REX RYAN, HEAD COACH
RR: Onto LA, I guess... God, it feels good to finally win here. Been close about six times. Finally won one, it was great. I can say this for sure, that that was about as good a weekend as you can have. I don't know what you are talking about, but it was a damn good weekend. And I appreciate it. Questions, please.
Q: How satisfying was it to beat that team in their place?
RR: I mean it's satisfying, but let's face it, they had a player out. This just in, they had a player out and we had our team, so you know, we expected to win.
Q: You know, your defense has played consistently well here when you've lost in last four years or so. So, it wasn't surprising to play well defensively, was it?
RR: No, I thought we had a great plan. I thought our guys went out and did a great job executing the plan, but you're right, there have been several times that we got beat. I get the record. Everybody knows my record. I thought we had a chance at about half those things, but they did a great job, they always outcoached us. Today they had a player out guys, and we had our team here.
Q: Throughout the week, what were you expecting with them and their quarterback?
RR: My sources inside the New England Patriot building said that Jacoby Brissett would be the quarterback. How's that? I will stir some stuff up. Who was it? Who was it? I don't know who it was.
Q: Rex, how different are they on offense, [Jimmy] Garoppolo to Brissett?
RR: Yeah, they are different. But, I got news for you, Garoppolo is not Brady either, not even close. But he's good player, but there is only one Tom Brady.
Q: Does not beating [Tom] Brady detract from the win at all?
RR: Feels pretty good right now.
Q: Rex, the last two times out, fast starts, and it seems everything has fallen into place after a couple of fast starts the last two weeks. Being able to get up there early with your offense again, how much did it help today?
RR: Well I think, first off, that's it's something that you stress throughout the week. You know, this team, 77 and 0 or something like that, if they are leading at half time here. You know, that wasn't the plan. They are 34 to zip in the first quarter of games, so even though we put our defense out there first here, we were trying to change that obviously. But, really just a great team effort, there is no question about that.
Q: With or without Tom Brady, Tyrod Taylor wins his first game with 30 or more pass attempts and looked about as good of a passer as in all of his NFL starts.
RR: Yeah, he misfired a couple or just missed a couple deep ones, but you are right, he played extremely well. It was just complementary football, I think, both sides of the ball. Did a great job and, you know, obviously this place is a tough place to play regardless of who's not in there. Did I mention they had a player out and our team showed up.
Q: The quick slants, were something that you hadn't utilized in your offense, can you expound on just how those factored in?
RR: Well, it's kind of what they were giving us too. We know Tyrod does a good job of throwing that ball, we just have to give him some opportunities to throw that and obviously we put that in today.
Q: Rex, in response to that pregame fight, Jonathan Kraft said I think that if you are less than disciplined in your personal approach, your team takes on the attitude of the coach. What do you think about that?
RR: Well, I think so too, because they probably weren't as disciplined as they should be. So, I think that's probably what happened there.
Q: Was that one of the more well-balanced game plans from the offensive side from Anthony Lynn that we've seen? Obviously kept them on their heels all day…
RR: He did a good job, that's a very well-coached football team. Offense, defense, everything about them. And I thought he did a great job.
Q: What was your reaction when you heard there was a scuffle pregame? Obviously you heard about it. What was your reaction when it happened?
RR: I never thought it was that big a deal. It wasn't like anyone was throwing down anybody, it was just some words. A lot of talk out there.
Q: In previous times, you mention in a game last year, that the guys were over emotional. Was that a sign that maybe you needed to racket it down a bit because maybe that could have gotten out of hand.
RR: Well, no I just think, we came here for one purpose and that was to win a football game. And that's what we talked about and that's what we came to do.
Q: Coach, the linebackers seem to set a tone here defensively. The Browns inside and even Jerry and Alexander on the edges. Do they seem to set a tone for your defense?
RR: Guys are playing extremely well, and like I said, a real solid team effort. Played good team football on defense, and the same thing on offense, and I think that was the key.
Q: Where do you feel sit now that you climbed out of that 0-and-2 hole?
