BILLS HEAD COACH DOUG MARRONE
DM:Alright, here we go.
Q:Well you got, obviously you got what you came for because all week you said it was a meaningful game for you. Just talk about finishing the way you finished.
DM:All the credit goes to the players. You know, obviously there's, you know, a lot to brush off, obviously a disappointing loss. Come back up here and prepare ourselves to play. I thought the first half we went out there and played well in all three phases… You know, second half, we could have done some better things offensively, play well there, and defensively, you know, that… be consistent. And we gave up six points, one off a turnover, one off a special teams play, you know, that got them to nine. So, we were playing to win the games, so I'm happy for the players. You know, it's disappointing, but in the same sense to win in the last game, you know, it gets a little bit of that bad taste out of your mouth, and that's what I said during the week. It's a difficult place to play, like I said, aren't a lot of teams that won here, I think 35 straight during the regular season, so it's tough.
Q:Is there significance to, also, that I guess, in that vein, to be 9-7 and say we were winners this year which is something this franchise isn't used to?
DM:I think it's important for some people there. You know, I think that there was a lot of lessons that we'll reflect on in the process of off, you know, in the offseason. Like I said, if you don't learn from them and how hard it is to win each week and how you got to be ready to play each week, the amount of work and prep you need to do, you know… coaches, players, everybody involved. If we don't understand that after this season, then all will be lost. But I think if you do understand it, you know, and you learn from it, it's part of the pains. You hate it, you don't want to have to go through it, but sometimes you do, you know, and hopefully some of those guys, you know, Kyle Williams said it after the game – tomorrow when he walks into the building and leaves, it will be the first time he left with a winning record. So I'm sure it's important for those guys.
Q:Even though you didn't get their best shot today but just winning in this place, and I know momentum can't carry to the next year, that's just silly, but you know to at least get that monkey off your back, is that any kind of consolation?
DM:I don't… I mean, I don't, I don't know. I think of it a lot of different ways. I know that you got to be… you know, Tom Brady is very difficult to beat so, you know, however you want to look at it, whether we played well enough in the first half. I mean, we had guys out, our two corners were out and Marcell [Dareus] was out, and that's just part of football. But, we just played to win the game. I can only speak for our team.
Q:Any injuries?
DM:Yeah, [Kraig] Urbik with a back, and Cordy[Glenn] with a knee.
Q:Doug, what's next for you tomorrow as you shift into the next phase?
DM:We got a lot of meetings, guys have, season ending stuff where are they going to be, exit interviews, 360s we do with the players to get a feel. Tomorrow will be a busy day from the standpoint of what we…what my responsibilities with the team.
Q:How about you individually and your sort of season review with the ownership and so forth?
DM:I haven't been contacted about that yet, which I probably wouldn't be until the players are exited.
Q:What's next in terms of when you talk about changing culture and moving forward what's the emphasis on heading into the offseason?
DM:A lot depends on the players. I have a plan as a coach, we have a plan as a staff. We try to implement that plan, and what we talk to the players about, well that's why we do, you know, 360s and we get a feel for the players, exactly where we're at, things we need to work on. That's why, even last year they did a very good job of filling those things out. It's important if they want the program to be better and the organization to be better. It gives them a chance to tell us, and then we have evaluation processes, first within the program before it starts going to anyone else. Coaches evaluate me, I evaluate the coaches, players evaluate position coaches and all that stuff, and obviously, when I get that information, I'm not sharing it with anybody here.
Q:Do you have any reaction to the report that Bill Polian is…
DM:No, I heard about it on the plane, when I got on the plane yesterday. So, again, there's… this league there's a lot of rumors and a lot of sources, so until someone says something you really can't, you really can't…you can't really worry about it. You just got to keep going… if worry is the right word.
Q:Coach, when you look at how you finished with a winning record obviously changing the culture, how do you look at last week?
