HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Q: Coach, with so many things going wrong, where do you start? Where do you prioritize facing the problems?
BB: Obviously it was a poor performance today here. So just plain and simply, we've got to find a way to play and coach better than that. So that's what we are going to do, start all over and get back on a better track than we're on right now. Slow start. And then just couldn't ever really get the game under control.
Q: What went into the decision to sit down Mac there in the later stage of the game?
BB: We were down 31-nothing at the end of third quarter.
Q: Is he still your quarterback going forward?
BB: Yeah, there was a lot of problems. It certainly wasn't all him.
Q: When so many things go wrong, where do you start? Where do you prioritize fixing the problems?
BB: It's what I just said. Start over again.
Q: There was a fourth-and-3 situation where you punted. I think you were on the Saints 40-yard line. Was there any thought of going for it in that situation?
BB: Until we're better on third and fourth down, I don't think so.
Q: You mentioned the slow start. What has been contributing to those for you guys over the course of the season here?
BB: Turnovers. Turnovers and touchdowns.
Q: How can you remedy it?
BB: Can't keep doing it.
Q: How concerned are you that your message isn't getting through to the players?
BB: We'll keep working on it.
Q: How strongly do you have to consider changes personnel-wise?
BB: We'll do what we think is best.
Q: How concerned are you about players losing confidence after the last two weeks? And what as a coach can you do to help them in that situation or that area?
BB: Play the best players we can. Coach the best we can. We need to do better than that.
Q: Is there any new message to the team after these two losses?
BB: We'll deal with that this week.
Q: We've seen Chad Ryland hit only 50 percent of the kicks. Is there any pattern with some of the misses that he's had?
BB: We all need to do a better job. It's everybody, offense, defense, special teams, players, coaches. We've just got to do a better job than we're doing, includes everybody.
Q: The team has obviously had good practices. You've talked about messaging, working with the guys. What's the disconnect between the messaging and preparation and execution at this point?
BB: Got to play and coach better on Sunday. It's obvious.
Q: You said you guys need to start over. Have you ever had to do that before five games into the season, just for reference? Is it something new?
BB: Yeah, I've done it before.
Q: What does that entail, starting over?
BB: Starting over.
Q: How would you describe your satisfaction level with the team's effort?
BB: I said we've got to do a better job all across the board. It's not good enough.
QUARTERBACK MAC JONES
Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Q: When you have a bad day, bad day last week, where do you start to refocus yourself to just leave that behind you and get back on the horse?
MJ: Yeah, just got to look at the film and get better and got to do a lot of things better to win in this league.
Q: Hey, Mac, it's been a few games since you guys have found the end zone. Does it feel like it's getting worse or where do you think it's going and heading?
MJ: For us, just, like I said, we've got to do better in all three phases. Definitely the offense not putting up any points. Got to improve in all areas. And, you know, it's hard, right, we don't want to score zero points. It's not the goal.
Q: Mac, on the interception, I know you've been talking about trying to avoid the turnovers. What did you see on the play that led to that?
MJ: It was just early. I've got to watch the film. But definitely don't want to start like that and we got to start faster in these games. It's been a trend here. So we want to improve and try and learn from it and do everything I can to get better.
Q: Hey, Mac, I was just wondering if you had any words for Bailey Zappe before he went in today.
MJ: Yeah, definitely not an ideal situation for anybody. And as an offense, the goal is to play better and put up points. So we all have to do that and got to practice that way and do things differently and figure out how to put up points.
Q: Mac, how do you stay confident after a couple weeks in a row like this?
MJ: Yeah, it's definitely hard, right, but confidence comes from years of experience and practice and things that you accomplish, but also trying to get better and learn from everything. So definitely need to be better as an offense and I really feel like we need to take on the challenge and do what we can to be better.
Q: Mac, with the results being what they are and you finishing two straight weeks ending the game on the bench, do you start to feel like you're playing to keep your job?
