TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady played in plenty of cold weather during his 20 seasons with the New England Patriots. He said he was getting ready for bed when the Patriots visited Buffalo during Monday Night Football, and he's not eager to relive any memories.
"I had plenty of those nights. I woke up and it was 75 degrees the next day, here," Brady said with a big smile. "It’s pretty amazing how you feel. It’s a great time of year to be here."
He jokingly reiterated his stance on returning to the northeast. "I’m not going to move back to the cold weather. I know that."
The Bills have alternated wins and losses since mid-October. But the one thing that's been consistent is their top-ranked total defense.
"Really good upfront. Really good linebackers. Safeties have played together a long time," Brady added. "They work well together. They do a lot of great things. It’ll be a great environment for football."
The Patriots ran 46 times and threw just three passes in their 14-10 against the Bills. Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich won't be that one-dimensional in his play-calling because temperatures will be in the 80s and winds won't be gusting to 50 mph. But he's confident in his team's ability to win however they need to.
"We want to be multiple, and we want to be able to do what we have to do to win that game, whatever it is," Leftwich said. "Whatever we feel fit to do to win that football game, we’re gonna try to do that."
Brady, 44, leads the NFL in touchdown passes (34), passing yards (3,771), completions (347), and attempts (508). He says he's developing clear lines of communication with all of his receivers as the season moves forward.
"Just gotta keep after it every day. Gotta keep putting the work in," he said. "Come out to the practice field with a good attitude. Try to get better, try to improve."
Brady needs 18 completions to break Drew Brees' all-time regular-season record of 7,142.
Tampa Bay (9-3) and Buffalo (7-5) kick off Sunday at 4:25 p.m. from Raymond James Stadium.
