CHIP KELLY, HEAD COACH

Q: The decision to use Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner so much today and not as much of DeMarco Murray, what went into that?

CK: Some of the matchups with the linebackers. We felt like it's as big a group of linebackers as you're going to face. As the game expressed itself we were just trying to go with a hot hand, and we used all three [running backs]. DeMarco had a big run in the inside zone in the red zone there that drive - that 13-play drive - we had a big run on that. We just thought we were going to use all three today and we needed all three. When you've got [Jamie Collins] and [Rob Ninkovich] and guys, it's as big a linebacker crew as you're going to face, so sometimes those smaller, quicker guys can cause some problems in the matchup.

Q: How do you think Sproles did with the bulk of the carries?

CK: I thought Darren played really well on all phases and I think it's something you continue to see out of him. We see it every day in training and it's on us as a staff - we need to continue to get Darren involved in what we're doing because he cuts the field a little bit when now all of a sudden, we hadn't used him that much and people weren't doubling him, but when he was in there he was starting to create some attention and opened some other guys up. 

Q: It's not easy winning in this place and after things have gone down the last three games how proud are you of your football team to come in here after what had happened?

CK: I've always been proud of them. I told those guys that. I think that sometimes they don't see in them what I see in them. I know we have a good football team and I think they showed it today and they've shown it at other times during this season, and the last two weeks we didn't show it. That's what is disappointing for them. We got contributions. I thought defensively the pressure we got on the quarterback was instrumental today.  When you have a blocked kick for a touchdown, an interception return for a touchdown and punt return for a touchdown, it takes those things to win in this stadium against that coach and that quarterback. 

Q: What was the difference in the defense today as opposed to the previous two weeks?

CK: I think we generated pressure and really those guys up front did a really good job. I think we had four sacks - I don't know how many times or hurries or hits on Tom - but that's what you have to do because he's so good. There were a couple times he shook us off and kept drives alive running and made some big plays there, but I thought the effort that our guys played with up front was really, really good and that's what we needed out of those guys.

Q: On the third-down throw to Riley Cooper… That was kind of a gutsy call not running it. What kind of play was it?

CK: We felt like we needed a first down. We could have run it and then you've got the appropriate time and where we are numbers wise and we were talking about all of that. We've got charts, we know what's there, but part of it is we felt like needed a first down and that was our best option on that play. We had run the naked play and actually thrown on first down and tried to run the naked play, and I thought [Sam Bradford] made a really good decision. It may have been close trying to throw it, but then if it's not there, keep the clock running. I think when you have a smart quarterback you trust him that he can do that. We ran on second down, obviously [you've] got the clock moving a little bit and then on third down our concept was that we've got to get a first down. I've got great faith and trust in Sam and I know he's got great faith and trust in his receivers and we cut a little mirrored route and he was going to the best side, and it was a big play by [Riley Cooper] and a big throw by Sam. 

Q: What made the punt block work? Is that something you guys were seeing during the week?

CK: We always have a couple schemes going in there in terms of going to get them and the situation and the half dictated it. Them punting back to us and us catching it - we are probably not going to get anything generated out of that. I think it was 15 seconds, I think on the clock, so we are probably going to go after the punter in that situation and that was the rush we had practiced this week.

Q: Did that dropkick turn the game around a little bit?

CK: I wouldn't say that was the turning point, but I think it was another huge play by our special teams. You know when you play this team that they're going to tax you in a lot of different ways. They ran the reverse pass to [Tom Brady]. They did that, but I thought it was a great play by [Seyi Ajirotutu], a good reaction by him, but I think [Coach Dave Fipp] did a really good job with the special teams preparing them for a lot of different things they do on special teams and they challenge it from a special teams standpoint.

Q: What did Malcolm Jenkins show you today?

CK: I thought that it was a big, big job by [Malcolm Jenkins]. That interception was a real backbreaker. When you talk about turning good into great, you stop a team when they're in the red zone from scoring and I think anybody would have been happy with just the interception. 'Hey let's turn it over, they were driving, we've got to stop there.' But to be able to take it the distance and return it, I was really happy for him. He's worked a lot and I know sometimes he gets maligned, but we worked really hard on catching the football and he did a great job -looked it in the eyes to the tuck as we talk about all the time, but to work that into a score was a real big turning point in the game for us.

