The New England Patriots, who are coming off a 34-9 dismantling of previously 7-3 Detroit, have won seven straight games, own the No. 1 ranked scoring offense and have a plus-130 point differential. After stumbling out of the gate to a 2-2 record, the Pats have now established themselves as one of the leading Super Bowl favorites.
But Tom Brady isn't listening to the hype.
"We are so far from [the Super Bowl]," Brady said, according to ESPN. "We have so many games [left]. If we are lucky enough to make it there, no one ever cares who we play. But that's so far down the road. We think about the one game we have ahead of us, which is a good opponent.
"We have nine wins. We've done a good job getting ourselves to this position. This is when the weather turns, the mental toughness, the discipline, how much we've improved really comes into play."
NFL Week 12
History tells us not to hold our breath waiting for a late-season collapse. Since 2010, the Patriots are an NFL-best 32-3 in the second half of their regular season schedule, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Improving that spectacular record will be a major challenge this weekend on the road against the Green Bay Packers, who are heating up themselves. Aaron Rodgers and Co. have won seven of their last eight games and rank just behind New England with the second best scoring offense.
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