With the Second Circuit Court of Appeals denying Tom Brady a rehearing in regards to his four-game suspension from the NFL, the New England Patriots will have to prepare for a September without Brady under center. Unless the U.S. Supreme Court decides the case is an issue of paramount importance and elects to hear the complaint (if the NFLPA and Brady file an appeal with the court), Brady will miss the first quarter of the 2016 season.
The Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans or Buffalo Bills are the four teams that would benefit from Brady’s absence and draw Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback instead. However, Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus isn’t thrilled about the idea of facing a Brady-less Patriots team.
In an appearance on NFL Network’s Total Access, Dareus explained that he wishes Brady would be playing when the Bills and Patriots meet in Week 4 of the regular season.
“I can’t wait to play (the Patriots),” Dareus said. “I hate that Brady’s not going to be there. But when he comes back ...
“If we win, all right, we win. But I don’t feel like I really won until I beat the guy. I love playing against Brady. I get up for him. I play against him every year, and he knows I’m coming. So for him not to be up there tears me up a little bit. But the second time I see him, I’m going to be excited to play against him.”
The Patriots have won 28 of the last 31 meetings between the two teams, including 15 straight from 2003-2011. Dareus has lost eight of the nine games he’s played against New England in his tenure in Buffalo.
Nevertheless, it’s admirable that Dareus wants to go against the best and, hopefully, beat the best the Patriots have to offer. If the Bills want to win the AFC East for the first time in 20 years, they’ll have to go through the Patriots to do it.
