WR Wes Welker addressed the media on Monday afternoon from the Super Bowl Media Center

(on if there have been any surprises since arriving in Phoenix for Super Bowl XLII)
"There really hasn't been too much. It's basically been business as usual for us. The only differences have been that we've been staying in a hotel and having different meeting rooms and lockers and a different practice field, but it has been business as usual."

• (on how Tom Brady looked at practice today after missing practice last week because of an injured ankle)*
  "Well, Tom is Tom and he's one of the best quarterbacks around. He looked great. He has the same dimples and everything."

• (on whether he ever thinks how things would have been different if he remained with the Miami Dolphins instead of signing with the Patriots)*
  "I really don't think about it that much. I try and concentrate on the here and now. This is where I am, and this is the opportunity I have right now. I try not to look in the past too much. I want to focus on the game coming up."

• (on whether he ever talks with any of his former Dolphins teammates)*
  "I do every once in a while, but I haven't talked to anybody in a while. We've been pretty tied down with all the stuff here [at Super Bowl XLII]."

• (on if he ever reflects on how different the Patriots and Dolphins seasons were this year)*
  "I really don't think I want to comment on that. I'm focusing on the here and now and getting ready for this next game, and trying to prepare for it and execute it to the best of my ability."

• (on whether any of his Patriots' teammates who have won Super Bowl rings have given him any wisdom for this week)*
  "I think they have as far as the Super Bowl schedule and what to expect. I may ask them [for advice] to help my family know what to expect and with what scheduling conflicts that may come up during the Super Bowl."

• (on how he's dealing with all the distractions that come up during Super Bowl week)*
  "I think you just take it in stride as we have all year. Getting ready for the game is goal number one and that's why we want to make sure we are ready for the game. Everything else [that comes up] is secondary. You need to bide your time and make sure you are getting the work in that you need to."

• (on how his perception of the Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick has changed since he signed with the team)*
  "I really didn't know what to expect or how it was or what went on. Coach Belichick has done a great job of holding us to a high level and making sure we don't go backwards and making sure we are moving forward, and that we are making strides as the season goes on."

• (on whether anything has surprised him about playing with Randy Moss this season)*
  "Randy is a great teammate. Any sort of questions I have had about being a receiver or about any routes [he's helped me]. He's a guy who's been around 10 years and he has a lot of wisdom and I'm always picking his brain. He's more than happy to share it. He's been a great teammate for all of us. He's led by his great example and he's been great all the way around."

• (on whether it is easier to prepare for and play a team that the Patriots have recently played against)*
  "I think you have a good idea of what to expect and I think it works in both cases, for them and for us. It will be good to look at film of plays we know, and it should help us know what to expect--this is what we did last time and this is how this worked and stuff like that. You get to know their personnel like in a divisional game. When you play a team twice a year, you know their personnel better."

• (on how Randy Moss can still affect a game when he doesn't catch a lot of passes)*
  "Randy is a threat any time he's on the field and teams have to respect that. With his speed and his ability to stretch the field is, that is key, and he does a great job of doing that. It really opens up our whole offense."

• (on what it was like not being heavily recruited out of high school)*
  "I think I would have walked on somewhere. That's probably what I would have done. But things worked out and I got a scholarship [to Texas Tech]. I probably would have walked on somewhere in state, like Oklahoma or somewhere like that., but I'm glad it didn't come to that."

• (on why Patriots' margins of victory were less in the second half of the season)*
  "The regular season is tough. You've got to be sure you are bringing it every single week and that's not easy. The temperature goes down and it makes it tougher to stretch the field the way you want to and do some things you want to do. We knew this would happen down the stretch and we talked about it and we made sure we perservered through some tougher situations as the season went on."

• (on how important it is for him to get open early against the Giants which have such a great pass rush)*
  "With a pass rush like the Giants have, it's key that we get open quick. We need to make sure we get separation quick and get some positive yardage on first and second down. Our offensive line has been doing a great job and we have a lot of confidence in them."

• (on what it means to him to be playing in the Super Bowl)*
  "It's exciting. It is something you always dream of and always want to get to and all of a sudden here you are. I'm excited about the opportunity.