FOXBORO, Mass. — Before the media circus rolled into Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick prepared his players for the increased level of attention that would consume their locker room.
If there was a bearded lady, or a three-headed elephant or any other type of circus freak waiting in the wings, Belichick wanted to make sure his players were ready to stay on course. He probably saved the analogies, though.
"It's a circus," running back Kevin Faulk said. "That's all it is, a circus. The most important thing is playing a football game and preparing for a football game. The other stuff doesn't even matter. … It's pretty obvious what you have to be aware of and what to walk away from."
Faulk is one of eight players who have played in an AFC Championship with the Patriots, so he's in the minority among players who have been through the drill before with Belichick, whose message was well-received.
"[Belichick was] just telling us don't be distracted, prepare and get ready to go because it comes down to Sunday at 3 o'clock," second-year cornerback Devin McCourty said. "That's what we're all working for, and really, nothing else matters except for the game."
Nothing wild really took place Wednesday, and the crazy stuff is mostly contained to the famous Super Bowl Media Day. Still, the media contingent was far heavier Wednesday than for any weekday session of the year, and certain news conferences were broadcasted live on television.
Plus, the Lamar Hunt Trophy was displayed on a table between the Patriots' and Ravens' helmets. Even with all of that in focus, the Patriots were able to stay on task as if it were any other day, let alone the first true day of preparation for the AFC Championship.
"I think coach Belichick does a great job of getting the team ready and understanding that this is a football game, something we've been doing here for the last six months," quarterback Tom Brady said. "A big part of what we've done all year is really avoid the distractions and the things that come along with the hype and the buildup of certain games, whether it's a Sunday Night Football game or Monday Night Football game or last week's game. We've certainly been in a lot of big games this year, so once the ball is kicked off, we'll be prepared to play as we always are."
Have a question for Jeff Howe? Send it to him via Twitter at @jeffphowe or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
