Brady eyes better days

Opener shut out of quarterback's mind

By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff, 9/11/2003

FOXBOROUGH -- If Tom Brady got caught up in the numbers, he'd probably put a bag over his head and never want to be seen in public. In his last four games, Brady has had quarterback ratings of 47.2, 57.6, 68.5, and 22.5. He's thrown 10 interceptions and two touchdowns.

The Patriots have won one of the four games -- a 27-24 overtime decision over Miami in the finale last season.

Brady threw six touchdown passes and no interceptions in the exhibition season while also putting to rest concerns about his throwing shoulder, which he had separated against Miami.

Last Sunday, however, he was hurried by the Bills' front seven and the results weren't statistically pleasing (14 for 28, 123 yards, 4 interceptions, and 2 sacks).

Just a bad stretch?

"You just try to evaluate what happened and try to get better," said Brady, whose focus is on Sunday's game with Philadelphia. "You realize the mistakes that are made and you try not to make the same mistakes twice. It's the position you play: some games are good and some games are bad. To get better I need to complete more passes and not throw it to them. We're still going in the right direction. Not that it showed itself on Sunday. What we've done to prepare for last Sunday and what we've done to prepare for this Sunday is try to prepare to play a tough team on the road."

The other thing Brady has tried to do is "don't beat yourself up on Wednesday afternoon about something that happened on Sunday. That doesn't do anything to improve the situation. We've spent the last two days evaluating that and now it's time to put those things we've learned to good use next Sunday. It's not like we can wipe it away with a magic wand, at the same time you don't want to be beat yourself up. It'll lead to another loss if you do that."

One theory that has been suggested is that the Patriots' offense may have become too predictable.

Coach Bill Belichick said the league has adjusted to the team's wide receiver screens, which it used successfully the past two years. Not only have screens been ineffective, but it appears the opposition has gotten wise to the quick slants to Troy Brown.

"Players play, coaches coach," said center Damien Woody. "It's not my job to figure out if our offense is predictable. That's their job. If they can't figure it out, tough luck. Our job is just to go out there and execute the game plan. Running the play is hard enough. I can't sit here and worry about if they're calling too many screens. I can't do that. That's not my job."

Belichick didn't feel there would be many changes in the Patriots' offense, feeling the scheme is designed to go after the opposing defense's "stress points." He also feels there's enough "diversity in our offense" where good execution can get the job done.

Washington excused

Nose tackle Ted Washington was given permission to miss practice the rest of the week to attend funeral services for his grandmother. Washington was expected to join the team in Philadelphia. Washington recorded five tackles last Sunday against Buffalo. With Ted Johnson out and the team already down a roster spot because of Lawyer Milloy's departure, Belichick said the team would review its options this week. Belichick didn't rule out the status quo, or bringing in one of the players on the practice squad (guard Russ Hochstein, nose tackle Ethan Kelley, safety Shawn Mayer, offensive tackle Tim Provost, and guard/tackle Jamil Soriano). The Patriots have brought players in for tryouts this week, including wide receiver Ron Bellamy from Michigan, defensive back David Gibson from Southern Cal, and defensive back Nick Sorenson from Virginia Tech. Gibson was cut by the Colts in the exhibition season . . . We often hear the Patriots are getting younger, but they have the most players 30 and older in the AFC -- 22. Miami and Oakland are second with 15 each.

Woody toughs it out

Woody suffered a sore sternum when Bills linebacker London Fletcher put a hard hit on him while he was trying to chase down Sam Adams on his 37-yard touchdown return. Woody said he had never been hit so hard in his career. Woody said breathing is difficult, but he would play against the Eagles . . . Belichick offered some candid self-deprecating responses at the end of his press conference regarding how poorly he coached against Buffalo. "They outdid us in every area of the game," said Belichick. "A lot of things I'd like to have back. I make as many mistakes as anybody. We always try to do a better job." Belichick's final word on the Buffalo game: "We had the autopsy. How many times can you pump bullets into a dead body?" . . . According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Sunday's Patriots-Eagles game will mark the first time in 71 years that two NFL teams will face each other in their second game of the season, after each was shut out in its first game. It last happened Oct. 2, 1932 when the Chicago Bears played the Staten Island Stapletons.