Tom Brady Worried About Having His Week 1 Press Conference On Wednesday
BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady talked to reporters on Wednesday. He wasn't all that thrilled to be talking to reporters on a Wednesday.
It had nothing to do with answering questions. Brady was pretty upbeat when it came to that on Wednesday -- even pointing out that some of the reporters who frequently call him old are getting a little long in the tooth as well. Brady's issue was that last season, he had his weekly chats with the media on Fridays. It was really all the press had going for them on an otherwise eventless day during a normal football week, though it did occasionally wreak some havoc on weekend plans when Brady was tardy to his weekly chat. But the Pats went on to win a Super Bowl with him chatting on Fridays, and he doesn't want to mess with that mojo heading into his 20th NFL season.
"Bad omen, coming on on a Wednesday," Brady said. "I'm not sure I like it. We'll see what the result is Sunday and go forward."
First, Tom should know that all omens are bad. And though he isn't one for stats, there is one that should show it really doesn't matter when he holds his weekly ticklefest with the press: 5-0. Brady is 5-0 against the Steelers when they play at Gillette Stadium. Taking that a bit further, he's completed 72 percent of his passes while tossing 18 touchdowns and no interceptions in those five games. That's pretty good.
So, yeah, if Brady looks bad and the Patriots lose, maybe these press conferences should take place on Friday going forward.
While Brady has never lost to the Steelers in Foxboro, he isn't thinking about his past success. His laser focus is in the present, and the issues these Steelers will pose for him and the New England offense come Sunday night.
"They're a great team, they have a great history and one of the best defenses, still, in the history of the league," Brady said of his Week 1 opponent. "Big Ben and what he continues to do and how that offense has evolved, I have a lot of respect for coach Tomlin and how he coaches and what he demands from his players.
"They have a great defensive front that plays extremely hard. Great group of linebackers and a talented secondary," he said, praising Pittsburgh for drafting a fellow Michigan man, linebacker Devin Bush. "Very difficult team to play against; they stretch you in a lot of areas. We have to be at the top of our game early in the season, as do they, which makes it a great matchup."
The Patriots and Steelers are the only two franchises that own six Lombardi trophies, adding a little extra juice to this rivalry. The Pats will raise their sixth banner on Sunday night, beginning their quest for No. 7.
"It's cool that we have an opportunity. Those are lofty goals and the expectations are high for us. They are high for them too," he said. "These franchises have established themselves with winning teams and winning cultures, and other teams are trying to get there. The NFL is tough; every team starts at the bottom. You can't pick up where you left last year and you have to earn it every day."