"It'll be a good game, they're a good team," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady told CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson after the win Sunday. "We played them earlier this year and I know everyone thinks we suck and you know, can't win any games. So we'll see. It'll be fun."
If anyone thought they weren't good enough to contend for a Super Bowl, they'll likely have a new opinion now. Perhaps the most intimidating: It sounds as if the Patriots, of all franchises, are playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
"We've been hearing things like that forever now, for a few years," Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said after the game. "We just laugh at it, whatever, whatever they say and we just keep moving forward."
Sunday can't come soon enough.