With Tom Brady on the sidelines, Brian Hoyer takes turn in spotlight

FOXBOROUGH — Brian Hoyer was a little taken aback to see such a sizable group of reporters at his locker after practice on Thursday.

“Why do you guys want to talk to the backup quarterback?” he asked with a small smile on his face.


“It was a great day to practice,” he said. “With the cold weather we had, the sun out, above 30 degrees. Couldn’t ask for a better day to practice.”

Of course, in the wake of the news Tom Brady did not practice Thursday because of a right-hand issue, Hoyer was completely aware of what was going on. He said that when it comes to his level of preparation, it’s the same, regardless of the situation.

“I prepare every week like I’m going to play,” said Hoyer. “Whether I do or I don’t that’s really not up to me. I think the one thing I can benefit from is the fact that since I was the backup here last time is that I’ve played a lot of football. I’ve been the starter on three different teams. I know how to prepare as a starter. And whether I’m getting those reps or not, each rep I’m not getting I’m taking as a mental rep. I stand back there and try to think ‘Where would I go with the football?’ ‘Who would I make the (middle linebacker) on this play?’ Whether I’m getting the reps or not, I’m always preparing to play.

“The truth of the reality is is that you never know when your name is going to be called. If anything, having been the backup and having been the starter and now being the backup again, I know how to prepare like I’m going to play. If I don’t play, that’s good for our team. If I do, then I’m ready to go.”

Hoyer was coy about his activity level on Thursday. He was asked if he took more snaps or fewer than usual.

“Define what is usual?” he asked.

“Since I’ve been here, there have been days where I’ve taken a lot of reps. There have been days where I haven’t taken any. I just do what’s asked of me,” he added. “However many reps that is, whether it’s the scout team, whether a few plays with the offense, I just do whatever they ask me to do. It just depends on what would be more. Some days it’s more. Some days, it’s less. It’s just a matter of what day it is.”

When it comes to the playbook, there’s a level of familiarity there, but he added that there’s always room for improvement.

“I’m always trying to get that down,” Hoyer said. “It’s a week-to-week basis. And I think the one thing, coming back in the middle of the season, I have a base knowledge of the system and have just tried to pick up every week after that. What we run this week could be totally different from what we ran last week, so it’s kind of a week-to-week basis.”

Hoyer got to know the Jags a little better than most, thanks in part to his time in the AFC South with the Texans. In his career, he’s 3-2 against Jacksonville, with a 57 percent completion rate (95 for 166) with 1,059 passing yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions and a passer rating of 79.4.

“I’ve played against these guys four times in the last three years, and each time they seem to get a little better, whether it’s a big free agent signing like Calais Campbell or a high draft pick like Jalen Ramsey,” Hoyer said. “You watch them on tape this year, they’re playing with a lot of confidence. They have a good scheme and they play it well.”