HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, December 22, 2024

JM: Good evening. Never feel good after a loss. Our expectations still remain high, and we'll get better. We'll learn from this, and we'll move forward. Fire away.

On the turnovers in the second half…

JM: Yeah, we always talk about winning the turnover battle, and unfortunately, we weren't able to do that today. I mean, that's a good football team, on the road, hostile environment. Can't do it.

On any consideration to switching things up at running back…

JM: Look, we always talk about how the football is the most important thing, and we can't turn the ball over, especially against a good team like this.

On the fourth down decisions…

JM: I'm not going to get too much into the thought process on that. I tried to do what's best for the team.

On punting from midfield in the fourth quarter…

JM: To me, it's a field-position thing.

On the laterals…

JM: I've got to watch the film to see exactly what happened there. I tried to see it on the jumbotron, but unfortunately, I couldn't really see it.

On what he meant by, 'It's a field-position thing'…

JM: For me, it's all about – our timeouts, especially at that point in time, were definitely important. When you have three timeouts at the end of the game, you have a chance to get the ball back, and we didn't do it.

On why he chose to do the onside kick…

JM: It was a good onside kick. We didn't come up with it, and that was the decision I made.

On Drake Maye running a little bit more by design…

JM: For us, we thought that was best for the football team. He can make plays with his legs, and he did that today.

On why using more designed runs for Drake was best for the football team…

JM: We're always looking for ways to win.

On Drake's interception…

JM: I've got to go back and watch the film, just to be on the same page. But again, I'm sure he's disappointed in throwing an interception. All of us are, and we'll learn from it.

On if he thought there was interference on the interception play…

JM: Again, I've got to watch the film as far as that's concerned.

On the Bills' procedure penalty on the kickoff…

JM: Yeah, that's always a consideration. To me, the offense is doing a good job, and we wanted to get those guys back on the field.

On what attributed to the offense's fast start…

JM: Honestly, I'm not sure. I have to watch the film. The guys were ready; in the locker room, I felt like the guys were ready to go. They went out there and started fast. Now, we've got to do the same thing in the second half and put them together.

On the pillars of the defensive game plan…

JM: For our game plan, obviously, it starts with the quarterback. In saying that, we felt pretty good about the game plan. I'm not really sure as far as points, but we talk about complimentary football, and the offense being able to put together those long drives also helped us out. So, it all ties in together.

On the lessons learned for Drake…

JM: Yeah, that's what makes Drake a very good player, a special player. His mentality of learning from his mistakes, and he's not a repeat error guy, as I've said before. We look forward to getting back out on the practice field and getting better.

On what he's learned…

JM: I've learned a lot. I've learned a lot, not only about this team, but also about myself. We'll continue to push forward, and we'll get better. As I said earlier, look, the standard, the expectations still remain high. No matter what, where we play, who we play, it doesn't matter. The expectation is that we're going to go out there and win football games.

On Kayshon Boutte's bounce back and apology to Alex Van Pelt…

JM: Yeah, just apologize like a man and move forward. Move on.

On what he thinks about the expectations going into this game vs. how the team performed…

JM: Yeah, we never get into the expectations of people outside of our building. For me, I think these guys, they have the mindset to go out there and be physical, have great mental toughness and try to win football games.

On if his team is the tough team he was hoping they would be…

JM: Look, we've got a bunch of tough guys in there, and I don't question that. Again, though, look, we want to win football games, and that's why we're here.

On what his team brought to the table today…

JM: Yeah, I'm very, very proud of these men. They came out here, they played hard and unfortunately didn't walk away with a win.

On the throw behind the line that Buffalo recovered for a touchdown…

JM: Look, that's another one I have to go back to the film and watch it. I'll answer it for you tomorrow.

On what he learned about his team today…

JM: Not much. These guys have been coming to work every single day, regardless of what the record is, as true professionals, and I appreciate that. Look, hopefully, at least it's some wins here in the last couple weeks.

On the run defense…

JM: Look, again, the big run hurt us, and we've just got to do a better job tackling.

On the red zone offense…

JM: It was a little bit frustrating, but as you've watched around the league, there have been times where guys run it there, don't run it. But we had to get the ball in the end zone through the air, and that was the decision.

QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, December 22, 2024

On how frustrating the second-half turnovers were after such a great first half…

DM: Yeah, it's really frustrating. Just hurting ourselves; the same thing is repeating. Those guys are playing – we're playing hard. That's the biggest thing. I see those guys are fighting; we're fighting. What an atmosphere out there. We feel like the weather didn't really affect us. I felt like we were running the ball well, throwing it well, and got off to a hot start. Just came out in the second half and just put our defense in a tough spot after they tied it up. Then went down there in the red zone, and just got to be better in the red zone. It's on me. I've got to be better, and I've got to be better with getting to stuff and be ready for blitz zero and making plays. At some point down there, it's a reflection of the quarterback. I think it's starting to come that way down in the red zone, and I've got to do better, do more, make better throws and give our guys chances because they're playing their butts off.

