Super Bowl LII may be over, but the word war between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles is starting to heat up. Former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi answered allegations thrown by Eagles tackle Lane Johnson, who called the Patriot Way a fear-based organization, instead of fun football. “I’d much rather have fun and win a Super Bowl than be miserable and win five Super Bowls,” said Johnson, whose team defeated the Patriots, 41-33, in Super Bowl LII.
Johnson’s claim did not sit well with Bruschi, who responded on ESPN's "First Take," saying the Eagles tackle didn’t know what he was talking about.
During his stint with the Patriots, Bruschi said he had a lot of fun. “There were so many times that we would speak out in meetings. The entire team meeting would erupt in laughter,” said Bruschi. While on the team plane, Bruschi said that the Patriots were playing music. “We had so much fun in the ones that I was there. I cannot understand what he’s saying there,” the former linebacker added.
Play for Belichick if you want to win
Bruschi also talked about the perception of players that they would rather play for Mike Tomlin or Doug Pederson over Bill Belichick. The former linebacker said if you want to have a double-date with your coach, play with Tomlin or Pederson, but if you want to consistently win, you go play for Belichick.
Bruschi played for the Patriots from 1996 to 2008, winning three Super Bowls and earning one Pro Bowl appearance in 2004. Bruschi suffered a mild stroke in February 2005, but he returned to the field in October. That year, he won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
Luck motivated to face Patriots next season
According to Peter King of MMQB, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is motivated to beat the Patriots next season after New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels spurned the Colts to remain as an assistant to Belichick.
According to King, McDaniels’ move has given Luck a shot of adrenaline, saying he will consider every contest against the Patriots as a “mega-game." As of now, Luck has yet to begin throwing as he’s still dealing with a shoulder injury. However, history is not on Luck’s side as the Patriots have beaten the Colts in their last seven meetings, including the playoffs, by a combined score of 285-152.
In addition, the Patriots have scored at least 42 points in three of their last four outings.
The Colts already announced the hiring of McDaniels before the offensive coordinator aired his desire to remain with the Patriots. The Colts quickly found a replacement for McDaniels, hiring Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich as head coach.
