Patriots Players Postgame Transcripts 10/18
PATRIOTS PLAYERS
TreVeyon Henderson, RB
(On how he felt things played out today)
“I think it played out pretty good. I’m glad Corey [Kiner] got a chance to get his opportunity – I’ve been telling him that his time is coming. So, I was grateful to see that today, to be able to support and serve him.”
(On what day during the week he felt like it was possible to play)
“Honestly, by Tuesday or Wednesday. I knew what the MRI said, I knew what the doctor said. But the way I was feeling, I was like, ‘I feel a lot better than what I was told.’ So, they gave me a chance to show them that. I was able to get a chance to practice this week and build up some comfort. I’m grateful that I got a chance to be out here.”
(On how the team looks at this win)
“I mean, it’s tough. But at the end of the day, we got a standard that we want to continue to work up to. We’ve got to play up to that standard, especially the offense, and the whole team. But we’re going to keep working. We got a short week this week – three days to get back right and to get ready for the next opponent.”
(On what he thinks the keys are for getting ready for the next game)
“It’s a really important week and a really important three days of recovering, getting into the playbook and finding out what we got for this upcoming game. Getting ready, practicing and getting prepared as best as we can.”
(On his confidence in A.J. Brown)
“We know the type of player he is. The biggest thing is that we know what type of man he is as well. That was one of the things that I reminded him is just his identity; remembering who he is in Christ. That’s the biggest thing that matters. I really appreciated him for just continuing to endure that. That’s hard. It’s easy to get really down on yourself and want to give up, but he kept pushing through. I really appreciate that. It really encouraged me.”
Corey Kiner, RB
(On his momentum in the run game)
“It feels great. To be in that position in the game, to see the smiles on my teammates’ faces and my coaches’ faces, that they can trust me. It felt great, all the hard work we have been putting in as a team and personally, it just feels great.”
(On if he was surprised in his role today)
“No sir, honestly no. Coach Dews has been preparing me well and keeping me ready for that moment, so I wasn’t really surprised.”
(On the message from coaches before he came in)
“Protect the team, protect the ball. The team is the ball, the ball is the team, so just protect the ball and put the team’s best interests in front.”
(On the resiliency of the O-line group)
“I feel like that’s just the mentality of our team. Everybody comes to work, no matter what their position is or where they are on the depth chart. Everybody comes to work every day and that’s just the mentality we have as the Patriots.”
A.J. Brown, WR
(On his performance)
“I didn’t play well. I don’t know – if the timing was off. I’m much better than what I put on display today, there’s no excuses. I’ll be better.”
(On if he thinks his injury impacted his performance today)
“No, no excuses. Regardless of if I was sitting down or where I’d been going, I expect myself to make each and every one of those plays. The drop, the other drop on third down, on the slant, I am more than capable of making those catches. I’ll be better, that’s all.”
(On how he will move forward after his performance)
“Not care. You just not care. As harsh as that sounds, you can’t care. I have trust in my hands, and I continue my process, continue daily catching and just keep going. But you can’t care about that, you’ve got to keep going.”
(On if he feels 100% physically)
“Yeah, I’m all good. Again, no matter whatever question you guys ask, I’m going to tell you guys there’s no excuses. I stacked my guy, should have made the play. I beat my guy on third down, should have made the play. So, ankle or not, I’ll make all those plays.”
DeMario Douglas, WR
(On knowing A.J. Brown will come back stronger next week)
“Because of how he works, man. His work ethic, everything. Just watch his work ethic, you’d be like, ‘yeah.’ Just a little bump. I believe in him. Not too much that you need to say. He knows. If you go and tell somebody something, that’s when it gets in their head. He’s a dog. You just got to be like, ‘We’re here with you’. I bet he’s going to do what he needs to do.”
(On the key to his chemistry with Drake Maye)
“Preparation, practice. Practicing hard and treating it like a game.”
(On his fumble)
“I’m sick. I’m sick, I can’t lie. Sick, that’s going to haunt me, probably, for the day. I’ve got to turn the page because we’ve got a real quick turnaround. But, I think after I watch it on film, I’ve got to stop doing too much. I try to do too much.”
(On the mistakes today made by the team but still coming out with a win)
“I feel like we’ve just got to learn. We can learn from our mistakes. I feel like we had the ball a lot, for a minute, a long time. But, we’ll go back to the drawing board and learn from what we messed up on.”
Hunter Henry, TE
(On his impressions of the game)
“Yeah, it was fun. It was cool to go out there and hit some adversity, bounce back, get some adversity and bounce back. It’s hard to win in this league. Their defense was throwing a lot at us. We were able to respond, and our defense came up with some big stops there and some timely drops. It was a lot of fun.”
