The rematch of last season’s AFC championship was the focus Wednesday, and Brady discussed not only the fact that he’s 2-7 in Denver but also why the Broncos are a tough out at home.
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Brady pointed to the crowd noise at Mile High and how the Broncos defense — and, in particular, rush linebacker Von Miller — use it to their advantage, making it the toughest venue in the NFL for him.
“They do a pretty good job of (anticipating the snap count), and as the game goes on I think they try to get a good understanding of how you are snapping the ball and the cadence and the pace of things,” Brady said (via the Boston Herald). “So we have to do a good job of keeping them off-balance, and I think every team tries to do that when you go in there. A lot of times teams try different things, but if you can’t communicate verbally you have to do things non-verbally and we have to do a good job.”
Driving Brady to distraction, Miller was credited with 2 1/2 sacks in January’s Broncos victory — and clearly left a lasting impression on Brady.
“I think he’s pretty great on every single play, and I think he has gotten better in all phases of the game,” Brady said. “Not just as a rusher but dropping into coverage and covering guys and playing the run.”
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Tied for the league lead with 16 sacks this season, Miller has 72 1/2 in 83 career games. In fact, Brady made a generational comparison in pinpointing a pass-rusher who could affect a game — and game plan — the way Miller can.
“I never played against Lawrence Taylor but I think that would be a (comparison),” he said. “I watched a lot of Lawrence Taylor, and they look like they can kill the quarterback.”