MJ: Like I said earlier, just trying to do better as an offense. You know, we didn't score any points. So that's the important part, is scoring points and executing your job. And I try to just execute my job.
Q: Mac, do you feel sped up or focused on the rush a little bit more than usual than the last couple games?
MJ: I don't know, I'll have to watch the film. But, I mean, it's the NFL. They got good defensive linemen that are coming every play and they're trying to hit the quarterback. So I've got to do a better job. But as an offense, just got to, you know, rethink things and really just focus on what we control and that's scoring more points.
Q: Mac, you guys have had slow starts really all year. What can you put your finger on offensively that has help lead to some of those slow starts?
MJ: Really, just not being ready to go, I guess. I mean, as an offense, you want to go out there, you've practiced all week and you feel confident so definitely want to get improvement on that. And not any of these games are not starting off very hot, so we've just got to improve.
Q: Mac, obviously, the crowd got on you guys today. Is it difficult to stay focused and execute when that's going on?
MJ: Not really. I think, obviously, it wasn't very good and everyone's frustrated and we have to do things differently and better to put out a better product, really. So everyone's frustrated. Of course, we're frustrated. And at the end of the day, you just have to turn that into action. So got to work hard and try and fix this.
CENTER DAVID ANDREWS
Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 8, 2023
(On what unfolded)
"Yeah, I don't know. I mean, it wasn't good enough. Turnovers and kind of the same old story."
(On moving forward to turn things around)
"I think you've got to go back to – starting over, right? Go back to the fundamentals and keep it in the simplest form. It's tough. We put a lot into it each week, and to go out there and not put your best foot forward on Sunday is tough. We've got to come in and get back to work. That's really all I know to do. We can't lay down, can't quit. It's a long year. We're going to come back in and go back to work. That's all I know to do."
(On Riley Reiff coming back)
"I appreciate Riley's effort getting back out there. We've just got to find some continuity. Moving people around, we've really just got to get a set group, work together and play. But I appreciate his effort and his toughness coming back from his injury."
(On if there was a message in the locker room)
"Look, I think the biggest thing is, let's just start over. Come back to work. Like I said, I don't know anything else to do but come back to work, work hard, push, pry and do everything I can to try to put our best performance out there Sunday. That's what I'm going to try to do this week, and I think we've got a lot of people in the locker room that are going to try to do that."
(On his level of concern with repeated mistakes)
"Look, like I said, there's nothing I can do standing up here to change what happened out there today. I had my chance; we had our chance. The only opportunity we've got now is tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday to try to correct it, go out there Sunday and like I said, put our best foot forward, put our best game out there this Sunday."
(On belief in Mac Jones)
"I've got belief in everybody. I've got belief that if they're on this football team, they're here for a reason, right? Including myself, including everybody in that locker room, right? We're all here for a reason; we're all here for a purpose. We've just got to go out there and do a better job as a football team overall. We've got to do a better job helping him. Everybody has got to do a better job."
TIGHT END HUNTER HENRY
Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 8, 2023
(On how he would describe the game)
"Just not good enough. I can talk about our side of the ball – we had three turnovers again, one of them to score, two of them were basically scores, putting them in the red zone. Can't play like that. It's just not good enough, not good enough at all."
(On where the team goes from here)
"Just go back to work, man. That's really what it's all about. It's just not good enough at any level. It's not how we want to play football, it's not how we want to do things. So we've just got to be better. I don't know if I have all the answers for you right now, to be honest with you, but we have to find those answers very, very fast."
(On if the team needs to do something different in the way they're working or what they're working on to have the result be different)
"I don't know the perfect answer for that. Personally, for me, I'm just going to strive to be the best leader, best player – I need to be better for the team and I'm kind of looking at myself in the mirror and I think every guy in that locker room will continue to do that. I don't know if different work or whatever it is, but I mean, obviously something needs to be different. We've got to do things a little differently and that starts on our side of the ball. We've got to do a lot more and be more successful."