Q: What was so different about this game than the last two?

CK: The same thing I told them. I believe in them and that they're a really good football team. We played together as a group.

Q: Why did you play Jonathan Krause over Miles Austin?

CK: Krause is just a guy that has shown up in practice every single day and we felt like we wanted to give him an opportunity to play.

Q: Brandon Graham spoke to Jeff Lurie and said something about him being fired up. Did Lurie speak to the team before the game or something?

CK: He talks to everybody before every game, so he's usually in the locker room and walks around to the players individually. He didn't give a speech or anything, but Jeff, he's as good an owner as I've ever been around. He really truly cares about the players and the coaches, and he always makes sure before every game - and I don't know if anybody knows this - he talks to every player before every game and he talks to every coach before every game.

Q: What was the plan in the fourth quarter during the last drive when the Patriots had the ball and no timeouts?

CK: For them to drop it a couple times - a voodoo thing going. No, I just think you knew the distance they had to travel and there is a lot of short math you have to do. If the ball's completed in bounds, it takes about 16 seconds to get a clock off, so now you're just doing the math in your head. There's 52 seconds and if it's completed inbounds then you get the ball down in the high 30s, and if they complete another one inbounds - you're really trying to protect the sideline - that's the key. If they can just nickel and dime you and get the ball moving, they've got a shot, but you kind of knew where it was. If they complete the last one, even though it was fourth-and-10, they probably only would have had eight seconds on the clock if it was completed inbounds and then they have to throw for the end zone, so you're going to get in a clock situation, so we were just kind of playing the situation out. 

Q: Sam doesn't have a turnover since the Carolina game and it probably wasn't his fault. What has he shown you in terms of protecting the ball?

CK: Just growth. He's grown every game - that's why it was so unfortunate - I thought he was playing really well. I think his passer rating was 118 when he went down in the Miami game and you lose him for two games, but I think he is very smart with the football. That's why the two plays before we called naked on first down, but it's not like I'm worried about him just throwing the ball away and stopping the clock. I thought that's as good of a play, just kind of scrambling and getting himself up there to make it second-and-nine so the clock continues to run. We have great faith and great trust in him. He continues to grow because we are around each other. He's got eight or nine games underneath his belt, but I think you've seen improvement out of him. In this league turnovers are paramount and I think that's a big part of it when you've got a quarterback that's not going to go out there and turn the ball over.

Q: Is the playoff picture something you think about or discuss with the players at all?

CK: No. We're just talking about playing the next game and I've said it since - we'll pick our head up after the Giants game and see if we've played well enough to get in or not, but I think that's just wasted energy to talk about the playoff picture and what happens here and who wins here because there are so many different things going on. Everybody is bottled up. It seems like in the entire league there are a couple of teams that have played really well - nine or 10 wins - then there are a bunch of us that are kind of in the middle there. I just think it's wasted energy to talk about that when what we should be talking about is who our opponent is and let's prepare to play them.

Q: Do you think a win like this sends a message not only to your team, but kind of to the league?

CK: We get this question all the time. We were supposed to send a message after the Dallas game when we won down there on Sunday night. Every week in this league is a battle and you better prepare. You're going to get everybody's best and hopefully you can give your best and when you look at all that stuff - sending messages and all that - I think they make good stories but that's not what we're talking about. 

Q: Eric Rowe looked like he held up against Brady. How huge was that?

CK: I thought Eric Rowe, for his first time, started the game because obviously losing [Nolan Carroll] who was key for us on defense and I thought Eric in his first time of extended play did a really nice job. They went after him, which we knew they were going to go after him, but I thought he battled and competed. They put the long bomb on him, there were a lot of things they tried, they ran a couple comebacks on him, running a few people off, but for the most part, I think Eric did a really nice job. It is good to see him start to develop that confidence because we as a staff have a ton of confidence in Eric to play.

