WIDE RECEIVER DEION BRANCH MEDIA AVAILABILITY November 8, 2010
Q: After watching the film, is it worse than you remembered?
DB: Yeah, it was bad. There was some stuff we can learn from, though. I think the most important thing we took from it was that it wasn't our best game. We knew that after the game ended. We just have to come out and prepare a whole lot better than we did last week.
Q: So you're going to put that game behind you?
DB: Yeah, the game is over. The game's over. We can't look back on that game and watch the film like we did today [and] look at the bad plays. We can't worry about the good plays. There were only a couple [of good plays] anyways. We need to move [on] from there.
Q: Did the Browns show you anything different in the second half?
DB: No, we just weren't executing. We were killing ourselves. They weren't doing anything going into the game that we didn't know about. We just weren't executing.
Q: How physical were the Browns up front?
DB: I don't know. I'm not on the front line.
Q: Were they jamming you and getting physical?
DB: No, no. They played the defense that they play. It wasn't anything we couldn't beat. We just couldn't execute. It takes all 11 guys to do their job: to make the play work.
Q: Do you think it was more mental than physical?
DB: No, no, none of that. [It was] just football. Like I said, we didn't prepare well; we didn't practice well and it showed up in the game.
Q: Are there warning signs that go up during the week of practice?
DB: Yeah exactly, it showed up. I wasn't at practice Wednesday, but I saw the film. I'll let those guys speak about that, that day of practice. But as far as Thursday practice - whatever you do in practice is going to show up in the game.
Q: Is that something you are aware of during the game?
DB: No, you have to always stay positive, but you also have to know at the same time that if you play poorly during the game, we know the reason. What's the cause for that, that showed up in the game? We didn't practice well at all Wednesday and Thursday. [We] had an OK practice Friday. How do you expect to come out and play a great game on Sunday?
Q: What do you expect from the team this week?
DB: It's going to be a different team; I will tell you all that right now. I'm saying that right now. For one, it started today. It started today. We're expecting a totally different team.
Q: What did they do to disrupt the timing...?
DB: Nothing. It was nothing that they were doing.
Q: What were they doing?
DB: We didn't execute our plays. Like I said, it takes all 11 guys to do one job. If we're running the ball to the right, we have to set up and do everything [correctly]. We have to block right. If we're trying to throw the ball, the receivers have to be at the right depth when Tom [Brady] is ready to throw the ball. Tom has to make the throws and we have to make the catches. I'm not discrediting those guys at all. I think they did a great job of game planning. They were the best team on Sunday. But as far as what happened during the game, we just didn't execute our plays.
Q: How do you feel personally, health-wise?
DB: I feel pretty good. Going into the game, I felt really good. I played a lot of plays. I expected to play those [plays]. I don't know if the coaches expected that, but I did. I think I did OK. I came out of the game healthy, so that's the only thing that matters.
Q: Do you think you are close to back being 100 percent healthy?
DB: I think I was close last week, so I know I'm OK now. I was very close last week given that I only practiced one day, but I knew how I felt going into Friday's practice.
Q: Do you watch the film and feel like, 'lesson learned'?
DB: Yes, sir, the lesson was learned. We didn't even have to watch the film. You can hear from our head coach. You can hear from the other coaches. You can hear from our quarterback. There was a lot of bad football on the field Sunday.
Q: What's the key to improving at practice this week?
DB: I think the biggest thing is staying focused, going out there and doing what the coaches ask us to do, instead of just doing what we want to do, just running around, making up plays, making up routes. We need to execute our base offense and do what we are supposed to do. I think we'll be OK.
Q: You sound pretty ticked...
DB: Yeah, I am a little bit. I think the biggest thing is that nobody around here is happy with what we put on the football field because we know we're a better team than that. I was mad all last night; [I] couldn't sleep because I knew I could have played better, and I'm pretty sure everyone else feels the same way.
Q: Was Coach Bill Belichick very stern today?
