Earlier on Saturday, Robert Kraft spoke to MMQB's Peter King about Friday's ESPN story, which detailed a power struggle within the Patriots organization between Kraft, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
Saturday night, it was Tom Brady's turn, as he addressed the story on Westwood One Radio with Jim Gray.
Brady was asked if he feels the working environment with the Patriots is different this year than past years?
"I see it as I've seen it the last 18 years — that we are all there to do a job and that is to go out and do the best to help the team win," Brady said. "That has been very consistent here. That has been a big reason why our team has been so successful and I don't see that any different going into this week."
When asked if the story would be a distraction, Brady pointed to how successful the team has been over the years and people "get creative with what they talk about" because actual football stuff doesn't get attention.
"Along with with winning and great success comes a lot of things," he said. "I think for a long time we have done a great job of winning games and it forces people to be creative with what they talk about, the things that they write and the things they speculate on because diagnosing football plays doesn't get the attention that some of these other things might. Speculating on relationships or what my feelings towards my team, or my organization, or players, or coaches, I can only speak for myself. Really, my relationships with everybody that I deal with I feel are so positive. To think anything differently of that is complete nonsense.
"I love the fact where we're at as a team. I want my focus and energy to be where it needs to be, which is on the biggest game of the year and that is what I know I will personally accomplish and I know that will be a big goal for our team this week, too."
The 40-year-old doesn't believe there is any tension inside the organization.
"I don't think so," he said. "I think in so many ways adversity that our team has faced over the years only makes us stronger. Everything is a great opportunity and we have a great opportunity as a team. We've worked very hard to get ourselves to this spot -- to be 13-3, to have the No. 1 seed, to have the bye is a very hard thing to do. To let anything to get in the way of that and all the hard work that people have really put into it and what we've achieved to take away from that, it would be very unfortunate if we let this opportunity get away from us."
As for will it fracture the group?
"I don't think so," Brady said. "Only if we let it and I think for so long we have proven that we ignore the noise, we do our job, we speak for ourself and we focus on what we need to do to help the team win.
New England will host a divisional round game next Saturday night.
