Brady on D&C: 'We have the best coach'

Tom Brady checked in with the Dennis & Callahan show Monday morning for his weekly chat as part of WEEI's Patriots Monday.

With the Patriots preparing to face the Jets on Sunday, Brady said he won't let Rex Ryan's backhanded insult of him last week affect him. Ryan said Peyton Manning is the most-prepared quarterback in the NFL, and Brady gets more help from Bill Belichick than he would let on.

"I think everybody's obviously entitled to their opinion," Brady said. "And maybe he's right. He's a good coach. I'll just keep getting ready like we've done all year, and hopefully we'll go out and play well on Sunday night."

Added Brady: "I don't think anything that people really say has bothered me good, bad or indifferent over the years. Everybody has their opinion of people and things and places. All I know is that I feel really confident with our team and the way our team prepares each week. I'm sure we'll be prepared going into this game on Sunday."

Brady even took it so far as to agree with Ryan's assessment. "I get a ton of help from our coach," Brady said with a laugh. "Of course we do. I think we have the best coach in the history of football. I think we've got a great offensive staff, a great defensive staff, ones that get all the players prepared. Coach talks about being a smart, tough, physical football team that plays well under pressure. Part of us being smart and prepared and ready to play is our coaches doing their homework. We use whatever we can to get ready to play."

Much was made of the fact that Brady was attending a Broadway performance of "Lombardi" on Saturday night instead of watching the Jets-Colts game. Actually, Brady said he monitored the score on his cell phone and then got out in time to watch the second half of the Jets' win, which he would have preferred not to do.

"I got home and watched the second half," he said, explaining that his two best friends "suckered" him into watching football. "You know what happens to me is I get very anxious watching those games. I was watching the second half and I was actually kind of pissed that I watched it because I didn't go to sleep 'til 3 in the morning. You just get riled up as I watch them, and then I start rooting for a team to win, and that's not really what I want to be doing. I figure I'll get enough, I'll see the game. I've seen that game [on tape]. You know, it's just something I wanted to do with my wife."

For more highlights from the conversation, check the It Is What It Is blog [1]. To hear the interview, go to the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page [2]. For more Patriots news, visit the team page at weei.com/patriots [3].