Patched Into Gillette For The Return Of The Giants

Media day at Gillette had a different feel to. It could have been for a number of reasons  on Sunday, the return of the New York Giants or the reported incident allegedly involving Julian Edelman.  

One way or another, the Patriots put aside the loss to Pittsburgh and did their best to deflect the media avalanche that has resulted since the alleged incident involving Edelman.

Bill Belichick took the podium to address the media.

"On to the Giants, a real good Football team. Obviously defensively, very strong pass rush, good pass defense. Offensively, good quarterback, good receivers, good offensive line, good backs. They make plays in the kicking game, good returners, good coverage players, and you know Tom (Coughlin) as usual does a good job with the team. They're a well coached, disciplined, tough, physical team and they're playing very well. We've got our work cut out for us this week, it will be a good test for us." 

Tom Brady took the podium next and addressed the media in attendance saying with a smile, "hello, lot of people today, must be an important game." Brady was referring to the packed media room on Wednesday that resembled a sold out concert with several local reporters and media members who do not regularly attend the press conferences.

Before Brady could finish his hello to the media, reporters went after Brady asking and attempting to pry an answer out of him regarding the alleged incident with Edelman.

Brady said, "you know we kind of let Coach Belichick handle that. You know he's (Edelman) our friend, so, we're trying to get ready to win a football game, that's what's on our mind."

Reporters did not let up on the subject, attempting to mask the Edelman subject by making it a "mentor situation" for Brady, which he answered.

"You know, it's not much for me to talk about honestly, it's not my situation.  It's someone else's.  I've got plenty of things I've got to worry about over the course of this week and my priorities are to be the best quarterback I can be for this team. Just like everyone. We've got a very tough opponent who's coming in. All of our focus and attention needs to be on them. They're enough to handle as is and we got off to a good start the last couple days as a team and we need to keep it rolling through the whole week and that's where our focus is."

Moving on from the subject, Brady was asked about the last time they played the Giants (Super Bowl XLII) in a game that matters and what if anything, he can take from that game and apply to the game this Sunday.

"Yeah that's a distant memory, there's not much you can take from that.  This is an entirely different team that we have, that they have, different strengths and weaknesses.  I mean we're familiar with them, we do play them in the preseason every year.  We played them in the preseason this year, that probably gives us a little more understanding of what they do than a game a few years ago."

When asked about the loss to the Steelers and the effect a loss in general has on him and the team, Brady responded, "there's a mourning process that goes on here with our team, our coaches, the players. It's not something that we'll ever get used to."

"It sucks. The whole week sucks actually.  So we've just got to try and go out there and erase that memory with a good win, good days of practice, so once you kind of get into the preparation of the week you end up really moving on, which you know we've done that," Brady added.

Brady and the Patriots will do their best to erase the memory of the loss to the Steelers this past Sunday and in a sense, avenge their loss to the Giants back in Super Bowl XLII.

Kickoff for the game against the Giants is 4:15 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.

Check back here for "Patched Into Gillette."

For more news on the Patriots, visit Patriots.com or NFL.com

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