Patriots Players Postgame Transcripts 9/28
Christian Gonzalez, CB
(On his regular season debut)
“It was great to get out there. Like I talked about earlier in the week, all I do and want to do is play football, so it was fun to finally get out there in a home game. The crowd was rocking and being out there with the guys was a lot of fun.”
(On Marcus Jones’ game)
“He’s a playmaker, everybody knows he’s a playmaker. I feel like once he took that first one back, it felt like he took all that energy from Carolina away, just turned everybody up. It was great to see him make those plays because he works so hard. But we all know what he’s capable of and it was awesome to see it.”
(On facing Tetairoa McMillan)
“Tet’s a great young player. I played him in college, so I know a little bit about him. We were in the same area in the off season, training, so I talked to him a good amount. He’s a great receiver, he’s big, he’s tall, but he can run good routes. He’s pretty crafty for how young he is. He went out there, and we had a good battle, it was fun, it was needed to see game speed again. I haven’t been out there since a long time, so it was fun to get out there with Tet and all those guys.”
(On challenges of returning from injury)
“It’s tough to not play for a long time and then go out there. It was a pretty hot Foxborough day, but it was great football weather. It’s little challenges, getting your legs under you, just getting back in rhythm. Corner[back] is all about rhythm, you just have to get in your groove. It is what it is and I’m just taking it day-by-day.”
Marcus Jones, CB
(On the punt return touchdown and his franchise record)
“First off, it’s a blessing. They told me about that after the game and I wasn’t thinking about that, but that’s crazy. The first punt, the main thing I always think about is getting the first first down. That’s the first thing I was thinking about and just getting the offense in a great position. I had someone on my leg for a little minute, but then I got out, and I tried to find some blocking and everything. But I commend my teammates because they never stop whenever they could and they blocked the guys they needed to block, for sure, and opened up lanes.”
(On the second punt return)
“Whenever it happened, and what’s crazy is that usually when someone gets tackled, they get tackled right then and there. I got clipped, then ran and fell and I was just like, ‘Oh I know they’re going to say some stuff about me in the meeting room.’ So, I’ll hear it from them, I’ll hear it from my family, but it’s part of the game and everything.”
Stefon Diggs, WR
(On what allowed him to have the production he had today)
“The quarterback finding the open man, the O-line blocking really well and our receivers getting open, I’m not by myself out there. So, I’m just trying to do my job. I kind of stressed that over the past couple weeks. And since I’ve been talking to y’all since like training camp, as far as just doing my job, I think it’s always going to turn, the tide will turn. And after the past couple weeks, I think just blocking and doing the extra stuff and doing the little things— things always open up for you. We’ve got a lot of guys that can make a lot of explosive plays, as you can see today. The running backs played their tails off, and then even the tight ends are always hooping. So, I feel like just being a receiver out there, there’s a lot of weapons out there, and me doing my job is enough. So that’s what it was, team football, good complementary football. A lot of short fields too, because of Marcus [Jones], shout out to Marcus.
(On his pregame speeches and his message to the team today)
“I feel like it was hard for me, through the past couple weeks. I kind of want to do more, I want to show more, I want to be a leader, but I feel like it comes from consistency, especially in practice, and guys leaning on you and trusting you that you’re doing the right thing all the time. I feel like part of being a leader is being accountable. Not when everybody’s around, just accountable full-time, full circle, and holding guys to a standard. But you can’t hold guys to a standard you’re not holding yourself. So, that’s the biggest thing for me. It’s important for me to start a pre-game speech, because I want to get everybody going. I’m a high energy guy, charismatic guy, and come with a lot of energy and a lot of passion. So, I feel like that’s part of the reason why they brought me here— to be that guy. So, I’m just trying to be myself.”
(On playing in Buffalo on Sunday Night Football)
“We’re playing a real good football team, a well coached football team, and a lot of good players over there. Shout out to Josh [Allen]. So, I look forward to the challenge. I know the guys look forward to the challenge. It’s going to be good for us, a good test for us.”
(On importance of a game like this coming back from an ACL injury last season)
“Football is a loyal sport, but it’s not. You can’t cheat the process. You can’t cheat the game. You have to put the time in, you have to put the effort in. I feel like it’s been a slow build up throughout the past couple weeks. And I had to keep my eyes in front of me, not on what’s behind me. Obviously, I fought back. I was injured, it was something that weighed on me for a long time, and I was just fighting to get back, fighting to get back and be on another team and prove it again. Not only prove it to everybody else, but prove it to myself.”