DM:Well, it's not changed yet, OK? It's not where we want it to be obviously. You know, we're working on that. We all are, you know, it's change for me too. You know, that goes into it. And your question about last week - it's obviously disappointing, but it's not all about that last week. You know, it's about the other games that you haven't won during the year, too, that you know you reflect on during the year, you know, situations and things like that. And, you know, that's the tough part. You relive it as coaches, you know, you relive that stuff all over again once you start going through the season. And it hurts, it hurts just as much when you watch it again as it did the first time.
Q:These reviews, you said…
DM:I've always used them. That's just my, my way.
Q:Are they anonymous?
DM:No, we know who's saying it. We put our names on things.
Q:What's…if you can give us a summary of what 360s are…
DM:I think you can look it up. It's a long period of time. It's questions that are evaluated at a certain point, and we run them through a bunch of different programs and come up. All we're trying to do is get better. At the end of the day, it's nothing that every single major company, you know, we're a major organization, you know, running a football team is a major deal. So, you know, those things are important, you know, for us and what we do. I don't know if they do it at the paper, but I know they do it at, you know, most large corporations to get a feel of exactly what's going on.
Q:Those will be filled out by tomorrow?
DM:We'll fill them out tomorrow, right. And it takes a while to get everything processed, which, again, I'm not telling you guys. So I'm just telling you right now. But we do talk to the players about it.
Q:Can you tell us or give us an example of, let's say, maybe last year when you did these. What came out of it or what was maybe one or two…
DM:Yeah, I mean, right now, what's going to happen is I'm going to reflect prior to it and I'm going to think about OK, 'Here's where I feel we are, here's where I feel that, the team is from a standpoint of building what we want to get done.' And so I go in with this thought process. I take the notes, I write everything down, and then then I look at it and I see what comes back, and, you know, where we can improve in some areas. And there's three ways to do it. Areas that are red improve right away, right off the bat, OK. Areas that are yellow are, 'Hey, you got to put some work into these areas.' Areas that are green are good. You know, we keep it in there. We keep it very simple, and it's about…it's a large scale of questions about everything that we do in the organization, and that's the only that's the best way to get he input from the players.
Q:Is there an issue that came up last year that you got corrected this year?
DM:Oh yeah, there's always a challenge that comes up, and that's why the players did a good job. If the players don't do a good job, sometimes, when you're the leader, you're not able to see some things even thought it's your responsibility. So, we fill it out and do it and get there and create and tell them what the feedback was, and what the issues are, and this is how we have to address them and, 'Let's go, let's keep improving, and get the mindset right for us to be a better team than we were in 2014.' Thank you.
BILLS QUARTERBACK KYLE ORTON
Q:I know you haven't been with the Bills for the whole history here, but it's the team's first time winning at Gillette. I don't know what kind of impact it has on you, but could you tell that it meant something to some of the guys in the locker room?
KO:Well, I think any time you step on the field is important. You know, every team is different and this group, we played for each other all year. And played hard for each other and its great whenever you get a winning season and win the last game against your rival, you know. It was a good accomplishment for us today.
Q:Can you comment on the significance of the winning record knowing the playoffs were off the table? Is that the next best thing you could hope for?
KO:Yeah, I guess. You know, obviously we didn't accomplish everything that we wanted to do. But like I said, we played hard all year, played for each other, and came up a little short.
Q:It looked like there were some opportunities early in this game for you guys to get chunk plays, offensively, and you did. What were you seeing out there that maybe allowed for those opportunities to come to fruition?
KO:Yeah, they were playing man-to-man coverage, like we thought they would. Offensively [the] line did a good job early in the game protecting, allowing the wide receivers to get down the field and work on their routes. And the guys did a good job of getting open.
Q:Jumping out to a lead like that, 14-3, can you just maybe comment on how much easier a win comes when you are ahead on the scoreboard early and you can call whatever you want? Just the freedom you have when you are ahead on the scoreboard.
KO:No doubt, it is great playing with the lead and I think all year for us was just the plays where we had 11 guys doing their job. We moved the ball up and down the field and you know, in this league if you don't have that consistency, it's hard to be a good offense. So, I'm glad we ended up playing well and getting the win.
