Just six days away from the chance to claim his fourth Super Bowl, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady knows he is a marked man. The 34-year-old, who was taken with the 199th selection in the 2000 NFL draft, already has a hat-trick of Super Bowl rings after leading his team to victories over St Louis (2002), Carolina (2004) and Philadelphia (2005).
But Monday's clash with the New York Giants will be a monumental clash for Brady, giving him the chance to gain revenge over his opposite number Eli Manning, who was instrumental in the Giants' 17-14 win over the Pats in 2008.
In their only other meeting this season, the Giants defeated the Patriots 24-20 on the road on November 6, and Brady knows his team will have to do it the hard way at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
'We played them a while ago, I think they've changed a little bit,' Brady said. 'They're certainly as good as anyone we played all year. So we've got our work cut out for us.'Brady knows he will have a target on his back on back, but said that comes with the territory. 'I think, as a quarterback, you understand that you can't sit there and hold the ball all day,' he said.
'You better find someone and get rid of it.' 'They're coming and you don't want to just sit there and sort things out and, certainly, I'm not going to be able to run away from them.'
'So I've got to be able to throw the ball quickly and try to find an open guy and get it into the hands really of someone who can actually do something good with it - which, you know, my skill players really have done all season.' Brady has been coached by Bill Belichick for his entire professional career, and the quarterback said their relationship is one of mutual respect.
'He is very tough,' Brady said of his 59-year-old mentor. 'He says to us from time to time he understands it's a demanding place to play and it's not really meant for everybody, but he appreciates all the players' willingness to commit themselves to, really, a goal that's greater than the individual.'
'And I think that's why we're sitting here today - because we really have a great group of players who have worked extremely hard and committed themselves to each other to reach this point.'