FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Does New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick have any superstitions or rituals on game day?
Not exactly.
"Try to coach and play good," he said at his Friday morning news conference, nodding his head while clearly not amused at the line of questioning. "It goes a long way."
This was Belichick's final meeting with reporters before Sunday's AFC Championship Game against Pittsburgh at Gillette Stadium, and it didn't have the same pomp and circumstance as Wednesday's session. Gone was the red AFC Championship backdrop. Nowhere to be found was the shiny Lamar Hunt Trophy, flanked by Steelers and Patriots helmets.