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The New England Patriots have championed dealing with off-field distractions when it comes to football. That mentality has been no different with the latest Patriots scandal.
When New England was revealed to have recorded footage of the Cincinnati Bengals sideline in Cleveland during Week 14, many immediately considered the worst-case scenario: another Spygate. But the team has stuck to its guns and denied the football department’s involvement in the issue.
On Monday, Tom Brady made his weekly radio appearance on WEEI for the first time since the allegations broke a week ago. His comments showed the players were strictly focused on Cincinnati themselves, not what the team’s production department was involved with. Per WEEI
“I don’t think any player gave it one second of thought. Not something that even registered. You just move on, man. There’s a lot of distractions out there and if you lose focus on your job, that is really a waste of your time. There’s a lot of people out there — they can create distractions for us, but we just want to go out there and focus on what we can do and what our job is and try and go out there and play the best we possibly can.” Brady stated.
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Staying Focused on Winning the Division
The Patriots locked up a spot in the postseason on Sunday and so did their division rival – the Buffalo Bills. With a win over the Bills at home on Saturday, New England locks up its 11th straight division title and stays in position for a first-round bye.
Though AFC East titles have become commonplace in New England, Brady doesn’t take that milestone for granted.
“This is so hard to do. I think if anything you appreciate it more because it’s so hard. This is a level playing field. It’s not like we ever get top-5 picks or play the easiest schedule, the whole league is meant to bring everyone back to 8-8 every year. The fact that we qualified for the playoffs 11 straight years, these things are hard to do. We put the work in every day and don’t take our foot off the gas peddle. It’s a great challenge and I think when you accomplish something as a team, it’s a great feeling and no one can ever take those things away from you.”
Patriots’ Unreal Dominance With Tom Brady Under Center
Since Brady took over as the starter in 2001, the Patriots have never endured a losing season and missed the playoffs only twice. The last time New England didn’t play in the postseason was 2008, Brady’s injured season, and the Patriots became just the second team to miss the playoffs with an 11-5 record in the modern format.
Winning 10-plus division titles in a row is something that has also been done just once in any professional sport — the Atlanta Braves from 1991 through 2005. What the Patriots are accomplishing is special and it certainly isn’t lost on Brady or the rest of the team.
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