Patriots Players

Jonathan Jones, CB

(On what he said to the team and how much a game like this disappoints, frustrates and surprises him after what the team did in Buffalo)

“The speech I kind of gave last week after the game was just thinking that we showed who we could be. We came out, played together all three units. Obviously, we still came up short, but just how guys came out and competed. As opposed to this week, we never got any momentum. We seem to be a team that if we get no momentum early, we don’t know how to fight back. Just learning how to get momentum earlier and continue that through the game.”

 

(On what he thinks is lacking from the team when they fall behind and why they struggle when they fall behind)

“We always talk about complementary football, and I think people think of offense, defense, and special teams. But just energy. It’s an unwritten factor of how much momentum and energy carries over. You know, make a big stop on defense and then get the ball back, score when you get the first possession on offense, things like that continue to push you through the game. When we can do those things early, we have success. I don’t want to use the same excuse, everyone says, ‘Oh, it’s a young team.’ But it’s just learning that everything’s not going to go your way. That’s in football, in life, how you respond to that adversity is what type of team you’re going to have.”

 

(On the key for the Chargers’ efficiency on third and fourth down to extend drives)

“They did a good job of game planning if I’m being honest with you. They set a lot of picks, a lot of early man coverage and even when we were able to be in zone, to try to pass off some picks, they were able to kind of check the ball down, be in manageable third and fourth downs to get it in zone coverage. They had a really, really good game plan on some of the things that they did. A lot of them were one-hitters that they found success in. The red area play to Ladd [McConkey], he circles in to go crosser and then circles back, that was a one-hitter for them that didn’t hit on that. They got the right coverage, right call and they were able to have some success.”

 

(On the matchup with Ladd McConkey)

“They use him kind of like Los Angeles does with their guys, with their motion and setting picks. Every play, you’re fighting through picks, fighting through motion, so that’s something they do a good job of. We knew that was going to be something they did, they did a very, very good job of, like I said, setting picks, getting the timing down. I think on the first third down that they missed, him [Herbert] having to force it out early kind of led to that one being incomplete. But they did a good job setting a lot of screens, depending on how we were trying to align in man coverage.”

 

DeMario Douglas, WR

(On struggling as a team when getting behind)

“Right. A team like that, that’s a good team and definitely a playoff-caliber team. For us, being a young team, it’s a great learning lesson that in the league, we need to stay ahead of the game. Being behind is just hard, especially with a good team like that.”

 

(On the disconnect with the team based on a strong effort last week versus this week)

“The Chargers probably wanted it more. I think they needed this game to get to the playoffs, and I feel like this game that they came and they played complementary football all around. I felt like that’s what we failed at. We didn’t play complementary football. When the defense got a stop, we didn’t go score or other way around. So, complementary football in this league is very important, and we all needed to play together.”

 

(On his passion for getting it right with this team and what his message to the rest of the group would be)

“I feel like this game right here, just alone, should have a bad taste in everybody’s mouth, just because we lost at home. I feel like us being a young team, we should go into next year like, ‘Man, we dislike losing.’ I dislike losing, and I feel like my two years I’ve been losing, and I feel like it’s time to make a change. We’ve got some pieces, we’ll add more pieces next year, and I feel like we could come out and do something. I’m trying to be in the playoffs, I’m trying to go for a run and have a winning season. I’m just tired of losing for real.”

 

Kendrick Bourne, WR

(On the game)

“They’re a good team. You could feel that they’re a good team, and they came and played like it, a playoff team. Last week we played a good team, thinking we built some momentum off that, and we just didn’t show it today. It just sucks. It’s frustrating, I can feel it. You just don’t ever want to go out there and put no tape on the field like that. Going for it on fourth down and not converting, it was just a weird game. Just got to be better.”

 

(On the focus for the last week)

“Yeah, division game, we just played them last week, so very familiar with what they do. I kind of said it last week, we always play good against Buffalo, and it seems like we have a different sense of urgency, I wish we could’ve had that today. Just going into the week, working, game planning, getting our bodies prepared for a good opponent. I don’t know where they stand in the playoffs standing or whatever, but just trying to make it tough for them. Not just thinking that you can come in here and walk over us, kind of like what happened today. Trying to avoid what happened today.”

 

Deatrich Wise Jr., DL

(On the overall feeling coming out of today’s game)

“It was tough. I feel like we had a lot of things going but I will give credit that we kept fighting until the end. I think it was getting the ball out fast and there was a lot of pressure up front, they were double teaming, and they had a lot of protection. One thing we have to do next week is move faster.”

 

(On the overall thoughts in putting together another week)

“At this point, it’s pride. No matter what you do, your resume is out there on the field so what you do out there will last forever. So, as we head out there next week, we are still going to treat it like it’s Week One. We will train, study all the concepts and give it all we got. We’ve got one more game left.”

 

(On how much he instills pride in his teammates as a veteran and leader)

“I take it all on my shoulders. Whatever I have to do to help motivate and inspire our guys as we head into more one week.”

 

Kayshon Boutte, WR

(On how tough this loss was)

“Obviously the game did not go the way we wanted it to go. It was tough but I liked the way everybody felt throughout the whole game. Regardless of win, lose or draw we didn’t stop until the clock read zero.”

 

(On what makes him confident that things are heading in the right direction for the Patriots)

“I’ll just say it all starts with Drake [Maye]. Everybody is confident in what he can do and it’s just about us executing what we need to do. It takes all of us to make everything work, so everybody has to be on the same page. Even if one dude misses his job or misses his play it’s not going to go the way we want it to go.”

 

Cole Strange, OL

(On what it meant to him to get back out there)

“It meant a lot. It was a long time coming but I think it’s really a mistake to get married into being proud of myself for that because I’m not really special. There’s guys all over the league who got injured and come back faster than I did, so I’ve really got to move past that, and I really just need to improve and come back next week and work on being better.”

 

(On what makes him confident the team is on the right path)

“Well, I think if you don’t feel that way, you shouldn’t be in this league. I just feel like we are on the right path. I have visions long term for myself and for this team. I think if guys take accountability and buy in – I just have faith in the guys and in the system and I feel like we can turn it around. I know I have to do a lot. A lot of that is on me to help it go in a different direction.”