At least Earl Thomas admitted he was being salty.
The injured Seahawks safety witnessed his team falling to the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday afternoon and, presumably, saw the Patriots edge the Houston Texans in Foxborough later on that night. The difference in opposition set him off.
Brady unsurprisingly took the high road when offering a response to Thomas' statement on WEEI-FM in Boston on Monday morning. "I heard about it. ... I love Earl. I think he's a helluva player. I wish him the best in his recovery."
It was hard not to notice the discrepancy in competition this season given the unusually high number of quarterback injuries in the AFC that occurred right before the playoffs. Instead of facing a high-flying Oakland Raiders team led by Derek Carr on Saturday night, the Patriots went up against a Texans team that limped through a majority of the season without a professional-caliber offense.
Brock Osweiler threw three interceptions. His receivers also failed him on a few would-be game-changing plays.
Of course it must be frustrating for Seattle. The Seahawks' ascension has come at a time where they had to fend off excellent seasons from the 49ers and Cardinals in the not-so-distant past. The NFC playoff picture included Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Matt Ryan and Matt Stafford. But like any NBA Western Conference team that was squeezed out recently while weak Eastern Conference teams walked into the playoffs, it's simply a burden for Thomas and the Seahawks to bear.
There's nothing wrong with being salty every now and then.
