Patriots Players Postgame Transcripts 10/26
PATRIOTS PLAYERS
Robert Spillane, LB
(On his interception)
“It was a third down, we were blitzing, I was covering the back. They picked up in protection, so that kind of lets me roam and be a free read the quarterback player. I’m looking for anything from the field, coming back shallow. Nothing came back shallow, so I was able to make a play on the ball. Our rush did a great job getting home, giving me the opportunity to make a play.”
(On what he’s proud of with the defense)
“How we come to prepare every day. I’m really proud of how our guys work. We got a room full of blue-collar guys that come into work to get better each and every day, whether it’s win, lose, or draw. We’re going to continue to get better each week we get out here.”
(On responding to Browns run game)
“With a young quarterback, great running back, we knew they were going to try to get some run game early and often. I’m just so proud of how our defense plays. Our defensive line, in particular, [Cory] Durden, [Christian] Barmore, Milton [Williams], [Khyiris] Tonga. These guys are eating double teams, ripping off blocks, and making tackles. When they do that, it really puts a lot of ease on my job as a second level player. I’m just really proud of how they continue to grind out the run game and get the run stops.”
(On the defensive identity)
“We have a room full of guys that view themselves as impact players, view themselves as game changing players, and that’s where it starts. If you don’t believe that you’re going to be a game changing player, you never will be. We have a room full of guys that want to go out there and make plays, want to help this team win. We’re just going to continue to come together, mesh together, and try to be the best defense we can be.”
Kayshon Boutte, WR
(On Stefon Diggs’ first touchdown and his role in WR room)
“I think I was happier than him. If you look back at the film, I ran from the right side to the left. Two plays before, we were at the goal line, and he was one yard away. I think it happened like that at Buffalo too, just a couple yards away. Great player, great guy. I love him, I think it was good for everybody. Now that he’s got that feeling in the endzone, he’s just getting started.”
(On his chemistry with Drake Maye)
“The team is only going to be as good as the receivers and the quarterback are. We’re not going to sit here and run the ball 50 times a game, you have to balance the offense up. I think what’s important is just being there when they need me.”
(On the stadium after his touchdown)
“We’ve been on the road the past month, so I think it feels good to be back at home. Scoring a touchdown, throwing the ball, then the MVP chants. I was joking with [Maye] last week about MVP too, he doesn’t like to hear it, but I think it’s the truth. We got to keep it going, we’re halfway through the season and we’re just, honestly, getting started.”
(On why he thinks Maye is the MVP)
“You all see what I see. I think if you look around the league at the other guys too, they’re doing great stuff too. I think Drake’s doing everything they’re doing, there’s not anything that he’s not doing. At the end of the day, we’re just playing football, we’re having fun with it too, just supporting my guys.”
Anfernee Jennings, LB
(On what it took for them to get locked in to play)
“We knew we had to come out there and beat their script. We knew they had a good opening script and wanted to get out there and beat it. The second drive we got things settled down and started playing our brand of defense.”
(On winning the turnover battle)
“It means a lot. If we win the turnover battle, we have a pretty good chance at winning the game.”
(On being successful at stopping the run)
“That’s our identity. We pride ourselves on stopping the run. Being able to get to the quarterback, when it’s time to do that. If we keep doing that we got a good chance of winning.”
(On the importance of playing well against Myles Garrett)
“It is very important. We knew special teams had to do a good job. Creating good field positioning and trying to give our offense a good start when they are trying to get the ball and do a good job playing defense. We knew they had a good defense and we wanted to prove we had a good defense too.”
Christian Gonzalez, CB
(On his impact today)
“That’s what I want to do and what any corner wants to do. You want to take away who they want to go to and today it was [Jerry] Jeudy, so that was my assignment. Just going out there and executing, playing team defense. Shout out to the front seven, they’re getting back there and making it hard for the quarterback to throw the ball. It all works together, it’s not just one person covering one person. It’s all of us coming together and making plays.”
(On how rewarding it is to see the team come together this season)
“It’s amazing, winning is amazing. We want to go out there and win, it’s awesome to come out and give the fans something to be excited about. Come out here and get the whole stadium rocking. It’s amazing to go out there and win.”
Hunter Henry, TE
(On what it has been like seeing the confidence of the offense grow)
“It is really cool. I have been here for a while now. Just to see the growth starting in the receivers room has been really cool with [Kayshon] Boutte and Pop (DeMario Douglas) and guys that have been here. It has been really special to be a part of. . . Stef (Stefon Diggs) and Mack [Hollins] are in their element, and their veteran presence has been special. Seeing the growth of Drake [Maye] has been awesome. He is going out and playing at a high level right now, but seeing the growth from last year has been a lot of fun to go out there and play with him.”
(On being on the team since 2021 and finally being in a winning locker room)
“I was just talking to my wife this week. It’s a lot of gratitude. I feel like God has put me here for a reason. I am thankful to be where my feet are. God has always had a plan no matter what it was, and I just have to trust that. It is really cool to be a part of this. Seeing the locker room week after week right now as a winning locker room, there is nothing better in this league than winning. But also, I look back on the hard times too and think there was a lot of growth to really appreciate these times more. God put those things in my life for a reason.”