RR: Well, I feel a lot better. I think when you look and have two of the better teams in the National Football league and we were obviously embarrassed in the way we played, especially in the second game. But, you know, we know we have a good football team and we just got to stick together, ride together and that's exactly what we've done and how we've dug ourselves out of this hole.
Q: How big was the game that Robert Woods played today because you are going to need him to step up into that role?
RR: We definitely are going to need Robert [Woods], we are going to need Walter [Powell], we are going to need Charles [Clay]. We are going to need them all because Sammy [Watkins], I forgot he was missing, and he is one of the, you know, premier receivers in the game. And that's a big loss when you lose him, but you're right, everybody has to step up.
Q: You do have a ton of respect for Bill Belichick, is there anything that you really wanted to zero in on? I know Tom Brady wasn't playing, but in terms of coaching?
RR: No, every week, you try to have a plan to put your players in a position where they can be successful and I've always tried to do that, time in, time out. But just, a lot of times, we come up short, but today it was great to be on the other side of it.
Q: Rex, when you started 0-and-2, you said the Cardinals and the Patriots were exactly what you guys needed. Is this what you had in mind?
RR: Yeah, not one of the more brilliant statements I've had, but you know, it's typical, probably. But no, meaning that they are some of the better teams in the League, if not, the best teams. So, for us to prove it, you know you can't feel sorry for yourself, you better go out and face the best. And that's what we are doing and now obviously we have a huge challenge in front of us going, you know, all the way out to the west coast.
Tyrod Taylor, Quarterback
Q: Did you feel as good about that game as it looked from watching it in terms of your control and everything?
TT: I definitely felt confident with our approach and our game plan going into this game. We had the right plan as far as matchups and getting guys the football. I think guys did a good job of winning their matchups and it made my job easier. I think as far as me being in control, it was a collective thing. The offensive line blocked their butts off and the receivers did a good job of creating a pass slants for me to go out there and make throws.
*Q: Those quick slants - it seemed like a wrinkle that this offense hadn't shown before and you were executing those pretty effectively. *
TT: Yes, that was something we were seeing watching film all week. We thought we had the right type of guys to run those routes inside and beat some of their man-coverages and just the leverages... We had the right guys to run those routes.
Q: It looked like another part of the plan was to get LaSean McCoy out on the edges out of the backfield - he really was a matchup headache for the Patriots today.
TT: Yes, they do a good job of trying to pressure-rush the backs, so we tried to free-release him and also get him going outside and in between the tackles as far as [the] running game as well.
Q: How soon did you know you had him on that touchdown pass there? Did he win early or did you just say, 'I'm going to give him the chance to play'?
TT: Scheme-wise, they basically took away the backside, so it was him or [Charles Clay] at that point and he won right out of the line and it's a natural pick - nothing illegal - it's a natural pick off the run, but Robert Woods running that route freed LeSean up.
Q: A lot can be said about the Bills beating the Patriots without Tom Brady, but when you're on offense regardless of who's playing quarterback for the other team, from your standpoint, satisfaction I'm guessing is definitely…
TT: Yes, [I'm] definitely coming out of this game feeling good. It definitely wasn't a perfect game by any means. We can't control who's their quarterback. We going into the week preparing for whoever is going to be back there and I think the team did a good job of staying together and going out there and fighting their butts off today.
Q: There were a couple of hiccups on each of those first few drives. You were able to overcome some long down and distance when you got up behind the sticks. To what do you attribute to the guys for staying locked in and not getting discouraged by that?
TT: Penalties are definitely something that we have to be better at. We can't hurt ourselves - we never like to get in those third-and-long situations or second and long situations. Those are drive killers. We were fortunate today to get some of that yardage back, but moving forward to be the team we want to be we have to clean that up and that's something that we address in the huddle, on the field and that's something that we'll address watching film as well.
Q: What made it easier to find Charles Clay today?
TT: Matchup wise, last year the two times that we played them, I didn't do as well of a job as I would like to give Clay the ball. He wins pretty much a lot against safeties and linebackers and the matchups that we had today with him on the field - we liked those going into the game. We just tried to move the pocket as well as some scramble plays and as well as scheming up some plays to give him the ball.
