Head Coach Dan Quinn

(opening statement)"No doubt that was a tough one for us. That's a hard one in the locker room. No place to put that one mentally for us. But, I am proud of the fight that these guys have. The brotherhood that this group has built, it's as strong as I've seen, and that part is real. That connection that these guys have, not only with themselves, but with our city, it's so strong. I love them, they battled. Tonight we came up short."

(on decision to throw on third and short) "Well, we thought we'd have a good look based on the personnel that was in the game for them. We trust our guys, so we thought that was the opportunity to let it rip. When it doesn't go that way then it's easy to question it. Same thing defensively too. We thought we'd have a chance to get a few off and we did, but ended up needing one or two in the second half and weren't able to do that."

(on if the defense wore down)"Well, I think for sure we ran out of gas some. I don't know what the time of possession was, I didn't look at that. But, I can tell you how hard these guys battled for it. We knew it was going to come down to the end for sure, and just at the end for them to have the scores back-to-back, that was the difference for sure."

(on if there was a feeling that things were going a wrong direction when New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman made the difficult catch) "I didn't at that point. Honestly I didn't until the end of the overtime when I knew they were in field goal range. At that point - I enjoy being in the competitive environments where it's right on there for it, but I didn't feel it at that time until they tied it up and we had a chance to stop them on the two-point, then when they got the ball, thought we had a couple of good calls to go get them and they executed terrifically. That's one of the things that we don't talk about with them a lot, is the way they can execute. When they got hot, it was hard for us to deal with."

(On if things caught up to them and if he would do things differently) "I wouldn't say it caught up to us. I think at the end, when we go back and watch it tomorrow, for sure, there were things that we could have done different or played differently. That part I'll look at for sure. I was impressed with how hard the guys fought and battled for it. That's why we're hurting so bad right now."

(on third downs) "Yeah, we didn't play well on third down. We had a couple of good stops third down defensively and then offensively I know we didn't play as well third down. We knew they were going to be a good third-down team, but when we had our opportunities, some we nailed and others we didn't."

(on if he second guesses the decision to throw on third-and-short) "When it doesn't work, for sure. But, I don't second guess our play calling or wanting to throw it. Honestly, we've got terrific guys. We know how to matchup; we know how to get open. That part of our game is so intact. The connection between (QB) Matt (Ryan) and 'Ju' (WR Julio Jones) and the guys--no I don't."

(on the lessons the team can take from this) "It's hard tonight for the lessons. What I can tell you is you can't truly be relentless until it's right there and you've got to take it away or you didn't get it. We are a tough group. A loss like tonight, although it's difficult, I would like to think that this group, we're putting our stamp and we're just getting started to be what we can be."

(on Julio Jones making the catch on the sideline and what was going through his head when the offense started moving) "Yeah, well for sure I thought it would end up being a two-score game at that point and then we weren't able to kick the field goal at the end of that drive. It was a terrific play going up to get it just like he battled. That for sure was a turning point, but we had our chances to stop them on defense, too, but that was my thought when he had it."

(on the difference in experience between the two teams on a stage like this) "You know, I think that one could say that regarding the experience, but the only fight that matters is the one you're in. So, we can't draw back from experience we didn't have. What I can tell you is how hard our guys fought. We weren't caught off guard in terms of what they play and the style, we just didn't finish like we were capable tonight."

(on the interception) "I'd have to go back and look. It wasn't a totally new coverage for us, but it was different from what we played the first two drives. It wasn't new to what we play, but it was new in this game. In other words, we played it in previous games."

(on if they make that change that quickly within a game) "We do."

(on the throw on third-and-short) "Yeah, we were referring to that earlier, it was a fantastic catch and so my initial thought, we're getting closer here, but having a chance to go score, we knew how good the other side was too, so we wanted to go attack at every opportunity. So, when it didn't work out, it's easy to second guess on that."

(on the Julian Edelman catch)"The one that we threw the challenge on? Okay, yes. From where I sat, I thought it was worth taking a shot at to see did it hit and honestly in these games, there seems to be some wild plays and wild finishes. When you went back to it, clearly it was a catch, but at the time I thought it was worth the challenge to take a shot. It was such a big play, to go back, but we'll give him the credit, I mean what a competitor."

(on the play call…)"I'd have to go back and look at it. My thoughts would be that it was man-to-man, but I don't know that. I just can't comment on that specifically right now."

(on what he says to his team after loss like this) "Well, I told them it's tough to find a spot for it, on a night like tonight, but the brotherhood that they have built for one another, it's as strong as I've seen. To know that is inside of them, how tight they can get connected to a team, how hard they can play for one another, of course there's things to gain from that. There is never going to be a way to get over the loss, but what it does have is some of that toughness that you have to go through, it does make you stronger."

(on the factor that hurt the team the most) "The factor, I think, in the second half, just two-point plays and they ended up scoring on those ones. I think that was a real factor. Not only did they score but got the two points as well. So, to me, we thought we had a chance to stop them and we didn't."

(on the team's intensity)"The guys battled as hard as they can. Certainly not questioning the intensity on either side. Both teams left it out there."

Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan

(on the play calling following Falcons WR Julio Jones' catch with 4:47 remaining) "I don't remember the exact plays we ran after that. I want to say we ran it on the play after that. From what I remember, I think we ended up in second and 11, then we were throwing it, trying to get back into field goal range, get a few yards. We got sacked and then we were out of field goal range. We got to try to throw it to get back into field goal range, which we did. We had a holding call and then we were out of it again, so we had to throw to try and get back into field goal range."

(on if he wanted to run the ball more later in the game) "You always want to run the ball if you can. You have got to look at each situation - when you're getting the ball, what's the down and distance. We got a few big plays there in the pass game, missed a couple in the run game. Had a couple of guys go down - a running back, a tackle. We got behind the chains a little bit and we were trying to score there. We got into field goal range, which would have ended it. Getting that sack and that holding call was tough."

(on why the team did not run the ball when in field goal range on the aforementioned drive) "I think we did on first down; I think we lost a yard. You don't think, just run the ball and make your guy kick a 50-yard field goal, you try your hardest to give him a great chance to for sure make it, but we ended up getting a sack and it's not really an option after that."

(on the Patriots adjustments in the second half) "They went to a little bit more man-to-man coverage. They controlled the ball very well - they did that well in the first half, too. I think they had 19 plays in the first half, had three points off of it. I know the defense got a score for us too, which is great. We had a couple of drives where we moved the ball and came up short."

(on the team going one-of-eight on third downs) "We didn't move the chains. I'll go back and watch it later. I'll watch it a lot. I'm sure I'll have a better answer after that. There is no one reason, didn't get it done."

