Broncos DL calls Brady a "crybaby:" The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots may battle for the AFC crown on Sunday, but a battle of wits has already begun between both sides with just days left before the big game.
While addressing the media Monday, Broncos defensive lineman Antonio Smith took a jab at Patriots quarterback Tom Brady by calling the four-time Super Bowl winner a crybaby and further justifying it with the following:
"That would be an accurate statement. I've never seen any quarterback look to the referee right after he gets sacked more than Brady," Smith said, via the Colorado Springs Gazette. "Every time he gets sacked, he looks at the ref like, 'You see him sack me? Was that supposed to happen? He did it a little hard. Please throw a 15-yard penalty on him. Get him fined.'''
While the 12-year veteran took jabs at Brady Monday, he also praised the quarterback's competitive nature while still sticking with his crybaby theme.
"He's not going to rattle just because you hit him hard. I've tried over the years," Smith said, via the Gazette. "That's what D-linemen think: 'The harder you hit the quarterback, the better it will make it on the secondary.'
"With Brady, he's a great competitor. You know it's coming. He's going to cry about getting hit, but he's going to take the hit and keep going."
Brady wasn't the only target of criticism Monday. His favorite weapon, tight end Rob Gronkowski, was also the subject of scrutiny as Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall explained what makes Gronk so dangerous.
"I say because he pushes off," Marshall said on NBC Sports' "Pro Football Talk Live" radio show on Monday. "I mean, he pushes off, and he gets away with it about 98 percent of the time."
During last week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the 26-year-old Gronkowski scored two touchdowns and set an NFL record for touchdowns in the postseason by a tight end with eight.
Gronk takes to social media to fire back at Broncos' Harris Jr.: Rob Gronkowski is a force to be reckoned with on the football field. But on Tuesday, a Broncos defender told SportsCenter a way to slow down the seemingly unstoppable tight end.
"You gotta hit him low, man. Hit him in his knees. That's the best chance you got of hitting him," Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. told SportsCenter, via ESPN.
Gronkowski, who has a history of knee injuries, didn't care for the advice Harris Jr. gave to SportsCenter and took to Twitter to express his displeasure through a suggestive tweet.
The Broncos' Twitter account later filed back with the following Tweet that includes a link to a video with analysts breaking down the best way to defend Gronkowski.
The low down on defending @Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski https://t.co/J5sAHxLZoI
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 20, 2016
Clever wording by the Broncos' social media department.
Shady compares Rex to Chip: With his first season as a Buffalo Bill in the books, running back LeSeasn McCoy took time Monday to compare his experience with Bills head coach Rex Ryan to his past experience with Chip Kelly.
"I think Chip Kelly is a coach that is more hands-on. There's not really a lot of leaders on the team. He's more of a leader. He's the guy who's kind of setting the rules," McCoy said, via ESPN.
Kelly and the Eagles traded McCoy last off season for linebacker Kiko Alonso and brought in Ryan Mathews and DeMarco Muray to replace McCoy. The trade didn't work out so much for the Eagles, as neither Alonso or Murray lived up to expectations.
McCoy played in just 12 games for the Bills in 2015 and finished with 895 rushing yards on 203 attempts, good for a 4.4 yards per carry average.
The 27-year-old running back compared the two coaches' styles. He noted how hands-on Kelly was and how he "monitored everything" including sleep patterns and contrasted him with Ryans' style.
"Rex is more like, if [it's] a big game against whoever team, [he says] 'You know how important this game is. I shouldn't have tell you to study. I shouldn't have to tell you to get into your playbook. I shouldn't have to tell you to do your own type of things. You shouldn't be out late. You should already be mentally focused for this game,'" McCoy said.
"I think Rex definitely has that NFL [attitude], 'Guys, be men, be veterans.' But also, in his credit, he's played and coached with guys like Ray Lewis. You look at [Bart] Scott and all different players that were veterans, [Darrelle] Revis, guys that were leaders. You kind of let the leaders, the veterans, lead, then you have your troops, your soldiers that follow.
"I think Chip is kind of the opposite. I think he's the guy that dictates how everything is supposed to go and push everything out like that."
While the Eagles finished the season 7-9, Kelly was fired by Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie before the team's final regular season game. Kelly's methods and lack of emotional ties with his players led to reports that the head coach had lost the locker room.
With Kelly being hired as the San Francisco 49ers' head coach, McCoy offered words of advice for 49ers players.
"Chip is … he wants to win. He's very, very intelligent," McCoy said. "The offense, they'll find ways to get big numbers. They'll find ways to put stats up offensively. You just got to, I think, with him coming in there, no matter how good of a player or lower of a player you are, if you just automatically believe him — no matter if it sounds crazy and you're like, 'What is he talking about?' — if you just automatically believe and buy in, I think you'll be fine.