(On what changed at the half)
“I don’t know if there was anything crazy or different that was said. We knew we were close and moving the ball in the first half — just didn’t finish in the red zone. If we scored one of those we would have felt different at half. We just knew we needed to finish some drives and do a little bit more and extra. Everybody focused on their job. It felt like guys went out there and competed at a high level for 60 minutes.”
Jaylinn Hawkins, S
(On protecting home field, the individual player intros and what the day was like from a fan perspective)
“That was cool. The crib was rocking – I call it the crib – but the crib was rocking, fans were amazing, people were amazing. It’s loud out there. You can barely hear yourself out there, especially on third down, it’s crazy. But I appreciate everybody who comes, shows up and shows their support. It was dope. It’s good coming home and getting a victory.”
(On the defense’s competitiveness)
“That’s a lot about character and what coach is [setting as the] infrastructure in our program. It starts with the head man and what he’s teaching us, our identity. That’s the biggest thing. Wherever we are on the field, we’ve got to protect our identity, especially as a defense. It doesn’t matter. You can put the ball down anywhere; we’ve got to out there and shut it down, try to get a takeaway, try to get a turnover. That’s the biggest thing. Protecting our identity is the biggest thing.”
(On the way Drake Maye is playing)
“He’s doing his thing. He’s hooping, as I always say. I’m proud of him. I like the way he’s playing. It’s just the energy, man, as a whole. Offense does something, defense wants to get the ball back for offense. If they see us do something, he wants to go score a touchdown. We want to get the ball back to 10 because we believe in him, so it’s just dope having that camaraderie and that unity as a team from both sides. I feel like it’s special, man, and we can keep harping on that and keep growing.”
Will Campbell, OT
(On blocking Myles Garrett)
“He’s a really good player. He beat me a few times and that is just part of the game. He gets paid a lot of money, and he got me a couple times. I just had to keep coming back and keep fighting, which is why we got the win.”
(On establishing home field advantage)
“It’s just really nice not to have to get on a plane right now and be able to get in the car and go home. It’s nice playing at home, playing in front of our fans. Great atmosphere today, so we need it again next week.”
(On second half adjustments)
“No, we just had to finish the game. Last week, we didn’t come out and finish the game the way we wanted to against Tennessee. That is some of what we talked about during the week is playing 60 minutes of our game. Even when things weren’t going our way in the first half, to come in at halftime, talk about it and just come back out. Defense made a bunch of great plays tonight. They’ve been playing their ass off, making it easy on us, giving us short fields at times. Kudos to them, they’re playing really, really well.”
(On the team’s chemistry)
“Yeah, it’s growing every week. I think it’s really good. It’s only going to continue to get better. We’ve got a bunch of great guys, a bunch of good players. So, I’m just looking forward to the future.”
DeMario Douglas, WR
(On team chemistry development)
“It’s good. It’s like the brotherhood in here, man. The offense and defense, we’re close, and I feel like that’s what’s showing on the field. We play for each other.”
(On second half adjustments)
“We just had to get the hang of it. It’s like that sometimes, a little slow start, and then we come out on fire. We just need that one play and then the next thing you know, it’s over. We start doing our thing. Once we start playing that complimentary football, that’s when we start rising and getting better.”
(On his 44-yard catch-and-run play in the second quarter)
“That play, I was seeing that they were in man [coverage], so I already knew it was over with that one. I just moved to the right side, and it was open…”
(On Stefon Diggs’ touchdown)
“It was lit, man. I came off that sideline storming and did our celebration. What is this, Week 8? We’ve been waiting on it. He’s been waiting on it since fall camp.”
Milton Williams, DT
(On where the defense has grown the most this year)
“I think we have definitely gotten closer. Just getting around each other and getting our communication down. Communication is getting better and better just altogether, and improving every week, and I think that is important. Keep stacking wins.”
(On the secret to stopping the run)
“Just get on the ball, get their hands in the right spot. Resetting the line of scrimmage. Coach Vrabel is always preaching, ‘create a wall.’ Everybody get to the wall. Hopefully we can try to create some more turnovers.”
(On tackles for loss and creating turnovers)
“This is something we have been preaching. Always try to create some good plays so we can get opportunities to go rush, protect the cover. We will get pressure, tight covers in the back end, and we will just use it to create turnovers.”
TreVeyon Henderson, RB
(On if he was more comfortable out there today)
“I have definitely been getting more comfortable this season as well. Getting more reps, getting more opportunities, different looks, going up against different players.”
(On the late fumble)
“Yeah, it is tough. You know, it is a learning lesson for me definitely. It is tough to go out like that, but that is something that we have been harping on all season, just taking care of the ball. So, that is something we have got to continue to work on.”
(On if the NFL has been a huge adjustment)
“Each level is always going to be an adjustment you have to make. High school to college, college to NFL. There are always going to be things you’ve got to adapt to. Game is getting faster, guys are bigger, guys are stronger. So, eventually you get accustomed to it.”
(On the chemistry of this team)
“I think [Coach Vrabel] has done a great job bringing us close together as a team, helping us to play for each other, not just for ourselves. So, I have been thankful to have him as a head coach. He has been doing such a good job of pushing me, pushing everyone on this team no matter who we are.”