Some tough quotes in here from Brandon LaFell speaking on how much Revis and Browner pushed the Pats’ receivers to be better every day in practice. And just when I thought I was over the sick feeling of letting two impactful players go. Still, over the years of 2009-2012 I often joked that the Pats’ offense must simply roll right over the Patriots’ bend-don’t-break defense in practice since the strengths and weaknesses of the two seemed to blatantly favor the offense.
The offense, designed to take whatever the defense gives them in the short-to-intermediate routes, while the defense was geared to allowing those short plays and not allowing the long ball, something the Pats haven’t exactly been deadly at in that time period. It’s always been an interesting philosophical dynamic to me.
Now it’s up to guys like LaFell and Edelman to return the favor to the cornerbacks on the roster, helping them the same way Revis and Browner helped the receivers last year. Iron sharpens iron. The shoe is just on the other foot this year.