New York (AFP) – Tom Brady believes the New England Patriots will need to deliver a peak performance against the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday to reach a third consecutive Super Bowl.
The Patriots advanced to a remarkable eighth consecutive AFC Championship game on Sunday after romping past the much-fancied Los Angeles Chargers with an emphatic 41-28 win at Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The victory sets up a rematch of this season’s thrilling NFL shootout between the Patriots and the Chiefs, which saw Brady outgun Kansas City counterpart Patrick Mahomes in a 43-40 win.
Brady, 41, is just one game away from quarterbacking the Patriots into the ninth Super Bowl of his career. He said New England had been determined to make a statement against the Chargers.
“Our team has fought through a lot all year,” Brady told WEEI. “At different times over the season, you have ups and downs and I thought we were just really poised to have a great performance.
“A lot of people didn’t think we could beat the Chargers, the Chargers were undefeated on the road, and we had a lot of respect for the Chargers, who are a damn good football team.
“But we felt like we wanted to go out and play our best and make a statement and I thought we really rose to the occasion.”
Brady said a similar performance would be needed to beat the Chiefs next weekend when the Patriots travel to Arrowhead Stadium.
“We’re going to need the same type of effort this week,” he said. “Anything less than our best won’t be good enough this week.
“It’s a tough place to play. We’ve got to be mentally and physically prepared to go in there and try to beat a great football team.
“It’s a similar type of team in Kansas City (to the Chargers). It’s a big task, a tough game, but that’s what you expect at this time of year.”
Brady, a five-time Super Bowl winner, said his hunger for success remained undiminished as he heads towards the climax of what is his 18th season in the league.
“I’m just trying to do what I’ve always done,” Brady said. “I don’t think it’s any different now at this age than it was in my second year.
“It’s a different team, different challenges. I just love playing the game. It will be a sad day when that’s not the case.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.