Bill Belichick Not Focusing On Anything But Steelers; Calls It A 'Great Privilege' To Play In AFC Championship Game
BOSTON (CBS) -- The playoffs are in the air, and on the walls, at Gillette Stadium.
As the Patriots get ready to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday's AFC Championship Game, it's hard not to notice all the fanfare behind the tilt. The Lamar Hunt trophy is on display, with both team's helmets surrounding the prize given to the conference's champion. A giant "American Football Conference Championship Game" banner hangs behind the podium where players and coaches will address the media throughout the week.
With all of that extra wallpaper gracing the stadium, Bill Belichick could barely contain himself when chatting with reporters at Gillette on Wednesday.
"I know, it's so exciting," he deadpanned.
Belichick was in his usual form on Wednesday, taking the podium in front of a bigger collection or reporters than even the Patriots are used to. With just four teams still standing, that normally large contingency has ballooned, bringing their barrage of occasionally silly questions with them.
But Belichick is a pro at shutting those kind of inquiries down, swatting them away with the grace normally displayed by a No. 1 corner.
Roger Goodell not making the trip to Foxboro?
"I'm focused on the Steelers," he said.
Are you worried about a potential jinx with Tom Brady gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated?
"I'm focused on the Steelers," he repeated.
How much will the New England faithful help come Sunday night?
"I don't know. Go ask Dallas and Kansas City," he shot back, with two of the four home teams losing during the Divisional Round. "The game is won by the players on the field. That's who wins football games. They'll decide it on Sunday night."
How about the Patriots playing in their unprecedented sixth straight AFC Championship game?
"All of that is in the past; I don't really care about that right now," he quibbled. "We have a few days left to get ready for the Steelers, that's all I care about now."
The questions were plentiful on Wednesday, and some of them were plenty absurd. It's an added wrinkle that Belichick and the Patriots are all too familiar with, appearing in the conference title game 10 other times during his time as head coach. But are they distractions? Belichick would hear none of that.
All the extra pomp and circumstance, both from the media and inside the stadium, is to be expected at this time of the year. It's all part of the honor that goes with playing in the AFC Championship Game.
"It's a great privilege to play in this game. You earn your way to this game, there's no other way," said Belichick. "You have to go out and beat a lot of people to get to this game. Both teams have done that. We're glad to be here, proud to be playing in it. We earned it, they earned it and we'll play Sunday night."
Belichick did indeed talk some football on Wednesday, too. He's not putting any stock into New England's 27-16 win in Pittsburgh back in Week 7, a week the Steelers were without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh's defense has also made vast improvements since that game, allowing just 18.6 points per game in their 11 contests since. The Steelers are on a roll now, winning nine straight.
"The game earlier this season isn't really relevant," said Belichick. "What they've done the last two and half months is what we'll see Sunday night, and that's what we have to be ready for."
The Pittsburgh offense may not have scored any touchdowns in Sunday night's 18-16 Divisional Round win over the Chiefs, but Belichick knows it's a supremely talented group that can put points up in a hurry.
"It's everything. They're good across the board. Good offensive line, their quarterback doesn't get sacked much. I think it all starts up front, good skill players, good quarterback, and obviously [Antonio] Brown and [Le'Veon] Bell are dynamic players, tremendous with the ball in their hand," he said.
It's clear that with a trip to Super Bowl LI on the line, Bill Belichick and his players are a focused bunch. They're not going to be distracted by anything, be it the commissioner keeping his distance, a superstitious magazine cover or even the hype that goes with being one of the final four teams standing in the NFL.
It's a privilege to be where they are, and the Patriots are treating it as such. Even if it means they have to make it through some silly press conferences along the way.
