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Patched into the Game: Giants vs. Patriots [Video]

The New York Giants travel to Gillette Stadium for today's game as the Patriots host the team that derailed their hopes of a perfect season in Super Bowl XLII.

There was a different feeling around Gillette Stadium this week.

It could have been last week's frustrating loss to , or the reported incident allegedly involving Julian Edelman.

But as is the "Patriots Way," it was none of the issues mentioned above but rather the team visiting Foxborough: The New York Giants.

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The Patriots spent the week dissecting their flaws against Pittsburgh and did their best to deflect the media avalanche that has resulted since the alleged incident involving Edelman. Head coach Bill Belichick's attention was solely on the Giants.

"A real good Football team," Belichick said of the Giants. "Obviously defensively, very strong pass rush, good pass defense. Offensively, good quarterback, good receivers, good offensive line, good backs. They make plays in the kicking game, good returners, good coverage players, and you know Tom (Coughlin) as usual does a good job with the team. They're a well coached, disciplined, tough, physical team and they're playing very well. We've got our work cut out for us this week, it will be a good test for us." 

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Brady spent time with the media earlier this week deflecting questions about Edelman and talking about the team that derailed the Patriots' attempt for a perfect season in February, 2008.

"You know we kind of let Belichick handle that," Brady said. "You know [Edelman's] our friend, so, we're trying to get ready to win a football game, that's what's on our mind."

Brady's focus this week has been preparing for a team that can get behind the line of scrimmage and disrupt the offense.

"I've got plenty of things I've got to worry about over the course of this week and my priorities are to be the best quarterback I can be for this team," Brady said. "Just like everyone. We've got a very tough opponent who's coming in. All of our focus and attention needs to be on them. They're enough to handle as is and we got off to a good start the last couple days as a team and we need to keep it rolling through the whole week and that's where our focus is."

And of course, the elephant in the room, Brady touched on the last time the Patriots played the Giants (Super Bowl XLII) in a game that counted and what, if anything, he can take from that game and apply on Sunday.

"Yeah that's a distant memory, there's not much you can take from that," Brady said. "This is an entirely different team that we have, that they have, different strengths and weaknesses. I mean we're familiar with them, we do play them in the preseason every year. We played them in the preseason this year, that probably gives us a little more understanding of what they do than a game a few years ago."

When asked about the loss to the Steelers and the effect a loss in general has on him and the team, Brady said "it sucks."

"There's a mourning process that goes on here with our team, our coaches, the players. It's not something that we'll ever get used to," said Brady. "The whole week sucks actually.  So we've just got to try and go out there and erase that memory with a good win, good days of practice, so once you kind of get into the preparation of the week you end up really moving on, which you know we've done that."

Brady and the Patriots will do their best to erase the memory of the loss to the Steelers this past Sunday and in a sense, avenge their loss to the Giants back in Super Bowl XLII.

Kickoff for the game against the Giants is 4:15 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.

Check back here every Gameday for "Patched Into the Game."

For more news on the Patriots, visit Patriots.com or NFL.com

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