Q: Coach Anthony Lynn said on Thursday that he was harping on you focusing on the matchup as you came up to the line as oppose to the reads you were going to have to execute. How much did that help in terms of finding your playmakers today?
TT: I think that helped a lot. Our offense is definitely a matchup - as far as the passing game - definitely a matchup based attack and today we did a good job of winning those matchups and I was able to give the ball to those guys.
Q: With Sammy Watkins going to IR now Robert Woods is obviously going to elevate probably into that number one role. how big was it to get him involved early and often?
TT: It was very big to get Robert going. A lot of what Robert does goes unnoticed in our running game as far as blocking. We definitely could get him the ball more - he definitely stepped up to the plate today as we knew he would and he went out there and made some plays. I spent a lot of time this offseason in OTAs just working with Robert because of Sammy's absence. I'm confident in Robert's ability and he's confident in the things he can do. [I'm] looking forward to him making more plays and continuing to keep growing chemistry with him.
Q: Talk about your poise today coming into Foxboro.
TT: Thank you, first off. Coming into an away game is always a challenge. We tried to quiet down the noise early and we were able to get a good drive going first and get a score. We [were] able to push the ball and I think that settled the crowd down and that got us into a groove. We capitalized on some of those drives at the end and finished with field goals and missed a field goal, too, but like I said, it wasn't a perfect game by any means, but we were able to do what it takes to get the [win] today and the team is back to work tomorrow.
Q: You're out of that 0-2 at home now, so looking ahead where do you feel the team is at now that you've evened things out?
TT: We have a confident team, definitely. We never lost faith in the players or the coaches. Of course, some changes were made, but I think the team as a whole came together more than ever and we're just taking it one game at a time, taking it one day at a time, challenge each other to go out there and be better. [We] hold each other accountable and we'll see how far this team will go.
Q: Knowing that Tom Brady wasn't going to be out there was there a part of you that said, 'I have to be the best quarterback on the field today' no matter who New England plays?
TT: Every time I step on the field I attack the game with that type of attitude. Whether I come out on the winning edge every time or the team that I play for come out on the winning edge, not necessarily, but every time that I step on the field I want to be the best quarterback on the field because ultimately that's who helps your team win. That's my approach each and every week regardless of who the other team's quarterback is.
LESEAN MCCOY, RUNNING BACK
Q: For a team that is known for their sound execution, it looked like you certainly out-executed them today right?
LM: It's one game for us. We needed a win and that was a must-win situation. They're a heck of a team. We were favored for sure. Going into the game without one of the best players to ever play the game we kind of figured we should win this game. It wasn't a doubt in my mind that we were going to win this game without having Tom [Brady], and our offense – we just played hard. We ran the ball; we threw the ball extremely well. Guys made plays, Tyrod [Taylor] really stepped up and did a lot of things on his own. So, that's how that game went today.
Q: What do you think you guys did really well that seemed to affect them?
LM: Just control the tempo, control the ball. We got first downs when we needed to get first downs. When we needed to get certain runs we got them. Key plays, turning small gains into big gains, you've just got to convert and stay on the field. That's the type of game plan you have when you're facing a guy like Tom. You want to stay on the field, convert on third downs and just control the game.
Q: They seemed to have a lot of one-on-one issues covering you out of the backfield. Was that a part of your game plan?
LM: Sure. Just to get the matchups. 91 [Jamie Collins] is a hell of a player; Collins. [Dont'a] Hightower is actually very good himself, but those guys are bigger, more fit for the run, kind of stand-up backers at that, so we wanted to kind of get the matchup's one-on-one and we got them. We got them and made the best of them.
Q: How confident are you in offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn after these last two games?
LM: For sure, we're confident in Coach Lynn. Each game, each time he has a shot he has to call a play, different situations, he's answering every time. So, the guys that I play with, we loved him already before he was an offensive coordinator and now we're just falling in love with the calls that he's making.
Q: How important was it to be able to spread the ball around offensively the way you did?
