If you ask Tom Brady, rumors of the New England Patriots' demise are greatly exaggerated.
Yes, the Patriots lost a heartbreaker to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Yes, they're nearly out of the running for the AFC's No. 1 seed and haven't won an AFC Championship Game on the road since 2005.
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But Brady isn't having any postseason scenario talk with three games left in the regular season.
"It's so far beyond where my head's at," Brady told Westwood One's Jim Gray on Monday night. "To think about anything beyond what we have this coming week is a disservice.
"I know a lot of people like to talk about, 'the season ended today' and those types of things. But the season doesn't end today. The season ends in three weeks, and we've got three tough games ahead of us."
Brady and the Patriots do have a crucial matchup this Sunday in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, who are hanging onto first place in the AFC North by a thread. If New England can knock off Pittsburgh and take care of business against the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets at home, it will secure the AFC's No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
It's hard to adopt a positive outlook after the brutal defeat in Miami, but according to Brady, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is ensuring his team keeps a collective level head.
"One thing about Coach Belichick is he’s so even-keeled," Brady said. "When we win he brings us back down to Earth. When we lose, he tells us the truth. That is what we like about him. We don’t always do the right things as players. He knows that. Everyone is trying to get it right.Â
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