Q: We spoke about Austin and Murray, but was there a conscious decision by you to shake things up just a little bit?

CK: No. We just talked about who's competing, who's playing and who gets an opportunity and every week is an evaluation. Every week you get an opportunity to show us what you can do. We brought Jonathan Krause in here for a reason and we felt like he was a really good player. We brought him up for a reason, too. It wasn't just to reward a guy, but when you watch him in practice and we see him as a staff, he can continue to do some really good things and I think he had one good catch, but it's really good when you have good competition. 

Q: Knowing how seldom this team loses here and what they've accomplished over the years, is there a greater sense of satisfaction maybe than other wins?

CK: No. Obviously, we're very aware of it. You've got a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach and a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback and maybe the best quarterback to ever play in this game, so you're aware of that. His record here is off the charts. It's like 100 to three losses or something. I'm not even exaggerating. I think it's something like that. It's unbelievable. It's in the 90 percent, so we're aware of that. I guess we always have the mindset - we won. If you spend too much time patting yourself on the back — we're going to play a really good Buffalo team here - I think they won today - so there's always the next challenge and the next step. I am really proud of how our players played and I think that's the most important thing I took away from today.

Q: When you play like this are you almost surprised the way the football team played against the Buccaneers when you see them go out and do what they did here against Brady and Belichick?

CK: I'm not surprised at anything. I say that all the time. You better, every single day, come to work in this league. If not, things can happen and usually they're bad things, so I think our players did what I told them and I told them when I saw that last Tuesday. I know we have a really good football team. When we put everything together as a group and everybody plays hard and gives everything and plays with an edge, we can be a good football team.

Q: How many times has that specific punt block play worked for you this year or in your career?

CK: We blocked a couple punts last year. In San Francisco we had a punt block and I think in the Titans game at home we had a punt block - we've had a few - up at the Giants we had a punt block. They all have had their individual wrinkles in terms of who're you're playing and from a protection standpoint. I don't know if that particular scheme that we ran today is something that we ran in those other games. We've blocked a few the last couple of years. 

Sam Bradford, Quarterback

Q: Sam, you have to be insanely proud of this team, as resilient as they have been coming off three losses.

SB: Yeah, I don't think you can say enough about those guys in that locker room. Obviously, I think the last few weeks were tough on us all. I'm not sure anyone outside that locker room gave us a chance to come in here and win tonight. But we believed in ourselves, we knew we had a chance and we had a great week of preparation. And then to come in here and get the contributions from all three phases tonight. You know, I think this is the definition of a team win.

Q: Is it crazy that you guys are still alive, because if Dallas wins tomorrow night, you guys are tied for first.

SB: Yeah, you know, obviously this division has been crazy thus far. After 12 weeks, we are still in the hunt to make the playoffs. Regardless of what your record is, obviously, we would like for it to be much better, but if you are still in the hunt at this point in the season, then you've got a shot.

Q: Does this kind of remind you of your rookie year when you were with the Rams – 7-9 and won the division?

SB: Yeah, and then Seattle beat New Orleans, you know, in the first round after going 7-9. But it's a very similar situation to my rookie year.

Q: Your two touchdowns came on third downs. Did you feel the need to get seven instead of three in those situations?

SB: Yeah, obviously, we knew anytime we had an opportunity to get points, we needed to convert touchdowns. Especially going against that offense and that team, we knew at some point that it would catch up to us if we had to settle for field goals. So, getting those two scores was big.

Q: Some guys have talked about you lose those three straight, it can shake confidence. Some guys have talked about tonight at least that Chip reminded everyone last night that, 'We are a good football team, forget those three losses.' Did that feel like the case? Did Chip reassure you guys last night at all?

SB: Yeah, I hope it didn't take Chip to reassure anyone in that room. You know, I still had the belief, I know there were a lot of other guys that still believed in themselves and believed in this team. You know, I think tonight hopefully gives us even more of that belief to know that we can come on the road and beat a really good football team.