Mack Hollins, WR
(On the offensive stat that stood out to him the most)
“We score points, that’s really all that matters as an offense, we score points. To be able to put points up and score in the red zone and complete passes was great.”
(On what opened up the offense)
“We have to go back to complementary ball, whether it’s on special teams or the defense making big stops. When we get the ball in plus territory, it’s a little bit easier. When you walk on the field, it’s kind of like when the defense walks on the field and they’re backed up on their own one-yard line, you get this confidence. We can go score, we’re on the fifty-yard line already, the end zone’s right there.”
(On Drake Maye’s confidence building)
“I think every week, you’re going to grow whether it’s a win or a loss. I think his confidence continues to grow just because reps help that. So, seeing him be able to grow and see the field a little bit easier is always awesome.”
(On the mindset of the offense)
“I think everybody just wants to win. Everybody’s hungry to win. Whether we’re up by 100 or down by 100, everybody is still fighting to win it, nobody shuts it down. That’s great to see. In year nine, I’ve been places where sometimes guys think we lost this one or we won this one already. Even this game right here, we were up by a lot and a lot of people would say the game is over. But we’re still out there fighting for yards, trying to make plays, trying to make more X plays. There’s no quitting in these guys, which is great.”
DeMario Douglas, WR
(On getting the win at home by a large margin)
“I can’t stop smiling. It feels good to get this dub. Been a time coming, and I’m glad that we put it together. We put it all together, offense, defense, and special teams. We played complimentary football. That’s what I’ve been wanting here, you feel me? Just my two years, two and four games, man, it feels good.”
(On the confidence today’s win brings going into next week)
“Good confidence, but just like, say, you take a lot onto the next game. We really build that confidence in practice. As you practice, that’s how you build confidence for the opponent for the week. So, I feel like that’s how we’re going to build our confidence. We got confidence, but we really build it throughout the week, practicing.”
(On Marcus Jones’ punt returns)
“Man, it felt good. He called it, too. He might not say it, but he called it. He said, ‘I’m going to get me one.’ Because we were talking about punt returns, kick returns, and we said how AG [Antonio Gibson] had a kick return. And then we were talking about, when are you (Marcus Jones) going to have yours? When are you going to get a punt return? I want to see it in-person, because you know he had the jets the year before I came here, and he got hurt the [first] year I was here. Just to see him keep going, and the obstacles that he went through, and just to see him doing this, praise to him. He’s been doing his thing.”
(On whether there was something different in the offense’s preparation for today’s game)
“No, just stuck to our identity. We just worked. Just that game last week, that hurt. Definitely because I feel like we were the reasons why we lost that game. We did, we hurt ourselves. And then coming to this game, we just want to clean up those mistakes. We did a great job cleaning up all those mistakes, and I’m proud of this team.”
Hunter Henry, TE
(On whether he considered going out of bounds during his touchdown catch and run)
“No, I never think I’m trying to go out of bounds. I’m trying to score. I have to give credit to Pop (DeMario Douglas) and [Stefon] Diggs and guys on the sideline making big blocks. That’s huge for everybody. I really couldn’t have done it without those guys.”
(On grabbing the ball after TreVeyon Henderson’s touchdown)
“Yeah, there’s a lot going on in the game. Sometimes you don’t know exactly who the back was and I was like looking at who it was and I was like, I think that’s TreVeyon. And I was like, I’m almost positive that’s his first touchdown. So, honestly, I was trying to grab the ball just to make sure, because I remember those moments. Your first touchdown is huge in this league. It is so hard to score, so a pretty special moment for him.”
(On Stefon Diggs’ performance and how he is as a teammate)
“Yeah, he’s a guy that we rely on heavily, a guy that has had a lot of success in this league, and for him to show up like he did today is huge. I think he’s continuing to gain confidence in his knee and just in the whole process of coming back from that because I know how that process can be. I’ve been through it myself. But just awesome to see him out there flying around. He’s been a tremendous teammate, a guy that a lot of guys feed off of and brings a great energy to the room.”
(On the importance of special teams at the beginning of the game)
Yeah, it’s huge. Obviously, it didn’t start like we wanted to offensively and then defensively, it really didn’t either. But we have a special guy, Marcus (Jones), back there. Every time he touches the ball, we feel pretty good about a chance for an explosive play. So, I think the guys are pretty fired up to block for him. Those guys on punt return are making big blocks for him. And obviously, he’s pretty special once the ball gets in his hand.”