LM: Well, when you take a talented player like Sammy [Watkins] and you sit him down for a little bit, other guys have to step up and make plays. You talked about how Tyrod spread the ball around today and that's kind of why. Each player does something better than the next person or each person has a different game than the other player. Tyrod, he utilizes everything about each player and that's just the difference. I think when you don't have Sammy there, that deep threat, that all-star wide receiver, it becomes more of a team game. You've got to get certain runs in; you've got to get more matchups. One of the matchups we talked about was Charles Clay. He came up big. [Robert] Woods, he really stepped up. So, every player has to step up and make plays when one of your top dogss is not there.
Q: Now that you've climbed out of the 0-2 hole how are you looking at this team and its potential going forward?
LM: It's just one game. In this league you can't get too high and get too low. When we were 0-2 guys had the same mindset, 'We've got to get better, we've got to get better.' This game was a big game win for us because it's a divisional game but other than that it's another win. We're 2-2. It's a long season. Even with the first two losses there were close games but it's a long season. We can't get wrapped up in a loss or a win. The mindset has to keep going forward.
Q: Were you anywhere near that pregame scuffle?
LM: I'm happy I wasn't there. I was in the locker room getting ready. I just think that people and the reputation around the league is that we're a team that we're not disciplined; we make mistakes, probably because of the way we get penalties after the play. So, that probably was just, maybe just, trying to get under our skin and get us riled up so we'll make penalties. But the guys, man, they held it together. They really did. They kept their composure and just came out there and played.
Q: Where is the mindset of the team now that you are 2-2? Do you feel like you have saved the season?
LM: No. Like I said, each game is important but you can't get too high and you can't get too low. We're right in that medium range. We've had some tough losses early in the year and it's still early in the year. We bounced back, watched tape and came into practice and practiced hard and then had to get a win against Arizona; got that win. We came here; got this win. So, basically every game is important. So, if you lose one or you win one you can't get too happy or too down. That's how the NFL works, man. You'll see each year there's a team that barely gets in and they're not a good team, or you think they're not a good team, then they go the whole playoffs whooping butt. Each win or each loss you can't get too up or too down.
Robert Blanton, Safety
(On the game plan)
"I think our coaches did a great job preparing a great game plan and the players did a great job of executing.
We were the better team today. We came out our coaches had a great game plan and we won."
(On preparing not knowing which Patriot quarterback was playing)
"We prepared for both quarterbacks, we prepared for everything and anything they would throw at us. The coaches threw a ton at us Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. So they did a great job preparing us for the game."
Preston Brown, Linebacker
(On whether it mattered that they didn't know who was going to be the Patriots quarterback today)
"Not really. We had some inside knowledge that he [Jacoby Brissett] was probably going to play today. Knowing that he was going to play we knew we were going to get a lot of passes to our left side, easy one-sided reads, so we tried to limit that and pack that side."
(On holding the Patriots to no first downs the first three series)
"Definitely. It's a big difference on third down. At one point I looked up and they were 0-for-8 on third down so we did a great job getting off the field on third down."
(On if they have found out who they are on defense)
"Definitely. We had to put Week 2 behind us and we did. I said when we get a shut-out we're playing well. We got a shutout so it looks like we are playing pretty well right now."
Ronald Darby, Cornerback
(On the game)
"This is a huge win. We are on a two game win streak and we are going week by week. Each week we need to come out victorious. Disciplined defense that is what you've got to do with a team like that. The offense played great, they moved the ball, and it was good. If you watch the game, we all played good football. As long as we win."
(Asked about being the first team to ever shut out the Patriots at Gillette Stadium)
"We're the first team to ever do it? I never knew that so I guess we just made some type of history. It feels great, that we were the first team to ever shut them out here. It feels good but, once again, this game is over and we have to get ready for L.A."
(On the penalty on the Edelman 90-yard pass)
"Yeah, it was me. Yeah, I was ripped and I saw the flag and everything."
Corey Graham, Safety
(On the game)
"You have to keep the ball in front of you. Everything worked out well for us. We wanted to get out to a fast start so we could play some of the defense we wanted to. It was important for us. We did a good job and the offense did a good job of getting points on the board. We did some things that worked in our favor."