(on the difficulty of being ahead and balancing time management and being aggressive) "Yeah, there's always a fine line with it. I thought we got a little bit stale for a little bit, a couple of three-and-outs, we got into a couple of second-and-ones right away on those three-and-outs, ran the ball on second-and-one. I think one time we had a holding call which got us into a second-and-11. I think another time, we lost yards and got us into another third down and we didn't convert on those third downs. It's not really about the run-pass ratio that I look at, it's you stay on the field and run your offense. We went three-and-out two times, which is huge and we had second-and-one on both of them and then third. It was tough, that's how we let them get back into the game."

(on second guessing everything after a game like this) "That's every game. You look at everything - what could have happened, what could have gone different. You wish you could have ran on more plays, but when it was said and done, we had a chance there at the end. We got into field goal range, took that sack and then had that holding call and we got out of it. You give the ball back to Tom Brady too much and that's usually what happens)

(on the thought behind not running it when already in field goal range) "No. The thought is to get as many yards as you can. It was by no means an easy field goal. From what I remember, we ran it on first-and-10, lost yards and got into second-and-11. We tried to get us a pass to get us back in a manageable third down, closer to a field goal and we took a sack - taking a sack on second-and-11 got us into a third-and-20, so we threw a quick pass trying to get us back into field goal range, we did, but there was a holding call on the play. When you get a holding call on third-and-20, it goes back that far, we were way out of field goal range and we tried our best to get back in and couldn't get it done."

(on the difficulty of knowing he won't be able to rectify it with this group) "This is the first time I've had this feeling. I think it's tough for everybody, it's as tough as it gets. It's not just me, it's everybody in this organization."

(on what the Patriots did to limit WR Julio Jones) "Just what they do to everybody - they double him every single play."

(on Matt Ryan's play and what happened on the fourth quarter fumble) "I thought Matt played really well. Looking at the game, we'll obviously go back and evaluate everything as a coach, but Matt made a lot of big plays. The big-time throw to (Austin) Hooper in the first half for the touchdown. I think there was some confusion on that protection (leading to the fumble), (Dont'a) Hightower came free, Matt didn't see him. You expect him to be picked up, he didn't see him and that's what happens."

(on the difficulty of the Patriots controlling the clock) "It's always tough. You want to get out there, get going, keep your rhythm. It's always a tough challenge, but it's kind of what you expect going against Tom (Brady). He's as good as it gets. He moved the chains well and kept them on the field for a long time. We could have done something about it a couple of times, we had a couple of three and outs there - I believe in the fourth - which allowed them to get back in."

(on if Julio Jones was moved inside to help with the double teams) "Yeah, and we do that every week, it wasn't anything different. We move him all over. It changes the defense to see how they adjust, they doubled him wherever he was. You can get him some different looks, but it also gets other people different looks too."

(on how good he felt when Jones made the remarkable catch on the sideline) "It felt real good. It felt like we were right there, at least able to kick a field goal from that area. We ran it the next play, I think we lost a yard, took a sack on the next one and got out (of field goal range) real fast. You never feel good until those points are scored and the game is over. But Julio made a hell of a play to get us down there and I was feeling pretty good."

(on what's to happen next with the San Francisco 49ers) "I actually have no clue. It's actually the first time that I'll go back and spend some time with my family. Hopefully, go down and see some of these guys. I don't really get a chance to talk to them in the locker room, but there's a lot of guys I really want to go spend some time with tonight. So dealing with that and thinking about that tomorrow."

QB Matt Ryan

(on if he thought the Falcons were in a good position to win after Julio Jones' sideline catch)"Yes, I felt like we were in good position. He obviously made a great catch on the sideline and it felt like we put ourselves in a good position to come away with points on that drive. It didn't end up working out, which was disappointing."

(on if he thinks the play calling was too conservative in the second half) "No, I don't think so. I thought Kyle (Shanahan) did a good job for us tonight and we had some opportunities to make plays. We just missed on a couple of things and just made a few mistakes and ultimately when you're playing a really good football team like New England, those mistakes ended up costing us."

(on what caused the momentum to shift) "We didn't have many snaps in the first half. We started off a little bit slow, but we had some short fields. We did a pretty good job with it. Defense did a great job creating turnovers. I thought we came out and played well in the third quarter and did some good things, really, in the fourth quarter, as well. We just had a couple of plays that kind of got us off schedule and I think with the onside kick, the short-field opportunity, it felt like we should have come away with points there and didn't. And obviously, with the longer drive that we were in field goal range and got pushed back out of field goal range, so it was difficult. We knew we needed to come away with points in both of those."

(inaudible question)"I'm not sure. I think we did some good things. Obviously, the first drive out of halftime wasn't good, but our second drive, we go down and put points up on the board. I thought that was a solid drive for us. Again, I thought we did a couple good things in the third and fourth quarter. (We) just made some mistakes in situations that put us behind the chains and we were not able to overcome that. So, that part was disappointing."

(on what he says to his teammates after a loss like that) "There's nothing you can really say. That's a tough loss. Obviously very disappointed, very close to getting done what we wanted to get done, but it's hard to find words tonight."

(on what happened in the second half) "I thought we made - we just did something to get us off schedule a little bit and put us behind the chains; penalties and just mistakes. And so I don't think it was one thing or another. It was a couple things here and there that kind of got us off schedule and we weren't able to overcome that."

(on if the Patriots changed their pressure packages in the second half)"A little bit more pressure on one of the third downs, but nothing too drastic. They kind of had the same game plan. They applied a little bit more pressure in the second half, but nothing we weren't prepared for and, again, we just didn't make as many plays as we needed to."

(on if he thinks the Falcons were too aggressive in the fourth quarter) "Too aggressive? No. I thought (offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) did a good job. I thought we played the way that we play. We always play aggressive and play to win and we had opportunities as players. We had opportunities and we made some mistakes on the field that, at the end of the day, ended up costing us."

(on if he believes the Patriots big-game experience allowed them to take advantage of a comeback opportunity) "I don't think so. They're a good football team and they're tough. And we are, too. We just didn't get it done today, which was disappointing, but I thought we had the right mindset. I thought we played the right way. I thought we gave incredible effort out there. We just fell a little bit short."

(on the sack on the 23-yard line that pushed them out of field goal range) "Yes, that was a tough one. I wish I could have done a better job of trying to get rid of that ball. That was a big drive for us to kind of turn the field and get the ball down in field goal range, and to not come away with points on that drive was very disappointing."

(on if he would like that play back) "I would like to a few back. I think there are plays here and there, I think, everybody across the board would liked to have done things differently, because at the end of the day, we didn't get the job done."

(on watching Tom Brady lead a game-winning drive in overtime from the sideline)"It's tough. They were on a roll in the second half, and they made some great plays. He's a great player, great competitor, and he did a great job today."

(on how long the loss will stick with him) "We'll see. It'll sting tonight, for sure. I think everybody is disappointed, for sure. It's not easy when you've come this far and didn't get the result that you want. Like all things, we'll move past it, come together and hopefully put ourselves right back in this position. We've got a young football team, a good football team. So, hopefully we put ourselves in this position again next year."