Q:How do you put last week into perspective? And the season?
KO:Last week was last week, this week was this week, and our goal was to get a win this week. You know, I think that was the mindset that everybody took. We were happy to get a win.
Q:Talk about missing out on the playoffs.
KO:Yeah, it's tough when you don't reach your goal. You know there are only a handful of teams that get to go play in the playoffs and when you aren't one of them, it certainly hurts.
Q:Can you talk about your season and how satisfying it was. I know you guys didn't make the playoffs, but personally.
KO:To be honest with you, I really didn't go into it with a ton of personal goals. I think the later in your career you get, most of your goals are just team goals and fighting for that chance to get in the playoffs and have fun. So, you know, I'm obviously disappointed.
Q:Kyle, would you like to have a chance to come back and finish it next year starting with this team from day one?
KO:Next year is next year. I mean, [I'm] just excited to celebrate this win with my teammates.
Ron Brooks, Cornerback
(On the game)
"I went out there and gave it my best and that is all you can do. When somebody goes down, especially like Stephon [Gilmore] you have to come out there and you have to play. I knew if I started that is where [the Patriots offense] were going to go. I just had to play smart and keep the ball in front of me and not let them beat me over the top."
(On the importance of keeping the Patriots out of the end zone)
"Definitely, in the secondary it is always important to protect the end zone and not let the ball go towards the end zone. I think today we did a pretty good job of that."
(On the meaning of the game)
"Any time you go out there and take the field for a game, it is not meaningless. You always want to be the winner. We harped on that this week, and a lot of people were telling us it was a waste game and we are not playing for anything. We felt we had something to play for, a winning season, beating them in their own home, and nobody has beaten them at home in 35 games. We just did it. We had a lot to play for, maybe not in some peoples' eyes but we felt we had a lot to play for."
Boobie Dixon, Running Back
(On more wins than last year)
"Oh yeah, we definitely did better. We will definitely be back. I think we are a couple big plays away and we're in the playoffs, but [now] we're not, so we've got to approach the summer and work our tails off. We've got to do more than we did this past summer then next year we will be where we want to be."
(On your touchdown)
"It was a great feeling. I had been hoping for one of those to get back in the touchdown column, but it was a great job by my offensive line because it was a walk-in. We had fun out there today and next year if we play that way, we will be unstoppable.
Corey Graham, Cornerback
(On the game and next season)
"It was a great finish and we have a very good defense. It probably is one of the most talented defenses that I have been a part of. We have got the talent and we just need to find a way to put it all together in all three phases of the game. If we can do that, we have a lot ahead of us and we will have a chance to be special."
Chris Hogan, Wide Receiver
(On the season)
"It is not where we wanted to be because we had a chance to be around for the postseason but if you forget about that we were 9-7 and had a winning season. It has been a long time since there has been a winning season for this team. I would say there is a lot of stuff we can work on and build on for next year."
(On playing the Patriots in Foxborough)
"It is a tough environment. It doesn't matter who they put out there. We got it done and that is great for our team. You come to New England and you know you are playing a tough team, every single time you come here. I am very happy for our team that we got this win."
Fred Jackson, Running Back
(On the season)
"There are always plays that get away from you; that gives you something to think about. You know how close you were and what you could have done to put yourself in a better situation. This is a time when you start to reflect on that when the season is done."
(On the game)
"We came in here to win a football game and that's what we were able to do and what we got accomplished. In the National Football League, everybody that's on the opposite side of the ball to you is capable of making plays. So whoever you're going against, you have to bring your A game, and do whatever you can to get a win. We were able to do that today."
(On getting the win today)
"It's something that in order to get to where we want to be able to beat this team [Patriots] here in this stadium. This is something we can build on. We were able to come in here today and play well enough to get a victory. That's what you can take into the off-season, knowing that we got accomplished is something that we can grow from."