Q: The throw you made on third-and-11 to Riley Cooper, was he the first option?

SB: Yeah, you know, it's really one of those things we are just kind of working it inside out off a squeeze and we had Jordan [Matthews] in the middle. You know, I think they took him away and then Coop did a great job running that route, you know, pushing it to get us depth and then a big catch to get a first down.

Q: So he was the second option then and Jordan was the first?

SB: Yeah.

Q: What was your message to the team before the game? A lot of the guys have talked about a pregame speech. What made you decide to do that?

SB: I don't know. I think it was just one of those things that, you know, that I kind of felt like the time was right to say something and I just had that belief, had that confidence, know that we can go out there and if we do play well, we will win. You know, and go out there and we knew it was going to be a four-quarter game regardless of how it started. It was going to come down to the end. You know and just to continue to fight.

Q: What did Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner do for the pace and the way you ran your offense?

SB: Yeah, those guys ran hard today. I think we didn't have a lot of opportunities in the third quarter, but then we had the chance in the fourth quarter, I think we went on a like 13-play, 80-yard drive and the guys up front really started getting movement and then those guys were finding holes and running hard and picking up some extra yards.

Q: How's the shoulder?

SB: It's good. It feels good.

Q: Were you concerned at all about not being able to pick up where you left off because you felt confident about how you played before the injury?

SB: You know, I think any time you miss a couple games from an injury, you're not exactly sure how you're going to come back. But, you know, I felt that I was playing really well before I got hurt. I didn't know exactly what it was going to be like with the shoulder, but I felt like I made the plays when they had to be made.

Q: How different was the offense, running this offense, Demarco Murray seemed to be extremely limited, was all Sproles early. That kind of changed things up for you guys….

SB: Yeah, to be honest, sometimes we get out there and we get going so fast, I have a hard time really knowing who is in the game out there. But I think Sproles did a great job tonight. Like I said, he found some holes that might not have been there. I'm not sure if anyone else but him could have squeezed through some of those and I thought he ran hard and he picked up some extra yards for us tonight.

Q: What does it do for your guys when there are three non-offensive touchdowns?

SB: It's huge, not just for the offense, but for the defense. I think everyone feeds off that. When our special teams contributes like that, you can't ask them to score three touchdowns every night, but when they are able to go out there and do what they did tonight, I think it just gives us a lot of energy and momentum on our sideline.

Q: When you were down 14-0, that drive when you took them down, how big of a drive was that in building confidence for the team?

SB: It was huge. I think especially after the past couple weeks, I think to go down there and score and keep it close, and then obviously to get the punt return right before halftime or the punt block, that was huge.

Q: This was a homecoming game for Chip, being from up here. For you guys to come up here and pull off a win, is it a little more special for you guys to come up to his home base and take one up here?

SB: You know, I really didn't even think about that, but I think to come in here and to beat that football team is really what is special about it. That's a really good football team. You know, it's tough to come in here and beat them, so to come in here and do what we did tonight, I think that's what makes it special.

MALCOLM JENKINS, SAFETY

Q: They passed it to their running back - that kind of got down there, so it was first-and-goal at the one…

MJ: We have seen in multiple games where they get a big play that is close to the goal line and if he feels like the defense is slow to get back, he will hurry up to the offense and they run the same play most of the time. They try to get a quick run and catch you off guard, no matter what the personnel is and so we were prepared for that. We did a good job of getting everybody lined up and really I just shot up the gap and just was hoping to get a negative play and I thought that was huge. And then the interception, I probably owe Walter Thurmond a Christmas gift because I am on [Danny] Amendola and he did a good job of really just beating me inside. I knew I had some help in there, but it wasn't a true double team. But Walter saw kind of the position I was in and he took it and was able to tip the ball up and I am right there to pick it, so he really, in my mind, made that play in my mind. I just kind of took the glory for it. 

Q: Malcolm, after the way you guys played over the last couple games, and losing three straight, not a lot of people would give you guys a shot to come in here, especially the way Brady has played at home. What does it say about the guys in the locker room for you to come up here and win a game and keep the season alive?

