FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady rarely misses a Friday practice when the New England Patriots are looking ahead to a game on Sunday.
But on Friday, Brady was not there because of a knee injury and an illness. He’s listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at the Jets. While sources say the knee injury is “not bad” and won’t keep Brady from playing against the Jets, it is still concerning.
The 41-year-old Brady hasn’t missed a game because of injury since 2008.
When Brady has been banged up in recent years, he’s generally skipped practice either Wednesday or Thursday and returned to the field on Friday. This was the case in the week leading up to the AFC championship game a year ago; Brady suffered a hand injury in Wednesday’s practice, sat out Thursday, then returned in a limited capacity for the final tune-up.
It’s rare but not unprecedented for Brady to skip a Friday session.
Late in the 2015 season, an illness kept Brady off the field on the Friday before a Week 15 game with the Titans. He played the game, throwing for 267 yards and two touchdowns.
A similar scenario could unfold Sunday in New Jersey, even though Brady’s scheduled press conference Friday afternoon was canceled. He did, however, appear on WEEI radio earlier in the week.
“I don’t think we have played perfectly, but I think we’ve built to this point where we are in a position to start playing our best,” Brady said. “It’s really up to us. There’s no way to talk your way into it. You have to do it.”
The 2018 Patriots have one of the league’s top offenses, averaging 28 points per game to rank behind only the Saints, Chiefs, Rams, Steelers, Colts and Bears. Still, the 2018 season has been uneven.
They’re coming off a disappointing 34-10 loss at the Titans that featured too many low-percentage throws from Brady and little offensive balance.
Brady’s passer rating of 94.7 ranks 17th among starting quarterbacks. His mark of 275 passing yards per game ranks 14th in the league.
Over his past three games, Brady has completed 59.5 percent of his passes and has thrown only one touchdown.
Nonetheless, the Patriots typically elevate their collective game after Thanksgiving.
“You can make or break your season these final six games, so we’ve got to go out there and compete,” said running back James White. “We have a lot of division games, which are the most important. You’ve got to play your best football at this point because like I said, it can make or break you.”
EXPECT ROB GRONKOWSKI back in the lineup against the Jets after missing three of the past four games with ankle and back injuries.
“Definitely ready to get back there,” Gronkowski said Friday. “I’m good to go and excited to be back out there with the team.”
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