Judon downplays Brady factor ahead of Bucs game originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
With Sunday's anticipated New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers showdown fast approaching, players predictably are being peppered with questions about Tom Brady's return to Foxboro.
It's no surprise that the former Patriots quarterback is the primary focus heading into the Week 4 matchup. The 44-year-old spent 20 years in New England, helping the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles before leaving for Tampa Bay and adding another championship ring to his collection.
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Patriots linebacker Matt Judon was next up to answer the Brady-related queries on Thursday. After getting a handful of questions about the Bucs signal-caller, Judon made it clear he's had enough of the Brady hype.
“Bro, he’s the next quarterback we’ve gotta play," he said. "They’ve also got two other quarterbacks on the roster. I know he was in this building for a long time, and what he’s done can never be taken away from the game of football, but it’s not like we’re afraid of what Tom Brady can do. We have to stop their whole offense
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"Tom Brady is a great quarterback and nobody can take away what he did, but we’re not here to talk about that right now. We have to play the game. We have to stop him from winning a football game."
So, how does the Patriots defense go about accomplishing that feat?
“Beating blocks, honestly. It’s just beating blocks,” Judon said. “It’s not like he’s got a bubble around him.”
Easy enough... right?
Both the Patriots and Buccaneers are coming off Week 3 losses to the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams, respectively. Brady has 10 touchdown passes through his first three games and will break the all-time passing record when he reaches the 68-yard mark on Sunday.
Patriots-Bucs is set for a 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday Night Football.