(on his message to Atlanta) "We're disappointed, I'm sure just like they are, and we've had unbelievable support from them all year. The fans have been great."

(on how much he will dwell on the big lead that got away)"That's one of the things we pride ourselves on, finishing well, and we didn't do that today. So, from that standpoint, it was disappointing."

(on the Dont'a Hightower sack and forced fumble and if it caused a momentum shift) "That certainly was a big play in terms of changing the momentum. I think we were up 16 at that point, so a two-score game, and to give them a short field, that was inopportune. And hopefully in the future, when we get those opportunities, we can do better."

(on if he will take a couple weeks to get away from things and clear his mind)"I don't know. We'll reassess that tomorrow."

CB Robert Alford

(on whether the team's preparation set up his interception return for a touchdown) "Oh yes, of course. We studied. We had two weeks to study those guys, so we knew the majority of the things that they run and that was one play that we've been going over for two weeks."

(on his fumble recovery)"I wish I could have just picked it up and ran it for a touchdown, but I knew Deion (Jones) does a great job. He ripped it, I had seen the ball and I recovered it. I squeezed it at all four points like coach said and just made sure that no one takes it off of me."

(on what LB Deion Jones brings to the team) "Deion has been phenomenal this whole year. He progressed each and every week. He became a playmaker on the defensive side, so coming into this game he was able to sell some of his 'twos' also, but unfortunately we fell short."

(on Patriots WR Julian Edelman's acrobatic catch) "It was a play call. I had seen the ball. I ran into his hip and then I looked back and the ball was right there. All I could do is get my hands up to hit it. I knew if I tipped it in the air - it's something that we've been going over at practice. Just tip it in the air and if you can't get it, then my brother will get it. Edelman was right there. I think it was Ricardo (Allen) and someone else that was battling for the ball, but on the instant replay he came down with it."

(on Patriots WR Julian Edelman's ability to complete the catch) "I couldn't believe that he caught it. It was a nice bat by me. I hit the ground. I was trying to do everything in my will to get back up and at least try to make a play back up on it, but I thought that 'Rico' (Safety Ricardo Allen) or one of my brothers would get it, but they all were battling for it and Edelman came down with it."

(on his assignment on the Edelman reception)"It was a man-to-man coverage. I saw him cut in. I went to undercut him and the ball was right there. Like I said, I ran into his hip and the ball was right there when I got my head around. All I could do was to tip it in the air and was just hoping that one of my brothers came down with it."

(on whether fatigue played a part in the second half) "I wouldn't say that, because we had two weeks to prepare for this game. We went through a whole season of getting in shape, so I don't think that triggers why it went down in the second half, wasn't fatigue."

(on his interception returned for a touchdown) "It was an interception. We didn't win, so I felt like I didn't do what I was supposed to do. An interception is not why I came in this game to fulfill. I came to this game to fulfill bringing that trophy back to Atlanta. I feel like I let those guys short. I feel like there was something that I could have done for my brothers out there that I could have done and at the end of the day, the interception doesn't make me. What makes me is winning."

S Ricardo Allen

(on Patriots WR Julian Edelman's catch) "Rocky (CB Robert Alford) was covering him. He was doing a really good job. The ball popped up in the air and all three of us ended up going for the ball but we ended up going low and he ended up getting his hands on it. Because we went low, we were trying to catch the ball off the ground. It ended up landing on our arms and our legs and stuff like that, and he was able to grab it off our legs and make a pretty good play."

(on whether his arm was under the ball)"Yeah. I felt that I touched the ball, but he actually had it in his hands. I didn't think he caught it but when you look at the replay he ended up making a pretty good play."

(on whether he watched the replay)"Yeah. We ended up looking at it because we ended up challenging it. That ended up coming back to hurt us in the long run because we ended up losing a timeout and that could've helped us. That ended up being one of the plays that changed the game. It was a great play by him to keep competing. Even though the ball was tipped up in the air, he just kept competing. He followed the ball all the way to the ground. We all hit each other and he ended up coming out with the ball on top."

(on his reaction when Edelman first got up) "I didn't think he really caught it. I thought the ball actually hit the ground. He kept saying, 'I got it, I got it.' I'm like, 'You didn't catch that.' It ended up being a catch. It ended up a pretty good play for them. It ended up being one of the plays that helped change the game."

(on what changed in the second half) "Nothing really. They just came out and they were clicking. They came out and they were hitting their players and stuff. They were making plays. They came out (in) the second half and they took their game to another level. They just started competing, man. They competed more. We competed with them but they made more plays in the second half."

(on Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn's postgame message) "We're still a brotherhood. We're still family, man. We have to learn from this. It's a tough learning lesson. This is one of the worst learning lessons you can get in this world, but we're just going to keep building. We have something here good going. We just have to keep building from it. We have to keep learning from it. This brotherhood is going to get closer, man. We just have to all play together at all different times."

(on how encouraging it is to have such a young defense)"It is. It's very encouraging because we came out this whole year and we battled. We battled against the best, man. We battled against one of the best tonight. He got the upper hand, but it's encouraging that we were so young and we made it this far. We have to realize though, that you have to compete all four quarters. These quarterbacks and these greats in these kind of games, they're never out of the game. They're never, ever out of the game."

(on whether Patriots QB Tom Brady is the greatest of all time)"Yes, yes."

(on the Patriots starting slow) "They didn't give up. (When) most teams get down like that they just give in, but that team was a fighting team. That team fought all the way out. We have to do better. We have to do better. We have to keep fighting. You can't get complacent by being up. That was one of the big things we talked about on the sideline, don't get complacent. I don't think we did, but it didn't come out the right way."

(on the defense getting complacent with a lead) "I don't feel that I did. I can't personally say for others because I'm not there feeling for them. I feel like we were still out there competing, we were still out there grinding. They just made plays in the fourth quarter. By the time it gets to the fourth quarter you know the game plans and stuff like that and they executed theirs in the fourth quarter better than we did on our half."

(on his emotions) "It makes you numb. I'm kind of numb. Like, I don't really know what to feel. I'm broken inside because this is not us. I'm kind of numb to the feeling, man. It's terrible. It's one of the worst feelings ever. I'm not a guy that forgets very easy. I'll probably never forget this."

LB Vic Beasley Jr

(on if there was anything that made it tougher to take QB Tom Brady down as the game went on)"No, I didn't think that changed, I thought we did a good job up front."

(on if he believes the defense got tired after being on the field so much late in the game)"No, Brady was just throwing the ball quickly."

(on if he believes he could feel his team backpedaling) "No, he kind of picked up on our game plan and started throwing quick passes."

(on being able to learn from losses such as this) "Yeah, just have to learn from it. We came in to win. We felt pretty good and you have to learn from it."

(on what he thought about WR Julio Jones' ridiculous catch)"Oh, I was amazed. That's the type of player he is. He's always making big time plays like that."

