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Bruised egos from a winless preseason heal quickly. So too, apparently, has Brandon Meriweather’s unspecified leg injury.
The second-year defensive back returned to the Patriots’ practice field yesterday for the first time since he went down Aug. 17 against the Buccaneers, and Meriweather said he “expects” to play in Sunday’s season opener against the Chiefs.
At first glance, Meriweather’s injury appeared to be another blow to an already-thin secondary. More importantly, however, the 24-year-old had been one of the biggest stars in training camp and showed signs of the hype he garnered at the University of Miami.
He has showcased his playmaking ability as a punishing presence in the middle of the field, and the Patriots hope he can continue emerging into the mold of fellow Miami alums Ed Reed and the late Sean Taylor.
Meriweather has also boasted about his increased confidence, a byproduct of picking the brains of Rodney Harrison, John Lynch, James Sanders and new secondary coach Dom Capers. With that, Meriweather — a shy, unassuming and popular presence in the locker room — has developed more of a leadership role on the field.
Meriweather’s veteran ethos shines through away from the field, too. When asked how much he’s improved in the last year, he spouts the company line without so much as a second thought.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You’ve got to ask Bill [Belichick] that.”
Bill, your thoughts?
“He is much better now than where he was last year at this time,” Belichick said. “He continues to improve on a regular basis. He works hard and takes coaching well. He doesn’t make the same mistake repeatedly.”
That high praise isn’t often recycled by Belichick, especially for young players. It was also important in Belichick’s eyes for Meriweather to get on the field yesterday because Belichick rarely allows guys to play without practicing.
That’s certainly not news to Meriweather.
“Whenever you see your team play, you always want to be a part of it, just like everything else,” Meriweather said. “When your kid takes his first steps, you don’t want to sit down and watch it on video. You want to see it yourself. You always want to be on the field with your team.”
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