A frustrated Tom Brady hopes to see urgency out of his offense

FOXBORO – There have been some good moments for Tom Brady in training camp. There have also been some moments so frustrating that the quarterback’s felt like punting the ball into space.

The 2018 NFL offseason has been interesting for this 41-year-old.

Brady caused a small frenzy when he skipped OTAs in the spring. He returned to Gillette Stadium, full-time, this summer for camp, but it hasn’t been easy. With a roster loaded with new offensive players, [...]

FOXBORO – There have been some good moments for Tom Brady in training camp. There have also been some moments so frustrating that the quarterback’s felt like punting the ball into space.

The 2018 NFL offseason has been interesting for this 41-year-old.

Brady caused a small frenzy when he skipped OTAs in the spring. He returned to Gillette Stadium, full-time, this summer for camp, but it hasn’t been easy. With a roster loaded with new offensive players, Brady’s rhythm has been up and down.

That was certainly the case this week. The quarterback nearly lost his mind on Monday as he was so angry he punted a ball into the stands. Brady and his offense looked much better on Tuesday, but this quarterback has remained cautiously optimistic this summer. It’s clear that the offense is struggling, but as usual, Brady gives this group plenty of hope.

“I think I’m generally frustrated,” Brady said on Tuesday. “Generally frustrated would be a generally typical term for me out here. I think there’s a lot to do and a lot to get done. Hopefully, we can have the urgency. Every drill, you gotta get something out of it and you have to build toward something because the competition is tough and they’re building and you’ve got to keep the pace.”

There was a moment on Tuesday when it showed just how much the Patriots offense was hurting.

After Phillip Dorsett walked off the field with the team doctor, Brady returned to the huddle with Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan and Riley McCarron as his top three receivers. The quarterback was so worried about Dorsett, he went to check on him after practice ended.

This receiver grouping has been a rotating door of so many names this summer that Brady was truly worried when Dorsett went down. That’s where this offense is at.

Edelman, as we all know, won’t be here for the first four weeks of the season. Meanwhile, the Patriots have already released two receivers (Jordan Matthews and Malcolm Mitchell) due to injuries while another, Kenny Britt, hasn’t practiced fully since June. Cordarrelle Patterson was limited on Monday. Eric Decker is still trying to learn the ropes.  

With Danny Amendola in Miami and Brandin Cooks in Los Angeles, it’s clear that Brady’s group is still far away from where he wants it to be. For this quarterback, practice reps have been vital. The same will go for Thursday as Brady says he hopes to play against the Philadelphia Eagles. This will give the first-team offense some much-needed reps against live competition.

“Whether it’s walkthrough, practice, game, it all matters,” Brady said. “I think there’s a lot of urgency. We’re not where we need to be. We’ve got a lot of work to do. These practices are a part of it. The opportunities that we get in a game, when everything is full, live, the quarterback back is getting hit, that provides a little different element… We have to try to see if we can put together a great performance on Thursday.”

The injury bug has hit this Patriots offense early and often this offseason. That’s contributed to the struggles, but the players on the field have had issues with drops and miscommunication as well. Of course, there’s still hope and a card that trumps everything on the offensive end.

It’s Brady.

This 19-year veteran controls the fate of the Patriots in the palm of his hand. The Pats will go as far as Brady takes them. After the team traded Jimmy Garoppolo last season, the same can be said for next year’s team and the one after that.

For now, Brady knows he needs to be on his game for this Patriots team to win.

“You know, I think you always have short-term goals and long-term goals. This year’s the one I’m focused on and obviously, I want to play for a long time,” Brady said when asked if he wants to play until he’s 45. “I’ve said that for a while. I feel like I’m a broken record. It’s really this year is the focus. This team needs a great quarterback. Hopefully, I can go out and be that.”