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  6. article_body => "<p>Nobody appreciates the month of December quite like Tom Brady and the Patriots. Well, unless you\u2019re a big believer of that fat man from the North Pole. The numbers have been repeated so often they don\u2019t even require a double check but do bear repeating over and over again.<\/p>\n<p>Brady is 55-10 in the final month of every year, far and away the best of any in his storied career. But it\u2019s not just Brady, obviously. It\u2019s an entire team, one that\u2019s changed over the years but still has embraced the final quarter of the regular season like few other, especially in those \u201cSuper\u201d seasons. The Pats are 26-2 during Decembers when they\u2019ve eventually gone on to play for Lombardi Trophies, and one of those losses was a throwaway in 2014 to Buffalo in the season finale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been a member of some great teams that have really paid the price months earlier to put you in a great position to succeed in December when the games are the most meaningful because there\u2019s fewer of them,\u201d said Brady.<\/p>\n<p>To Brady and others, these games mean more. That puts an even greater onus on preparation, both big and small. That\u2019s always been a hallmark of Bill Belichick coached teams. To have continued December success, it can\u2019t change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen there\u2019s a little bit more at stake and the ante moves up I think you compete a little bit harder,\u201d said Belichick. \u201cYou prepare a little bit harder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCoach [Belichick] would say \u2018no days off.\u2019 Just work hard every day, no matter what you\u2019re doing,\u201d added Brady.\u201dWhether you\u2019re on the field or not on the field, you've got to be putting the time in mentally or physically to get yourself physically, mentally, emotionally ready to play for those games.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite their 8-game winning streak - one that has vaulted the Pats to the top of just about everyone\u2019s power rankings (for whatever that\u2019s worth) - this group doesn\u2019t think it can get away with anything other than their best. Of course, that hasn\u2019t always been the case this season. There certainly have been a couple of victories that weren\u2019t the way the coaching staff drew \u2018em up, but you can sense a certain level of disappointment from this players in the aftermath. They\u2019ll take it, but they\u2019re measuring themselves against something greater. That\u2019s a belief ingrained into the important players and one that filters down the roster.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2026we\u2019re a team that we can't afford to come in Wednesday and have a bad Wednesday,\u201d said Devin McCourty. \u201cLike we're not good enough to catch up on Thursday and Friday and then walk\u2013through Saturday and think Sunday it's just going to turn on and we'll be ready to go. We have to be ready throughout the whole week. We need to have a good Wednesday, a good Thursday, string good practices together where we're going over everything that we might get, whether we've even had walk\u2013throughs&nbsp;sometimes out there. But we get a lot of plays done, we get a lot of things talked about, communicated and that gives us a chance to win on Sunday. I think once you get in December it's about not slipping up any of those weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t afford anything less than our best,\u201d said Brady. \u201cI know it\u2019s not going to be perfect out there, but you try to do as best you can, especially in the preparation so that you can be ready to anticipate and compete as hard as you can like this on a Monday Night Football game in December.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If your best players think this way, how can the mid-level or bottom-end guys not approach their jobs the same way? It partly explains Brady\u2019s success, but the team\u2019s as well. And it\u2019s why they\u2019ll treat tonight\u2019s game against the Dolphins as if it\u2019s the most important game they\u2019ll play all year. Because it is. And if the Patriots keep stacking them up, then the games keep getting bigger and more important. Until it\u2019s Super Sunday and the whole world is watching you try and lay claim to another Lombardi.<\/p>\n"
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Patriots

Patriots

Nobody appreciates the month of December quite like Tom Brady and the Patriots. Well, unless you’re a big believer of that fat man from the North Pole. The numbers have been repeated so often they don’t even require a double check but do bear repeating over and over again.

Brady is 55-10 in the final month of every year, far and away the best of any in his storied career. But it’s not just Brady, obviously. It’s an entire team, one that’s changed over the years but still has embraced the final quarter of the regular season like few other, especially in those “Super” seasons. The Pats are 26-2 during Decembers when they’ve eventually gone on to play for Lombardi Trophies, and one of those losses was a throwaway in 2014 to Buffalo in the season finale. 

“I’ve been a member of some great teams that have really paid the price months earlier to put you in a great position to succeed in December when the games are the most meaningful because there’s fewer of them,” said Brady.

To Brady and others, these games mean more. That puts an even greater onus on preparation, both big and small. That’s always been a hallmark of Bill Belichick coached teams. To have continued December success, it can’t change.

“When there’s a little bit more at stake and the ante moves up I think you compete a little bit harder,” said Belichick. “You prepare a little bit harder.”

 

“Coach [Belichick] would say ‘no days off.’ Just work hard every day, no matter what you’re doing,” added Brady.”Whether you’re on the field or not on the field, you've got to be putting the time in mentally or physically to get yourself physically, mentally, emotionally ready to play for those games.”

Despite their 8-game winning streak - one that has vaulted the Pats to the top of just about everyone’s power rankings (for whatever that’s worth) - this group doesn’t think it can get away with anything other than their best. Of course, that hasn’t always been the case this season. There certainly have been a couple of victories that weren’t the way the coaching staff drew ‘em up, but you can sense a certain level of disappointment from this players in the aftermath. They’ll take it, but they’re measuring themselves against something greater. That’s a belief ingrained into the important players and one that filters down the roster. 

“…we’re a team that we can't afford to come in Wednesday and have a bad Wednesday,” said Devin McCourty. “Like we're not good enough to catch up on Thursday and Friday and then walk–through Saturday and think Sunday it's just going to turn on and we'll be ready to go. We have to be ready throughout the whole week. We need to have a good Wednesday, a good Thursday, string good practices together where we're going over everything that we might get, whether we've even had walk–throughs sometimes out there. But we get a lot of plays done, we get a lot of things talked about, communicated and that gives us a chance to win on Sunday. I think once you get in December it's about not slipping up any of those weeks.”

“We can’t afford anything less than our best,” said Brady. “I know it’s not going to be perfect out there, but you try to do as best you can, especially in the preparation so that you can be ready to anticipate and compete as hard as you can like this on a Monday Night Football game in December.”

If your best players think this way, how can the mid-level or bottom-end guys not approach their jobs the same way? It partly explains Brady’s success, but the team’s as well. And it’s why they’ll treat tonight’s game against the Dolphins as if it’s the most important game they’ll play all year. Because it is. And if the Patriots keep stacking them up, then the games keep getting bigger and more important. Until it’s Super Sunday and the whole world is watching you try and lay claim to another Lombardi.