THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX - 23-17.
Just 17 points for the potent Patriots.
A certain MVP quarterback thinks that's a super-sized diss.
Tom Brady scoffed when told Wednesday that New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress guaranteed New York will defeat Brady's undefeated New England Patriots team in Sunday's Super Bowl.
"We're only going to score 17 points?" Brady said before chuckling about it. "OK. Is Plax playing defense? I wish he had said 45-42 and gave us a little credit for scoring more points."
Told about Brady's reaction to that score, Burress said he wasn't disrespecting anyone.
"I'm not taking anything away from what those guys accomplished," he said. "They set all the records you could possibly imagine. They have a great quarterback, the MVP, who threw for a record (50) touchdowns. Randy set a touchdown record for catches. They had two receivers with over 100 catches.
"The numbers don't lie about what they have done."
Nor do the numbers 23-17 lie about what Burress thinks.
"Hey, look how much fun everybody is having with it," he said. "It makes national, international headlines. But the game still has to be played."
New England played two games this season that were preceded by an opposing player's prediction. Pittsburgh's Anthony Smith guaranteed a win against New England in their Week 14 game at Foxborough - the Patriots routed the Steelers 34-13. And after Brady threw an early touchdown pass over Smith, he verbally confronted the Steelers safety.
Days before the AFC title game, San Diego defensive end Igor Olshansky said the Chargers were unstoppable. New England stopped them, 21-12.
"We don't make predictions. We just let our play do the talking," Brady said matter-of-factly.
"Plaxico is a hell of a player. If he feels that way, I think that's great. I'd hate for him to think he's going to lose this game. It's obvious nobody does."
Burress was entitled to his opinion, Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss said, "but the only thing about a prediction is that you have got to make it happen."