(on if he thought they were going to score on the same drive of Jones' catch) "Yeah, I thought we were going to be able to get some points after that and out of that drive. We were unable to."

(on if he was able to see WR Julian Edelman's catch and what went through his mind if so)"Yeah, that was a good catch. It just shows his focus."

(on if this loss compares to anything he's been through before in sports and if it will be hard to let go of) "Yeah, a loss like this, it's going to take a little while to get over it. But, we will learn from it."

(on if he was trying to bat the ball down on the Edelman catch) "Yeah. I really wasn't going for the pick, but I couldn't see. The lights got in my eyes, I was just going for the ball."

(on if he could keep track of what was going on when everyone was diving for the ball during Edelman's catch) "Yeah, he made a great play."

(on the feeling of when Brady is on point like this and the Patriots won the coin flip in overtime)"Just go out there and continue to play. We can't control which way the flip goes."

(on if he thought the team was going to come away with at least a field goal after the Jones catch on the sideline) "Yeah, I was betting we'd get some points right there. We were definitely in field goal range, unfortunately we were unable to and gave them another chance."

(on what he's able to take from such a successful season although it did not end as planned) "Yeah, I can learn a lot from the year. Our ultimate goal was to win a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, it didn't end that way. I know we grew up a lot and we matured a lot in a lot of areas."

(on how disappointing it was to not win the coin flip in overtime)"I wouldn't say disappointing. I feel like we had a chance to win before overtime."

(on what he feels happened with the momentum in the fourth quarter)"They were just making more plays than we did."

(on what was said before heading out on the field in overtime)"Just bow up, you know. We can't control the way the flip goes. We have to go out there and try to get the job done."

(on if he thinks there is any doubt that Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time) "Yeah, I would definitely say he's the best quarterback of all time. Five Super Bowls, a lot of respect for him."

(on what he can take from this experience moving forward)"It just shows what we need to do to win it next time. Definitely keep the foot on the gas pedal and not let up."

LB De'Vondre Campbell

(on if there was a moment he thought things were slipping away) "I can't say any specific moment. I just felt like - as a defense - we kind of got away from our fundamentals a little bit. We were missing some pretty easy tackles. Credit to them, they went in at halftime and came out with a different - I wouldn't say different game plan, they just found a different way to attack us."

(on what happened when he missed some time in the second quarter) "I don't think I was hydrated enough. I came in a little bit early at halftime, got a couple IVs and I was fine."

(on how his defensive pass interference call felt) "It felt like I made a great play, but obviously the refs thought otherwise."

(on if New England's time of possession advantage led to fatigue in the second half)"No, I don't think we were. I think our offense was just moving the ball so well that we were on the field so much because they were scoring pretty quickly. But I don't think anything had to do with us being gassed."

LB Deion Jones

(on how the Falcons defense performed) "I think the defense played really well. I'm real proud of my guys. The guys left everything they had on the field. I couldn't ask for more from them."

(on experiencing the Super Bowl as a rookie) "This whole season has been great. I can't really find the words for this right here. I definitely won't forget this feeling."

(on the Patriots passing offense in the second half) "They were finding other guys. They had time and they made plays. It's the truth. Brady is a great quarterback and did what he needed to do."

(on whether the Falcons lost momentum in the second half) "No, they just had some good plays against us, and that's pretty much it."

(on the Patriots gained success after Falcons defense stopped them early) "I'm guessing it was the game plan they had. They made some adjustments. We played the best that we could and fought until the end."

(on his feelings when the game ended) "It's a feeling I won't forget. It sucks. All the hard work we put in…"

(on Coach Dan Quinn's message after the game)"Keep our heads up. Don't forget what it took to get here. And next year will be the same work."

(on if he agrees with Coach Dan Quinn's comments of losing momentum in the second half)"At some points, but we know how to finish. We know what it takes to win the game. You've got to have grit. Like I said, the guys played the best they could." 

DT Ra'Shede Hageman

(on the feeling in the locker room)"We lost. That's about it. There's no other way we can say that. We lost, that's it."

(on if he felt that there was a moment when the momentum started to change) "No, it's (QB Tom) Brady. What did you expect? Tom Brady doing Tom Brady, that's it."

(on what changed in the second half) "Tom Brady. I mean, he was doing his job. Over time he came down, being Tom Brady, scored.  You guys saw the same game I saw. There isn't any rocket science behind what Tom Brady did. He executed. He's, in my opinion, he's the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). That's all."

(on the team feeling it is a brotherhood) "We're still a brotherhood. Just because you're part of a brotherhood doesn't mean you're going to win all the time. I feel like you're more measured when you take losses and what you do after you take losses, especially as a team, as a brotherhood. You know, we're going to take this loss, we're going to bounce back and keep moving."

(on what the fourth quarter was like trying to make adjustments) "Man, I don't even know how to answer that question. I just feel like Tom Brady was on his game. We tried to get pressure. Our DBs tried to do their job. I mean, they scored, we lost."

(on if Brady started to get the ball out quicker in the second half)"Yeah he got the ball out quicker. Overtime, he drove, I don't know how many yards it was…he drove down the field and scored. Tom Brady was on his game. We tried to prevent him from doing that. But, you're dealing with a guy who has won the Super Bowl for what, five times? So I mean, what did you expect?"

(on if there was ever a sense that the game was getting away from them) "No, we came into halftime and we knew Tom Brady was going to have a run. That's just who Tom Brady is. Unfortunately, we couldn't stop him."

TE Austin Hooper

(on letting an opportunity slip away) "It is what it is. It's the Super Bowl. We lost. I assure you no one quit. No one was giving a poor effort. I'm sure some technique and some assignments could have been cleaned up. We were trying to do our thing. In the second half, they were the better team. That's the Super Bowl. That's the two best football teams in the world. It's not going to be a landslide domination. You let your foot off the gas, which I don't think we necessarily did. The answers that we had in the first half going into the second half, they just made some good adjustments. We made some adjustments as well and we were hitting some stuff, back and forth, left and right. In the end, (Bill) Belichick and company got the win. It's how it is."

(on the team's brotherhood) "It's on full display right now. It's easy to be supportive of each other when the confetti fall down and it's all sunshine and rainbows. Brotherhood is really challenged on nights like this when you have any opportunity to just quit, be like, 'I'm done,' lash out at people. Instead, everyone was walking around here saying, 'I love you man.' We accomplished something special forever and we'll be a part of history. We just weren't on the right side of it."

DE Dwight Freeney

(on if that loss was as tough as it gets) "Absolutely. To be so close to it, and to happen like that - overtime, having the lead, not being able to finish - that's not what you want. Obviously, losing this game regardless is not what you want. (Inaudible)… there has to be a winner, and there has to be a loser. Hats off to the Patriots and what they did. They did a great job defensively, and it is like a story of two halves."

