The New England Patriots entered the week as a nine-point favorite in the oddsmakers’ books over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game. However, things changed quickly this week after it was revealed that Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, suffered an injury to his throwing hand during Wednesday’s practice. Per WEEI.com, the Patriots came from -9 favorites to -7.5 favorites at Bookmaker and Heritage. VegasInsider.com also placed the Patriots as a -7.5 favorites over the Jaguars. The line is expected to change further, depending on Brady's condition during Patriots’ Friday practice.
On Wednesday, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald revealed that Brady jammed his hand during practice after colliding with a teammate. In a follow-up report, Jim McBride of the Boston Globe said Brady underwent X-rays, but the result came back negative. The injury caused Brady to miss his scheduled media conference on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the 40-year-old Brady made an appearance during the early part of Patriots practice wearing gloves on both hands. That was unusual for Brady since he only wears gloves on his non-throwing hand. Many were surprised when the Patriots listed Brady as a non-participant in Thursday’s practice with the right-hand injury. The Patriots also postponed Brady’s media appearance to Friday, where he will extensively discuss the extent of his injury.
However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network Insider said Brady’s hand injury is a non-issue and he will suit up Sunday against the Jaguars.
Teammates peppered with Brady questions
During Thursday’s media availability, several of Brady’s teammates were asked about the status of the veteran quarterback. However, all of them remained 'mum' on Brady’s condition.
When asked about Brady, center David Andrews told media that he’s not a doctor and he’s focused on their upcoming game against the Jaguars. Guard Joe Thuney echoed Andrews’ comment, saying he’s busy studying and watching game films to prepare himself for their crucial outing. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy dodged questions about Brady’s condition, commenting instead about the quarterback’s looks.
“He’s handsome. He’s good at football,” said Van Noy. Safety Devin McCourty, for his part, said he’s only looking at Brady’s face and not anywhere else.
Brian Hoyer asked about reps
The media also asked backup quarterback Brian Hoyer about Brady’s condition and if he saw more reps than usual during practice. However, Hoyer was vague in his reply to the media, saying there were days that he had many reps and there were practices that he hadn’t taken any. "I just do what’s asked of me,” said Hoyer, who was acquired by the Patriots after trading Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers.
