Patriots quarterback Tom Brady addresses the media during his postgame press conference on Sunday, October 31, 2010.
Q: How does it feel to be 6-1?
TB: It feels great. We won. It was a tough battle out there. They've got a damn good team and we just kept fighting. We made some big plays there in the second half. It's good to win. It's good to beat good teams. I think you leave a game like this [against] a team that has as many talented players as they have...it was a battle. I hope [Brett] Favre is ok.
Q: Can you talk about your touchdown to Brandon Tate and how you got out of that trap?
TB: I was looking for Wes [Welker] and then I came back to Brandon. Brandon had just wheeled and went up the sideline and made a great play to uncover. I just caught a glimpse of him as I turned out of it and threw it up there. He was wide open and he made a great catch and a great run. He's so dangerous in the open field. He's tough to tackle. It was great to see the back of his jersey running. That was pretty sweet.
Q: Is 6-1 where you thought this team would be at this point in the year?
TB: I don't know. There're so many things that have happened over the course of this season: injuries and a guy like Randy leaving, bringing a guy like Deion [Branch] in and Woody [Danny Woodhead] in, who have been big contributors for us. It's the way it's always been around here: It's really one game at a time and to think past that won't work on this team. It doesn't work for any team. With as many young guys as we have on this team, we need to think about today and then tomorrow and not get too far ahead of ourselves. Coach always says, 'Six games gets you nothing in this league,' which is true. So we've won six games, [but] if we have six wins at the end of the year, then we haven't done anything. There's a lot of football left. We've got a big game coming up this week on the road.
Q: Can you talk about the two conversions you had on that last drive to Welker and then to Woodhead?
TB: Those were big. Getting the ball to Wes is important. He always comes up with the plays. On the one to Woody, they were blitzing and he came out of there and saw him kind of flash open. He made a great catch and broke a great tackle to get the yards we needed for the first down. An 80-yard drive there in a critical situation, that's something that we've been missing a little bit this year. It's good to come out of it knowing we can convert on those plays.
Q: Are you impressed with the team's mental toughness and the ability to improve?
TB: We're winning close games. We're winning tough games and I think that's what it takes. You've got to win on the road. You've got to beat good teams. You've got to win when you're down. You've got to come from behind in the fourth quarter. You've got to keep the lead when you have it in the fourth quarter. All those things we talk about. Coach Belichick stands up here and talks to us and that's what he really preaches. I think it's nice when we can go out on the field and execute it.
Q: Can you talk about all of the young guys you have on the team this year? Are you surprised how productive they are being? That's not always how it goes.
TB: I think they're kind of there learning as they're going. And it's up to the older guys to really do our job as well. There are a lot of young guys. We have plenty of veteran guys, too, though, that are great examples of what we need. Guys like Wes and Deion for the receiver group. A guy like Alge [Crumpler] for the tight end group. Guys like Sammy [Morris], Freddy [Taylor] and Kevin [Faulk] for the running back group. The O-line is a bunch of veterans. Within each group there are people that really lead the way and the young guys are doing a great job of taking the leadership and doing something with it. All those guys are contributing and we're going to need it all year.
Q: You guys had nine carries for nine yards at half time. What were the adjustments that you made at halftime?
TB: I don't know. I don't know. I just listen to the run plays and call them, so I don't know what they saw. They found a few things that were working. It was good. You're right, Benny [Green-Ellis] had a huge game and made some big runs. I think Alge is a friggin' great blocker. He's a dominating blocker in there. The O-line played great. No sacks against a front like that is pretty impressive. [I] had great time all day to make some throws and guys in the passing game came up great, too, so it was a great effort.
