Brady Says Super Bowl Loss To Giants 'A Distant Memory'
FOXBORO (CBS) – For the New England Patriots that played in Super Bowl 42 against the Giants, the heartbreaking loss is in the past.
"That's a distant memory," quarterback Tom Brady said on Wednesday.
"I think we're probably pretty much over that. Whatever the thoughts were after the game, they've come, they've gone and that's what it is," head coach Bill Belichick said of his only career Super Bowl loss.
"Whatever happened or didn't happen, can't change it, it's part of history," said Belichick. "Right now I'm focused on getting ready for this week's game. That's the way it is every week: focus on the week that we're playing, not what happened in the past."
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Kevin Faulk even admitted he has never watched a rebroadcast of the game.
"I never watched the game after the game; never seen the game," Faulk said. "Let's just talk about us playing them on Sunday and us trying to play better and win a football game. That's what we want to do right now."
When the Patriots and Giants meet this Sunday, it will not be a rematch of the historic Super Bowl. Many of the players are gone on both sides. David Tyree and Plaxico Burress, both integral parts to the Giants game-winning drive, are both gone. Also gone are Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs from the Patriots, also important contributors on that Giants drive. Just not in the way New England fans want to remember.
While there may have been a few life-lessons learned in the loss, the game certainly won't help New England's cause on Sunday.
"There's not much you can take from that. This is an entirely different team that we have and that they have – strengths and weaknesses," said Brady. "There are so many players on our team that were obviously not a part of that game or any game against the Giants. We're familiar with them, we play them in the preseason mostly every year and we've played them in the preseason this year and that probably gives us a little more of an understanding of what they do then the game a few years ago or eight years ago or something like that."
Right now, the only loss that is burning deep inside the Patriots is the most recent, a 25-17 disappointment to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"We are all pretty much in a bad mood. There's a mourning process that goes on with our team – the coaches, the players. We hate losing," Brady said of the loss in Pittsburgh. "It's not something we'll ever get used to."
"It sucks, the whole week sucks actually," Brady added. "So you just got to try and go out there and erase that memory with a good win – Good days of practice and once you get into the preparation of the week you end up really moving on which we've done that."
Tune in to the Patriots-Giants game on 98.5 The Sports Hub Sunday at 4:15pm. Pregame coverage kicks on WBZ-TV at 11:30am with Patriots Gameday, with the Hub's coverage beginning at 1pm. After the game, tune in to the Hub for the Patriots Postgame show, and to MY TV38 for Patriots Fifth Quarter.