MJ: I think it just shows that we are a resilient group. We believe in what we are doing, we believe in the guys that we have in the building, and it was just a matter of playing the way we are capable of playing. And we know, for our team to win, everybody has to contribute. It's not just going to be the defense, or the offense, or special teams. We've all got to play together to get a win and we came here and beat a really, really good team, beat the best quarterback in the league. And that's a tall task; they don't lose at home. But this was a game that we needed to win, we needed this momentum, we needed this spark to kind of carry us on through the season and games don't get any easier for us going forward. 

Q: There was a lot of talk about the confidence being pretty low after the last couple weeks. How does this win get back the confidence in this team?

MJ: I mean, I think anybody who said our confidence is low is probably outside of our building. I think the entire time, even though we weren't getting the results we wanted, guys were confident in themselves and we were confident in the scheme and I think it was obvious that we needed to change some things. But we were confident in what we could do because we have seen it in the past. And I think really that was Chip's message from the beginning of the week, is just reminding us of who we have been. Defensively we have been great, until as of late. Offensively we have been able to move the ball. Everything that people have said we can't do, we have done before, and really we just needed to get back to whatever that is. I think guys started to believe in themselves, the morale of the week was higher than normal. We didn't need a huge rah-rah speech, our guys just went to work on the game plan and came in and executed. 

Q: Malcolm, you spoke out this week and got some feedback. What kind of feedback did you get from your teammates about what you said about the meetings and do you think it helped in any way coming into this game?

MJ: I don't know if what I said helped, but what I can say is, the vibe around the building felt a lot different. I don't know if it had anything to do with what I said, but it was just different. Guys did a great job of really detailing their part of the game plan, really taking ownership in what was going on. There was a lot of feedback going back and forth, and everybody had input. We were preparing and we felt really good about our plan and we felt like we could come here and get a win. And it's been different from previous weeks. Not that we haven't been confident, but it's just a different feel. So whatever that is, we are going to try to feed off that and keep going. 

Q: Do you feel like guys felt prepared because you had spoken up?

MJ: Possibly. I mean, you know, there is a little bit of personality that comes out. When somebody, especially one of your leaders, speaks out … Not that I was calling anybody out or anything negative. There are no problems in our building, but I think it does kind of shock the system. It starts conversations. It starts to open guys' eyes as far as taking ownership and really taking a look at what is going on, what we have been doing, and how we can get better. But like I said, whatever that spark is, hopefully our leaders will continue to lead and continue to set the example, and we will continue to build on top of this. 

Q: After speaking up, do you feel the need to back it up yourself, too?

MJ: You know, the main thing really where my comments came from was just myself. You know, I feel like I play better when I am coached harder, and when you start to play at a high level and you are one of the leaders, a lot of the time you don't get coached as hard as some of the rookies or some of the guys that aren't your main guys because they expect you to know it, they expect you to kind of correct yourself. But, you know, I am human, too, and can let some things slip, so I think my coach definitely challenged me all week. You know that I was going to have a huge match up and have to play a big part in this game for us to have success. And so I had that challenge earlier this week. I think just as a team, we all played great. 

Q: Chip praised you because he said you took the risk to turn an interception into a touchdown. Talk about your mindset in making that play.

MJ: I mean, anytime I get the ball in my hands, I am trying to score. It's that simple. I mean, there is no other option. There is really no risk in it at all. I got the ball, thankful to Walter Thurmond because he tipped it up. I think I made one of the linemen miss and there was some pursuit coming from my left so I just cut back and it was just a footrace. 

Kenjon Barner, Running Back

(On what it felt like to be an integral part of the game plan today) 

"It feels great. I'm thankful to God for the opportunity and that my coaching staff and teammates have the confidence in me. It's an amazing feeling to go out there and help this team to win."

(On whether he was surprised that he had more carries than Demarco Murray)
"I work my tail off every day in practice and in the offseason. You work to put yourself in position so that when your name is called you can perform."

