FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had his weekly meeting with the media Thursday, and he used an analogy reporters can understand while talking about bye week preparation.
“You know, it’s still football season, so it’s not a week off at all,” Brady said Thursday. “We’re trying to stay sharp and we’ve worked hard to get to this point, but there’s still a lot more to go.
“You know, we’re still writing our story, and hopefully we write a good one.”
It’s been pretty compelling so far. The Patriots began the season 2-2 and finished on an 11-1 run with the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. The Patriots’ offense kept producing despite injuries to key players, including Brady, and the defense, once ranked 32nd in the NFL in points allowed, finished fifth.
And now they’ll wait to see who they play in the playoffs. They’ll take on the lowest remaining seed of the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, and if all goes as expected, they’ll see the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC Championship Game rematch.
And a week off should help Brady get back up to 100 percent. He reappeared on the Patriots’ injury report last week with left shoulder and Achilles ailments. His play has dropped off in the six weeks he’s been on the injury report with an Achilles injury, though he still rightfully is the favorite to win NFL MVP.
Brady participated in both of the Patriots’ practices this week.
“I’m hoping next week I’ll feel just great and be 100 percent ready to go,” Brady said. “So, I’m excited for that.”
