Tom Brady has simple response when asked about coach's criticism originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians' criticism of Tom Brady has been one of the biggest storylines coming out of Week 1, but the veteran quarterback doesn't seem concerned about it.
"He's the coach. I'm a player. Just trying to win a game," Brady said Thursday when asked if he was surprised by Arians' criticism of him after Sunday's defeat.
Arians on Sunday blamed Brady for both interceptions the quarterback threw in Tampa Bay's 34-23 season-opening loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs coach, speaking to reporters Monday, retracted his blame on Brady for the first interception. Although, in that same press conference, Arians made other critical comments on Brady's play.
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"He looked like Tom Brady in practice all the time so it’s kind of unusual to see that in a ballgame because they didn’t do things that we didn’t get ready for," Arians said. "Everything they did we thought we were ready for.''
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Arians also added: "I would expect him to have a little more grit, a little more determination this week."
One of the reasons why Arians' public criticisms of Brady have been talked about so much is that the quarterback's former coach, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, almost never critiqued Brady in public like that. Belichick usually offers a generic line about how everyone, both coaches and players, have to be better after a loss. Singling out any one player just isn't Belichick's style.
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This isn't to say Arians' style is wrong or that it will hurt the Buccaneers, it's just not what we're used to seeing from a coach of Brady's.
You can bet Brady, Arians and the Buccaneers are very much looking forward to Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, where a quality performance and a win would go a long way in quieting the criticisms of the team's rough start to the season.