(on if the Patriots wore the Falcons down) "I wouldn't say that. They just started executing a little bit better. We may have not executed as well. It's a story of two halves - first half, we were executing on all cylinders."

(on what he told the younger Falcons players as the game was going on) "Well I told them it's going to be a four-quarter fight, and this was a five-quarter fight. Regardless of what happens, in the Super Bowl it usually is a story of two halves. It's a lot of ups and downs, and no matter what they do you have to try to respond, and we did that, we just didn't do it enough. We didn't make that one last play. Hats off to them, they deserve it. (Patriots QB) Tom (Brady), great, legend being able to lead that offense back and two 2-point conversions."

(on knowing that the game was not over despite the Falcons large lead) "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's not mistake this, I think collectively nobody on the defensive side or offensive side thought the game was over when the game was, whatever it was - 21-3 or whatever it was - we knew that this was going to be a fight and they prevailed. They prevailed and we did not do enough."

(on if he would like to have different overtime rules given that the Falcons did not get an offensive possession)"It is what it is. We had our opportunities way before that to win it (and) we didn't. We had an opportunity to stop them at any point in that drive (and) we didn't. It does not matter about the rules."

(on if the Falcons defense was fatigued late in the game) "I don't know about that. They just executed better than we could and that's what it comes down to. It's about execution and momentum started to really work in their favor in the second half. We couldn't find a way to get it back. In this game, in the game of football, it's a momentum type of game."

WR Taylor Gabriel

(on losing the game after leading 28-3) "It hurts, man. It hurts to come this far with your brothers and two weeks of just grinding, trying to be perfect and perfection and things like that. To come up short like that man, it hurts. I'm at a loss for words right now just because I can't believe it."

(on if he felt the game slipping away at any point) "Yeah. We stalled out on a few third downs and things like that. We were doing good all first half and things like that. To come back and just stall and just give Tom Brady a glimpse of chance to come back, we did that. He came back and he won the game for those guys so it's a tough loss and it's tough to lose like that in the Super Bowl."
(on how the Falcons will handle this loss through the offseason) "You just stay together, man. Not pointing any fingers and things like that. Just staying together as a unit, as a group, and just backing each other for these next few months and I'm already ready to get back on the field and get back to it. We have a special group. We have overcome a lot of obstacles all year, so I feel like it won't be a surprise if you see us again next year."

(on his thoughts when the Patriots won the coin toss in overtime) "I always have confidence in my defense. They were making plays all day, so it wasn't anything that I wasn't confident about. I was just ready to get back on the field to contribute anything for us, to make the play so we could win the game."

(on WR Julio Jones' sideline catch late in the fourth quarter) "Of course, that catch put us in field goal position. We just didn't finish that drive and that kind of hurt us a little bit but at the same time, you can't point any fingers at anybody. It was a group thing and we're brothers around here. We're just going to have to back each other after this loss."

(on what QB Matt Ryan told the team before their last drive of the game)"It wasn't anything that he had to say. We all knew what we had to do. If it came to any of us making a play to win the game, I trust anybody to make those plays. At the same time, we just came up short. To lose like that, it hurts that much more."

(on if he lost confidence that Atlanta would win the game late in the fourth quarter) "No, because we were moving the ball pretty well all game. We just stalled on a few third downs and gave them a chance to get back in the game and they did. So just tip my hat off to that unit. Like I said, as long as we stay as brothers and come back, I'm pretty sure we'll be back next year."

(on what went wrong in the second half for Atlanta) "I'm not sure. We'll have to go back to the film and look at it. I can't really juts give you a valid answer."

(on if New England made any second half adjustments to slow down Atlanta's offense) "I don't think so. I think it was more self-inflicted. I felt there was nothing they were doing. I felt they were running the same thing, doing the same thing. At the same time, I feel like it was more self-inflicted."

(on his long reception versus Patriots CB Malcolm Butler in the first half) "It was a one-on-one matchup and just me taking advantage of it. (Offensive coordinator) Kyle Shanahan and the whole offensive staff drew it up. We just did a great job and I just made the play."

(on Atlanta's relentless mentality) "It'll just bring us closer. We came this far as brothers and we gave blood, sweat and tears throughout the year. We had a great year and to come up short like that, it hurts. At the same time, what DQ (Head Coach Dan Quinn) said, 'It just does nothing but bring us closer.'"

(on his thoughts when Atlanta was leading 28-3)"I was thinking what anyone would be thinking - we had the game. But at the same time, it's Tom Brady. If you give him chances to come back and win the game, he's going to do that."

(on Tom Brady) "He just made great plays, man. He converted on third downs and things like that. I have to tip my hat out to those guys. Those guys played well."

(on the players' conversations on the sideline as New England was coming back) "Nothing, just keeping our poise. There wasn't really too much conversation going on. Everybody kind of knew what we had to do. We're a high powered offense and we were moving the ball and making good decisions. There was nothing we had to talk about."

RB Devonta Freeman

​(on the loss) "It's just something we have to deal with."

(on the sack by New England LB Dont'a Hightower) "He just made a good play."

(on if that was his man to pick up) "No."

(on running the football well early in the game) "Offensive linemen did a great job in creating a lane for me."

(on the game) "I wish it would have finished better."

(on the feeling in the locker room after the game)"I'm just disappointed. It's just something we have to deal with. It hurts."

(on what they said to each other)"It's all love."

(on if New England LB Dont'a Hightower was an unblocked man on the sack) "He just made a good play."

(on what his responsibility was on the protection) "Execute the play."

(on if the game felt like the end of the world)"It's not the end of the world. It's just one of those things you look back on the opportunity and you wish you would have seized the moment. You just wish you would have seized the moment."

(on if this is the worst feeling he's had as a professional) "No."

(on how he's not used to losing)"No, but I lost before today and I just lost today. It's just one of those things."

(on how long it will take for him to forget this game) "I'll always remember this game for the rest of my life."

WR Taylor Gabriel

(on losing the game after leading 28-3)"It hurts, man. It hurts to come this far with your brothers and two weeks of just grinding, trying to be perfect and perfection and things like that. To come up short like that man, it hurts. I'm at a loss for words right now just because I can't believe it."

(on if he felt the game slipping away at any point) "Yeah. We stalled out on a few third downs and things like that. We were doing good all first half and things like that. To come back and just stall and just give Tom Brady a glimpse of chance to come back, we did that. He came back and he won the game for those guys so it's a tough loss and it's tough to lose like that in the Super Bowl."
(on how the Falcons will handle this loss through the offseason) "You just stay together, man. Not pointing any fingers and things like that. Just staying together as a unit, as a group, and just backing each other for these next few months and I'm already ready to get back on the field and get back to it. We have a special group. We have overcome a lot of obstacles all year, so I feel like it won't be a surprise if you see us again next year."

(on his thoughts when the Patriots won the coin toss in overtime)"I always have confidence in my defense. They were making plays all day, so it wasn't anything that I wasn't confident about. I was just ready to get back on the field to contribute anything for us, to make the play so we could win the game."

