Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was calm and complimentary Monday when recalling his intense moments on the sideline with offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien during Sunday's 34-27 victory over the Washington Redskins.
"We're both very emotional people, believe me," Brady told WEEI-AM in Boston during his weekly radio appearance.
"That's just part of the game. He and I have a great relationship. Actually, I love that he feels that he can coach me. I think that's something as a veteran player you maybe don't get a lot from coaches. Because you're a veteran, you don't think, 'Aw man, I can't be yelled at.' But yeah, you can. And you should. We're all held accountable. I'm glad our defense really made the play to win the game at the end, because I'd have been feeling pretty crappy if we'd somehow not pulled that game out with that interception there at the end.
"Billy and I have a great relationship. It's just venting on both of our parts. And I do that a lot, too. I get on guys all the time. It's a way to try to get guys to respond. Our team needs a lot of fire. We need a lot of emotion. That's the way you play the game."
The blowup came after Brady threw an interception to Josh Wilson in the Redskins end zone as New England was trying to ice the game. The quarterback and his comparatively anonymous offensive coordinator screamed at each other on the sideline until coach Bill Belichick had to intervene.
"Hopefully, my mom wasn't trying to read my lips," Brady said.