Suggs: 'Utmost respect' for Brady, Pats

FOXBORO — Terrell Suggs insists he may hate the “arrogant” Patriots but he has nothing but respect for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick after the Ravens beat the Patriots, 28-13, in the AFC championship Sunday at Gillette.

“All BS aside, all ego and arrogance aside,” Suggs said in referring to the Patriots, “that is one hell of a ball club. You’ve gotta play perfect to beat them. We did damn near just that to win this game. I’m speaking to you with so much humility because it’s a great victory for the city of Baltimore and the Ravens.

“If we went through somebody else, it wouldn’t have been the same. It is a rivalry between us and them, me and ’12′ but even enemies can show respect and they get the most.”

Did he get a chance to seek out Brady afterward?

“I didn’t,” he said. “I was too busy looking for my wife and celebrating with my fans.”

Suggs said what made the win so special was avenging the loss in New England 12 months earlier.

“Any other team with this win would have been unjustified,” Suggs said. “Especially how the game last year ended, and who 12 (Tom Brady) is, and who their head coach is, and who their owner is. Between these two teams, you won’t get another battle like this between two AFC opponents. We have the utmost respect for them.”

Suggs went into a tirade against the Patriots after the game, walking off the field. How would he characterize the emotion?

“It is still surreal,” he said. “What we did as a unit. But let’s not be fooled, that team isn’t done. It will probably be these two teams at it again next year.”

Are the Patriots truly arrogant?

“They have the right to be,” he added. “You have three titles and six appearances, with 12 (Tom Brady) under center, they have the right to be. We respect them. That is it, even enemies can show respect.”

“We still got one more win we aren’t satisfied. We know we match up real well with them. We are probably the only team in the AFC that matches up good with the boy number 12 over there and his coach. They are a good ball club, but we have a good one ourselves.”