the Rams, his 1,271 postseason receiving yards are the most in Patriots history. There are also just two receivers in NFL postseason history with over 100 catches: Jerry Rice with 151 and Edelman with 105.It’s earned him high compliments not only from Brady, but from Rice, who praised Edelman as someone who has an attitude of “‘I’m going to do what I want to do, and I’m going to go out and I’m going to ball.”It not unlike the determination used to describe Brady, who at age 41 continues to prove his skeptics wrong.“He’s a really good football player Womens Phillip Dorsett Jersey , the best,” Edelman said. “He goes out and he consistently proves it. He’s one of our leaders and he’s a leader for a reason.”Though they first met as teammates in New England when Edelman was drafted by the Patriots a decade ago, he and Brady took remarkably similar paths to get to the NFL.Both natives of California, each of them grew up idolizing the San Francisco 49ers’ dynasty led by Joe Montana and Rice.Brady played his college ball at Michigan, with Edelman eventually choosing Kent State across the border in Ohio.Their stories continued to mirror each other when it came time for the NFL draft.Brady infamously wasn’t selected until the sixth round in 2000. Edelman, an undersized quarterback who switched to receiver, didn’t hear his name called until the seventh round in 2009.Chasing the NFL was a leap of faith for Edelman, who nearly signed a contract with the CFL’s British Columbia Lions to play quarterback.“I sat down with my father and basically, he’s like ‘Let’s do it,'” Edelman recalled. “I just had an eerie feeling in my stomach and I told him I didn’t grow up wanting to play in the CFL.I went and tried to play in the NFL. That was my decision. Everything happens for a reason.”Edelman was already a fan of Brady’s when he arrived as a rookie, but he said he almost instantly recognized an underdog spirit in his new quarterback as well.As their relationship has evolved, they say they’ve developed their own sort of silent language on the field, and have unique ways to hype up each other.An example was during the AFC championship game when video captured Edelman in Brady’s face yelling , “You’re too old!” as Brady sat on the bench after throwing a first-half touchdown pass.“You’ve got two fiery guys. I think it’s fun to watch,” Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty said.“You see two guys that are the ultimate competitor. How hard they both compete in practice Youth Dont’a Hightower Jersey , you see the bromance at times, you see the fiery looks they give each other sometimes if someone messes up. Just that look of not disappointment, of just like ‘get it together.’ I think it’s almost like brothers.”Brady said he continues to be amazed by Edelman.“Look at his stature. He wasn’t built like Megatron (Calvin Johnson). He’s just built the way he was built and I think he’s just worked so hard over the years to learn how to play receiver,” Brady said. “He’s just done an incredible job.” After a slow start to the season, the New England Patriots offense has grown into one of the best in the NFL. The unit, which has scored at least 38 points in all of its last four games, now heads into Buffalo today to take on a Bills defense that has had to carry an anemic offense for much of the season. And while it failed to consistently lift the team over its first seven games, the group still has the ability to disrupt an offensive rhythm and make plays.In order for Tom Brady and company to stay ahead of the Buffalo defense, it will need to get off to a fast and keep its foot on the gas 60 minutes — and accomplish the following goals:Establish a presence on the groundThe Patriots will be without starting running back Sony Michel, who suffered a knee injury last Sunday and is considered week-to-week, but they should nevertheless try to run the football on a consistent basis. There are three reasons why this would make sense against a a Bills defense that has its strengths when it comes to stopping the pass and pressuring the quarterback:1. It helps New England control the tempo of the game.2. It keeps the defense honest and should also open up play-action.3. It worked very well for the Indianapolis Colts last week as they had 220 rushing yards.As a result, Kenjon Barner should see plenty of carries as the early down back with James White playing his usual role as a change-of-pace and receiving option. The Patriots could potentially also use wide receiver and kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson as a backfield player to mix things up for the Bills. Whoever they use: sticking to the ground game should tremendously help the offense wear down its opponent.Get Rob Gronkowski involved early and oftenThe NFL’s best tight end was limited in practice all week long, but is expected to be good to go tonight. If that is indeed the case and even if New England should decide to limit his overall snap numbers, Gronkowski should play a big role in the Patriots’ offensive game plan. Not only does the 29-year old have a successful history against his hometown team, he also matches up well with the Bills’ defensive scheme.While Buffalo has shown some man-to-man tendencies in the past Dont’a Hightower Jersey Stitched , its defense is primarily based on zone-principles. This, in turn, means that the defenders need to be on top of their game when it comes to communication and diagnosis. The Patriots and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have shown in the past that they know how to effectively counter zone coverages, which could lead to Gronkowski having a big day.He is not only a crisp route runner, after all, but also has a high football IQ and just like his quarterback knows how attack weaknesses in different coverage alignments. In the past, this has oftentimes led to big games against the Bills – and even with Sean McDermott at the helm, this did not change. The Patriots would be smart to go back to the well again today and have Gronkowski serve as a zone beater down the field.Play with a sound ball handling techniqueTaking care of the football is of course important no matter the opponent. Against Buffalo, however, the team will be tested in this area: as head coach Bill Belichick pointed out in his film breakdown of the Bills, the defense is as good as any in the league in going after the football. It is therefore imperative to not get sloppy in handing the ball on receptions, runs, quarterback drop backs and returns – something New England has not always done well this season as the team’s 13 giveaways through seven games reflect.Turnovers can quickly change a game’s momentum and against a team with a struggling offense can generate short fields and easy scoring opportunities. Just ask the Minnesota Vikings: the team was blown out 27-6 by the Bills after allowing 10 points off turnovers in the first quarter. Minnesota was never able to get itself out of the hole as the deficit played into the hands of the Buffalo pass rush.