FOXBOROUGH - What could possibly happen tomorrow afternoon that these guys have not seen? What new situation could occur? What could possibly faze them?
The answer, of course, is nothing.
The Patriots are stocked with jewelry-laden players who could give tutorials in both how to prepare and how to execute in certifiably Big Games. Ten men on the roster (counting Stephen Neal, who was inactive for the playoffs after the 2001 season) have been here long enough to have won three Super Bowl rings.
Four of them were presented to the media yesterday. The main purpose was to fill notebooks and provide sound bites. In that sense, it wouldn't have mattered if they had chosen to discuss the South Carolina primary. But there was more. For the discerning Patriots fan, there was an unspoken message: Trust us. We know what we're doing.
Noting that this will be his sixth AFC Championship game, for example, Tedy Bruschi said, "You learn to prepare for these games. These are the games you want to be in. You try to break it down. You break down the game to its simplest form. 'How do I do my job better? How can I best prepare?' "
But, of course, it is different this time. There was none of this 11-5, 12-4, 13-3, or even 14-2 regular-season stuff. The Patriots were not merely very good this season. They were not merely excellent. They were dominant.
They entered themselves into discussions about "Greatest This" and "Greatest That." They had normally sober-minded and thoroughly responsible people saying things about them that would put the analysts in danger of having their mental competency questioned had they been suggested back in August. They had a season such as no one has seen in 35 years, and they did it under a far different set of circumstances, on and off the field.
The media and fan mind-set is to assume that the 17-0 business is a burden. There has to be, you know, tremendous pressure on them as prepare for this game against the San Diego Chargers. What if they fall behind by two touchdowns? What if, God forbid, they should lose? Won't they be humiliated? What will be their place in history? Will 53 disgraced football players charter buses to deposit them at the nearest monastery? (They wouldn't have to go any farther than Brookline.)
But players aren't like media and fans, at least not these players. These are Bill Belichick's players.
"I haven't thought about that," Bruschi insisted. "That's not something we emphasize. 17 and 0. Undefeated. We don't want to have that kind of attitude of finality. We're just preparing for the San Diego Chargers."
