FOXBORO --The Titans have had seven quarterbacks spin in and out since the last time they met New England. When the Patriots creamed Tennessee at home, 59-0, Kerry Collins and Vince Young split the snaps. Now, second-year QB Jake Locker is at the helm with Matt Hasselbeck, Rusty Smith, Chris Simms, and Chris Johnson, hitting the roster at points in between.
To consider the turnover, and consequently his own longevity, Tom Brady shrugged.
"There's turnover every year on our team, on every team -- coaches, players, staff, and so forth -- so I don't think about it too much. I think I learned at a young age that you worry about what you can control and certainly, playing quarterback, my attitude is what I think about on a daily basis."
There's been enough turnover in the Patriots locker room.
Last Friday, the day NFL rosters were cut to fit into that 53-man mold, Brady said three particularly significant goodbyes. Dan Koppen, starting center since 2003; Deion Branch, one of the quarterback's favorite targets; and Brian Hoyer, Brady's backup for the last three years. All three were felled in one axe-swing.
What do you do? Keep playing.
"I think in some ways you become a bit desensitized to it," Brady admitted. "Its not my decision, so I cant really think about it too much other than supporting your friends and what theyre going through. But its not like I can go in and lobby for guys; Its what decisions have been made or what coach always feels is in the best interest of the team. You just try to worry about going out there and doing your job.
"And we had practice that day, so we went out and practiced and you try to have a good practice regardless of who is out there because if you dont, you're really doing a disservice to yourself, your teammates and the franchise. You have to go out and compartmentalize things and go out there and have good practices and ultimately be prepared for the game."
Oh, and it didn't take Brady 13 seasons to realize he wasn't in charge.
"I think you realize at a young age that you really dont know what you dont know, so you see guys in the springtime that have great spring camps," he smiled. "I remember my second year, we had a receiver, Aaron Bailey, that was pretty good. I thought, Man, this guy is really good, and then we released him and I couldnt believe it. Man, we released that guy. He's the one that made all the plays.
There's a reason you don't remember Bailey. Brady knows that now.
"That's just what happens. You see a lot of players come and go and you just learn to deal with it, learn to live with it, and you understand, like, what my job isits challenging enough as it is. I dont have to worry about too many other jobs."