Getty At age 41, Tom Brady led the Patriots to a sixth Super Bowl title using criticism from outsiders.
Many pundits predicted the New England Patriots would not only lose in their postseason opener, but their dynasty would come to a screeching halt.
Both predictions were wrong.
The Patriots used that motivation on a run to the Super Bowl title, as detailed in the NFL Network documentary ‘America’s Game.’
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In a postgame interview following the Patriots’ Divisional Round victory over the Chargers, Tom Brady went on the record saying “everyone thinks we suck.” This became a rallying cry for the rest of the team.
I think he was genuinely pissed off that people thought we suck,” said Julian Edelman.
“He was sticking up for the whole team by saying that,” said Rob Gronkowski.
And in Brady’s postgame press conference, when asked about all the talking heads in the media, he answered with a smile, “I just like winning.”
Here are some other storylines touched upon during the documentary.
Edelman’s Struggle
Julian Edelman was a major factor for the Patriots’ success down the stretch. He missed the 2017 season with a torn ACL, something that derailed what could have been a special season for New England before it started.
That was compounded by a suspension of four games to start 2018. That suspension was arguably harder on Edelman than his injury.
“There’s a lot of people that count on you and you let a lot of people down,” said Edelman. “It was a tough time in my life. Tom [Brady] was a huge help. He told me to take advantage of this time, get into a routine.”
Edelman’s return was felt most in the postseason. He won Super Bowl MVP, made big plays in overtime of the AFC Championship, and had nine catches for 151 yards against the Chargers in the playoff opener.
“It was a long, long year,” said Edelman. “It was a special day [the Super Bowl] that I’ll never forget.”
Miracle in Miami
The Patriots lost to the Dolphins in a catastrophic fashion. Using Gronkowski as the safety to defend against the ‘Hail Mary,’ the Dolphins countered with a hook-and-ladder as Kenyan Drake breezed past a stumbling Gronk to win the game.
“We had that game won but it wasn’t the end of our season,” said Rob Gronkowski. “We knew we would have to come together as a team if we wanted to keep on moving forward.”
The following week, New England lost at Pittsburgh in a forgettable game where the offense struggled to do anything positive and the defense faltered at vital moments.
“We talked about getting better for this part of the season and then lose two on the road,” said Devin McCourty
Gronkowski’s Quick Hands
The Patriots tight end made strides during what turned out to be his final training camp. Learning from mistakes during the previous season, he developed quick, late hands to make catches against speedy coverage corners.
He did so in a game against the Chiefs during the regular season on a catch that set up the game-winning field goal and again in the playoffs at Kansas City.
It also paid off in the Super Bowl with his catch in triple coverage to set up the lone red-zone drive of the game.
“It was the most roller coaster season I have ever been a part of,” said Gronkowski.
Twin Power
The Patriots traded for Jason McCourty in the offseason, reuniting him with twin brother Devin for the first time in 10 years. The two clicked on and off the field, wearing the same warmup shirts on the field and confusing Coach Belichick.
Both brothers were open about their relationship, describing how it came full circle from playing Pop Warner to playing in the Super Bowl together.
Jason hadn’t made the playoffs in his first nine seasons in the league, while Devin has been in the postseason every year.
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