Monkeys With Typewriters

Tom Brady speaks to the media at the Patriots practice facility

AP Photo/Steven Senne

Despite receiving a handful of individual awards this week, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was focused on the team’s final regular-season game coming up this sunday against the Houston Texans. Brady returned to practice after he was missing earlier in the week.

Speaking to the press at the Patriots practice facility this afternoon, the quarterback brushed off questions about his Pro Bowl selection, instead citing the strong team behind him and refocusing the conversation to the upcoming match.

He was clear about one thing, his desire to play this week, despite the fact that New England has locked up the AFC East title. Brady said, “I want to play and I want to do great, and I want to have a great game against a team who’s fighting for their playoff lives, and has a lot of great players, and really challenges you in some different ways.”

Bill Belichick was not willing to elaborate on just how much Brady may play, but assured the superstar that he would be playing. That was music to Brady’s ears as he went on about the importance of starting the playoffs with the momentum in their favor.

“We haven’t really had the full group out there for a lot of the season, so it will be great for us to kind of come together and be able to use all of the different personnel groupings that we have. We have a lot of good weapons that we have. It’s nice to be able to use all of them. This week is a very important game for us and the improvements we’re trying to make.”