Tom Brady responds to questions about Bruce Arians' coaching, then abruptly ends press conference

The future Hall of Famer is not interested in entertaining 'noise'

Tom Brady isn't a happy camper this week, and he shouldn't be, considering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were edged by the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. It was a day that saw the six-time Super Bowl champion overcome two interceptions to throw for 341 yards and three touchdowns to shrink the Tampa Bay deficit to just three points with four minutes and 10 second left in regulation, but reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes never let Brady touch the football again -- going on to win a 27-24 nailbiter in Week 12. 

Immediately after the game, more questions were lobbed at the latter regarding Bruce Arians and the Bucs offense, and it's becoming clear just how agitated Brady is becoming with the growing inquiries -- although he continues to answer professionally.

"It's just external noise that when you are losing, that's what you deal with," he told media, via NBC Boston. "I love playing with the guys that I play with -- the coaches, the whole organization has been unbelievable. I think I have to go out and certainly do a better job the last four weeks of the year. So, I appreciate it. Let's have a good week."

He then immediately and abruptly ended the press conference, the session lasting just two minutes and 21 seconds.

Brady's stewing frustration with the growing attempts at identifying some sort of rift (if not creating it altogether) between he and Arians wasn't helped last week when former teammate Rob Ninkovich, a retired linebacker who spent several seasons with Brady as a member of the New England Patriots, tore into Arians in a recent talk with ESPN's "Get Up." Following the loss in Week 11 to the Los Angeles Rams, a brutally honest Arians noted Brady was having trouble reading coverages, a sound byte many took as a shot at the future Hall of Fame quarterback, but Arians characterized as much less: an objective observation.

Still, it rubbed Ninkovich the wrong way, and he wants someone else coaching his former QB.

"I'm giving Tom Brady a new head coach because Bruce Arians, at this point right now, he's not cutting it," Ninkovich said. "All his interviews he is throwing players under the bus. ... Asking him about Tom Brady being confused by coverages, I don't think Tom Brady gets confused by coverages. ... It's the first time Tom Brady has ever had a head coach throw him under the bus like this."

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Arians hasn't been shy about critiqued Brady this season, but it should come as no surprise when considering he promised he'd evaluate the four-time Super Bowl MVP as he would any other player on the roster. He's thus far held true to that promise, but both Arians and Brady contend the relationship between the two is just fine. They'll have to quickly right the ship going forward though, having now lost two in a row for the first time this season, and with only four games remaining to leapfrog the New Orleans Saints atop the NFC South.

There were bound to be hiccups in 2020, thanks to a slew of new pieces being glued together without a traditional offseason to do it, but the Buccaneers are still 7-5 and in striking distance in their division. Not that he wouldn't do so otherwise, but all things considered, this is why Brady is tuning out the outside "noise" and focusing on the task at hand.