On how 'reflection of the quarterback' means how the defense is challenging him and bringing edge rushers…

DM: For sure, yeah, I mean, just me seeing it. They're presenting a picture and then bringing zero. They're presenting a picture and then dropping out. I think it's just a challenge on me to, 'Hey, we're going to force you to make tight throws, we're going force you to be ready for blitz zero and we're going to force you to not be able to run the ball.' Maybe I make a play – not letting me scramble. I think I scrambled a little bit too early sometimes tonight. At the end of the day, we're in that game, and that's a playoff football team we just played with an MVP candidate. We're in that game, and I felt like we had a chance to come out with that one.

On the laterals and backward pass…

DM: Yeah, we've been running that play all season, just unfortunate that we didn't get the end. The end's a big dude, and it's a tough player to cut. So, that's really just a tough break, and I've got to get back and maybe try to make it forward. But tough play on Mondre [Rhamondre Stevenson] to catch it and get blown up. So, I maybe either got to throw it at somebody's feet or do something different.

On the interception…

DM: Yeah, I think, shoot, it was a collision. Definitely had the goal line. We had a concept, and it kind of felt like it was going to be the same type of throw against the Colts to Hoop [Austin Hooper]. I let it go early thinking he'd break it off and just wasn't on the same page. I've got to give him a chance. I think he was thinking back pylon, so I've got to give him a better chance to maybe hold the safety a little bit. So, just frustrating we were down there. I got a chance to go up and make it a 21-17 ball game, and just a frustrating kind of heartbreaker.

On the touchdown to Kayshon Boutte…

DM: Yeah, just taking a shot pressed up man. I'm just giving our guys a chance to win on a fade ball. I think I had some other chances tonight, throw back shoulders instead of throwing up over the shoulder, but a great play by Boutte. I felt like it was a great start to the game for getting up 7-0, and what a catch.

On his impressions of his first quarterback designed runs…

DM: Yeah, I think the one on the goal line, I should have cut it up. Shoot, I thought it was slick out there. I couldn't really feel my feet. But I think the other stuff, I think it's a chance for us to pick up first downs, get a big one at the end there around the edge. Other than that, I think there's times for it, but at the same time, I think me making plays, I think I'll scramble enough and make some plays.

On what went into the decisions to use the quarterback designed runs…

DM: I'm a big, 6'5 dude that can pick up a yard or beat somebody with some speed, and I think people underestimate me a little bit. So, I think it helps us offensively to move the chains. At this point, we need some help, whether it's some short yardage or some different areas down in the red zone for me to go make a play.

On if he takes any solace in playing well against a good team…

DM: Yeah, I think when you lose, it's tough to kind of think about the positives. It's so frustrating, and I'm going hold myself from some anger. It's just, at some point, it turns from disappointment to just kind of, you're getting frustrated, real frustrated. So, the big thing is, it's a tough environment here. It's basically a night game, basically a prime time game in Buffalo. Like I said, against an MVP candidate, a good defense and a team that's going to be in the playoffs. I was proud of those guys, and Coach [Jerod] Mayo said that at the end of tonight's breakdown. He said he was proud of us, but at the same time, it's not where we want to be. I think it's kind of a sneak peek, hopefully, into some meaningful games here, and hopefully, it's at our place in the future years. But some meaningful games at the end, with Buffalo in December, and hopefully – we're seeing them in two weeks, so.

On how good it was for the team to show that they players have the coaches' backs…

DM: Yeah, just trying to block out that noise. I think it's a bunch of conversations about our coaching staff and stuff like that. I think it's some BS, to be quite honest. Coach Mayo, those guys, like I said, we've got his back, and he's coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We're all frustrated. AVP's [Alex Van Pelt] been – I feel like – calling great the past weeks. We're just plays away, and it's basically me turning the ball over. I think it's just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we're not going to make the playoffs; we're out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don't score. They've got energy at practice, and they've got energy coming into the game. We want to win. There's guys not even playing that are yelling on the sidelines and wanting to win. So, I think we're building something good, building something that feels right here, and I'm proud to be a Patriot.

On the biggest difference in the third-down conversions from last week to this week…

DM: Yeah, for sure. I felt like last week, we just didn't really get into the flow of the game. I feel like we got into the flow of the game tonight, and I feel like I was seeing it well. Those guys do a good job of finding space and beating their man 1-on-1. They challenged us in 1-on-1s, and I think hopefully, people continue to do that because I like our guys in 1-on-1 matchups. I think it's a little bit different game if we're up 14-7. That first throw to Boutte, I threw it in the dirt, had a dig across the middle. It's 14-7; I think that's possibly a big play, and maybe get down there and score another time. That'd be huge. So, they challenged us, and I think we felt like we were in a good rhythm. Credit to those guys for studying the plan. We're getting in and out of a lot of different calls, different formations and different play calls. So, I'm proud of those guys, and I feel like we've got something to look forward to.

ADDITIONAL PLAYERS

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