In a recent interview with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, Dolphins’ linebacker Jerry Porter said that Tom Brady has an extra advantage every week because he has his own set of rules.
“No question,” said Porter, the Miami Dolphins’ quotable linebacker, who meets Brady’s New England Patriots on Sunday. “When a guy can tell a ref when to throw a flag, and he gets it, he’s got his own rules. They made the rule that you don’t go at the legs for Tom, so when he feels that someone is going at his legs, he just points to the ref and he gets a flag. So I can honestly say that he gets his own rules.”
Earlier this week, Porter said he has a “natural hate” for the Patriots, even bringing up the infamous spying charges leveled against New England from the 2007 season. The Patriots were fined $250,000 plus a No. 1 draft pick, and head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for videotaping signals from New York Jets coaches from the sidelines.
“I still don’t care for New England,” Porter said. “The hate’s been there for a while, especially after all the cheating they did back in the day.
… They can sweep it under the rug if they want to, but just like anybody else that’s cheating that gets caught, you put an asterisk by it. But nobody puts an asterisk by those championships.”
Porter has opened his mouth so many times about opposing teams and players that there is no shock value in what he said above. And actually, I agree with him that Brady is protected like a China doll – as our most quarterbacks in the NFL.
Some of the penalties levied on defenders this year from hits on quarterbacks have been ridiculous, both in the pros and on the college level. It’s getting to the point now where quarterbacks should just wear flags. It’s one thing if the defender clearly took a shot at a quarterback after the ball was released. But it’s quite another when a defender is going all out and the refs expect him to stop in midair to avoid hitting the quarterback.
I’m with Porter on this one.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
