Troy Brown (AP)

Former Patriots receiver Troy Brown joined the Mut & Merloni show on Thursday to break down the forthcoming Giants-Patriots Super Bowl. Brown suggested that the Patriots seem far more relaxed and confident in preparing for Super Bowl XLVI than they did while getting ready for Super Bowl XLII, which New England lost by a stunning 17-14 score.

“They have a quiet confidence about them right now. Just being around them this morning, everyone was in a great mood, and I think that starts with the head coach,” said Brown. “I didn’t have that feeling in Arizona that everyone was relaxed.

“The way that team went to Arizona and the way that we performed during the week, it was atrocious. It was the worst practice I’ve ever seen, any team, have for an entire week on any level in any sport,” Brown added.”We couldn’t do the basic things. I was on that team so I have to say we. We couldn’t do basic things. We couldn’t complete, not even one-on-one passes. … Quarterback-center exchange, handoffs, the basic things of football, we could not perform during the course of the week.

“We left the field one day and just called practice, came back the next day and had two Friday practices just to try to get caught up because we were so far behind. Practice, it was bad. I’ve never seen a team, especially a championship team, perform that way during the week.”

This Patriots team, Brown suggested, seems to be in better shape in the days leading into the championship contest.

“They feel good about the way they’re prepared,” said Brown. “They feel good about their practices. They’ve had a couple of great days of preparation here. They feel good about it. When you see the guys, they’re smiling. They’re happy.”