Tom Brady isn't looking to reinvent the wheel with the clocking ticking down until the New England Patriots face their biggest test of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII next Sunday.
As any properly-trained Patriot would, Brady said Saturday that he isn't taking the Eagles lightly, but New England's four-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback conveyed that the team's most important focus is on itself.
Simply put, Brady just wants the Patriots to be the best team they can be.
"I think after 18 games, it's hard to reinvent your entire team in two weeks, and for what reason would that be? I think they have their strengths, we have ours," Brady said in his weekly meeting with reporters in Foxborough, Mass. "It's going to come down to who plays the best, and that starts with being who's the most prepared. There's a lot of time to prepare still (and I think we should) use that time wisely."
A big part of the Patriots' off-week preparation has been getting healthy, and they got some good news on the injury front when star tight end Rob Gronkowski returned to the practice field Saturday after suffering a concussion in last weekend's AFC Championship Game.
Gronkowski missed the entire week of practice and still hasn't officially cleared the NFL's concussion protocol, but his presence alone was enough to bring a smile to the faces of Brady and his teammates.
"I think he's got a great personality and a great way about him," Brady said of Gronkowski. "He definitely has a joyfulness to him and he brings that to the team, and it's just a great attribute of his. It always has been since he got here."
The Patriots won the Super Bowl without Gronkowski just last year, but his absence against an Eagles defense that ranked fourth in total defense (306.5 yards per game) and points allowed (18.4) this season would make winning much more difficult.
Difficult, but not impossible.
"They've got a great defense, as good as we faced all year," Brady said. "... They've been playing well all year, and that's why they're in this game -- and that's why we're in this game. It's going to be a great game."