FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is embracing the underdog role in next Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, telling CBS in a postgame interview that "everybody thinks we suck and can't win any games."
It was a theme that resonated throughout the locker room after the Patriots' 41-28 divisional-round victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
"Tom said it, so I can comment on it. Yeah, everybody does think we suck. Everybody thinks we don't have enough," wide receiver Phillip Dorsett said. "But the only thing that matters is what we think in this room and we believe. When you have a whole group of guys that believes, it can be a special thing. So we have to keep playing, keep going hard."
Fellow receiver Julian Edelman added: "We're the underdog this week. I'm going to jump on that train and roll with it. That's my life."
The Patriots visit the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday (6:40 p.m. ET). It will be Brady's 13th appearance in the conference championship game.
"We see it. We see our quarterback's too old, we're not good enough on defense, the skill players aren't good, but it doesn't affect how we prepare," said ninth-year safety Devin McCourty, one of the team's captains.
According to ESPN's Football Power Index, at 15 percent, the Patriots have the lowest chance of winning the Super Bowl of the four remaining teams.
Asked if it's sweeter when he's proving people wrong, Brady said, "I just like winning."
Teammates took a cue from Brady after the win.
"We know we have a lot of doubters, a lot of people saying this and that, counting us out and things like that," fourth-year defensive end Trey Flowers said. "It's football. If it was going by what people said, there would be no reason to play the game. We let the pads talk. We let the scoreboard talk. That's our motto.
"A lot of guys understand that we are doubted and counted out, and you definitely get a little sense of motivation to prove people wrong. ... We understand what we have to do. We understand what we got. ... It is what it is. I get a few laughs out of it."
In his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI on Monday morning, Brady was asked who motivated him to say what he did.
"Our team has fought through a lot all year," Brady said. "At different times over the course of the season, you have ups and downs, and I thought we were just really poised to have a great performance. A lot of people didn't think we could beat the Chargers. The Chargers were undefeated on the road. We had a lot of respect for the Chargers, they're a damn good football team. But we felt like we wanted to go out and really play our best and make a statement.
"I thought we really rose to the occasion. That's what playoff football is all about. Certainly not our first time, and our coaches did such a great job preparing us. We're going to need the same type of effort this week."
Pressed on the topic, he said, "I just think it's what is generally said about our team."