Reuters

Chad Ochocinco thought he had grown accustomed to Tom Brady’s intensity during the regular season, but he’s learned the last two weeks that Playoff Tom Brady is different.

“I was like, ‘Is Tom OK?’ You know, he’s intense, but this was like a whole new thing, man,” Ochocinco told Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports. “They were like, ‘It’s that time of the year, you just have to understand.'”

Brady has seemed increasingly intense in his advancing years. At 34, he knows that he only has so many more chances to win his fourth title. The Patriots can’t be No. 1 seeds forever. Back-to-back home playoff losses only add to the pressure on the Patriots this week.

Ochocinco says Brady has taken his intensity to a “different level” in the playoffs, but it’s always there. The sideline spat between Brady and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was par for the course.

“That was nothing. That stuff happens every day. Every . . . single . . . day,” Ochocinco said. “That’s what it’s like around here. Everybody is pushing for perfection and they’re pushing hard. I’ve never seen anything like it in my whole career.

“You understand why this team is where it is. . . . Tom is on you about the littlest things, that you were a step off where you should be or the angle is wrong or whatever it is. Really, he has me walking on eggshells and I haven’t done that since I was a rookie.”

It doesn’t help Ochocinco that he’s one of the highest paid players on the team and only caught 15 passes all year. Brady probably sees the wasted potential in Ocho and wishes someone more reliable like Jabar Gaffney was on the squad.

This is the group Brady will roll with. Considering the Patriots defense, it’s a group Brady will have to carry.

It sure seems like Brady feels that weight more than ever.