"You have a bad game, you’re out": When Tom Brady shed light on dealing with NFL playoffs pressure

The NFL is one of the most competitive sporting leagues in the world, comprising some of the best athletes. No team has achieved a three-peat, and only nine teams have won back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

Tom Brady has lifted the Lombardi Trophy more than any team in history. If anyone can explain the NFL's competitiveness, it's him.

In a January 2019 interview with WEEI, Brady discussed the pressure players face during the playoff season.

“Yeah, there’s a lot,” Brady said. “And again, it just comes down to one game. I talked about it last week, this is not four-of-seven or three-of-five. If you have a bad game, you’re out.”

Brady explained that NFL teams must win at least four consecutive games to secure a Super Bowl title, assuming they top their conference. There is no scope to have a bad day in the office.

“And if you think of other sports, if they have a bad game – in baseball, you need to have four bad games to lose the World Series,” Brady said. “In pro football, you have one bad game, that’s it. And I think that’s what makes it so challenging and that’s what makes it so intense.”

Brady added,

“That’s why the pressure’s there. But I’d say the guys that are playing at this time of year know how to deal with pressure.”

Tom Brady explained how pressure makes players perform better

In the same interview, Tom Brady emphasized that the players are excited by the pressure of winning the game to stay afloat in the competition.

“There’s a great sense of emotion and it’s just a little different because you realize it’s all on the line,” Brady said. “You have 65 plays left, you have two or three bad ones, that’s the season.”

Hence, the players always put their best foot forward in each game and every moment since they don't want the pressure to climb on them.