Julian Edelman

Tom Brady says he knows why ex-teammate Darrelle Revis is struggling

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:58 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

The New England Patriots escaped MetLife Stadium with a win over the New York Jets on Sunday, netting Tom Brady his 200th career victory. It tied him with Peyton Manning for the most all-time, doing so on a game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

The guy in coverage on the play? Seven-time Pro Bowl selection and former Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Revis once again struggled in pass coverage, continuing a downward trend that has lasted all season. He’s given up far too many big plays and can’t keep up with even the likes of Malcolm Mitchell and Chris Hogan.

Brady, however, doesn’t think it’s entirely Revis’ fault. He believes an injury is hampering the veteran corner who was his teammate in 2014.

"I know he's not feeling great," Brady said on WEEI's Kirk & Callahan Show. "I could see out there, he winced out there a few times, kind of getting up. It looked like his leg was bothering him a little bit, but he was still very close on a lot of those plays. Even though you're hitting them, he's very competitive."

Revis allowed two touchdowns in the Jets’ 22-17 loss to the Patriots. He’s looked a step slower all season despite not appearing on the injury report the past three weeks. Perhaps there is something going on there that simply isn’t serious enough to keep him out of games, or land him on the injury report.

"Some things aren't on the injury report," Brady said. "But at the same time, for me, personally, it's not any different in terms of being banged up late in the season. You've got to take care of your body and make sure you're 80 to 90 percent come Sunday. You have to fight your way through a long season. That's what you do. With nicks and bangs, you fight through it."

Brady continued to defend Revis, whom he won a Super Bowl with. He’s not ready to say Revis has regressed a great deal, saying he’s still a great player.

"He's still very competitive out there. When I watched the film after the game, he's still close on a lot of plays. We made some good throws and catches on him. I thought the one Julian [Edelman] made late in the game was really critical. ... Jules did a good job of separating from him."

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