Cover / Artwork » Tom Brady doesn’t know Philip Rivers well

FOXBOROUGH Zach Gentry Jersey , Mass. (AP) — personal level.But as the Patriots quarterback began his preparations for Sunday’s divisional playoff game with the Chargers, he said he only had to think back to their AFC championship game matchup during the 2007 season to remind himself of Rivers’ toughness.“I mean the guy played with a torn ACL. We played in 10-degree weather and he was still firing dimes out there,” Brady said Monday on Boston’s WEEI radio. “So, the guy’s got all of the confidence in the world. It makes for a great matchup.”New England won that day and Brady enters Sunday’s game with a 7-0 record as a starter against Rivers, including 4-0 in games played in Foxborough and 2-0 in the playoffs.Rivers earned his lone victory against New England during the 2008 regular season when the Chargers were still in San Diego. Brady was sidelined for that game by a knee injury he sustained in the Patriots’ season opener and Matt Cassel started in his place.New England has won four straight games in the series since then , with the Chargers getting within a touchdown when they lost 23-20 at home in 2010. The Patriots beat the Chargers 21-13 last season.History aside, Brady said it doesn’t diminish his respect for Rivers’ abilities on the field. At age 37, Rivers ended the regular season by throwing for at least 4,000 yards for the sixth straight season. He also posted at least 30 passing touchdowns for the sixth time since becoming the Chargers’ starter in 2006.Like Brady he’s also been incredibly durable during his career, not missing a regular-season start for 13 consecutive seasons.“He’s a great leader. He’s a great passer of the football,” Brady said. “He’s kind of like me. He wants the ball out of his hands. He kind of wants to be able to anticipate coverages. He’s got really a great group of skill players — backs, tight ends, receivers. They’re playing as well as any offense that’s played all season. He’s having an incredible year.”So Joey Bosa Jersey , too, is Los Angeles‘ defense.The Chargers ended the regular season ranked eighth in the NFL allowing 21 points per game, while allowing only 228 yards passing per game (ranked ninth). They beat the Ravens 23-17 in the wild-card round, but led 23-3 in the fourth quarter before allowing a pair of late touchdowns.It’s why Brady said his preparations for the Chargers started immediately after the conclusion of that game.“I was watching film all night,” Brady said.Rivers could also have another target to throw to this time around against New England.On Monday, the Chargers added tight end Hunter Henry to the active roster, less than eight months after he suffered a knee injury during an offseason workout in May.He had surgery two weeks later and had been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp.“It gives them another weapon with a great quarterback who can use all of his weapons at all of the positions,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “It’s another brick on the pile that we’ll have to deal with.”While Brady won’t have any new personnel to throw to, he did spend New England’s bye week trying to fine-tune his own skills by working out with personal throwing coach Tom House.“I had some extra time and thought it would be a good thing to do,” Brady said. “Football is all about techniques and fundamentals. … In the bigger games you need to be as sound as possible.”He said he’s expecting “a great test” from the Chargers.“We’ve earned the right to be playing in this weekend’s game and we’ve got a great opportunity,” Brady said. “We’ve got to go out and have our best game of the year.” TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay’s bid to lure Bruce Arians out of retirement and back to the NFL included a pitch from baseball manager Joe Maddon.The 66-year-old coach grew up in York, Pennsylvania Nick Bosa Jersey , not far from Maddon’s hometown of Hazelton. He and the Chicago Cubs skipper have grown close since Buccaneers general Jason Licht introduced them several years ago.Maddon, 64, managed the Tampa Bay Rays for nine years before moving on to the Cubs in 2015. He lives in Florida during the offseason and owns a popular South Tampa restaurant where he and Arians dined last weekend.“I had already convinced myself. But we’re old friends,” Arians said Thursday, when he formally was introduced as Tampa Bay’s fifth new coach in a decade.“It was more break bread, have fun. I didn’t need any convincing.”Arians coached the Arizona Cardinals for five years, compiling a 49-30-1 record and making the playoffs twice before retiring after the 2017 season.He cited health concerns and a desire to spend more time with family for walking away, but was unable to fill the void working in a broadcast booth the past year.“There’s something about growing up in the locker room, the bonds and relationships you build in building a football team,” Arians said. “The ups the downs, and all the things that go in between, is probably what I love most about the game. I missed the arena.”The Bucs, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2007 L.J. Collier Jersey , fired former coach Dirk Koetter on Dec. 30. Armed with a checklist of what the club wanted in a replacement, Licht interviewed Arians, as well as Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards and Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard.Licht knew Arians from the GM’s days as vice president of player personnel in Arizona, but stressed he also was everything the Bucs were looking for — a coach with a commanding presence and proven track record for winning and developing players and assistant coaches, as well as someone who would bring some swagger to the team.“He wants to put a (Super Bowl) ring on everyone’s hand in this organization,” Licht said.“He has a fire and passion for this game that burns very deep inside,” Bucs owner/co-chairman Bryan Glazer said, adding Arians is a “confident, proven leader and has a clear vision and plan for getting our franchise back to playing winning football.”And Arians, who inherits Jameis Winston as his starting quarterback, doesn’t believe it’ll take long to transform the Bucs into a championship contender.“I think we have the core here to win quickly,” Arians said. “I’m not about building http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marquise-blair-jersey , I’m about reloading.”When Arians was hired in Arizona, he took over a team that finished 5-11 the year before his arrival and went 10-6 in his first season in 2013.“This one’s much easier, I believe,” he said. “When I walked into Arizona we had no quarterbacks.”However, the Cardinals quickly filled that void by trading for Carson Palmer.Arians has known Winston since the 25-year-old quarterback was a high school player attending one of the coach’s football camps in Birmingham, Alabama.Winston is 21-33 as a starter over the past four seasons and only one quarterback — Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles — has more turnovers than Winston’s 75 since he entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft.Winston is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Arians said there’s no added on pressure on former Heisman Trophy winner to prove he’s Tampa Bay’s long-term solution at quarterback.“No pressure. No pressure whatsoever. I want him to relax and play the game. Talent’s no issue. It’s just (playing) a little smarter,” said Arians, who’s hiring former Cardinals assistant Byron Leftwich as his offensive coordinator.“With Clyde Christenson as his quarterback coach and Byron, he’s going to be coached as well as he’s ever been and more prepared than he’s ever been fundamentally and mentally,” Arians added. “It’s his team. I’ll tell our players in the first meeting. This isn’t my team, it’s your team. We’ll be as good as you want to be.”