FOXBOROUGH – With a season point differential of plus-105 through 10 games, the Patriots haven’t had too many close contests that have gone down to the wire. The only game that’s been decided by less than 7 points was the 27-25 home win over the Jets, with a blocked field goal attempt on the final play ensuring the win.
So, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was asked, with six straight wins by an average of 19 points producing a seemingly weekly blowout, how has this team shown mental toughness?
“I think you see it in practice a lot, I think you see it when we’re challenged,” Brady said on Wednesday, prior to the team’s practice. “There’s some points in other games where, you’re right, the final score may not end up being close, but there was a point in the game where it was really close, and we’ve found ways to make the plays to kind of pour it on, so to speak.”
The Patriots’ plus-105 point differential is tied with the Packers, who happen to be next week’s opponent, in what could be a Super Bowl preview at legendary Lambeau Field. First, though, comes a home game against the Detroit Lions, a team that’s played six games this season decided by 8 points or less. The Lions have close wins (24-17, 24-23, 22-21, 20-16) and close losses (17-14, 14-6).
How Sunday plays out at Gillette Stadium, then, should be one of the main story lines. Do the Lions play in another close game, giving the Patriots something they haven’t seen much of, or will it be another rout?
“The games are always close at some point. At some point they [might] end up not being close. I prefer those a lot more than the close ones,” Brady said. “It’s always just about our execution, and if does come down to the last possession, I think we’ve proven that we can handle that, too. Whatever it takes to win.”
Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeWhitmer.