Former Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer expected to start the 2017 AFC Championship Game against the Jaguars.
Hoyer had the thought as soon as he heard Tom Brady “screaming bloody murder” after the legendary quarterback’s thumb was bent back so far that it split the skin. Hoyer maintained such expectation over the next five days as a sidelined Brady did not take a practice rep. Hoyer woke up on game day with the belief, too. He found out three hours before kickoff that Brady was, in fact, starting at Gillette Stadium.
Most of the news about Brady’s thumb injury in January 2018 — “We’re not talking about open heart surgery,” as Bill Belichick summarized — is well-documented. However, the details and reflection of those who were inside the confines of One Patriot Place remain a must-listen seven years later.
Longtime Patriots center David Andrews and Hoyer offered their first-hand recollection during The Quick Snap Podcast released Wednesday.
“There’s blood everywhere,” Hoyer said citing the moment Brady and running back Rex Burkhead got crossed up during Wednesday’s practice. “(Patriots trainer) Jim Whalen is putting a towel on it. I’ll never forget (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) was like, ‘I think I saw the bone sticking out!’
“I’m sitting there thinking to myself, ‘Holy s— I’m going to be starting the AFC Championship Game,'” Hoyer said.
Time stood still. Hoyer remembered running with McDaniels to check in on Brady after practice. Hoyer saw the gash, which ultimately needed 25 stiches from Patriots’ hand and wrist surgeon, Dr. Matthew Leibman.
“I said, ‘There’s no way this dude is going to play,'” Hoyer recalled. “And I’ll never forget Tom looked at me and he’s like, “Look, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I can play this week.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, boy.'”
Hoyer took practice snaps from Andrews the rest of the week. Brady went out onto the practice field Friday but didn’t do anything. He wore gloves on both hands and told Hoyer to do the same. It allowed Brady to say it was a product of the New England weather when asked by the media, Hoyer said. Brady stepped to the podium wearing a glove, too, which drew obvious attention.
Andrews recalled having to speak with reporters himself.
“I was rattled because this was my first year being a captain, which meant every Friday I had to do a press conference,” Andrews said. “Who knows the quarterback’s hands better than the center? That would be me. I had done media, obviously, but never like the real press conference. And I am getting hounded with questions and I’m — I don’t know if I could find the interviews, I would love to see what my answers are because I was probably rattled up there and trying not to give away information.
“Hell, I probably gave about zero percent truth that day, because the dude didn’t take any snaps,” Andrews said.
Brady asked Andrews to work on snaps after New England’s walkthrough practice Saturday. The two spent an hour doing so all while Andrews could tell Brady was in obvious pain. The veteran QB altered his hand placement about 24 hours before the playoff game. Andrews was unsure how it would go on game day.
“I do snap the ball really heard, and he was in a lot of pain,” Andrews recalled. “I was like … I don’t know how this is going to go.”
Brady went out there, though. He completed 26 of 38 passes for 290 yards with two touchdowns. He didn’t turn the ball over against a Jaguars defense that gave healthy quarterbacks fits. Jacksonville had a half dozen Pro Bowlers on defense including Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye and Telvin Smith. It didn’t matter.
“He was a warrior to be able to do what he did and then play the way he did,” Hoyer said. “He’s as tough as they come. And like I said, up until about three hours before the game, I thought I was going to play.”
Also in this episode:
- Patriots cost themselves a win with too many mistakes
- What’s the best way for Mike Vrabel to hold this team accountable?
- Hunter Henry joins to discuss Drake Maye, leadership and more
Read the full article here