(On the fumble at the end of the game)
"I have to understand and know exactly what the defenses are trying to do. They are trying to get the ball out and I have to have both hands on the ball when I go through the line because I can't have that type of play."

Zach Ertz, Tight End

(On getting his first touchdown of the year)
"I've had a couple taken away, so it felt really good to finally get in there. I got a little banged up on the play, but I was happy that Sam [Bradford] and I were finally able to get in the end zone together. Ultimately, it was a huge play for us."

(On what it shows about how good the team can be)
"I think we knew the type of team we were, but this is definitely a confidence builder. We now know we can come into a hostile environment against a guy who has lost [very few] games in his career in this place and win a game against a very good team. Hopefully that will go a long way for us."

(On the muffed catch on the on-side kickoff)
"I just have to make the play. I don't know exactly what happened I think I reached out and tried to get down too fast and took my eye off the ball a little bit. Ultimately, the coaching staff has put a lot of faith in me to make that play and I put a lot of pressure on myself to make that play, and I know next time it comes up I'm going to make the play."

Brandon Graham, Linebacker

(On the win)
"You can't know the feeling unless you go through it and it felt good because we played against a great team. I don't care who didn't play today they are still a great team and a great coached team. We knew we were going to have to play 60 minutes."

(On playing through adversity)
"We were talking to each other and we were making sure that nobody got discouraged and nobody was getting down on themselves. I think we were talking more about coaching each other during each drive. Every time something happened, we would talk about it. I love the communication we had today. As far as rallying together and the adversity of them scoring twice in the beginning, in the end we just had to make one play, one play this drive and we can get off the field like a turnover or stop them on fourth down like we did."

Lane Johnson, Tackle

(On the third down conversion at the end to Riley Cooper)
"I thought I was early, but I got a good jump. I was surprised they didn't call it, but that's the name of the game, me and Jason Peters get called for false starts, but usually if they get you off the line, that's going to be a sack. It was good though I'm glad they didn't call it."

(On the win)
"This is a great win for us, it's created a lot of energy for us. We had our backs pressed against a wall. People counted us out, we still have a long way to go, but this win creates a lot of energy for us."

(On what was different today)
"I think a lot of guys took things seriously, especially going against the Patriots one of the best teams, if not the best team in the NFL. Obviously they were missing some guys, but we knew we were going to have to be clicking in all phases of the game, especially since they won the game for us tonight. Our defense took over the pass rush, and when we needed to run the ball we could. I was a big improvement for us from last week."

Chris Maragos, Safety

(On the execution of his block during today's game)
"Honestly, it's just been great execution all week. Coach (Chip Kelly) had a great plan and put together a really good scheme, but my teammates made the block for me. (Bryan) Braman had a great look where he got off the ball really fast and grabbed the attention of the guard. Ed (Reynolds) stayed really wide for me, which allowed me to get through the hole so that I could slip in there and make the play. "

(On how he blocked the punt)
"I got through the hole pretty clean and I dipped my shoulder. Once I figured I could get through the guard I knew that I would just have to make sure I finished the play. A lot of mental visualizations of myself taking the ball off of his foot all week went into this play. It's something I mentally prepare for all week and not just for this game. When it comes to me, I'm putting my hands and my eyes in the right spot and just trusting it, which helped me come through with the block."

(On today's twin as a team) 
"It's what we are capable of doing. When we execute we really feel like that as a team we're really hard to beat. We have guys contributing in all phases. In offense, defense, special teams, and every other player who is really doing their thing within their roles has made us a really tough group and we know what we can do."

