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May 13, 2008

Brady during 'EEI interview: Super Bowl loss was 'numbing'

Tom Brady spoke in depth about the 2007 season, and the loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl, in a wide-ranging interview on WEEI Radio this afternoon:

On whether pressure built during last season as the team remain undefeated
As a team we really insulated ourselves from it. I think the great strength of ours is our coach keeps us focused on each game, each week and each day of practice. And if we didn't have a good day of practice, we heard about it. So we never got caught up in it . . . And I think that's the way to approach it. because if you don't, you lose . . . When we started last season, the goal wasn't to go undefeated. It was to win the Super Bowl. And that will be the goal this year.

On how the Pats felt after losing the Super Bowl
It was numbing. It's just a numbing experience because we just didn't see that happening. Not that you can't lose any game, and you know going in that you can lose any game, but after the game, everyone was reflecting on what could have happened if we'd have won. I'm glad we were in that position. A lot of guys have moved on, we've made significant changes to the team. . . I think we have a great team. We start practice on Monday, I know all the guys are excited to be back.

On whether or not the Pats didn't take the Giants seriously
There was no way that we did that. I think that's why you can get over that, because I reflect back . . . we were prepared. It wasn't like we left anything on the table. It was a game of field position . . . [that was] a great defense we played and one of the best defensive lines in football. We finally scored there at the end and they just had a miraculous drive at the end to score on our defense. That game will stay with us for a long time, obviously, but hopefully we can have more opportunities. And I'm confident that we will. As long as we have [owner Robert Kraft] and [coach Bill Belichick], I'm confident that we will.

On the Giants
They have a great D-line and a very complimentary secondary with very athletic linebackers. I thought they did a good job of picking their spots to blitz us. They played incredible [in] that game.

On plays the Pats failed to make during the Super Bowl
Just before [halftime], on the strip sack, Randy [Moss] was behind the defense, but we just weren't able to find him in time. That should have been a touchdown.

On comparisons between the Pats' victory over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, and the Giants' win over the Pats in Super Bowl XLII
There was no way we should have won that game in 2001 but we found a way to win because we executed. And I think the Giants executed that way against us this year.

On mistakes the Pats made against the Giants
We didn't have a lot of possessions and we needed to play more of an error-free game. We just made errors at the wrong time, and they capitalized.

On the game
It was a great team game for the Giants . . . For us, it was back and forth. We were in control, and then we weren't in control. If we made one or two plays, the outcome's different. I think they had a great scheme on defense, they found ways to put pressure on us, they did a great job in those short-yardage situations . . . it just wasn't our day. It just wasn't our day.

On whether he was bothered by the Giants' pass rush
I don't get ever frustrated with pressure. I was frustrated we weren't able to put together drive after drive. They put pressure on you, and we knew that.

More on the game
We went down and scored right when we needed to, at the end. We had our opportunities. That's all you can ask for in the game, and that's all you can ask for in life.

On the last-minute pass to Randy Moss that was broken up by Corey Webster
Aw, man, when I let that go, I thought we had it. I thought that was it.

Posted by Art Martone  at 2:28 PM | Permalink