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**Q: Good game, Tom.

TB:** Thanks. All right. Who is ready?

**Q: Opening drive, touchdown, whoa, it's been a while.

TB:** Oh, man, it sure has. We talked about that last night too. Normally, we don't talk about, you know, getting off to that fast a start. And we said, 'Guys, we haven't scored all year on opening drive, let's go do it and put together some plays, some big third downs.' I think the guys did a great job running some of those routes in the field position. Dan [Graham] made a great grab and then the score, so it was good.

**Q: The Patriots are now 6-0 in snowy conditions. It doesn't affect you whatsoever when it comes to throwing a football?

TB:** I want to throw it more. I kept saying, 'Let's keep throwing it, let's keep throwing it.' But I think we have such an advantage when it is snowing because we know where we are going and, you know, we played in this stuff and practice in it and we are good in it. And that is part of the home field advantage. So it was good that the field out there is mud and snow now and it is getting sloppier by the week. But we come out and play like we did and play well like that, as a team, and get another win. 12-2 is, you know, that is pretty-pretty awesome.

**Q: Can you talk about the play of your offensive line? They gave you a lot of time out there.

TB:** Yes, they really did. Those guys have been doing it all year. I mean we have been shuffling guys in and out for, you know, the first four games with the injuries and it has been solid. We have had the same lineup now for eight, nine weeks, and they are doing a great job. I mean they are all tough and they are tough as nails out there. They, [Matt] Light, you know, has really become an awesome player. Joe Andruzzi is tougher than, you know, one of the toughest guys out there. [Dan] Koppen stepped in, you would never know he is a rookie. Tom Ashworth, his first year really playing, is doing a great job. And obviously, [Damien] Woody kind of hit those group of guys up. And they are doing well. They are doing great.

**Q: Tom, what about Troy [Brown]?

TB:** Having Troy out there, he is my go?to guy; I mean he has been for the last two years. I love having him out there, to find him and throw it to him, just like we did on the touchdown pass. He is just so dependable. He runs great routes, great hands, [he has] great awareness. He is just an awesome player. So to have him back to add some stability, some consistency to the group of receivers, I mean he is really…I'm real happy to see him out there.

**Q: Tom, just in general being able to get the ball in the end zone after the last week, are you satisfied now where you think that the next two weeks it can be real possible for you guys to fine tune?

TB:** Man, certainly, we would love for ?? I think we are happy that the red zone, our performance in the red zone has turned around. And we really didn't do a very good job earlier in the year, but we are starting to make some more plays down there and we are starting to get the ball in. You know, we had some opportunities there today. We had third and inches and on the three-yard line, I mean we have got to get that. We had a few other plays where we would really like to have them back. But overall, we are doing a better job. And it is tough on the defense when you get in that red zone, you're real good at it and you can end some of those games a lot earlier than kicking all those field goals. Not that we don't like Adam [Vinatieri] kicking field goals.

**Q: Can you talk a little bit about the fans, these people that come in terrible weather and sit there until the day is over?

TB:** Yes. This is the way it has been since I remember. I mean since I can remember, since I got here, the fans come out and they come out early and, you know, there is a big tailgate. Even when we drive in, we see the fans. They are cheering on the way in. But having them out, it is really an advantage. We played nine games this year at home including the preseason and we won all nine. That is really a credit to the home field advantage. Our crowd makes it tough on the opponents for the communications purposes. And it is really ?? watching them last week throw snow up in the air, I mean that was ?? we were all talking about that during the week. So we appreciate that. And hopefully, you know, they continue to come out and cheer us on as loud as they can.

**Q: They don't seem to mind all the bad stuff, the cold and snow and inconvenience.

TB:** Yes. You know they really haven't. For a few years, I remember that snow bowl, the picture of that snow bowl; I mean it was quite a thing to see. So I think they kind of enjoy the bad weather. They're New Englanders, man, they come out and enjoy this stuff. We live in it.

**Q: Tom, you mentioned chances you would like to have back. Fred Taylor dropped a touchdown pass for them; but Larry Centers, you threw a perfect pass to him and he dropped it. What do you say to him after a play like that?

TB:** Yes. Larry has caught about 8,000 balls. As a fullback, he has caught more balls than any other fullback in history. It doesn't happen often so, he knows, he wishes he had it back. But he is awesome. Having him back was huge. He is really tough to cover. He is incredibly quick coming out of his breaks. Any time he gets matched up on a linebacker, he goes to get open. Plus, he brings a lot of toughness to the offense too, throws his body around just carelessly.

**Q: Tom, I don't like to focus on the moment in hand, but the bottom line is 14 games, you have won 10 in a row. You are 12-2. There aren't many NFL teams that get to this level. What is this team doing? Why are you at this level where you can accomplish so much down the road?

