TAMPA, FL – OCTOBER 24: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on before the game against the Chicago Bears at Raymond James Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Lawrence Tynes was on the winning end of two of the biggest shortcomings of Tom Brady’s career.
In the former kicker’s first season with the New York Giants, they stunned the undefeated New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Four years later, they beat the Brady Pats again.
During an interview with Brandon Robinson of Bally Sports (h/t NESN), Tynes admitted that he felt some hatred towards Brady,
“I would say yes, but only through sport,” Tynes said. “It wasn’t anything personal. But because he’s sort of the ‘golden child’ of the NFL, and with a team that keeps winning. And then you add a bit of the, ‘Oh, they filmed. Or they deflated footballs.’ A lot of people hate the Patriots. It’s not just Tom Brady. It’s because they’re good, right?
Tynes added that they didn’t like the Patriots the way some fans may now resent the Golden State Warriors or the Los Angeles Dodgers, but then recalled a “super cocky” remark Brady made before their first meeting at the Super Bowl in 2008.
“There was a natural and respectful hatred, if that makes sense, towards Tom Brady because he was super cocky before game week, you know? Plaxico [Burress] had made a statement about the score, and then Tom said something like, ‘You mean we’re only going to score 14 points?'”
Burress predicted a 23-17 Giants win over a team that averaged 36.8 points per game during the regular season. However, the Giants wide receiver actually guessed too high. The Giants pulled off a 17-14 upset.
“I wish he had said 45-42 or something,” Brady said after initially laughing at the 23-17 prediction. “At least he gave us some credit for scoring more points.”
Tynes — and more importantly, the Giants defense — seemed to embrace Brady’s reaction as bulletin board material. He said athletes are “great at taking something and using it as fuel.”
Given the quality of Brady’s and New England’s offense all year, he had every reason to anticipate a higher point total. Brady threw for 50 touchdowns during the regular season and the Pats hadn’t scored less than 20 points in a game before suffering their first loss.
Brady can’t scoff at the prospect of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers scoring 17 points. They are averaging 17.7 per game after last Sunday’s 21-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers.