Seeing Tom Brady stay on the sidelines for the Patriots' preseason opener last week in Detroit wasn't unexpected. After all, it's the fifth time in the last six years that Brady sat out Week 1 of the preseason (and the one time he did play, he only saw seven snaps in 2015 against the Packers).
But will Brady play against the Titans on Saturday night? Assuming he knew Bill Belichick's plan, he didn't spill the beans when asked about it Thursday.
"I just expect to play, and if he [Bill Belichick] says, 'You're not playing,' then I'm not playing," Brady said. "I think there's a lot of things that factor into his decisions, but I'm not involved in any of those, so I just show up and practice. That's been my role, that's been my job, so I'm trying to show up and do a good job."
But while sitting out the preseason opener has become routine, what about Week 2? Here's how much Brady has played in the Patriots' second preseason games in recent years, along with how he and the team fared while he was on the field:
2018 vs. Philly: 6 series, 39 snaps, 20 points in 2 full quarters; 19/26, 172 yards, 2 TD
2017 at Houston: 2 series, 16 snaps, 7 points in 1+ quarter; 6/9, 67 yards, TD
New England Patriots
2016 vs. Chicago: DNP (Jimmy Garoppolo & Jacoby Brissett split playing time)
2015 at New Orleans: 3 series, 9 snaps, 0 points in 1 quarter; 2/5, 40 yards
2014 vs. Philly: 2 series, 22 snaps, 7 points in 1 quarter; 8/10, 81 yards, TD, INT
2013 vs. Tampa Bay: 2 series, 24 snaps, 8 points in 1 quarter; 11/12, 107 yards, TD
2012 vs. Philly: DNP (Ryan Mallett & Brian Hoyer split playing time)
2011 at Tampa Bay: 6 series, 38 snaps, 28 points in 2 quarters; 11/19, 118 yards, 2 TD
Outside of last season and 2011, Brady has typically played a couple of series in the first quarter before coming out of the game. What does that mean for Saturday night in Nashville?
Only Bill Belichick knows for sure.
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