BOSTON, Mass. (WHDH) – If Tom Brady runs out of the Gillette Stadium tunnel to the tune of Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement”, Tom Coughlin should run out to the field blaring Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”.
The 71-year-old has been a “boogeyman” of sorts to Brady for most of his career, boasting a 3-2 career record against him as a head coach. The Patriots quarterback opened up about his past playoff losses, specifically his two Super Bowl losses to Coughlin’s New York Giants, in his weekly WEEI interview with Kirk Minihane and Gerry Callahan.
“I can remember every one of those playoff losses,” Brady surmised, “you don’t want to come out of the game going ‘damn, it was just that one play.'”
The “one play” he was likely referring to was David Tyree’s 32-yard helmet catch in Superbowl XLII to help foil New England’s perfect 19-0 season in 2007. Or Mario Manningham’s 38-yard catch late in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XLVI en route to a 21-17 Giants win.
“[Playoff losses] are always tough because they mean the most,” Brady said.
Tom Coughlin is now the executive vice president of football operations for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Patriots opponent in the AFC Championship game and will be present this coming Sunday.
Although Coughlin won’t be wearing a headset on the opposing sideline, scheming up a game plan to thwart Brady, the now-retired head coach will be up in the owners box, hoping his Jaguars can accomplish a feat they haven’t done in their 23 year history: advance to a Superbowl.
And as for Brady, he will try to further cement his legacy as the greatest quarterback to ever play by appearing in an 8th Superbowl.
Come Sunday, something has got to give. Kickoff for the game is at 3:05 pm.
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