BOSTON (CBS) — Attention, New England: Your help is needed. Please send DayQuil, Robitussin and vats of your grandma’s homemade soup to Gillette Stadium. Quarterback Tom Brady has a cold.

Brady took the podium at Gillette on Tuesday to speak to the media in advance of the Patriots’ home playoff game Saturday night against the Colts. Though Brady and his teammates are well-rested after earning a first-round playoff bye, the quarterback’s voice was noticeably a bit different on Tuesday.

“Do I?” Brady said when asked if he has a cold. “A little bit.”

But fear not, New England. Brady promises that it is not a life-threatening illness.

“But I’ll live,” Brady added. “I’ll be there, hopefully not on the injury report. I’ll try to talk my way out of that.”

While Brady did not indicate that the illness would slow him down, he did admit that the team doesn’t have much time to prepare for the Colts.

“I could still use a few days to get ready,” Brady said. “We’re already on a relatively short week. I’ll be ready once the game is kicked off. Once that ball is kicked off, I’ll be prepared.”

The session with the media couldn’t pass without Brady fielding a question about his former favorite target, Deion Branch, who signed with the Colts in a surprising move on Monday. Brady said he keeps in touch with Branch, like he does with many other friends he’s played with over the years, but the signing doesn’t really affect the quarterback doing his job.

“That’s for our defense, they’re going to worry about all of those guys and prepare for all of those guys,” Brady said. “It’s part of guys changing teams and so forth. It’s nice to see a guy get an opportunity, especially when of your great friends.”

After leading his team to a 1-1 record last year in the postseason, Brady now owns a career win-loss record of 17-7. That, of course, includes three Super Bowl victories, and the 17 wins are the most in the playoffs by any quarterback in history. Despite all that history, these postseason games are anything but old hat for Brady.

“This is pretty incredible, to play in this. These are the moments that you dream about — to be in the NFL playoffs and you’ve got a chance with eight other teams to be the last team standing,” Brady said with a bit of passion coming through in his voice. “It’s why we work hard, it’s why every guy puts a lot out there. You sacrifice a lot of things. A lot of people would die to be in our positions, and I don’t think you take those things for granted. I think you cherish those and understand the opportunity that’s ahead.

“It’s different than a normal week … . You’ve got one opportunity to get it right. That’s all you can ask for as an athlete. And the great part is once that ball is kicked off, none of the other crap matters. It’s just the players that are going to ultimately decide who wins the game by how we play.”

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