Brady fires salvo at doubters
It may have been hard to hear him over the noise of the New England fans celebrating an eighth straight trip to the AFC title game, but Tom Brady is feeling disrespected.
That’s right: The three-time NFL most valuable player and five-time Super Bowl champion told a national TV audience after demolishing the Los Angeles Chargers in the playoffs last week: ‘‘I know everyone thinks we suck and can’t win any games.
‘‘We’ll see,’’ Brady said with a roguish look. ‘‘Could be fun.’’
There hasn’t been an NFL run like the Patriots – at least in the Super Bowl era – with Brady and coach Bill Belichick leading the franchise to 10 straight AFC East titles and 15 in 16 years, resulting in eight trips to the Super Bowl and five NFL crowns.
‘‘You’re talking about a dynasty,’’ rival Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. ‘‘If there is such a thing in the National Football League, they’ve been that.’’
Yet, as they prepare to travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs (13-4) in tomorrow’s AFC championship game, Brady is right about one thing: The Patriots (12-5) are a 3-point underdog, and that’s an unusual position for them.
‘‘We’re going against a team that’s the No 1 seed in the league,’’ Brady said after the team’s final practice. ‘‘I’m sure there’s a lot of people that are thinking they’re going to win. Everyone can have their own opinion. We certainly have an opinion, and we’ve got to go out there and execute our best in order to accomplish that.’’
Players have long found their motivation wherever they can, whether it’s the oddsmakers or experts or comments from the opposing team that go up on the locker room for all to see.
The Chiefs have been careful not to help out with any bulletin board material.
‘‘I don’t think they suck,’’ Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. ‘‘I can tell you that.’’
But rustling up slights to motivate themselves is just another thing they’ve mastered.
Responding to the public perception – or at least that of the oddsmakers – receiver Julian Edelman tweeted a Chiefs hype video lauding rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the best player in the league. Edelman made no secret of what he thought of that, adding a hashtag: #BetAgainstUs.
He is also selling T-shirts with the slogan squeezed into the shape of the Patriots logo.
Special teams star Matthew Slater said he wasn’t motivated as much by being an underdog in this game as other times he was doubted in his life.
‘‘I’m not supposed to be playing in this league anyways,’’ he said, ‘‘so we’ve got plenty of motivation.’’
Jason McCourty was a sixthround draft pick, at defensive back, just like Brady. And, just like Brady, he hasn’t forgotten.
‘‘You’ve just always had that chip on your shoulder, and no matter what you go through in life, especially with football, there’s just always someone or something,’’ McCourty said.
❚ TIGHT END Benjamin Watson is expected to be inactive when the New Orleans Saints host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game tomorrow.
ESPN reported that Watson’s missed practices last week were because of appendicitis.
However, the Saints listed Watson as questionable on yesterday’s injury report.
New Orleans have ruled out receiver Keith Kirkwood (calf) after he missed the week’s three practices.
Watson, 38, announced last month he planned to retire after this season. If Watson doesn’t play, that will leave quarterback Drew Brees without one of his offensive weapons. On the season, Watson had 35 catches for 400 yards with two touchdowns.
In his career, he has played in 195 games for the New England Patriots (2004-09), Cleveland Browns (2010-12), New Orleans (2013-15, 2018) and Baltimore Ravens (2017). He has played in 12 playoff games and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in his rookie season.
The underdog Rams, led by star running back Todd Gurley, did not list any players on yesterday’s injury report.