TB:** I think over 14 games, we have ?? Well, it is not like we have really blown a lot of these teams out. We are finding ways to win, whether it be the defense with the goal line stance of shutting teams out or our offense scoring points when we need to score points. Winning, and taking some two minute drives right at the end of the game, I think we are just finding ways to do it. And special teams has done a good job and they're consistent. So not that we wouldn't like to be better, but consistently there is not many weak spots. We are pretty solid everywhere and some days it is not as good as we would like it to be and those are the things we try to improve on. But overall, I would say we have just been consistent as a team. And when one of the phases of the game is off, the other side seems to pick it up. When the offense is playing well, the defense, you know, we give the defense a little bit of time off and they do the same for us. We have got a lot of good players. And you know, I think that shows on the record. And great coaches, our coaches are the best in the league so we, as players, are confident that we are in the right position every time out.

**Q: And now you finish you up against two divisional opponents and that doesn't make anything easy.

TB:** The Jets on the road, that is as tough a game as you can play. They are going to be ready for us. They are going to be ready for us. They are tough every time we play them. It is a dogfight every time. They are archrivals. We have got to go out and play well.

**Q: Tom, last week you knew coming into the game it was going to be lousy weather. Today the forecast was it was going to get lousy as some point during the game. Does it change? What you are going to try to do, say, early on before the snow comes as opposed to after it is here?

TB:** Yes, a little bit, a little bit. We talked about that trying to get that ball and throw it early when the conditions are good. And it kind of worked out good because we had to leave it when it really starting getting bad. And it makes it tough to throw the ball in some of those tougher, windier, snowy conditions. We changed it a little bit early on but we were prepared for that.

**Q: So it is music to your ears, throwing the ball?

TB:** At that point it sure is, yes. I think the snow helps us because there is no pass rush and I could just, I had time to stand back there and read it all and try to make a good throw.

**Q: Tom, could you talk about briefly having Troy back.

TB:**Yes. Troy, having Troy back, he is just like Mr. Reliable. When everything has gone bad, you know he is going to get open. You know he is going to run the right route at the right time, make the catch as you throw it to him. It doesn't matter who is on him. There is a few plays in there where it is really not the best coverage to throw in to but, because I am throwing to Troy, he gets the ball. He catches a huge touchdown, catches a huge big third down conversion. I am sure everyone is glad to see him back; me, A number one on the top of that list.

**Q: Tom, with all the positives that come with a 12-2 record, is there anything out there in one area that concerns you? Playoffs are starting tomorrow. Is there anything that you look at and say that has got to change?

TB:** Would you, I think sometimes we are just ?? I don't think it would be necessarily like talking the red zone, we haven't been as consistent but we have been ready lately. Third downs, some days we are pretty good, other days we are not really good. Penalties, some days we are good, other days we haven't been as good. It seems to be something different with us each week. We talk about attention to detail and just making the plays that are there, not doing anything special, just making the plays. If I drop back and the guy is open, just make the throw. It is not too tough. And we are finding a lot of mistakes that we are making are due to that and not really the defense forcing us into some of those mistakes. So, we would like to just take care of ourselves, take care of make the right throws, making the right reads, blocking our guys, running the right route, making the catch if it is there and those type of things. So that is where we can improve on.

**Q: Tom, can you talk about what it is like for you guys on the sideline when you see your defense shutting down the other team in the red zone over and over?

TB:** Yes. They are tough, man. They are tough. It is something that they put a lot of emphasis on this year. And we sit there and me ?? and Coach Belichick stands up here, defense sits on this side and offense sits on this side. And a lot of it is play well in the red zone. And I think they are pretty good with all their conference and they are playing well. And like I had said, that defense is tough anywhere in the field. And you get them in that tight spot, they are real tough because they are good speed and awareness out there by all the players. So they are tough, probably one of the best in the league.

**Q: Tom, a lot of you play on both sides of the ball, surprisingly, given the conditions and the crappy weather.

TB:** Yes, a little bit. I don't know if it is so surprising. Sometimes in the bad weather you can estimate those big plays just because like the footing is not good and guys don't get great jumps on it and it is not as far. Tyrone Poole's interceptions were huge. I think the first touchdown pass to Dan [Graham] was a big play. Their last touchdown pass was a big play. There were quite a few big plays. It is tough on the defense when the conditions are bad unless it is really windy, but today seemed to be pretty nice out there.

**Q: Again, I know you talked about this before, just talk about having Troy back again, how important that was.

TB:** Yes. Do you want to read those off for me? I don't know what else to say. Troy, for three years Troy has been, like I said before, my go?to guy. And he gets the ball, when everyone else is covered, I know when I am throwing to Troy, and sometimes a lot of the coverage doesn't really dictate it going to Troy but I am trying to squeeze it into him anyway just because he has a great awareness as a route runner, knows how to get open