Nickell Robey, Cornerback
(On winning at Gillette)
"It feels good. We got a win and end with a winning season. It's not bad. We had a winning season, but we didn't go as far as we wanted to. But it was a successful season and we did better than last year."
(On his first half exchange with Danny Amendola)
"We were just playing football. He is a tough, tenacious guy and I am a tough, tenacious guy. We both got emotionally into the game and we had a little scuffle, but it was all good."
Brandon Spikes, Linebacker
(On feeling good after today's win)
"I don't want to say that because at the end of the day, we want to end up in the playoffs, but it's still good to finish like this. We battled the whole entire season and it was great to end it like this."
(On talking to Patriots players)
"Absolutely. Every play, guys would grab me. I miss those guys – I'm still in contact with a lot of those guys, so it's cool."
(On talking to Coach Bill Belichick )
"No. I didn't get to speak to him."
(On not losing at Gillette Stadium)
"I guess not; lucky me."
(On next year's contract)
"Honestly, I don't know. When I get some time I'll sit down with my agent and we'll go from there, but for right now, I want to celebrate with my teammates and this Bills organization. To finish up with a winning record is awesome here, and it's just something to build off of with the new ownership and stuff like that."
(On a low snap count)
"Honestly, I don't ever look into that. I didn't know that until you mentioned that, so I'm just thankful and grateful that I have the opportunity to play this game that I love. I don't really pay attention to that type of stuff. I'm just out here playing, having fun – that's all that matters to me."
(On preparation for today's game)
"We approached the game like we always do. We had a great week of preparation and came out and executed. Even though we didn't see their starters for the entire game, it doesn't matter, we have to be ready to play whoever is out there."
C.J. Spiller, Running Back
(On beating the Patriots)
"It was a great victory and a great way to finish the season, with a winning record, 9-7."
(Asked if this was his last game as a Buffalo Bill)
"I will think about it when I get home."
Aaron Williams, Safety
(On the victory)
"It is great and it is a good way to go into the offseason. It has been awhile since we have had a winning record, I think since 2004. So for us to come here and get a win and end the season off on a good note it is a great feeling."
(On the importance of the game)
"We all knew that every single guy in this locker room was going to be involved no matter if we had something to play for or not. Whenever we strap on those helmets together, we want to make sure we play to the best of our abilities and play 110%. "
Kyle Williams, Defensive Tackle
(On the season)
"Obviously we had goals that we set that we fell just a little bit short of. Any time that our organization has not had a winning team in quite a long time, to come out of it with a winning record, I guess is a little bitter sweet. It is definitely something to build on."
(On being the first road team to win at Gillette in two years)
"It is good. Anytime you can come in here and beat those guys at home, when really nobody can, it finishes our season off in the right way. It is good for us. I think it was plenty intense. There were a lot of good players out there on the field and they are professionals. They are going to go out there and play hard and try to make plays. The game had plenty of intensity to it, I thought."
(Asked if the Bills prepared for Jimmy Garoppolo)
"No, we just game planned for 12. We knew that he would play a little while, but we didn't know exactly how long. When Garoppolo came in we made a few adjustments and were able to get the win. It is kind of a faceless deal. When he [Garoppolo] played against Kansas City early in the year he played well. It wasn't anything where our demeanor was going to change."
Mario Williams, Defensive End
(On the team)
"I think the thing that sums it up is how good we truly can be. We still have a lot of growing to do and that's the positive. "
Robert Woods, Wide Receiver
(On the touchdown play)
"It was like an option route, but there was no one across the middle to even run the route on. So I just waved my hands to try to get his [Kyle Orton] attention, and he got me in the end zone."
(On the team getting a lot of big-yard plays)
"You just got to move the ball fast. Those big plays, we need them, and they really set us up with some great field position to get touchdowns."
(On the winning season)
"I think this team is a great team. There are a lot of good players everywhere. We're a playoff-caliber team, but we just have to be more consistent. We are 4-2 in the AFC East. We just have to keep going, and next year, hopefully, win more."
