Belichick mum on Brady's status for Jaguars-Patriots AFC title game

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is sweating Tom Brady's hand injury ahead of Sunday's AFC title game against the Jaguars, he showed no sign of it at an impromptu news conference Friday.

Belichick did not discuss the status of his quarterback's hand or the severity of the injury. Instead, he mumbled only cryptic responses to reporters' questions about Brady.

"Today's Friday," Belichick said when asked if Brady might be a game-time decision on Sunday.

Questioned about whether New England would add a third quarterback as an insurance policy, he played it coy once more: "We're going to get ready for Jacksonville and do the best we can."

He was mum again when asked about his concern over Brady's status and whether it complicated the Patriots' game plan, saying only, "I don't know."

This is nothing new for Belichick, who has earned a reputation over the years for his stoic, almost comatose, demeanor and his penchant for keeping details under wraps.

Brady reportedly missed Thursday's practice with a right hand injury, a day after he was limited by the same issue as New England prepares for the Jaguars.

But even though the quarterback appeared on the Patriots' injury report several times throughout the regular season, he has never missed a playoff start in his 18-year career.