When a three-time Super Bowl Champion and two-time NFL MVP admits that someone else can do things that he can't, you know it's honest praise. And that's exactly what Tom Brady gave Andrew Luck.
"He's a great player, in his third year, and he's had a lot of success," Brady said of Luck on Wednesday. "Their offense is doing a great job this year; they score a lot of points [averaging a league-high 32.2 per game], especially at home. He's kind of the ringleader. He does a lot of things I wish I could do."
Brady highlighted Luck's 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame as one of the major positives Luck possesses.
"He's big, fast, shrugs off blockers. He makes a lot of extended plays," Brady said. "He's a great passer. I think they've thrown for more yards [3,105] at this point in the year than any other team in history. It speaks to what they're doing offensively, and it's a great challenge for our defense. We're going to have to score a lot. When you play another great offense, you're going to have to put up a lot of points, similar to our last game [against Denver]. We realize we have a big job, too."
"My focus is on the other side of the ball, but you also know you're not going to be able to score 13 points and win the game."
The two MVP candidates will face off this weekend in Indianapolis.
Brady was also asked about two of his former backups, Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer, who are now starting for the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, respectively.
"It's pretty cool," he said. "It speaks to their work ethic and what they've been able to accomplish. They both have overcome quite a bit in their careers. So it will be fun to see. We play at 8 o'clock, so I'm sure a lot guys on our team will be paying attention."