Jordan Matthews, Wide Receiver

(On today's game) 
"Coach (Chip Kelly) said that we needed to take the fight to them and come out and set a tone. When we came out we were moving the ball, we had a couple penalties, and they got up on us. In the locker room there was still that feeling that we could go out there and get them, but that we needed to stay together. Then we had some big plays. We never took our feet off the gas and we kept going at them. When you're third-and-one in the red zone people will tell you not to run and to be conservative, but Coach Kelly trusted me and we went for that touchdown. That was huge, because in (Tom) Brady's last drive we weren't just up by three where he would need a field goal, but he needed to come back with a touchdown. That's why it was so important that we kept our feet on the gas. This was a big win for us to help us go where we want to be in the rest of the season, but now we need to put it behind us and learn from it and get ready for the Bills."
(On the team going forward)
"I think that in Dallas we had a good team game and then the next couple of games we fluttered by. It really felt like that when (Sam) Bradford went out in the Miami game his numbers were really starting to pick up and they got going. He got a hold of what everybody was good at and where to find everybody. I think for him to then come back in this game and pick right back up where he left off will be huge for us and I think we're going to carry that momentum for the rest of the year. We have the guys and we have the pieces, and we just need to continue to keep working together."

(On today's energy as a team)
"The intensity of tonight's game was that we felt like we had to with this one. If we wanted to turn this season around it had to be with a team like this. These are the type of wins that get your team going and get that feeling in the locker room that we can go out and beat anyone. They were missing a lot of guys like (Rob) Gronkowskii and (Julian) Edelman and they had some injuries, but we had some injuries too. The biggest thing about this win was that they got up on us. It wasn't as if we came out and put up 20 on them quickly, but they got up on us and we were resilient and showed that we could fight through adversity and go out and get a win. It's just something we need to go on to do in the next games."

DeMarco Murray, Running back

(On his role with the team)
"You always want an opportunity to play and obviously run the ball, but like I said we got the big victory so that's all that matters."

(On not being out there in the end running out the clock)
"Things we were doing were working so it went well for us."

(On the win)
"It was a great team victory, obviously coming off three or four losses in a row. You definitely need this win especially against a great team. I thought everybody played well; there was a lot of enthusiasm on the sidelines, so it was a good win for us. It was definitely much needed so were not worried about every other team. We have to concentrate on ourselves and go from there."

Jason Peters, Tackle

(On the running game)
"I like it, all three backs got carries and we were rolling. We just knew that if we could run the ball, and keep Tom Brady off the field, and keep our defense off the field that we had a chance."

(On the team)
"We are definitely better than our record. It is what it is and we just have to keep chugging and move forward and learn from our mistakes."

BYRON MAXWELL, CORNERBACK

(On coming to Foxborough and getting a win against the Patriots)
"It's definitely something you can build on. That's what we have to do, build on this one. This is not the end of the road, on to the next one."

(On how much the pass rush helped out the defensive backs)
"That's always the case, when they get to the quarterback, it makes our job a lot easier. He [Tom Brady] started getting happy feet back there. Tom Brady is the best of all time, but even when he gets hit a couple of times, he's going to try and get the ball out earlier."

(On the impact of not having to game plan for Rob Gronkowski)
"It's going to have an impact with him out, but it didn't impact our game plan, we had things in there we would have done even if had played."

Darren Sproles, Running Back

(On his punt return for touchdown) 

"It was just my blockers up front know how I want to return and we spend time on that in practice. I just like running, up the sidelines or up the middle, it really doesn't matter to me."

(On the special teams coach and punt return for touchdown)
 "When they kicked that first one to us our special teams coach came to me and said 'they are going to give us one today.' And they gave us one. They gave us a line drive and they gave us space. It gave me time to see where my blockers were."

(On the win)
"This is a big win for us. To get this win here and against a great team like this is big for us."

Walter Thurmond, Defensive Back

(On preparing for Rob Gronkowski)

"We were prepared as if he was going to be there because you just never know in this game. It doesn't change who is injured and who is not, they still run their game plan. They just put another guy in there and run the same concepts. We had some coverage that we put in that were specifically for him but in the end they were just good coverage all the way around and we still ran those because they were good and we were able to capitalize on some situations and make some plays."

(On the defensive play)
We able to just play sound and discipline technique and some of the contest get kind of repetitive during the game. We did a great job of studying and preparing this week to play some of those routes. Our defensive line had a bunch of hits on Brady and a bunch of sacks and that was tribute to the preparation from the back end to be able to play tight coverage and make him [Tom Brady] hold the ball."