Tedy Bruschi, Lane Johnson exchange barbs over The Patriot Way

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Tedy Bruschi has a word of advice for Lane Johnson: hush.

The former Patriots linebacker and current ESPN analyst told Johnson he should be putting New England in his rear-view mirror after the Eagles tackle criticized The Patriot Way, and called Bill Belichick's Patriots a "fear-based organization."

“This is a sign when people just don’t know how to regularly win football games," Bruschi said on ESPN's "First Take" on Monday. "You talk about the other team and talk about who you beat, you're bringing up other things. What are you talking about? Just celebrate with your teammates. Let me teach you how to celebrate a world championship. Because when you win back-to-back championships, from a guy that's failed trying to do it and also from a guy that's succeeded trying to do it, you need more than planned celebrations, dog masks and trick plays. He will learn that this year when you try to repeat, but you are bringing up the New England Patriots in a time you shouldn’t be.”

Johnson's comments came during an interview on Barstool Sports' podcast "Pardon My Take" when Johnson also called New England's players "[expletive] robots" in their dealings with the media. Johnson said he'd rather have fun winning one championship in Philly instead of winning five with the Patriots, where they don't seem to enjoy themselves.

“Lane Johnson, I don’t know what he’s talking about," Bruschi said on ESPN. "I had a lot of fun. There were so many times that we would speak out in meetings. The entire team meeting would erupt in laughter. We're playing music on the team plane. We had so much fun in the ones that I was there. I cannot understand what he’s saying there.”

Belichick and Eagles coach Doug Pederson, the man who beat Belichick in Super Bowl LII, do have vastly different coaching styles. Pederson's Eagles were open and expansive with the media during the Super Bowl week. The Patriots were not. That, in part, was emblematic of how the organizations operate.

Current Patriots linebacker Marquis Flowers also fired back at Johnson on Twitter.

“If you want a relationship and you want to double-date with your coach, I mean go play with those guys," Bruschi said with a smile. "Go ahead. Unless you want -- if you want to learn how to win games and consistently win games throughout your career, you play for Bill Belichick."

Johnson, who never seems short of words, had a quick response for Bruschi on Twitter. For now, Johnson got the last word.

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