(On the team handling adversity from last week)
“It was back to work, man. Obviously that was tough what we did last Sunday, but I feel like everybody went back to work. We were excited for the opportunity ahead. We had to learn a lot and really kind of dig our feet in and learn from what we did, because that’s what we put out there. But I feel like everybody attacked a week with a great mindset and was fired up to get back out there today, because it was kind of a bad taste in our mouth with any loss, but that one especially just felt extra bad, just the way we played offensively. So, I think everybody was ready to get to work and fired up to get out there today.”
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB
(On his mentality this week)
“It is complex but simple. It’s just hold the ball. You have to hold the ball every time you come up with it. We held onto it today, had no turnovers and got a good win.”
(On the running backs room being dynamic)
“I think we all feed off each other. I think we are all healthy competitors in there. There is no egos in our room, so I think that’s really what it is. We’re all happy for one another. I hope to keep it going.”
(On if winning and putting up a lot of points was satisfying)
“Yeah, sure. It is always good to put up that many points and win by that margin. So, I say we enjoy this week, or day, and move onto next week.”
(On his confidence going into next week after this win)
“Yeah, we won at home. We finally got that. It doesn’t matter. Next week is its own challenge and we have to come ready to play.”
TreVeyon Henderson, RB
(On how his first touchdown felt)
“It felt good. At first I want to thank God, it hasn’t been easy. It has been a tough journey. He has been my strength and kept me focused. I am excited that we came out with a win. I’ve got to give credit to the offensive line. They have been working so hard. I am really thankful.”
(On playing a clean game after the many turnovers last week)
“It was really good. I think we did a good job as a group at holding one another accountable, encouraging one another, pushing forward, and not dwelling on the past. Coming to work this week, especially Rhamondre [Stevenson] and Antonio [Gibson], seeing how they approached practice this week, really encouraged me.”
(On Stefon Diggs’ pregame speeches)
“He is fired up. I love his passion for the game. I love his leadership. He encourages me a lot. He has been a huge help to this team and getting these guys going.”
(On Drake Maye’s ability to spread the ball across the offense today)
“He is a great leader, man. He did a really good job today. I know he’ll thank the guys around, as a team, and the O-line upfront. I am really proud of Drake.”
(On his extra touches today and his response to extra workload every week)
“The biggest thing that I pray on, is I embrace whatever opportunity that comes my way. Whether it is a little bit of opportunities, or a lot, just coming out thankful no matter what. I am going to continue to try to come to work each and every practice and earn a role on this team. Whatever opportunities come my way I will be grateful.”
(On what this win will do for the team moving forward)
“I think it creates momentum for us. We can’t get too big-headed. Coach Vrabes (Mike Vrabel) does a good job keeping us focused, keeping us humbled, pushing us in practice each and every day. We got to continue to have a great week, great days of preparation to keep this thing going.”
Milton Williams, DT
(On what surprised him about the defense’s performance today and what changed after the first drive)
“I say it every week. The first fifteen unscouted looks that they don’t put on tape. Then after that, they go back to what they originally started running, and then we can start keying in on it. We tried to start fast. They just did a good job trying to keep the D-line out of the game. Lots of runs to the perimeter, play action, boots, quick game screens, and quarterback getting the ball out. We did what we could to try to affect the game, but I feel like they did a good job trying to keep us out of it.”
(On Marcus Jones’ punt return and what it did for the team)
“That was big. I was just saying, I was trying to block the punter. I think I hit one of my own guys, so I got to go back and look and see exactly who it was [Charles Woods]. Oh, I was trying to get the punter. I was tired, I was just hitting somebody. We scored, so that’s all that matters.”
(On if the confidence and group chemistry has grown since the first game)
“Oh, yeah. Every week we are growing together through our practice, talking to each other, and seeing what we like. We are talking about how the team is blocking us and what we are seeing out there. Just being on the same page is always something we can always continue to get better at, but you can definitely see the strides.”
(On if wearing T-shirts honoring Coach Terrell Williams pre-game was special)
“Oh, yeah. I know Big T. I know we are all praying for him. Everybody in the building loves him, knows the person he is, and the coach he is. We wanted to go out there and make sure we put on a good performance for him. He is at home watching. I know he is proud.”
(On if this win mattered more when establishing a winning culture)
“I feel like you get a win whenever you are trying to get it. If you get a big one, that’s good to show that we’ve got the capability to do that if we play clean football. I know last week we didn’t play clean and complimentary enough football to win the game. We harped on it all week, and you see the results today. Improvement. It’s a long season. It is only game four. We’ve got to keep it going, keep being consistent, and see what happens.”