(On Jacoby Brissett)
"It's not like it's their first time playing with him. They've played with him before. He's not [Tom] Brady but it's not like it's his first rodeo. They've played with him before so, there's no excuses. You've just got to go out there and play ball. We knew going into the game there were certain things that they would do once he plays. We had film so we knew exactly what he was capable of doing. You've just got to adjust. Whatever they do, they do. I'm pretty sure they didn't want to do too much. You've just got to go out and play ball."
(On the win)
"It's huge. We didn't start out the way we wanted to start out with two losses in a row. We knew it was a big game for us, a division game. It was like a must win for us so we had to come in here and play hard. I am glad we found a way to get a victory. Our confidence is always screaming. We had one game we didn't play as well as we should have. For the most part in three out of four games we know what we can do."
Richie Incognito
(On the win)
"It's big. Anytime you can come up to New England and get a victory, it's big. This is the first time I've beat them in my 12-year career. We knew we had to get back to even and steal one from them when Tom [Brady]'s not playing. This is big for us. We ran the ball and stayed true to ourselves. We were physical and we extended drives."
(On his penalties)
"I don't give a [expletive] about the penalties, we won."
Nickell Robey-Coleman, Cornerback
(On what happened during pre-game warmpups)
"A couple of their guys came on our side of the field and were running through our DB drills. It got a little intense and then it got a little rough. We knew they were trying to get in our heads and make us do things that we didn't want to do. We couldn't let them do that."
(On getting a shutout against the Patriots in their stadium)
"It means a lot. We knew it was going to be tough to play here. We knew we had to stay on top of our game and play Buffalo Bills defense. We couldn't make any mental errors, they are a good team so we had to capitalize."
(On how meaningful the win is)
"I'm still letting it sink in right now. We came out and our offense played amazing today. They did a great job today."
Robert Woods, Wide receiver
(On the win)
"We usually come up here and even most games we lose we end up beating ourselves. I think we were able to come out here compete and play on both sides of the ball, and pretty much focus."
(On learning from last week)
"Just playing our game, Anthony Lynn was calling some great plays for us, and allowing us to go out there and execute them. It's allowing us to play fast and it's showing."
(On the game plan)
"It's just match ups, were going up there and we line up press and take a match up."
(On Tyrod Taylor)
"We were calling slants and he was able to throw them. We kind of shy away from slants, but this game we brought them out and it worked for us."
Aaron Williams, Safety
(On the win)
"It's always great when it's a divisional win. We felt very confident in this game plan. We didn't know who the quarterback was but at the end of the day, I felt like we were very confident in our game plan to play it out and not know who their actual quarterback was."
(On pre-game confrontation with Patriots)
"Attitudes flare in this game. It's part of this game. A lot of alpha males on the field and it was a big game. We got into it a little bit but we had to keep our heads and composure in the game and make sure that didn't affect us. It definitely set the tone. We didn't want to come out there flat. We wanted some enthusiasm, some energy, some fire, and I'm glad our guys got together and got each other's back. After that happened, we were all excited, we were all ready to play. Things like that are going to happen but we can't let that affect us in the game."
Kyle Williams, Defensive Tackle
(On getting two wins back after the 0-2 start)
"We talked about it. We're not going to get too low and we didn't expect to be 0-2. That was just the card we were dealt. And we're not going to get too high with the win. There are ups and downs, peaks and valleys for the season. We'll take them as they come. We've won the last couple weeks because of our preparation and been able to execute our game plan. We'll have to do that next week when we go play the Rams. We'll enjoy today because winning in the NFL is a tough business, so we'll enjoy winning today and then we'll start getting ready for the Rams tomorrow."
(On the shut out)
"A shut out's a shut out, but more than anything, it's a win against a division team on the road, which is tough to do. This place has been hard, not just on us but everybody around the league to win at. Like I said, we'll enjoy today but we will take it for what it's worth. It's one win and we've got to get ready to try and do it again next week."
