HEAD COACH KLINT KUBIAK

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 11, 2026

KK: Very disappointing performance today from everyone, players and coaches. Obviously give a lot of credit to the Patriots. They did a great job. We had eight penalties today; far too many. It's a game that we have to go -- we have to move forward from very quickly. We have everything ahead of us as a team. We're not happy with what happened today, and we have to go do something about it. We have to fix it and move on, so I'll take any of your questions.

Q. As a whole, what went wrong with the defense today?

KK: Well, you know, defensively, offensively, special teams, I don't think any of us played well enough to win today. Credit to the Patriots; they did a great job.

Q. Can you pinpoint a reason why the team came out flat today?

KK: You know, it's on me to get us ready to go, and we weren't ready to go.

Q. Mike Watson only had one carry. What kind of led to that?

KK: Well, playing from behind the whole game and there was plenty of opportunities to get him in later in the game, but it was a passing game. Early in the game especially I needed to stay with the run. Okay? Didn't need to abandon it so fast. So that's on me.

Q. You brought up the penalties. You had been pretty clean playing over the first four weeks. What did you see the reason for the penalties today?

KK: Yeah, I'll have to go back and look at each individual one, but that's not up to our standard.

Q. What went into the decision to have [Fernando] Mendoza came out there on that final drive?

KK: Yeah, just wanted to get him some exposure.

Q. How did you think he handled everything?

KK: He did a good job. Yeah, he did a good job.

Q. How do you think that can help him, getting game action can help him with his development going forward?

KK: Yeah, all reps are valuable. Very important for him.

Q. What do you feel like went wrong with the running game again today?

KK: Well, I think just overall today, we were playing from behind all day, so it became a passing game, and it didn't need to be that way. I abandoned the run game too early and didn't give it a chance to get going.

Q. What do you think some of the issues came up with protecting Kirk [Cousins]?

KK: Well, they did a great job in their blitz package. When you pass it that many times, there's going to be those. But overall, I think they did a great job of pressuring us today.

Q. It felt like there were a handful of situations where your cornerbacks were in one-on-one coverage against guys. Was that sort of the plan coming in, to be aggressive in that regard? Did you guys make any adjustments to that?

KK: Well, obviously not. Obviously not. They kept going after us and they made big plays, and credit to them.

Q. What was the reason with subbing Zeke [Hezekiah Masses] and Darien [Porter] in and out?

KK: That was the plan going in. We wanted to get both guys on the field.

Q. There was some special teams mistakes as well. In all three phases but specifically special teams, did that surprise you a little bit today?

KK: Yeah, it did. It did. That's been a strength of our team. I see it as a strength moving forward. We have to go to work to get it fixed.

Q. Down 14 in the second quarter, you kind of ran that toss play that resulted in a loss. How much do you feel like that was a big momentum swing?

KK: That was. That was a huge moment. Trying to make an aggressive play, their defensive end made a great play and sniffed it out, took a big negative loss there. That was a big play in the game.

Q. Do you feel like you need more production out of your wide receivers?

KK: I just think overall as a team, we just all have to be better, coaches and players.

Q. Do you feel that Ashton was still hampered by injury today?

KK: Yeah, I think everyone is beat up. That's the league. And yes, Ashton [Jeanty] is beat up, and that's a testament to how tough he is, that he's out there today playing for his teammates.

Q. I'm assuming Mendoza doesn't change anything with your plan at quarterback.

KK: It does not, no.

Q. It seemed like you had a mismatch with Brock [Bowers] against some of their DBs. Do you feel like you could have exploited that a little bit more today?

KK: Yeah, I think we did not get it done as a staff, as an offense today.

Q. It kind of goes without saying but the negative plays and the penalties put you guys behind the sticks. From a play caller's standpoint, how difficult is that to overcome?

KK: Yeah, 2nd and long, 3rd and long, that's advantage defense every time.

