Apparently, Bill Belichick doesn't own a pair of lucky socks.
On the other hand, Robert Kraft might believe in lucky charms. Tedy Bruschi will be the Pats honorary captain for this, their sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game. New England is 8-0 in previous games honoring Bruschi.
It couldn't hurt.
They play the game with an oblate spheroid. If dropped, it will bounce in unpredictable ways. Is that mere luck? Perhaps if you think of luck as a synonym for unpredictability, it is. Good luck if it bounces into the hands of your team; bad luck if it bounces into the hands of the opponents. I suppose the statisticians out there would argue that there is no such thing as "unpredictable." Some outcomes simply happen at a much higher rate than others, like, you know, catching a football on your helmet.
If the helmet catch is a teachable moment, though, it isn't about luck. It's about finishing. It's about tackling.
Leaving nothing to chance is easier said than done and it isn't all that easy to begin with. Even so, Bill Belichick and his coaches will do their best to put fate on the sideline this Sunday. Do your job. Pigskin pundits and bobbleheads may think the Patriots defense has something to prove and they wouldn't be human if they didn't have a chip on their shoulders when they line up across from Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown but in that locker room they don't need validation, they just want the win. Do your job. Get off blocks. Cover. Tackle. For this defense, it isn't one on one, it's eleven on one. Do your job. For special teams it's about the most fundamental of football fundamentals. Field position. Kick and cover. Catch and return. Do your job. For Tom Brady and the offense, this isn't about last week, it's all about this week and the Steelers defense. Read. Adjust. Block. Run. Protect. Catch.
Do. Your. Job.
It's why Tedy Bruschi is the perfect Patriot.
Just play.
Having said that…
On Sunday, my wife will be wearing her lucky socks and I will be wearing the long-sleeved, black t-shirt with the blue and grey flying Elvis on the front under my navy blue Patriots hoodie that I've worn throughout the winning streak.
It couldn't hurt.
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