Il Messaggiere - Surgical Brady readies for Rams operation

Brady's Bucs were roughed up when the two teams met in California in September, with the Rams barrelling past the reigning Super Bowl champions 34-24.

On Sunday, the NFC heavyweights meet again at the Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium where a place in the NFC Championship game will be on the line.

Bucs quarterback Brady, who looked close to his clinical best in dispatching the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend, says the September loss to the Rams has no bearing on Sunday's showdown.

"They're each their own type of game," Brady said. "They're going to require their own individual type of game and are going to require their own individual performances.

"The point is it doesn't really matter what happened when we played in (September)."

That early season loss did provide Brady with invaluable intelligence on this weekend's opponents though.

"Anytime you play your opponent it gives you an understanding of what they do well, things you wish you would have done," said the 44-year-old seven-time Super Bowl champion, renowned for poring over hours of footage of opponents.

That could spell trouble for the Rams.

Or as Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians put it: "Once Tom Brady figures you out -- you're in trouble. He's a surgeon."

Typically, Brady has prepared for the postseason by marginalizing extra-curricular activities.

"This isn't the time for trips to movie theaters," he said. "This is the time to lock in on football. This is all we have."

The Buccaneers' offensive arsenal could be bolstered by the possible return of running back Leonard Fournette, who is on the mend after missing last Sunday's win over the Eagles with a hamstring injury.

The Rams meanwhile arrive in Florida on a high after an emphatic 34-11 dismantling of the Arizona Cardinals on Monday.

The Los Angeles defense laid the foundation for that win, with two sacks and two interceptions.

Rams linebacker Von Miller is under no illusions that Brady is a different class of opponent.

"It's Tom Brady. He does everything well," Miller said. "We just got to find a way to rattle him. We got to find a way to get to the quarterback."

- Bills aiming high -

Sunday's other divisional round game sees the Kansas City Chiefs attempt to return to the AFC Championship game for a fourth consecutive season when they face the Buffalo Bills.

The Chiefs beat the Bills 38-24 in last year's AFC Championship to reach the Super Bowl, but are hosting a Buffalo team who have hit form at the right time.

The Bills thrashed the New England Patriots 47-17 last week, with quarterback Josh Allen outstanding in a devastating offensive display.

"He's a tremendous player," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of his Buffalo counterpart.

"They put a lot on his shoulders and he rises to the occasion. He's able to run the ball, he can throw the ball, he has the arm strength to throw it anywhere on the football field and he makes great decisions."

The Bills have already beaten the Chiefs this season, romping to a 38-20 win at Arrowhead Stadium in October.

Since then, however, the Chiefs have improved steadily. A dazzling burst of scoring against the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, when Mahomes tossed five touchdowns in just over 11 minutes, served as a reminder that the Chiefs remain one of the most lethal offensive sides in the NFL when on song.

Allen says Mahomes and the Chiefs have set the standard for every other team in the AFC over the past three seasons.

"I don't know if rivalry is the right word, but they are the Mecca of the AFC," Allen said of the Chiefs.

"And that's the team that everybody wants to aspire to be, to be in three AFC championships in a row and being in two Super Bowls in a row.

"That's the type of level that we want to be. In order to be the best, you gotta beat the best. And they've really been one of the, if not the, best team in the last four years.

"We've got a good opportunity here and we're excited for it, as I'm sure they are as well."

Z.Bianchi--IM