(on WR Julio Jones' sideline catch late in the fourth quarter)"Of course, that catch put us in field goal position. We just didn't finish that drive and that kind of hurt us a little bit but at the same time, you can't point any fingers at anybody. It was a group thing and we're brothers around here. We're just going to have to back each other after this loss."

(on what QB Matt Ryan told the team before their last drive of the game) "It wasn't anything that he had to say. We all knew what we had to do. If it came to any of us making a play to win the game, I trust anybody to make those plays. At the same time, we just came up short. To lose like that, it hurts that much more."

(on if he lost confidence that Atlanta would win the game late in the fourth quarter) "No, because we were moving the ball pretty well all game. We just stalled on a few third downs and gave them a chance to get back in the game and they did. So just tip my hat off to that unit. Like I said, as long as we stay as brothers and come back, I'm pretty sure we'll be back next year."

(on what went wrong in the second half for Atlanta) "I'm not sure. We'll have to go back to the film and look at it. I can't really juts give you a valid answer."

(on if New England made any second half adjustments to slow down Atlanta's offense) "I don't think so. I think it was more self-inflicted. I felt there was nothing they were doing. I felt they were running the same thing, doing the same thing. At the same time, I feel like it was more self-inflicted."

(on his long reception versus Patriots CB Malcolm Butler in the first half)"It was a one-on-one matchup and just me taking advantage of it. (Offensive coordinator) Kyle Shanahan and the whole offensive staff drew it up. We just did a great job and I just made the play."

(on Atlanta's relentless mentality) "It'll just bring us closer. We came this far as brothers and we gave blood, sweat and tears throughout the year. We had a great year and to come up short like that, it hurts. At the same time, what DQ (Head Coach Dan Quinn) said, 'It just does nothing but bring us closer.'"

(on his thoughts when Atlanta was leading 28-3) "I was thinking what anyone would be thinking - we had the game. But at the same time, it's Tom Brady. If you give him chances to come back and win the game, he's going to do that."

(on Tom Brady) "He just made great plays, man. He converted on third downs and things like that. I have to tip my hat out to those guys. Those guys played well."

(on the players' conversations on the sideline as New England was coming back) "Nothing, just keeping our poise. There wasn't really too much conversation going on. Everybody kind of knew what we had to do. We're a high powered offense and we were moving the ball and making good decisions. There was nothing we had to talk about."

WR Julio Jones

(on what is going through his head right now)"Nothing really. I left it all out on the field. I'm not disappointed in how we played or anything. We went out there and we gave it our all. They were just a better team today."

(on how comfortable he felt when the Falcons were up 28-3) "I'm never comfortable in a game and the game is never over, so for me, I was ready to go. I was never comfortable in the game at all."

(on if he felt the Falcons were a little too aggressive with play calling in the fourth quarter)"No, not at all. We just didn't connect and that's just on us. We were up and we had a lead and we gave it up, but at the end of the day, it comes to us and we play ball. It just falls on us."

(on if he knew he was in bounds on the sideline catch)"Yeah, I knew I was in. I toe-tapped. Matt (Ryan) gave me and opportunity to make a play. I knew we needed a play made and just stepped up and made a play."

(on if he sensed that his catch was a Super Bowl defining play and things were just going to work for the Falcons) "I just really go out there and do my job of whatever is asked of me. If they give me and opportunity and they throw me the ball, I'm going to try my best on each and every play to be successful."

(on if he thought the Falcons had the game won after his catch putting them in field-goal range)"No, not at all. For us, we got a holding call and it kind of took it out of field goal range. It falls like that sometimes. We were just playing ball and unfortunately, we just got a holding call."

(on if this game is going to be hard to let go)"Not at all. I let it go. It's over with. For me, we lost, but I gave it my all and I know my brothers did too."

(on how he felt about the final play of the game in terms of the play possibly being reviewed)"Yeah, I didn't know, I wanted to see it though if he got in or not. Obviously, the ball broke the plane and the confetti just came down right away. I didn't know if he was down or not, that's one of my things. They shouldn't have been in the game anyways; it shouldn't have been that close."

(on if it feels unjust that there was no review at the end of the game)"I'm not going to make excuses or anything like that. Like I said, we were up enough that the game shouldn't have even been that close at all, but it should have been reviewed. If he was in, he was in. I couldn't see, but I would have liked to see a replay of it."

(on if Falcons QB Matt Ryan played up to his caliber)"Matt played great for us. He's been playing great for us all year. He played great today."

(on if he felt they had put the Patriots away after following his catch that put the Falcons in field goal range)"I didn't feel like that in that sense. I knew it obviously, was in field-goal range, but unfortunately we had a holding call and it moved us out of field-goal range. I wasn't comfortable at all. I was staying aggressive, my mindset aggressive. Every play I step up, every play that's called I'm just being aggressive, and whatever happens, happens."

(on if it was surprising to go multiple drives in a row without scoring after early success) "We scored 21 points as an offense against the number-one scoring defense in the NFL. We scored 21 points, but it wasn't frustrating for us. They have some talent over there, they have some great schemes and they stopped us a few times. We tried to overcome it, but we couldn't just get it going."

(on New England controlling the ball) "You start to get tight, but other than that, nothing really. Football is football. You just have to say loose and ready to go whenever it's your time to get on the field."

(on how bad this loss stings) "It's football. They were just a better team today. For me, definitely a lot of hard work just getting all the way here and not being successful, but I feel good. The thing is, is just going out there and leaving everything on the field. You can't be disappointed in yourself or feel any type of way if you leave everything on the field. I can't give you more than what I put out there today. I gave you everything I had. For me, I'm not going to be upset about my play or my effort. I'm disappointed. Obviously, we lost the game coming all the way here and losing, but it's a loss and I'll get over it."

(on if his toe injury hindered him at all today)"No, it's been there for me. I find ways to push through it. It wasn't anything significant to pull me out or hold me out of the game or not allow me to do what I needed to do out there today."

(on if there was ever a moment where he felt the momentum turned in the game)"No, I just really try to focus on the offense. I don't really focus on our defense and their offense and offense really is the changing point of the game to kind of get going. I just let defense handle defense and I just try to keep my mindset on offense."

(on what Falcons QB Matt Ryan said after the game)"He just talked about the brotherhood, just stay tight. Even after something like this, just stay tight, don't fall apart. We'll definitely stay tight and just keep growing."

DT Grady Jarrett

(on his personal performance in the loss)"It's tough, definitely. When you get to this level, you definitely want to win a game. We worked so hard to get to this point and just couldn't get it finished. It's tough, it's definitely tough."

(on what he will talk about with his father, Jessie Tuggle, about this loss)"I'm sure we'll talk, but we just have to go back to work. Nothing to do but to go back to work. We came out on the short end after a hard fought game. They ended up coming out in the end, but there's nothing left to do but to go back to work. We left it all out there today. It just wasn't enough."

