Tom Brady talks expectations for Patriots, says his mother is ‘on the road to recovery’
Tom Brady does not want expectations lumped on the 2017 Patriots squad.
Or comparisons, for that matter, to the 2007 New England team, which went undefeated in the regular season.
The talk of going undefeated this season? That is not what the team’s focus should be, the quarterback said in an interview with WEEI on Tuesday morning.
“This team is so far from where we need to be,’’ he said. “We have so far to go. It’s really unfair to set expectations. To me and my mind, it’s really a setup — for this team, we need to be focused on so many other things than what people may think about us or say about us.
“There’s so much improvement we need to make. I love the guys I’m playing with this year. It’s a totally different version of the team we’ve had.
“We’ll have our own strengths and weaknesses, but how the season plays out will be determined by what happens moving forward.’’
Brady said there is a false equivalency between the 2007 and this year’s club.
“You’re talking about some magical years that we’ve had that may never be duplicated again,’’ he said. “It’s really unfair to compare any of that to what has happened in the past.
“We’ll be able to write our own chapter. Hopefully it’s a good one.’’
Brady, who called into WEEI in support of The Jimmy Fund, opened up about playing last season while his mother was undergoing treatment for cancer.
“It was a very challenging time for our family,’’ Brady said. “My mom has been such an important, loving, caring, sweet, kind, generous mom. You want to be able to be there for her in moments like that. You just do the best you can do from afar.
“Obviously, playing football, it is hard to do that because there is a commitment to a team that needs you also. I knew my dad was taking good care of her and like I said leading up to the Super Bowl, my dad had only been to one game all season. They hadn’t been at any of those games over the course of the year together, which was the first time in my entire playing career.
“It was really special when she was at the Super Bowl. Really special to celebrate with her and she was really looking forward to going to the Super Bowl. I wanted her to be there and I wanted our team to get there.’’
Brady said both he and his mother have a “different perspective’’ now that she has gone through her treatment. He also said she is doing well now.
“You never know what happens in this life,’’ he said, “and I think we appreciate all these days that we have and all these moments with each other. That’s really what I have tried to focus on.
“She couldn’t be any better considering everything she’s gone through. Everyone in our family is so happy. She got some tests back that were really positive and she’s on the road to recovery. We’re all very happy about that.’’
