Brady Says No. 1 Seed A Nice Goal, But Playing Well At Right Time More Important
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots can clinch the AFC's No. 1 seed with a win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, but just because the road to Super Bowl 50 would go through Foxboro doesn't mean it will be an easy path.
"Whoever wins in the playoffs is the team that plays the best on that day, not whether they're at home or away," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Wednesday.
Head coach Bill Belichick agreed on a conference call with the Miami media.
"I think the most important thing is to have a good team that's playing well. I think there are plenty of examples through the years of Wild Card teams going to the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl and not playing any games at home," said Belichick. "There are examples of teams with the number one seed and all that, so I'm sure you can find things on both sides, but in the end you need to play well. You need to have a good team, and the team needs to play well. That's the coach's job is to get them to play well, so that's what we're looking at. Whoever we have to play, wherever we have to play them, whatever it is it is. But I think having a good team and playing well is more important than who or where you play."
While claiming the No. 1 seed in your conference doesn't assure a trip to the big game, both of the last two Super Bowls have featured the top teams in both conferences squaring off. That's a rarity in the NFL, occurring just 11 times since the NFL revamped their playoff system in 1975.
Playing well when it matters most is the priority, but winning their regular season finale and clinching that top spot in the conference is still important to Brady and the Patriots. Each year they set out with a set of goals, starting with winning the AFC East. Being the top team in the AFC is next on the list, making Sunday's game in Miami an important one.
"It's a great goal for us, to be the No. 1 seed. A lot goes into that by a lot of players and coaches to get to this point," said Brady. "There is only one team that gets the No. 1 seed. It's great if you're that team because it means you've done things better than anyone else over the course of the season. We put ourselves in a good position so hopefully we can finish strong."
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