(on how he felt during the game) "I felt good. I was on, my moves were on, I was playing the run well and pass rushing well. It just sucks when you come out on the losing end. I'm proud of my teammates. We had a great year. We're going to use this motivation going into the offseason."

(on New England staging a second-half comeback)"I would say those guys came out and finished. They made the adjustments they needed to do (and) all props to them. They've had the success that they've had for so long for a reason."

(on almost sacking New England QB Tom Brady for what would have been his fourth of the game) "I felt real close, and I was hoping that maybe he threw an interception or something with me not getting a sack. The plays were there. We made plays, missed a couple, but at the end of the day, they did what they needed to do. It hurts. It hurt bad and we just have to use this as motivation going into the offseason."

(on if he was surprised about Brady's two late touchdown drives) "No, not at all. He's one of the greatest for a reason. Playing first hand, he now has great respect from me. He's a finisher. He did his job today and led his team. I'm disappointed that we came out on the losing end. Hell of respect for Tom Brady."

(on if he talked to Brady after any of the sacks) "No, we were both focused on winning the game. He was getting his guys right, we were getting the defense right. It was a battle out there. Guys were just so locked in on both sides. It sucks coming out on the losing end of things."

(on having three sacks in the Super Bowl against Tom Brady) "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't awesome. It felt good, but at the end of the day, I wanted the win more than anything - for myself, for my team, for my city. It just hurts when you come this far, and this close, and come up short. I'm proud to go to war any day with these guys. The work we put in, and how we got better over the season is really encouraging for this team and this organization going forward. Hats off to the Patriots, they finished."

(on if fatigue became a factor at the end of the game) "It could have been a factor, as well as them making adjustments coming into the second half. They have the success they have for a reason. We just weren't able to get off the field like we needed to - like we were doing in the first half - in the second half, and that really killed us."

(on New England WR Julian Edelman's catch in the fourth quarter) "That play hit hard because growing up, you watch the Super Bowl, and there's always that one moment where you're like, 'Dang.' As I'm watching on the field, and I see him catch it - I saw him catch it - and I said, 'Man, dang.' It just felt like a whole momentum shift. It was a great catch by that guy, man. We still tried to get pressure there, but that was an awesome play that he made for his team."

(on if Edelman's catch was the moment it started to slip) "I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say that at that moment. There's just so many plays throughout the game that had an impact on the field. It's not just one play. You can't deny the great effort that he displayed for his team in that moment."

(on Brady playing with more confidence at the start of the comeback) "I feel like we were getting… We sacked him three times in the second half. We were still moving him off the spot, but he just made plays. He made plays, guys got open, and they did what they had to do to win the game. We had the pressure getting him off the spot, he just stayed alive and was able to make plays."

(on if he thought WR Julio Jones' catch was their "moment") "I wouldn't say that that was our moment where we had the game. It was just an awesome moment in the Super Bowl. This was a classic game, took it to overtime. (I) hate to be on the losing side of things, but we made great plays, and they made great plays. Good for both organizations, it just sucks that we came out on the losing side in the end. Guys were making plays all over the field - it was real entertaining. But at the end of the day, being a Falcon, you know we wanted to win."

(on what they do now)"Go back to work. Go back to work. You can't dwell on it too long and cry over spilled milk. There's nothing to do but go back to work and try to do it again."

(on being from Atlanta, how tough it is to lose) "It sucks. It sucks for the fans, and it sucks for me. It's tough when you put so much hard work in and come out on the short end. We had a great year. We fought hard, and I just see it going up for us. We have great leadership in our program. We don't plan on looking back. We're just trying to get better. It was an awesome feat to be able to make it to this point, but we're definitely not satisfied. That's what I can say to the fans. We're not satisfied just being here, and we'll need their continued support."

(on optimism with a young defense) "Absolutely, I feel there is definite optimism. We're just going to continue to get better. We got better as the year went on. We feel good about it. For the first year guys - like I told them - it's awesome from the first to second year that jump you make (and) the comfort level you make. You know with the guys having success this year like they did - like (SS) Keanu (Neal) and (LB) Deion (Jones) - I'm just excited to see the jump they make from this year to next year. I'm happy to be a part of it."

(on the key to the first half) "I feel like the key in the first half… We just wanted to get pressure on him throughout the whole game. I feel like we did it, maybe didn't do it enough - I feel like we came up a little short towards the end, and he was able to stay alive. I feel like the pressure was there, we got there. But, in the second half he was able to stay alive and make plays."

(on what changed defensively in the second half) "When they have a great guy leading their team. He (QB Tom Brady) made some tight throws in tight coverage. He was running off the spot. We did what we could and it sucks to come up short. They made the adjustments they needed to make, and we just have to get better."

(on if he will eventually get over the loss) "You have to get over it. I'm not the type to sit around and cry over spilled milk. We went out there and did our best, and at the end of the day, that's all you can ask for. As long as you leave it out there, you let the results take care of itself. You can't do anything but go back to work. I'm excited to go back to work. I'm excited for our fan base, and we just see this going up from here."

(on if the game plan was to get Brady off his spot) "That's part of every game plan. You play against any quarterback, you want to get him off the spot. Their percentages usually drop when you get him off the spot. That's definitely part of our game plan week in and week out, to get a quarterback off the spot."

(on the Patriots' final two drives) "It was tough. At the time, you're not really thinking about that, you're just trying to get off the field. But we didn't do what we needed to do to get off the field. It sucks. We can't do anything but go back to work and learn from this. It hurts, and it will hurt for a little while, but we can't do anything but go back to work."

TE Levine Toilolo

​(on the mood on the sideline during the fourth quarter)"I don't think there was any doubt at all. Up until overtime, all the way up until our defense was down there. We have faith in all of our guys here and all the way up until they scored that touchdown. I don't think there was any doubt at all."

(on if he has ever experienced anything like that in his career)"No, this is a first."

(on if he felt like there was a moment in the game when the momentum changed) "It's hard to say right now. Like I said, there was never any doubt in my mind, so I think you can kind of feel it as far as the crowd and stuff like that. You kind of felt like they were getting back into the game. As far as on our sideline, I don't think anyone had any doubt about us finishing the game."

(on what the team talked about after the game) "I think that was something that was special all year. Still something to celebrate, just the bond that we had this year. It's definitely rare. I'm proud to be a part of that."

DT Courtney Upshaw

(on what happened in the second half)"We came out throwing punches and we didn't finish, we didn't knock them out at the end. Basically, to sum it all up, we played a great quarterback in Tom Brady and he led them to a win."

(on pressuring quarterback Tom Brady) "I think the coach tried to put us in position to have a rotation going, but (Brady) getting the ball out so quick, not every time you'll get to him. Grady (Jarrett) to him a couple of times, I got him once on a play action and (Dwight) Freeney got him once. He was getting the ball out quick, but we knew that coming in. He just willed them to a win."

