the respect card (ep)

By Christopher Price BPB.com Staff

No team plays the no respect card better than the Patriots. Despite the fact that they've won three of the last four Super Bowls, New England is always digging for some slight — either real or manufactured — to help give them a spark. In 2001, it came from the national media, who believed they were just happy to be there when it came to facing the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. They found it in 2003 and 2004 when many media members (both local and national) said the Patriots would get knocked off by the Colts in the postseason. Last year, Philadelphia's loquacious Freddie Mitchell gave them more fuel for their fire before Super Bowl XXXIX when he said he couldn't name the members of the New England secondary. On every occasion, they were able to turn the tables and use the perceived disrespect to their advantage. Now, it appears they've found something that sticks in their craw. According to New England quarterback Tom Brady, it appears the national media has gone overboard in their assessment of the Jaguars as the AFC's disrespected playoff underdog. Responding to that assessment yesterday toward the end of his press conference, Brady made no bones about which team he believes has been on the receiving end of more slights this season. "I think we've been probably disrespected more than any team in the league this year," Brady said of the Patriots, who finished the season at 10-6. "I think we've been given up on by a lot of media people, a lot of fans — our own fans, other people around the league. If there's one team that feels like they're disrespected, it's us. "I don't disrespect Jacksonville," added Brady of New England's opponent in the AFC wild-card game, set for Saturday at Gillette. "How can you disrespect a team that's 12-4? If we were 12-4, it would be different. I think people gave up on us a long time ago." After finishing a six-game stretch at the start of the season that the Elias Sports Bureau called one of the hardest in the history of the league, the Patriots started the year 4-4. An assortment of injuries to key players like Matt Light, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour and Corey Dillon forced New England to dig deep into their reserves — the Patriots started 45 different players this season, more than any other playoff team in the NFL. But they were able to win six of their last seven entering Sunday's game with the Dolphins, and in that one, New England had most of their starters out by the beginning of the second quarter, and were still within a late two-point conversion of sending that one into overtime. But despite the fact that Harrah's has the Patriots installed as an eight-point favorite, that hasn't stopped New England falling all over themselves in a rush to call themselves the underdog in Saturday night's wild-card matchup at Gillette Stadium. Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick has been doing his part, saying the idea of the Jaguars being an easier matchup than Pittsburgh — who the Patriots would have faced if they had won their season finale against Miami on Sunday — is "ridiculous." "Go talk to the teams that have lost to them and see what they have to say," Belichick said of Jacksonville, which finished 12-4, good enough for second in the AFC South behind Indianapolis. Most of the Jacksonville players aren't buying that, however. Jags' quarterback Byron Leftwich, speaking on a conference call with the New England media, said he hasn't seen anyone pick Jacksonville. "I watch a lot of TV and I haven't seen anybody give us a chance," said Leftwich, who is set to start after missing six games with a broken ankle. "That is cool with us, because we understand that is not going to determine if we win the football game or not. What is going to determine it is how well we are going to prepare this week and how well we get out there and play on Saturday night." "Tell [Brady] to switch places with us," Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith told reporters yesterday. "They have the respect, trust me." But there are some in the Jacksonville locker room who agree with Brady. "Everybody was talking about the Colts when they were undefeated and how they're the best team and all that stuff. You can't say a team is the best team until they (win) a Super Bowl," Jaguars safety Deon Grant told reporters. "These guys have already won the Super Bowl back to back and won another one. They haven't gotten any respect. They showed it. They made a run at the end to get in the postseason."