Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker addresses the media during his postgame press conference at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, December 13, 2009.
Q: Another 100-yard game for you, another big day, especially considering the weather the way it was.
WW: Yeah, I don't think the weather played too much of a factor. We were out there just playing our offense, we were running the ball pretty well and then doing some play action off of that and making some third down conversations when we need[ed] to, especially down the stretch.
Q: You looked pretty fired up at a couple moments in the second half. Were you trying to convey a message to your team? Saw you raise your arms over your head.
WW: Yeah, I don't know. It just kind of happened. It wasn't anything planned or anything like that. I kind of took a hit and decided to kind of get the crowd into it and try to get us going a little bit. We had been flat pretty much of the whole game and we need a big drive right there. That's when you got to step up and make some plays and get the crowd into it. I think it energized some of the guys and led us down to the touchdown.
Q: Where did the flatness come from in the first half?
WW: I don't think you can call it one particular thing. It's just guys coming out and it's a long season and you just got to go out there and keep on playing and keep on grinding it out and it's tough but it's what you got to do and it's kind of what it comes down to.
Q: How sore will you be tomorrow?
WW: I don't think I'll be too bad. I don't think I'll be too bad. There's a couple spots but overall I think I'll be okay.
Q: How do you get up after hits like that?
WW: I don't know. You're either going to stay down or get up, so might as well get on up.
Q: Wes, like Tom [Brady] you kind of openly challenged your teammates this week. How important was it for you to kind of back your words with your performance today?
WW: It's what it's about. Being a leader and really kind of stepping up. You can't be a guy that's going to be "rah rah" and then go in the tank and not play up to par of what you want your teammates to do. You got to back that up. Anytime you sit there and call a team out or sit there and try to do some "rah rah" type deal, you got to back it up. That's what it comes down to and I want to make sure I bring it every week like that, not necessarily "rah rah" or anything like that, but make sure that if I say something, I'm out there doing it as well.
Q: This is your third season with 100 catches. You're in an elite group of Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison, what are your thoughts on being included in that group?
WW: Really not too many thoughts about it. The league has definitely changed and to more of a lot of passing and I wouldn't put myself in their category at all. Those guys are obviously Hall of Famers and things like that and I still got a lot of years ahead of me and a lot of plays that I need to continue to make and continue to do well out there on the field.
Q: At this stage do you still feel like you have to prove yourself to anybody?
WW: I don't necessarily think I need to prove anything. I just want us to play winning football. I don't think I'm out there necessarily trying to prove anybody wrong or anything like that. I think we're past that. It's about going out there and playing winning football and getting everybody on the same bandwagon.
Q: Was that a factor at one time?
WW: I wouldn't say it was ever really a factor. Maybe a little bit, but I wouldn't say it was ever really a factor. I love to play and go out there and play well and make plays and do all those sorts of things. I wouldn't say in the back of my mind I had any animosity or anything like that
Q: The Panthers in the second half said that Brady got you the ball a lot quicker. Was that a goal the second half, to get you more catches, to get you the ball quicker out of the shotgun?
WW: I wouldn't say it was a goal. I think we just went out there and wanted to play well and do a lot better than what we had been doing in the first half. I don't think it's necessarily saying we need to get the ball to me quicker or anything like that. It's just everybody's got to do their part and get open and catch the ball and makes some plays.
Q: Was the 96-yard drive the most satisfying drive of the year?
WW: I think it was definitely up there. Especially considering the game, the condition it was in. The fact that we had been struggling in the first half and being able to come out there and make some plays and do some of those things. It was good to see. It was a good drive and it showed that we can be that type of offense that does those types of things and we just go to make sure that we're buckling down and doing it on a weekly basis.
