Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis addresses the media during his press conference at Gillette Stadium, on Wednesday, January 12, 2011.
Q: How was the drive in?
BG: You know, rough weather but we made it. We got here on time, so everything is all good.
Q: What time did you leave?
BG: Fred [Taylor] actually came to pick me up this morning and we didn't leave my house maybe until about 6:20, but I had been up since about 5:00.
Q: And you're supposed to be here at 8?
BG: Yes, sir. Really rough weather out there.
Q: But everyone seemed to make it on time?
BG: Yes, sir.
Q: How easy does your job become when you have the luxury of having Tom Brady at quarterback?
BG: I don't think football is every easy. Defenses always create challenges for us, especially the team we're playing this week, so we just have to go out there and continue to work hard. All of our jobs are hard. We just have to go out there and continue to just work hard.
Q: Does it simplify your game at all to have a guy like him since defenses are so mindful of him and the passing game?
BG: I can't really say. I'm not really sure, but I don't think so. Because there are still a lot of things that go on for us like pass protection and things like that. It's not just handing the ball off and running because we play some good defenses, especially the defense we're playing now. [They're] stout against the run. We have to do some things in there and try to take advantage of what they don't do well.
Q: Being in the playoffs isn't new for you, but your increased role is different. How are you approaching it this year?
BG: Like you said, my role is a little different this year. I'm just doing the same things I can do: going to practice, working hard, going out there and doing as much as I can and giving 110 percent on every play.
Q: How do you handle hearing the trash talking from the Jets?
BG: We just have to focus on the things that we can handle and control here and right now that's just going to practice and working hard and making sure that we are able to do our jobs on Sunday.
Q: Does that motivate you at all, personally?
BG: No, like I said, I don't really pay too much attention to what's going on in the news. Right now I'm just trying to bury my head in the playbook and go out there at practice and work hard and get ready for the team on Sunday.
Q: What's your reaction to what Antonio Cromartie said about Tom Brady?
BG: I haven't heard it.
Q: He basically called him an [expletive].
BG: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I'm more than sure [No.] 12 will handle his own situation.
Q: Does Tom Brady seem like a nice guy to you?
BG: That's my teammate. He's been my teammate for three years, so we've kind of developed a relationship over the last couple years.
Q: So you would say it's not fair to call him that?
BG: I mean, that's his opinion. Whatever he wants to say about Tom, that's his opinion. Like I said, Tom will handle his own situation about [how] he feels about that.
Q: Does it make your job a little easier that Coach Belichick kind of insulates you from that and puts it on himself and doesn't want you guys to respond to it?
BG: That's kind of really the only thing we knew around here - or that I knew for that [matter], because I haven't been anywhere else. It's just about our business, doing business, and business being done.
Q: You said that you and Tom have developed a relationship -
BG: Not just me and Tom, but all my teammates. We're a very tight-knit bunch, I would think.
Q: What is his relationship like with other members of the offense? Is it a leadership role or is he one of the guys?
BG: Of course he's a leader, but he's also one of the guys. Everyone is having fun. It's been fun so far. We just want to continue to go out there and not only do we want to do to compete at a high level, but we want to have fun while we're doing it.
Q: Can you talk about Danny Woodhead and the way you guys complement each other?
BG: Me and Danny, like I said, we both work extremely hard at practice. Our lockers are both next to each other and we spend a lot of time together. We have some days where we're here 12 hours out of a day. I see the guys up here more than I see my own family, so we have to develop a good relationship.
Q: So you find out all the quirks about him pretty quickly?
BG: Yeah, we spend a lot of time together. We're in all the same meetings and everything. Our lockers are next to each other. Our seats are right next to each other, so it's kind of hard not to.
Q: So do you guys tease each other much?
BG: No, not too much. There's a little joking going on, but most of the time we're busy.
Q: So are you more like the big brother?
BG: No, I wouldn't say big brother or little brother or anything like that. I just think we work well together.
Q: How much do you guys talk about what happened last year in the playoffs?
BG: The past is the past. What we have to do right now is just get ready for the Jets.
Q: Are you motivated at all by the way you guys lost last year and avoiding that happening again?
BG: Like I said, right now the only thing we can really do is really focus on going to practice and working hard and taking today as another day and getting ready for Sunday.
Q: Why do you think you and Danny work so well together?
BG: I'm not sure. I guess it's just a good complement. We just try to do our best. I don't know how well it works or how well it doesn't work. The only thing I know that we do is we just try to go out there and work hard and whatever plays are called, just run them to the best of our ability and let everything else take care of itself.
Q: Has he said anything about it being any sweeter to play against the Jets?
BG: No, we haven't gotten into anything about him playing his old team or anything like that. I think Danny is here with the Patriots and he's pretty happy to be here. That's kind of what we focus on. The only thing we've really been talking about is what problems they create for us and what we need to do to be the best on every play and every situation.
