Locker room interview with Tom Brady

Q: I hope you didn’t stay up late watching the baseball games.

TB: No, we have our (own) team to try to beat this week. We have a lot of work ourselves.

Q: What do you see defensively from the Jets?

TB: I see a very solid defense, a bit like when we always play them. It’s a tough team, very physical. I think they lead the league in turnovers. They’re similar to last week in that this is a team that really steps up to take the ball away on offense. They’re doing a really good job of doing that, and they’ve been doing it for a few years. It’s a difficult challenge. It’s always difficult to play against the Jets.

Q: Could you tell us a little about Chad Pennington?

TB: He’s an excellent player. He throws the ball well and leads the team well. Our defense has a big challenge. I’m going to let our defenses worry about that because I have to worry about John Abraham.

Q: What about John Abraham? He leads the AFC in sacks.

TB: He has seven. He’s trying to break the quarterback’s back. He comes hard and he comes fast and he comes all the time. It’s a very good defensive front. Shaun Ellis is a very good player. (Dewayne) Robertson is good. They have a great front four and they put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. I think the secondary realizes that they’re good and they’re tight on these receivers and they’re forcing the quarterbacks to make good throws.

Q: It’s the battle of the undefeated. Does this sound like a bigger game?

TB: Yeah. This hasn’t happened very often in the NFL with two undefeated teams playing this late in the season. There will only be one of us at the end of the week. You can’t write about this next week.

Q: Do you see things a certain way or is this just another game in a long season?

TB: Every time you play a divisional opponent, it’s different. Every time you play the Jets, it’s different. This is our sixth game. They’re the best team we’ve faced all year. They are 5-0 and have proven they can win close games. We have our hands full. It seems like every time we play them, it’s the same thing. We go in and wonder where we can attack. We say they’re pretty good here and pretty good here. There aren’t a lot of things offensively that are easy plays. It just means we have to go out and execute really well. This is what we have to do if we want to win this game.

Q: Is there a home field advantage?

TB: We always feel like we have a big home advantage, but at the same time, they’ve beaten us five times out of the last six times here at home. You wish he could play even more upsides, but that’s just not the case for some reason in this series. I think it’s a confident team. They are already 2-0 on the road this year. They were very good on the road last year and seem to play very well whenever they find themselves in a tough environment. It’s always important to our fans. It gives us a big boost with the energy our fans give us. We need to go out and give the fans something to be excited about.

Q: Do you think this is the last team to beat you at home?

TB: It’s true. I did not think about it. It was also a nasty game. We got our butts kicked. I tried to forget about it. They beat us pretty well.

Q: Can you feel that every team wants to beat you?

TB: Everyone wants to beat those at the top. Now that we won the championship last year and are 5-0 this year, everyone is ready to beat us. We know that. We feel it. We are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening, but we will always get the best effort from these teams. They’re all going to play hard and prepare hard, and we’re going to do the same. The Jets are 5-0, so they can’t get any better than that. They’ve been in these close games and they’re confident and playing well on the road. With all these factors, it’s going to be very difficult.

Q: When you scruple this week, will you slip?

TB: (Laughing) I hope so. I have to do this or tighten my chin strap. I don’t get the chance to run very often. It’s almost like when I step out of that pocket, things are moving too fast for me.

Q: You mentioned turnovers earlier. Last year the Jets were among the worst in the league and this year they are among the best. Is it a scheme, personnel or (new defensive coordinator) Donnie Henderson?

TB: I think it’s all of those factors. Our coach read us a stat earlier this morning that since Coach Edwards took over, they are the best team in the league in turnovers. I’m sure they insist on it a lot. A lot of teams emphasize this, but they seem to take what their coaches say and actually use it. Defensively, it’s a very good front four that gets the ball out quickly. I think the secondary realizes that the ball comes out quickly and jumps some routes. Donnie Abraham had a great play against Miami, intercepting a ball and returning it for a touchdown. They all seem to be throwing interceptions. (Eric) Coleman really stepped up and made some plays for them. Terrell Buckley. I threw him a lot of picks in practice, so I know what they are. It’s hard. They put a lot of pressure on the quarterback and take the ball away from runners a lot. It’s ball defense. It’s hard and they do it very well.

Q: You are good at quick release. Do you need to be a few seconds faster this week?

TB: I must be. I need to get this ball out quick because they’re coming. It’s one of those things where John Abraham is as good as he can be and he comes out of that advantage and attacks the quarterback. If you stay with that ball in your hand too long, you’re going to get helmet marks right down the middle of your back at some point, which I don’t intend to do this week.

Q: When looking to relax this week, have you turned to any of the baseball games?

TB: How could you not? Everyone is talking about it, so you need to be informed.

Q: Do they make you lose sleep? Do you stay up to watch them?

TB: I watched last night (game 6). I was at the game the other night. This has been a fun series.

Q: Is it difficult for you to function without Troy Brown?

TB: Troy is a big part of this offense and he has been since the day I got here. Every time you lose it, you lose an important part of it. We all can’t wait to get him back there. I hope it will be soon.

Q: Can you talk about the level of respect in this locker room for a guy like Troy Brown?

TB: I think this is his 12th year. That’s many years of playing football with lots of practice and plenty of time putting on a Patriots uniform. He has the respect of everyone. He is the reason for this team. He’s tough, smart and works hard. He is very coachable, has a good attitude. Winning is what matters most to him. He’s a team captain and has been for a while. It is awesome. I would love for him to come back there.

Q: Can you talk about the impact Corey Dillon had on the team?

TB: Corey did a very good job. He continues to do it. I think the line gave him some great holes to run through and Corey runs really hard. Every time you give him the ball, you feel like he’s making guys miss and he’s crushing guys. He does an excellent job. We must continue to give it to him. It seems like better things are happening the more he gets the ball.

Q: This is not a team that brags. Is it easier to be humble and modest after a championship?

TB: I think this team realizes that we win games for a reason. You win games because you prepare hard and because the execution is there, not because you go out and talk about how you did it or why you did it. You just work on getting better. I think every week we watch the film of the previous game and we realize it’s not perfect and we realize there are things we need to do to correct our mistakes, otherwise those mistakes will inevitably get us beaten . It was fun to be part of a team that won a lot. It’s the accomplishment that everyone feels. You look around the locker room and realize we’re all on the same page. When you win, everyone gets rewarded. I think everyone feels like they are an integral part of this team, as they should be, because everyone is responsible. We have a great group of guys. The goal is the same for all of us. No one has their own agenda when you’re on a team where the only thing that matters to people is winning.

Q: Coach said it will take your best game on Sunday to beat the Jets. Is this something everyone in the locker room realizes?

TB: Certainly. This team is 5-0 and has won some close games. They are well balanced and they have a very good attack, a very efficient attack that scores points. They have a defense that turns the ball over. They are very well coached. Their special teams have been very good for them this year. It’s an excellent team.