(On the team still winning despite not playing the cleanest game)
“There’s obviously a lot things we have to clean up. We’re going to enjoy this, but we have a quick turnaround, and we’re excited to go again.”
(On A.J. Brown being back)
“He’s just big and physical and a guy that we just have to get going. It was a lot of fun to see him going out there and be flying around a bit.”
(On where the team is)
“I think we’re just trying to continue to improve. Obviously, it wasn’t as clean as we wanted it to be today. There was still a lot of good out there, a lot of good and a lot of complimentary football. The defense was picking us up, us trying to pick them up, that was big.”
Will Campbell, T
(On the injuries to the offensive line)
“Yeah, I mean, as bad as it is and as unfortunate as it is, it’s just the way this game goes. Coach Vrabel talks each week about preparing as a starter. Guys never know what could happen in a game, and you have to be ready whenever you get your opportunity. I feel like some guys stepped up big for us today.”
(On the offensive line’s performance to close the game)
“Yeah, I think those are situations that we practice and thrive ourselves on. I feel like we did that very well last year and are just continuing to try to build on that, be an area that we excel in and do a good job at.”
Caleb Lomu, OL
(On the group not playing their cleanest, but still coming out with a win)
“No matter how we play, we’re always going to chase that win. Always preparing to win the game, get a team win. Even if we don’t perform well, you’re always trying to chase that win. That’s all we’re worried about. Now we’re moved on and ready for this week.”
(On battling David Bailey)
“He’s a really good player. The stuff that he’s put together this season has been really effective for the Jets defense. So, we were prepared to go out there and do what we know how to do. Every single step, I’m just worried about protecting the pocket, protecting the guy with the ball, trying to score touchdowns. So, that’s sort of what’s going through my mind.”
(On helping keep the momentum up on offense after mistakes)
“That sucks, but it does happen. You’ve just got to move on, figure out ‘what mistake did we just make?’ And then move on from that. If we keep living in the past on that same mistake, it’s going to effect the rest of your game. You don’t want that to happen. When it does, you’ve got to move on, look forward to the next drive, and try to turn that next drive into a positive drive.”
(On the increasing amount of injuries)
“You never want to see that. It’s terrible to see. It does happen, unfortunately, in this league. Everyone’s got to prepare like a starter for those types of things that happen. We had a lot of guys that stepped up today, which is really good.”
Walter Rouse, OL
(On staying prepared during the week for moments like this)
“Well, you’ll hear anyone else say this who’s not starting, but you have to prepare like you’re going to be starting. And as coach talked about it, next-up mentality. You have to have that as you go through the week — week in, week out. That’s basically just what I did. That allowed me to go in and play today, and to finish out the game and do what we needed to do to get the win. It depends on how many reps you get, and obviously, let’s say I got all these reps, that’s great, but even if I didn’t get any of these reps, it’s the same. They’re still going to expect you to go out there and play with the same level of physicality and mentality, just as if you’re a starter. So that’s all I’ve been doing, and I’m going to continue to do.
(On the past few months getting up to speed)
“The first month, and especially the first week I got here, was really crazy — from getting traded, flying out on the same day, getting in at 1 a.m. or whatever, and coming in to get the playbook. It’s a completely different system than what I’m used to. But I just have to say, I’m thankful to my coaches, my teammates, the assistants, and everyone just helping me along the way. Just getting into practice and picking through the playbook one-by-one, which allowed me to come out and play the day and finish out the game.”
(On if he felt up to speed when he went in)
“Absolutely, I feel like I have a great understanding of the playbook now. And obviously, if you’ve got questions. one of the great things that we can do as offensive linemen is communicate. Like, ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ Or when I’m on the sideline with folks and have a question on this play or what-not. But as an overall understanding, I have a great understanding of the playbook.”
Milton Williams, DT
(On the defensive performance today)
“I think we did okay. I’m always super critical of myself and the group. I just feel like there’s always more that we can do. I feel like we can dominate a game more than we did today, but we got the win, we got the win. We executed enough, but for our standard, it wasn’t good enough. But like I said, we got the win, so I’d rather correct mistakes and execution in a win than a loss.”
(On his back-to-back sacks with Christian Barmore in first half of today’s game)
“Man, it was just on us. It was eating at us week in and week out just being close but not finishing the job. So we had those conversations all week. [Coach] Vrabel talked a little noise, got in our ear a little bit. But we just continued to challenge each other, man. Like, this is going to be the game, this is going to be the game where we get it done. And like you said, back-to-back plays, we went out there and just executed when we were supposed to and took advantage of the opportunity. I was too tired to even celebrate, but Barmore got his on the next play, celebrated with him. That’s what it’s all about. Rooting for your teammates, executing at a high level, and dominating when we get the opportunity.”
