Danny Amendola gets more praise from Tom Brady
Tom Brady and Danny Amendola got things clicking when it mattered most, and the New England Patriots slim victory over the Buffalo Bills yesterday showcased some great passes from Brady to Amendola. The connection between both players looks as good as advertised, and there were several plays in which Amendola got open using some great footwork and route-running to set up a perfectly thrown ball from Tom Brady. I want to note that the velocity Brady was getting on some of his throws were just unreal, and he showed an awful lot of zip, as usual, on throws up the middle that Amendola took full advantage of.
New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) heads to the field before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Brady knows the value of having a wide receiver like Amendola, and both players have praised each other from the beginning. Here’s what Brady said of Amendola on this morning’s appearance on Dennis and Callahan, “He was battling all week to get out there, and he fought really hard to do it. He got out there and it bothered him enough in the first half where he went out. But he really fought hard, showed a lot of mental and physical toughness to get out there to play in the second half. And what a great second half he played. It was just awesome.”
Added Brady: “That’s what Danny’s done since he’s gotten here. He’s been able to find different open spots in zones and catch it, catch the ball in traffic, make diving catches. He’s done such a great job of that. That’s a really positive thing that Danny brings to our offense. The more often that he can do that, the better it’s going to be for us. We’ll see how it goes over the course of the year.”
Danny Amendola made some unreal catches on that final drive, and he was an invaluable member of this Patriots offense. Brady himself was surprised at the kind of toughness Amendola showed, and I remember both he and Shane Vereen being incredibly impressed with his toughness when speaking at today’s press conference. From now on, nobody will be surprised at how tough Amendola is, and this is the kind of player he’s been since high school. It was certainly a memorable debut from Danny Amendola, and we’ll all be looking for more big games from him in the next few seasons.