NFL

‘Whatever It Is, It Is': Belichick, Brady Say They're Ready for the Cold

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady said Wednesday they're not especially concerned about the frigid temperatures in the forecast for Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Yeah, we're going to get ready for the Chiefs," Belichick said when asked about the possibility of single digit temperatures and a below zero wind chill. "Whatever it is, it is. Love to play in a championship game. Schedule it wherever you want. We'll be there."

Pressed again on how the cold might affect the Patriots' game plan, Belichick had a similar response.

"I don't know," he said. "It's Wednesday. We'll see what happens Sunday night. Right now, we're getting ready for the Chiefs."

Brady said weather is almost always a factor when you play in a colder climate in January.

"I've played in a lot of games over the years where weather's a factor," he said. "You just dress for it and hopefully our blood's thickened up enough here being in the northeast to be able to deal with the cold.

"It will be colder Sunday than it's been at any point this year. So, have a little mental toughness, a little physical toughness, just deal with it the best you can."

Belichick said he has "tremendous respect and admiration" for Chiefs coach Andy Reid and his team. 

"They've pretty much led from wire to wire in the AFC," he said. "They're an outstanding team, they do a lot of things well. Obviously, that'll be a big challenge for us. We're looking forward to the opportunity to compete."

Brady had similar praise for Kansas City.

"We're playing against a very good football team," he said. "They're the first seed for a reason. They've had a great season. We're going to have to go into a really tough environment and play our best football. It's a great opportunity for us. Hopefully we can take advantage of it."

Belichick said both teams are much different than they were when they met during the regular season. The Patriots won that game 43-40 at home.

"I know we've gone through a lot, had a lot of experiences, learned a lot. I think we're better than we were, I'm sure they're better than they were. We'll see what happens Sunday night," he said.

Contact Us