(On Charles Woods getting a game ball today)
“Man, it’s big for him. Getting an opportunity, never knowing when the opportunity’s going to come, but when the opportunity comes, taking advantage of it. Obviously with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III being out, he never knows where he’s going to be at, how many snaps, excuse me, he’s going to play. But in the right spot, executing when he’s supposed to, and when the ball comes to you, make a play when it comes to you. I was happy for him, proud of him. And we needed it, we needed it bad. So kudos to him. I hope he enjoys himself tonight.”
(On if he feels more teams are keying in more on the Patriots this year)
“100%, but like I said, man, that comes with the territory. All these teams, they watched us in the playoffs last year and watched what we were able to do up front. And they’ve got a lot of tape on us, so they’re not going to let us wreck the game as much as we want to. But it’s on us to continue to just fight and grind and figure it out. I’ll take that challenge up front, me and my group, every week. If we dominate how we’re supposed to, it’ll make it easier on everybody behind us and we get off the field on third down, get the ball back to 10, and let them do what they do.”
Gabe Jacas, LB
(On how it felt to stop them on fourth-and-short)
“It was good. I feel like we are a great defense. That is what we do. We are always willing to get that stop for our offense and the team.”
(On how impressive Elijah Ponder’s performance was)
“Ponder is consistent. I feel like every day, it doesn’t start just on game day. It is during the week. What he does in his preparation during the week is always the same. Each game, that is who he is. He is always going to make his practice and preparation follow into the game.
(On how the coaches prepare them for a short week)
“This is my first short week. We’ve got to be ready for tomorrow. We have to be prepared and ready to practice. That’s the mentality; that is what you’ve got to do in this league. You have to be ready for the short turnaround.”
(On the Jets performance)
“Credit to them. I feel like the Jets are a good team. They have done a lot of things well. We came out willing to fight, and that is what we continue to do.”
Robert Spillane, LB
(On earning a win)
“Yeah, these wins are hard in this league. We knew it was going to be a 60-minute battle, and they fought us for 60 minutes. Just so proud of the guys, the resilience to finish strong and to come out of here with a W.”
(On the two fourth-down stops)
“Yeah, my job is to tackle the ball short of the line. Our d-line did a great job occupying all the gaps, which leaves it a one-on-one tackle at the back, and we were able to get off the field. Those plays are huge for us. I’m just proud of the defense, how we stayed together. They got some momentum there late, and we were able to finish the game.”
(On neutralizing Braelon Allen)
“Yeah, I think he broke a few big ones early in the game, that really helps your average get big. I thought we did a great job coming into the half, saying ‘we need to stop the run at all costs,’ and we were able to do that in the second half.”
(On the challenge of divisional opponents)
“Every week in this league is going to be a challenge, and we know that. A short week, going to Chicago, is a huge game for us. Division games just mean more. It means more at the end of the year when you win in your division and you win at home, especially against your division opponents. So, just being able to come out of here with a W is huge for us.”
(On the short week ahead)
“You’ve got to start the recovery process right now. For me, that means going into our facility, hopefully getting a lift in tonight, a big meal here, and start the recovery process. For me, lifting is the most important thing, so I’m trying to encourage a bunch of guys right now to go get a lift in tonight, let that blood flow and really get recovered for next week.”
Christian Gonzalez, CB
(On winning the game)
“Yeah, it was a gritty win. We talked about it all week – it was going to be a dog fight. That’s a good team over there. They’ve got good pieces and coach very well, play hard. We knew what we were coming into. It’s a good win. We’ll enjoy it for about a couple more hours, and then on to Chicago.”
(On the two fourth-down stops)
“Yeah, huge. The front seven, they did that. They did that, got us off the field and got the ball back to the offense. That’s like a turnover. It is a turnover. So, it’s just another way to get the ball back to our offense. You get one of those stops where they’re at in the field after they’re driving a little bit, it gets the stadium going, gets the energy back on our side. So, it was big to get those.”
(On facing Garrett Wilson)
“Yeah, anytime we play the Jets and getting to play Garrett…an amazing receiver. A ton of respect for him. He’s one of the best. It was good to be able to get back out there, like you said, get my feet under me and just keep playing and get going. So, it was a good little fight. Had fun doing it.”
(On the victory being “lucky” according to Mike Vrabel)
“Yeah, there are definitely things we’ve got to clean up for sure. We’ve got to clean up two-minute drives. We’ve got to clean that up. And in the back end, we’ve got to do what we do as a defense. We’ve got to not let them drive down the field, get down there and get points. So, the offense did an amazing job getting down the field, taking time off. The defense, we didn’t do our part. But like you said, we got out with a win and that’s what matters. So, we’ll watch it, get over it and be ready for next week.”
