PATRIOTS TE AARON HERNANDEZ

• (On what it is like to get to the Super Bowl)*
  "It's a dream come true. It still hasn't hit me yet, but obviously when I get down there, I'll start to realize that it really is the Super Bowl. I'm excited. I can't wait for us to get down there. It will be a great experience."

(On if he has any doubts about Rob Gronkowski playing)
"I'm not sure. I'm sure he'll take it day-by-day and I'm sure he'll be fine. That's for him and the trainers to know about."

(On if dropping to the fourth round in the draft is used as personal motivation to prove doubters wrong)
"Not really. I'd say the draft is a one-day thing. Once you get to the team, you're just like everybody else. You just have to prove yourself and since I was young, I [have] tried to prove myself every day and I'm still trying to prove myself."

(On being at practice without Rob Gronkowski)
"I'd say it's a little boring, but he'll be back out there soon."

(On how the Patriots revolutionized the tight end position)
"I don't know. I love it though. It's great having a tight end, especially like him; he can do it all. That makes it that much easier on me. If he's not here, then it's obviously going to be a lot tougher on me and he draws so much attention for how big he is, how physical, his speed. So, it makes it a lot easier on me to make me into a better player."
*PATRIOTS WR WES WELKER *

(On the October meeting against the Giants and its impact on the current preparations)

"Quite a bit. It gives you something to look at and something to really study and watch and something you can take from earlier in the season when you play them once."

(On whether the Giants have altered much personnel-wise on defense)

"There are few guys that are a little bit different; for the most part though, it's the same guys. You kind of get to see how they may scheme things and how they may not or what they might change or may not. We'll just have to see how the game goes."

(On if there is anything outside of the game that he looks forward to during this week)

"Not really. The game is big enough for me and all I really look forward to and all I concentrate on. Everything else is just kind of noise and I think the fun part is getting there a week early and kind of getting away from everything and really concentrating on the game and the task at hand."

(On focusing during this week with a lot going on)

"I think so, you just have to focus and understand what the priority is and the priority is this game and the result of it. Everything has to go into that and put everything else-put it away until the game is over."

(On the Giants' front four)

"Obviously they have a really good front four and even when they blitz, they have five-six guys that can really get to the quarterback. It is, it's really tough and you have to make sure that when you get a chance to get open you use your quickness and speed and different things like that to try to get open."

PATRIOTS DB STERLING MOORE

(On what it's like to cope with receivers like Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz when they're all healthy)

"It's a challenge. It's a big challenge but that's what we want. Going into this game, we want them all to be healthy; we want them all to be at their best. That's just the type of game we want. It's going to be a struggle but that's what the films are for. We're going to have to do a great job on the film and go out there and play them tough."

(On the importance of the week of practice before the team leaves for Indianapolis)

"I think it's big. There are going to be a lot of distractions in Indy. We're going to try to limit those. Right now is really the time to grasp what the Giants are doing and what our schemes are. Now is the time to really get it down."

(On how crazy his life has been since the game)

"I don't think it's been too crazy. I haven't done anything different. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened, so pretty much the same."

(On what goes through his mind watching the replay of the play on Lee Evans)

"How close I was to losing the game."

(On how he got beat on that play)

"He had me with the stutter-and-go. It was a great route on his part, great throw. That's what we do in practice every day. We did it again today."

(On the feeling when he touched the ball and it started to come out)

"Honestly I didn't know I hit the ball, I thought he still had it. Then I saw it rolling away a little later and that was a sigh of relief."