Q. Nick Saban talks about rat poisoning when you start to do some things. Do you think there was any element of that, just this is a young team learning how to become a winner?

KK: Well, I think it's going to show a lot about who we are, how mature we are, how good our leadership is with myself, for our players. It's an opportunity for us to move forward. We have a whole season ahead of us, and we can't let this game beat us twice.

Q. What's sort of the message to the team going forward trying to put this game behind you?

KK: Yeah, I think what I told the guys is what makes you a loser is if you are pointing fingers at other people. We're all trying to look interior, looking at what we can do better and move forward.

Q. Does it feel like you got that kind of response when you were with the team now?

KK: Yeah, I love our guys. I love our guys, and we didn't get it done as a group today. I know that they're going to be ready to compete moving forward.

Q. Where do you feel like -- it didn't seem like the pass rush was getting necessarily home on Drake today. Where do you think it can affect the quarterback?

KK: Yeah, credit to New England; they protected well. They threw the ball down the field really well.

QUARTERBACK KIRK COUSINS

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 11, 2026

Q: Going back to the run game for a second, Klint mentioned it got away from you guys, the passing game. How does the margin of error change when the defense knows you're passing the ball?

KC: Yeah, I think anytime you're one-dimensional, it probably does make it a little bit easier on a defense. I think also playing from a lead, they can probably afford to be flexible with what they're doing because they've created a bit of a cushion. But you certainly want that run-pass threat at all times if you can have it.

Q: Was there anything you saw this week that maybe even hinted to you as a veteran that this was coming?

KC: I don't think you ever expect this, but I think there was a lot of respect for their defense, and I played here last year and didn't play, but preparing for them last season and watching their run to the Super Bowl, I think you saw an elite defense that was a Super Bowl caliber defense. Felt that all week as we were preparing for this game, just that we were playing a very, very good defense.

Q: You've had some success going up against the blitz this season. It seems like on some critical downs today they got after you and you didn't really have much answers. Where did you see the struggles there?

KC: Yeah, I think it was maybe a different answer, different issue on each play. But no, they did a nice job with their pressures, getting home quickly. It made it hard for us.

Q: It seems like you all had a mismatch with Brock and some of their secondary players. That secondary was banged up. Do you feel like you guys could have taken advantage of that a little bit more?

KC: Hard to say until I watch it. I think we targeted Brock [Bowers] certainly. I think anytime -- I don't even know the stats yet so I really don't speak from an educated place, but just kind of play each play for its own entity, and at times felt like we were targeting pretty heavily and then just would have loved to have been able to make more plays, whether it was Brock or anybody. Just try to keep us on the field.

Q: When it was tied 14-14 there was that 11-yard loss. I know it's not one play loses a game like this, but how damaging is a play like that, and maybe moving forward, trying to overcome something like that?

KC: Yeah, as you point to certain plays in the game that can lead to a tough outcome, that's certainly one of them. There were others, but you feel that tension on any snap that any play can be the difference, good or bad, in the outcome of a game, and so you kind of play with that tension, even on the ones that appear insignificant to the eye watching from a distance. That was one of those plays that does come back to say, man, could the game have been different. But it certainly was more than just that.

Q: What did you make of Fernando's [Mendoza] debut, first chance to get out there?

KC: Did a nice job competing. I thought he played well and did a good job.

Q: Also, you've got a tough stretch of games coming up here. What's key for this team to rebound, and when you're playing some more tough competition coming ahead?

KC: Yeah, I think every week is its own entity, so we have to come in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday morning and just, hey, it's a new week, fresh start, and you really have to as best you can, mentally, emotionally, create a segmented week because that's what they are. You start 0-0 next week. You don't start behind the 8-ball because you had a tough game the previous Sunday. It's the same start as if we had a big win today. The ability to have each week be its own entity, whether winning or losing, I think, is really important for our football team to take that approach.

ADDITIONAL PLAYERS

Coming soon!