(on joining the Atlanta Falcons) "Of course, it's a great thing here. I was thanking everybody from coaches to teammates for bringing me in as a free agent. To be a part of this journey, this brotherhood is real here. I just hate that we couldn't come out with the 'dub' at the end."

(on the youth on defense) "Very proud. I'm proud of the things they've done throughout the year, but they know why they were brought here, from Keanu (Neal) to Deion (Jones), to all of the young guys. They're not young anymore. They had a full season plus a Super Bowl and playoffs. Them boys were brought here to make plays and they did just that."

DE Brooks Reed

(on whether the defense got tired in second half) "Yeah, we were. But I think they started getting the ball quicker and started to get more open spaces to their skills guys, creating more mismatches and stuff. But our guys on this team played their butts off and I'm proud."

(on his pride for his team) "So many guys put so much into this season. I'm just so proud of them. It raised my game and it's a great group of guys for sure."

WR Mohamed Sanu

(on if he felt the game slipping away in the second half) "I just didn't feel like we were playing like ourselves."

(on if New England did something to take them out of their game) "No, we just didn't come out there and execute the way we usually do."

(on if anything was said on the sideline to kind of snap them back into it) "I mean, I feel like we tried to, but it just is what it is."

(on how he would summarize the season where no one thought the Falcons would be here, despite falling short)"We definitely had a really good season, but just not the way we want to end it."

(on if they can look back on this and take anything positive from it) "That's what we have to do."

(on if there were any major philosophical changes made at halftime)"No, I just felt like we didn't come out and do what we do."

(on what the feeling was like on sideline during the fourth quarter) "There just wasn't much energy."

T Jake Matthews

(on losing the game in the second half) "Yeah, it sucks. We didn't finish well. We had the opportunity to do it at the end."

(about the catch) "I felt like as an offense we didn't do enough."

(on being too aggressive with the lead) "Obviously, we thought we could come up with an answer and we didn't. Bottom line is we didn't get it done."

(on thinking ahead to next year) "Yeah it sucks. We fully expected to win this game. It didn't happen, so it's frustrating. We just have to get back at it next year."

(on processing thinking of next year) "This one hurts. We didn't get it done."

(on what he was saying before Julio had the great drive) "We have to go down there, and extend our lead and win it. It didn't work out that way."

(on being on sideline watching this unfold) "Yeah, I can't say enough. We didn't finish well. As a lineman on offense, we put that on ourselves."

(on how big of a turning point the sack in Atlanta territory was) "Yeah, we didn't score from that, so obviously it wasn't good."

(on if there was a play that would run through his mind as a 'what if') "Wish we could have finished. That's what it is."

(on giving away game plan) "No, I think bottom line is, we didn't execute like we did in the first half. We put it all on ourselves."

(on injuries on offensive line)"It's a long season, everyone is dealing with something. It's harder then."

(on the message at half time) "Finish."

(anything that prepares you for this type of game) "Not really. This one hurts more."

(on using the loss as fuel)"Yeah, we better. It's frustrating."

(on success all season long) "I couldn't be more proud of the guys in that locker room and what we did as a team. Obviously we had one more half that we didn't finish and we didn't do it. We accomplished a lot, which is obviously something I'm happy with."

(on any NFL family talk to him) "Yeah I have a lot of people in my family who play, so I've seen them win, seen them lose. There isn't much to say. We just didn't get it done. That's it."

(on the game plan in the middle)"Yeah that's what we've been successful with all year. It's a correlation of doing well in the first half, and not well in the second half. That's it."

SS Keanu Neal

(on the emotion after the loss) "It sucks. Getting here, believing and having the opportunity and then letting it go. It just sucks. We played our hearts out, but it just didn't fall in our favor."

(on what was said in the locker room after the game) "Just grieving with each other. We weren't really saying much. It's a brotherhood. We care for each other, so we're just grieving."

(on what he means by 'grieving') "We had it. Like I said, the plays didn't fall on our way. Tom Brady got opportunities and the receivers made catches. It just slipped away from us."

(on losing in front of a large audience) "It sucks. Like I said earlier, you lose a game like this you're not going to be all happy and celebrate with your guys. You're going to be upset. That's kind of what you would expect. Being at this stage, once you care about your guys like we do here. Losing, you feel for the guys and it just sucks."

(on whether the Patriots utilized WR Julian Edelman differently in the second half)"Yes, they used him a little differently. They kind of caught on to what we were doing and adjusted. At the end of the day, you play ball."

(on the Patriots leading the time of possession in the second half) "You just have to go out there and play. It's tiring, but that's part of football. You have to suck it up and play."

C Alex Mack

(on getting sacked on second-and-11 from the 23-yard line to get knocked out of field goal range in the fourth quarter) "That hurt, yeah. We wanted to score points, but I think our OC (Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan) has a lot of faith in us to perform our job. It's disappointing not to be able to accomplish that."

(on where the pressure came from on the sack) "It was hard to remember exactly, but I think it was a slant from the three technique in through the A-gap so it is my guy to block."

(on if it hurts)"It does."

(on how much it hurt)"It hurts. It hurts your team. You definitely want to stay in field goal range. Three points in a time like that means a lot and that's why it stings a lot."

(on how bad his leg hurt) "It hurt, but we were able to get out there. It was always a dream of mine to play in the Super Bowl. Now I need to come back and win one."

(on how much QB Matt Ryan's fumble in the fourth quarter changed momentum) "A turnover - we knew from the start that turnovers were going to mean a lot in this game. To give them, that field position and the ball, and not be able to - it hurt a lot. It gave them a short field with a swing of momentum. Turnovers is really what this game came down to."

(on if that is a place that play calling could be second guessed) "They made a good play. We just need to be able to block and not let that happen."

(on the play on second-and-11 where the Patriots slanted and sacked QB Matt Ryan and them probably expecting a run) "It's hard to really remember exactly what the situation was. We try to mix it up run and pass and keep them honest. You don't want to be predictable. I wouldn't second guess throwing the ball there we just need to be able to block like we need to."

(on the Falcons making two gutsy play calls from the 10-yard line to get out of there) "Our goal going into this game was being who we are. If we called aggressive calls all year long, that wouldn't change. We had all the faith in our ability to move the ball and some of them worked and that one didn't."

(on how frustrating it was as an offense) "We just need to be able to perform better. We had a couple chances there to really take the game away and we sputtered. You need to make third downs, convert, extend drives, give our defense some rest and we weren't able to do that enough."

(on there being a report this morning that he has a chip/fracture in his fibula) "I have a broken leg, yeah."

(on how much his leg hurt) "It hurt, but it's not a weight bearing bone and so pain was the only thing. It's still stable so we were confident with two weeks of rest and some adrenaline and see how it went. I think it went pretty well."