HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
Opening Statement:
"Happy Thanksgiving everyone. It was a good atmosphere there in the locker room. I really appreciate what these guys have done so far this year. To be where we're at has taken a lot of hard work. It hasn't always been perfect. It hasn't even been good, but it is what it is. We've got a good opportunity here ahead of us, so we're going to relax here - kick back for a couple days, try to take this opportunity to rest and spend a little time with our families and be ready to roll here next week with the Jets. As far as today goes, it was a real good effort in the second half. We outscored them 35-7 in the second half. A lot of things have to go right. Certainly our offense did a real good of making big plays, getting the ball in the endzone, taking advantage of a couple turnover opportunities that we had. That was a big play by Devin (McCourty) there that kind of really swung the game a little bit, with giving us the field position and putting us back where we could be on the even-par with Detroit instead of chasing them all the time like we were in the first half. In the end, it was just a lot of guys stepping up and making plays. They're a good offensive team and they played well today. I think Jim has done a good job with this team. They're much improved from where they were the last time we saw them. They're very competitive, very good offensively. There's a lot things we need to work on obviously, but we'll just enjoy it here for a couple days and then start grinding it out for the Jets."
On how important it was to slow down Detroit's pass rush:
"Of course anytime you can be balanced and hit some runs in there and force them to defend the running game and the passing game, that opened up a few play action opportunities for us too. We had a couple good shots on play action. Of course you know, Deion (Branc) had - as Deion usually does - had two really outstanding individual routes there. He came open and made big plays, scored touchdowns for us. That was big. (We) definitely tried to slow the pass rush down with the running game and a little bit better protection. The Lion's are fast up-front. They've got a couple really good inside guys. They've got a couple good outside guys that can rush around the corner and hit us on a couple blitzes there early. They have a very disruptive front."
On if there is a snowball effect from turnovers:
"I hope so. I don't know. Believe me, we were trying o get them in the first-half too. I know it didn't look that way, but we really were. We were trying to get the ball out. We had opportunities - we had a couple balls, kind of like last week, where the ball was tipped up in the air and we couldn't quite get it, but we had our hands on some balls and fortunately we caught a couple of them. They did a good job offensively. A couple times we felt we had Calvin (Johnson) covered and he made a great play, Shaun made a good throw, Calvin made a great catch. Those are two really good players. You can't give them a lot of room or a lot of space. They'll make you pay for it. They did."
QB TOM BRADY
Opening Statement:
"We showed some resiliency. I think coming out in the second half and playing the way we did - the crowd was really into it. I think Devin's interception was a huge play in the game. We executed much better in the second half, so great for everybody."
On the touchdown pass to Deion Branch:
"He was supposed to run an in-cut and the guy was sitting on it. He threw his hand up and I laid it out there for him. He made a great run after catch. Certainly it's not how we drew it up, but it's just a great play by a great player."
On how they flipped the switch at halftime:
"I think once the speed of the game calmed down a little bit and we could get it under control, we did a great job. That's a hell of a pass rushing team.(with) Vanden Bosch, Avril, Suh on the inside and Corey Williams."
CB DEVIN MCCOURTY
On what he saw on first interception:
"Just trying to play physical with him at the line and he inside released and I could just tell he was going deep, so I got my eyes back and once I spotted the ball, you know with Calvin Johnson you know if you don't go up and get it he's definitely going to get it. I just tried to beat him to the ball and if it's a jump ball contest, he's going to win 95-percent of the time."
On if it was special to play on Thanksgiving Day:
"Definitely. I don't know any of the guys who didn't grow up watching football on Thanksgiving. It was just a big thing, I know I grew up with my whole family watching Thanksgiving games. It's great to come out here and play."
On comparison to his second pick and if thought he could take it to the house:
"Yeah, it was a little bit of an overthrow and I started right and once I went back left I thought I was going to score but there wasn't enough field."
WR DEION BRANCH
On his long touchdown catch:
"It was just a play, something we've been going through, something we had going into the week during the game. Tom (Brady) made a great throw; front line did a great job holding up, because if you notice that wasn't the first read. (He) came back to me and I was doing everything I could to get open for it and I did it. He hit me and the rest is history."
On how often he has to make a run like that after catch:
"The biggest thing I was really just looking at the endzone, I wasn't focusing on where he was. I was just hoping that no one was coming from behind. I think Louis Delmas was coming, so I cut back to the left and final time I was like I'm done doing all the cutting."
On playing like former Lions RB Barry Sanders making that cut:
"It's crazy that it happened here. I remember he was doing it - I was just talking about it the other day in the locker room. No, I wasn't anywhere close to his moves."
On winning stretch of three games in 12 days, what have they proved by winning all three:
"I think we just did a great a job of finding ourselves. Like you said, in 12 days this stretch of games that we played, we know what we can get done if we go in and set up with preparation. I think these last three games we've been preparing very well. We have a big weekend ahead of us. We have a little off time, but I think mentally the guys need to focus on what we're trying to get accomplish."