DB: Yeah, but the biggest thing was that they didn't come in and jump on our backs. The biggest thing is that it's not always as bad as it looks, but it's not always bad either. The thing we take from it is that wasn't our game. We're 6-2. We can't worry about what happened last week now. We just have to move forward.
Q: Was it hard to stay focused after winning five straight games?
DB: No, there's going to be another game next week. There's going to be another game the week after that. We can't worry about winning five, six or seven games in a row. That's not what we signed up for - to get laughter and joy out of winning five or six games in a row. The ultimate goal is for us to win every game that we take the field. I'm not saying that the ultimate goal is to win every game, but we want to set out to execute our plays each and every week and hopefully to win the game. We're not going to talk about Super Bowls around here. That's not the objective. PATRIOTS TIGHT END ALGE
CRUMPLER OPEN LOCKER ROOM November 8, 2010
Q: Is it fair to call it lack of execution?
AC: It is lack of execution. We haven't been very consistent over the past few weeks offensively, but the best thing is we haven't turned the ball over. Well, we turned the ball over this week and we had some miscues and we didn't play well. It's going to happen.
Q: How would you describe your emotions as you get ready for the game this next week? Are you angry? Are you determined? Are you focused?
AC: I leave all my anger for game day, so I'm only focused on the Pittsburgh Steelers right now.
Q: Do you feel like from a bigger picture standpoint you guys took a step back after having some good momentum with five straight wins?
AC: You can look at it that way - for us, our goal is to move forward and be positive about it, and be very critical of ourselves individually on what we have to do to get better. When you have a loss like this, self-evaluation is the number one goal. 'What can I do to get better?' As long as we do that and just like the sign reads when we walk out to the parking lot every day, 'Don't believe the hype,' then we'll be alright.
Q: What was Coach Belichick's general message to the team? Was it an extra long film session?
AC: We've had some very extensive film sessions after wins. We go over every single detail. I don't think you can sweep plays under a rug when you win a ball game just because you win a ball game. I think it's very important to evaluate every single play, and I think our coaches get that message across. The bottom line comes to what we do on Sundays. Everybody knows that. You can talk about a week of practice. I've had awesome weeks of practice and lost a ball game; had bad weeks and won a ball game. You can chalk it up anyway you want to, but the bottom line is we've got to go out there and [play] 60 minutes and make it happen.
PATRIOTS CORNERBACK KYLE ARRINGTON OPEN LOCKER ROOM November 8, 2010
Q: (On yesterday's game against the Browns...)
KA: It hurt a little bit. We definitely could have been more aware yesterday what was going on. Fortunately enough, everything happens for a reason. There's always a silver lining. Hopefully, we can learn from this type of game and move forward.
Q: What did you learn?
KA: A lot, unfortunately. We can't come out on the field just because we're the Patriots and expect everything to go our way. We [have] to get off to a better start defensively. Also on special teams, kicking game, some things I wish we could get back. Like I said, it happened. We're just going to have to learn from it and come out better next week.
Q: Did you guys take Cleveland for granted?
KA: I wouldn't say that. I definitely wouldn't say that. We're all professionals and every week we come into it with the same mentality. We're trying to win no matter who we play.
Q: Was Sunday a result of a poor week of practice?
KA: You never know. It certainly wasn't our best effort, I can tell you that. A lot of different things, variable factors happen in the game that are the reasons why sports are lopsided like that. It definitely wasn't how we like it to be. It's an eye opener. We understand that we have to get better. And that's what we'll do.
Q: What do you expect from the team this week?
KA: A lot more intensity during practice, a lot more focus. I think the goal is just for us to stick together especially after a defeat like that. The longer we can stay focused, stay together, still play as a team, I think we'll be in pretty good shape.
Q: Is it impressive for you to see Wes Welker jump in and kick an extra point?
KA: Oh yeah. Did he have a tackle too on a kickoff? Hey, the more you can do, right? Wes is definitely the man.
