Minneapolis: The New England Patriots say they have left past glories firmly in the rear-view mirror as they look ahead to Sunday’s Super Bowl clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The most dominant franchise of the past two decades will etch themselves into the record books on Sunday if they claim a sixth Lombardi Trophy, putting them alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers with the most titles in history.
But Bill Belichick’s team say their sole focus remains the four quarters of combat against the Eagles at the US Bank Stadium.
Running back James White, who scored a record 20 points in last year’s epic against Atlanta — three touchdowns and a two-point conversion — said he rarely thinks about his MVP-worthy performance in Houston 12 months ago.
“This is a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ league,” White said. “You’ve always got to prove yourself and that’s what I’ve been trying to do ever since.
“Houston for me is over. It was over two weeks afterwards,” he added. “You never stop having to prove yourself in this team.”
White’s mantra would no doubt win firm approval from Tom Brady.
The Patriots quarterback has his gaze fixed squarely on the challenge of the Eagles in what will be his eighth Super Bowl appearance.
The 40-year-old icon is determined to avoid a repeat of the two Super Bowl defeats he suffered against the New York Giants in the 2007 and 2011 seasons.
“The ones that we lost are very painful,” Brady said. “You put a lot into it and when it doesn’t go well, you wake up the next day and you’re thinking it was a nightmare. You’re thinking ‘Man, did that really happen?’.
“That’s what I remember from those two losses.”
Brady, however, who would become the first player to win six Super Bowls if Philadelphia are vanquished this weekend, has long learnt to leave the past behind.
Like White, Brady has consigned last year’s record comeback against Atlanta, where he inspired the Patriots as they overturned a 28-3 deficit, to history.
“I haven’t thought about the game last year much in a long time,” Brady said. “It was a great win but we’ve got another big one coming up and that’s where my focus is. What’s happened in the past is great, but it’s not going to win us anything this weekend.”
Yet, Brady acknowledged that the experience of digging out so many late wins gave his team a formidable reserve of mental muscle memory. Brady has led no fewer than eight fourth-quarter comebacks during postseason games, a record.
It is a fact that Brady regularly reminds his teammates of when he is rallying on the sidelines.
“A lot of times I tell our team: ‘Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes. Don’t ever let up. Don’t ever let your mind drift to a place where you lose a certain level of belief,’” he said.
“Because I’ve always believed that until the clock runs out, it’s never over. I’ve had a lot situations in my career to know that anything can happen.
“We’ve been down 11 points with two minutes left and won. We were down in this game last year by a big margin. You don’t want to be in those positions but if you are, you play to the end.”
