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Replay: Best of the Week on Patriots.com Radio Thu Dec 12 - 11:00 AM | Fri Dec 13 - 10:24 AM

Bill Belichick Post Game Press Transcript

Belichick: They played a physical game and we went up against a real good defense and offensively had some real good execution, especially early in the game.

BB: Well, I thought that was a real solid effort by our football team today all the way around. I am really proud of the way those guys played. They played a physical game and we went up against a real good defense and offensively had some real good execution, especially early in the game. Charlie and I talked about the no huddle and the empty formation going into the game, but we really didn't decide to do it right until at the end of pre-game warm-ups. That is when we made the decision to finally go with it at the start of the game. Charlie [Weis] went in and talked to the team about it. And I think Tom [Brady] did a magnificent job with handling the pressures. He really did a nice job there. And we were efficient in the red area so that was good. We were able to come up with some points; and defensively, it was another solid effort all the way around, the kickoff returns there in the third quarter. I am proud of the players. They really played hard and prepared well this week and put a good solid effort out there on the field, too many to single out but a lot of guys did a real good job. Ran the ball batter, protected okay, played pretty good defense.

**Q: Coach, would you talk about what a big deal it was to get the shutout?

BB:** It is important to win. It is important to win and I think defensively we have had several, a couple of those here this year. And you always take pride defensively in not allowing the other team to score. So but the most important thing to me is that we one, and that is what we came out there for. It is a good way to finish. And I was happy to see Larry [Izzo], he made a couple of nice plays in that last drive. Larry has played good football for us all year. Most of it has been on special teams. He is a little bit of an underrated player.

**Q: You talked about that winning streak you had two years ago to finish and you said you didn't do anything…

BB:** I don't think I said I didn't do anything.

**Q: Okay. I will rephrase. That they hadn't accomplished anything yet.

BB:** Right, yes, that is true.

**Q: So now you've won ten in a row. How good is this team right now?

BB:** Well, I think that they had a very good regular season, and you go 14-2 and go 5-1 in the Division, that is not bad. And I congratulated them on that and they certainly deserve it. Right now we are heading into the second season. Everybody is 0-0 and it will be how we and how the other 17 teams in the AFC, how they do from here.

**Q: Bill, did you tell them no Gatorade shower or did they know not to do that anyway?

BB:** Yes. No, I didn't. I didn't mention that. It is kind of cold out there.

**Q: Bill, is this team fairly self-motivated? They are very good at motivating themselves, I know, but was this team additionally motivated, do you think, because of the way the season started?

BB:** Well, I don't think anybody is particularly proud of the opening game. If you get out there and get beat 31-0, I don't think anyone is real proud of that. We certainly wanted to play better than we did in the first game. But the most important thing was to win the game and that is what we accomplished.

**Q: Bill, was there any thought at all given to taking Brady out of the game after Lawyer [Milloy] rolled up on his leg there?

BB:** Right in the first quarter, no.

**Q: In the first half, second quarter.

BB:** Second quarter, no.

**Q: No thought at all?

BB:** There was nothing wrong with him. We were just trying to win a game. No more, no less.

**Q: Bill, now that you have the home field advantage, I mean whoever the other teams are and what ever they do, they are going to have to come here. How crucial is that?

BB:** What is important is for our team to play well. That is what is important. And a couple years ago, we won without having the home field advantage. So it is important to play well. That is where the focus is and it is great that that is the situation, but I think the most important thing for our team right now is to prepare well and then play well in the next game. That is where the focus is.

**Q: Given the fact that you haven't lost here all year, other teams, that has got to be sitting here in their minds.

BB:** Look, we are happy to play them here, don't get me wrong. But I think there is nothing we can do at that point. That is where it is going to be. Our focus and our energy is playing the best we can play and it will be against a good team, we know that.

**Q: Bill, have you played your best football yet?

BB:** Well, I think we have had our moments at times where we have been okay in different phases of the game. But again, it doesn't really matter. We are going into a new season so it will be how we perform in this new season, not in the old one.

**Q: Bill, how much harder is it to put together a record of 14-2 where there is?

BB:** Well, we played a lot of good football teams this year. We have had to battle every week. But I think you have got to give the credit to the players. They come to work every week. They play hard. A lot of times it is a different mix up of players, different groupings out there, different circumstances, but they have answered the bell and that is a real credit to the players on this team, to their attitude, their perseverance and their ability to play under pressure.

**Q: Bill, is Tom's knee fine? There is no problem or any serious injury?

BB:** It looked all right to me. Yes, I don't think we had anything serious in the game. We had a couple guys come out like usual, but I think we are okay.

**Q: When you took him out in the fourth, was it was more because??

BB:** I thought he deserved it. I thought he deserved to be recognized by everyone for the job that he did, not only today but I think for the entire year. I think he has had a tremendous year, I really do.

**Q: Bill, you have two weeks to reflect on how great you are.

BB:** Why don't you guys not write that and then we wouldn't have to do it.

**Q: Just try to keep them grounded?

BB:** No. I think we know that the next team we play is going to be one of the best teams in the AFC, whoever it is, and we are going to have our hands full and we better be ready and well prepared to play against them. Whoever that team is, some of them we played, possibly we haven't, I don't know, but whoever it is, they will be a good team and we will have to play our best against that kind of competition.

**Q: Bill, when you went into the playoffs two years ago, you were a whirlwind, you had to win every week to get there and once you get there the momentum continues. What is the difference, you have won 12 games?

BB:** I don't think any of that really matters, I really don't.

**Q: Is it the same feel?

BB:** It is a whole new season. Everybody is 0-0 now. We all know what it is; lose and you are out. Win, and you keep going. That is it. It doesn't matter how you got here, whether you won them in a row, didn't win them in a row, how ever it happened. Teams that are in are in and they are fighting. It is going to be a death match now. Whoever is standing at the end, that is who moves on. So that is really all it is about. It is not about what happened in the past, how anybody got anywhere.

**Q: Bill, Do you like the progress of the offense?

BB:** I thought we did a lot of good things. I thought we handled the empty formation and the blitz well, scored in the red zone. I thought the running game showed some consistency. Even though we threw the ball a lot, we picked up some third down and short. We converted on those for a change. There were some good things. Had a little trouble with protection at times and had a turnover and all, so there are still some things that we can tighten up. There were certainly some positives today in terms of our overall offensive production and that transcends the whole group. The receivers, there were a lot of people involved in the passing game, the running game, the offensive line, and obviously the backs, I thought, did a good job. There was a lot of blitz pick up today with the way Buffalo was blitzing.

**Q: Does the [Damien] Woody injury look serious?

BB:** I don't think it looks too bad, no.

**Q: Coach, what is the schedule next for you guys, give them a couple days off or ??

BB:** Well, we are kind of on a normal schedule. We play today, Saturday. We will be off Sunday and Monday. Players will be back in Tuesday and Wednesday and we will pick up Tuesday as kind of a normal Wednesday for us and we will go back to work kind of like we would do on a bye week that we have here in the season.

**Q: And something that probably, and I say this with a smile, in some ways probably makes you happy, having the number of times you spent in New York, you certainly spent enough time here, do you think there has been less hoopla than you might otherwise expect for a team that has won 12 in a row and is now 14-2?

BB:** Well, I can't really measure that externally. I mean I just look at these guys every day sitting in these seats, and we just move on to the next game. And what externally is or isn't going on, I am the last to know. But, again, what our concern is really what we control and that is really where my vision is.

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