As expected, all the talk today is about quarterback Tom Brady, who says he's ready for Week 1 despite sitting out the entire preseason.
“I am always hoping that I am going to be out there and preparing the same way. I think I have been getting progressively better over the last couple of weeks. I am excited, excited to start the year,” Brady told the Boston Herald.
The franchise quarterback isn't worried about his preseason layoff affecting his performance Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“The fortunate thing for me is that I've played about 130 of these games. I know that speed. My body knows that speed,” Brady told the Boston Globe.
Head coach Bill Belichickwas less decisive when asked about Brady's status.
“We will prepare all the players during the week. We will give you the injury report on Friday,” Belichick told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
In other news, the Patriots bolstered their secondary by signing free-agent cornerback Deltha O'Neal, who was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday.
"He is a very athletic corner, good ball skills, pretty big guy that goes up [for the ball] and plays a lot of press coverage. He's done that in the past," Belichick told the Providence Journal.
Elsewhere, backup quarterback Matt Casselis excited about the upcoming season after beating out Matt Gutierrez for the No. 2 job behind Brady.
The *Globe *catches up with defensive lineman Jarvis Green, who is keeping an eye on his family in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Gustav.
Quick hits
In Kansas City, the Chiefs are not awestruck by the Patriots' impressive resume heading into Sunday's opener.
“I’m pretty sure we’re going to be two-touchdown or three-touchdown underdogs, but that’s what you’ve got to love about this game. It’s played on the field,” cornerback Patrick Surtain told the Lawrence Journal-World & News.
Safety Jarrad Page feels Kansas City is ready for the challenge.