Charles Woods, CB
(On the interception)
“We were playing in zone; I had great odds. Two defenders broke out on the corner. I didn’t know Geno [Smith] was going to throw it up, but I made a play.”
(On looking like a receiver on his interception)
“In my heart, I still think I play offense. I still think I’m a receiver at heart.”
(On the defensive effort on third downs)
“That’s definitely important. Coach [Mike] Vrabel talks about that all the time, situational football, it’s big in the game. Especially on third down, getting off the field, getting our great offense back on the field so they can score points. Any time we hit third down, it’s definitely important.”
(On it being his first career interception)
“Just by playing a lot of football, listening to my vets. I’m not trying to chase plays these last few weeks. I’m just letting it come to me and it finally came to me. It’s a blessing. I was excited. I was really excited to see how my teammates were excited for me. Everybody was smiling and happy; that really made me happy.”
Kevin Byard III, S
(On the challenges of the Jets’ scheme)
“One of the first keys that, coming into this game, to be victorious was being able to stop the run first and foremost, and then the play action passes down the field. So, obviously they had one of those, and they ran the ball well, so obviously we weren’t good there. But another key was to eliminate number five [Garrett Wilson] from the game, and I think we did that for the most part. He didn’t really affect the game as much as he probably would have wanted to. And we got the turnovers. Obviously, the one takeaway, but then if you look at the turnover downs, two of those, those are big stops for the defense. So, a lot of things to clean up, but at the end of the day, I think we did enough to win the ball game, but that’s not a performance that we want to be able to replicate, because I think against a different team, we’re probably not winning that game.”
(On success on third and fourth-down)
“Yeah, honestly, credit to the New York Jets. They played a really good game. I’m sure, just the way their team is built, they wanted to be physical, and I think they did win the line of scrimmage a lot of times. I think it was some of guys playing peekaboo, not really being in the right gaps. They were able to make some plays on our all-down looks and ran the ball, got some creases in there. But I haven’t looked at all the team stats, numbers and stuff like that. I think for us as a defense, we feel like we are a dominant defense and wanted to be able to put on a dominant performance. It just didn’t feel like that. Now, obviously we’re going to watch the film and find things to correct, which I’m sure there’s a lot out there, but it’s a lot of good too. So, at the end of the day, celebrate this victory. I probably got two or three hours to celebrate, and then after that, starting to watch film for Chicago.”
(On Christian Gonzalez’s performance against Garrett Wilson)
“Yeah, I think Christian [Gonzalez] did a great job all day playing man to man. I’m not sitting here saying that [Garrett Wilson] was frustrated or anything like that, but I think for the most part of the game there were a lot of stretches where he wasn’t getting targeted. Like I said, that was one of the keys for us to victory. Obviously when you’re putting zero (Gonzalez) on number five (Wilson), we like that matchup all day.”
(On the challenge of division opponents)
“Absolutely they are. Number one, these are opponents that know each other very well. Their core has been there for a while, and our core has been here for a while, so it’s always going to be tough matchups. There’s going to be a lot of chess matches that’s trying to be in play between the coordinators and the coaches. At the end of the day, they mean more. Every division game is a must win, so I think that’s how every team approaches it. But like I said, it was great to get a victory, another one at home, another division game. So, on to Chicago.”
(On Charles Woods’ interception)
“It was a phenomenal play. He turned into a receiver basically. I think just in the game, wanting to be able to get some pressure on Geno [Smith], I think we did a pretty good job for the most part. We knew he was going to try to hold the ball a little bit longer. He wasn’t trying to throw a lot of interceptions. We were able to get some pressure, get some sacks. But when we got some pressure, he kind of just threw it up there. And Charles, I think he got his first interception, so super happy for him. I think Vrabes [Mike Vrabel] getting him a game ball in there as well. So, for guys to come in, take advantage of opportunities, obviously with CD [Carlton Davis III] being down, phenomenal play by him. He’s been playing good football all year. He’s a starting corner in this league, so I’m just happy that, when he gets in there and plays, he’s been taking advantage of the opportunity.”
Transcripts are provided by the Patriots media relations department as a courtesy to the media and are edited for readability. All press conferences are posted and archived in their entirety on patriots.com. The duplication or posting of this transcript in its entirety as original content is prohibited. Media are encouraged to link to the complete transcript on patriots.com when sharing full quotes with their audiences.
Download Word Document: MASTER PatriotsPlayers 101826