FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- For New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, it doesn’t matter what day of the week the game falls on. He just wants to play football.
“I don’t care if it’s Thursday or Monday or Sunday or Tuesday, whatever day they tell me to play, that’s when I’ll be ready to go,” Brady said. “I think it’s great to get the opportunity to go out there and do something I love to do.”
Which is why Brady showed little concern over the team’s short-rest matchup this week against the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football.” Instead, he is focusing on yet another chess match with Jets head coach Rex Ryan and his defense.
“He tests every part of your game,” Brady said of Ryan. “I do have a lot of respect for that from a coaching standpoint that he challenges you. And then when he feels like he’s got you on something he sticks with it. We’ve had our fair share of good games, he’s had his fair share of good games. It makes for a great matchup.
“There’s a ton of information, especially this team. They have every blitz in the book, every coverage and scheme and front, so you just have to try the best you can to prepare for it as much as you can, and you have to balance your rest with your preparation.
“This defense tests a lot of things. They really put a lot of pressure on you in a lot of ways with the front, coverages, scheme, they kind of do it all. There’s a lot to prepare for and to do it in three days is a lot. They are dealing with the same stuff, and we’ve had a good couple of days. We need a couple more good days and then let it rip on Thursday night.”
Letting it rip on Thursday night is something Brady has had no problem doing in his career. In his six career Thursday night starts, Brady is 6-0, including wins over the Jets in each of the past two seasons. But of course that’s not enough for him.
“I hope we get to 7-0 by Friday morning,” Brady said. “That’s the goal. I don’t know. It always comes down to how well you play. I don’t think there’s any real magic plays that we hold for Thursday night games or anything like that. I think these are important games for our team.”
And Brady will be ready no matter what day of the week it is.
“I think I’ll be as prepared as I possibly can be,” he said. “It all comes together. It always does.”