New England Patriots QB Tom Brady gains new 'perspective' on bench

The vantage point is unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but Tom Brady gained a new appreciation for the New England Patriots watching the team work from afar.

"I was hoping to gain a little different perspective, and I think I have," Brady said during his weekly Westwood One radio interview before Monday Night Football. "It's amazing the way our team responds to adversity and the way our coaches prepare us for all these different situations that we face."

The Patriots have two more games to get through before Brady's four-game suspension, the fallout from "Deflategate," is over. That includes a game Thursday night at home against Brady's former mentor and coach Bill O'Brien, who leads the 2-0 Houston Texans.

"I'm just proud of the guys for how hard they're working. You can see it on TV, and obviously it's really paying off," Brady said. "It's great to be a fan of the Patriots and it's really great to be a player on the Patriots. I definitely have gained that perspective, and hopefully we get to 3-0 on Thursday night."

Brady is a living, thriving example of head coach Bill Belichick's "next man up" approach.

It will be put into practice again Thursday. Jimmy Garoppolo is likely to sit with an injured AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder.

That means rookie Jacoby Brissett would get the call against the Texans. While Brady said he hurts for Garoppolo after a three-TD first half against the Dolphins, he knows the time will come for both backup quarterbacks.

"Jacoby has done a great job taking advantage of his opportunity as well," Brady said. "He went in there (Sunday) and showed a lot of poise. He has a great demeanor about him. I love working with him. He shows up to work every day working hard. He's very competitive, and I know our coaching staff will have him prepared and ready to go for Thursday night if he's called upon."