FOXBORO — When Tom Brady takes a look at the Titans defense this Sunday from under center, he will see a few familiar faces in the secondary — cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan.
Given their time with the Patriots, Brady saw plenty of practice reps against them and on Friday the quarterback recalled his experiences facing them, while also congratulating them for their deals with Tennessee.
“Yeah, we had a lot,” Brady said. “I really enjoyed playing with those guys and playing against them. They certainly challenged us on every play. They’ve gone on to have some really great contracts and I’m happy for them. They really earned it. I think when you’re a great player, you get the opportunity to do that. I know we can’t keep everybody but obviously happy for them and what they’ve accomplished. They were hugely impactful in what we were trying to do in the roles that they played. Logan was a great player, still is – incredible awareness and just such a smart player. And Malcolm, I’ve always loved playing against him and in practice, it was very competitive. He’s a very competitive person. He wants to try to win every play and hopefully we can have a good plan against that entire defense.”
The Titans enter the game allowing a league-low 17.6 points per game, so Brady knows the offense will need to be on point.
“It’s challenging because they’ve got really a good rush, some really good mix of linebackers and they’re talented in the secondary,” he said. “They spent quite a bit on the secondary and they have some really good players. [Kevin] Byard’s a hell of a player, Adoree’ Jackson’s a first round pick. They’ve got a great secondary, best red area defense in the league. They make you earn it. There’s nothing easy about this week for us.”
The Patriots will be looking to win their seventh straight game and go into their bye week on a good note.