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN DEATRICH WISE
Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 8, 2023
(On what the message is to the locker room)
"As hard as it may be, we have to keep moving forward. We have to put this behind us, learn from it, correct the mistakes that we made out there. Keep moving forward, keep everybody's heads in it and remind everybody that we're still a family and we have a long season to go."
(On what gives him confidence the team will turn it around)
"We're still a great team. We just have got to keep working on a few small things. I know I keep saying that, but I believe in our team. I believe in our offense. I believe in our defense and our special teams. We have a lot of great guys who are mentally strong and motivated to keep improving."
(On getting behind early)
"That's something I have to look on film to see where it's at, honestly. Our mindset on starting games is starting fast. I speak for myself and the people on the defense, and our job is to create three-and-outs, start fast and finish strong. That's what we aim for every game."
PLAYERS IN THE LOCKER ROOM
J.C. Jackson, CB
(On being back in New England)
"It feels like home. Feels like home. Familiar faces. Just feels like home. Good to be home, I feel appreciated here. I'm excited to be back."
(On playing this week after coming in so abruptly)
"It was an easy stretch. Like I've said, I've played here before and kind of know what's going on. I played a little bit today and I feel good."
(On how much of a whirlwind this week was for him)
"It happened so fast, the trade and everything. I didn't know it until the day before. I landed in Foxborough and got here ready to work."
(On his reaction to the trade)
"I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. But I was happy and that's the key. You want to be happy. You want to be happy with what you're doing, and this place has my heart."
(On the process of reacclimating to New England)
"It's nothing, it's easy. It's like a second nature. Get out there and do what I love to do and this is my defense. This is the defense that I started with and made me who I am. So coming back here is just going back and I'm back. I'm back."
(On how the game today went)
"We lost. Just got to step back and get ready for next week. I mean that was a tough loss, I've never lost like that here but we want to get back to work."
Bailey Zappe, QB
(On coming into the game in the second half)
"Yeah, just trying to do my job. Complete footballs, seeing coverages, making my reads. I missed a few throws, so going into this week – I missed Hunter [Henry] and KB [Kendrick Bourne], so that's something I'll do extra this week, trying to get with those guys and try to get on the same page with them. It all comes down to trying to execute."
(On being ready to play)
"In the name of my position, number two, you always have to be ready, no matter what. It could be the first play of the game, it could be the last play of the game. I'm always ready, I'm the two, so that's my mindset."
(On the offensive struggles)
"We'll get back and look at the film from this week, but ball security is something that we preach here 24/7. That's the number one thing, so I think that is the biggest thing that once we look back at the last five weeks, look back at this game, and getting back here tomorrow the coaches will talk about ball security."
Ezekiel Elliot, RB
(On where things went wrong this afternoon)
"I think number one, just not taking care of the football. It's tough to win a football game with three turnovers."
(On having the confidence that they can turn things around)
"Just the men in this locker room, we have a bunch of good dudes who are coming to work and doing everything they can to help fix this thing so just getting back to work, coming together and not dividing. That will be the biggest thing, just coming together to support each other and continue to get to work."
(On what the offense needs to change)
"I think we need to take care of the football, that's what we need to change. It's hard to go out there and win with three turnovers, so let's take care of the football and see where it takes us."
Kendrick Bourne, WR
(On how the team can respond)
"Just keep working hard. Go back to our working habits. Work, it's all about hard work. We have got to work harder in practice, we have to try harder and just do better individually, personally, and as a group."
(On what issues he sees with the offense)
"Just not executing, like I'm saying. We are not making plays, we are not making the plays that need to be made. We have got to get first downs, move the ball downfield, and just finish drives."
(On if he has faith in the plays they missed)
"Yeah I do, I feel like the plays were there, we have just got to make them. Sometimes we have got to make harder catches or whatever it may be but I feel like the plays were there. A lot of them showed their self and we have just got to finish and as athletes we have to make the play better."
(On what the offense can do to help Mac Jones)
"Just making the hard catches, making the tight window catches and stuff like that. And just supporting him, working hard at practice. Just putting in work every day."
