Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork, Devin McCourty React To New England Patriots’ Blowout Loss

Sep 29, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) motions on the line during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

A few New England Patriots’ players spoke about the team’s loss shortly after the game ended on Monday.

Here is the official transcript: (And Brady’s)

Tom Brady

Q: How do you recover from a game like this?

TB: We’ll learn from it, it was a bad performance all around. We all have to figure out ways to do better and make sure it never happens again. We couldn’t get started, turned the ball over in the third quarter. We have to get ahead of these teams and play from ahead. You can’t get behind good teams on the road, they have a lot of energy and we can’t afford to do that.

Q: How did you handle the news of coming out of the game?

TB: They told me I was coming out, so.

Q: I know it’s a grind for you right now, on both sides of the ball. How quick can you throw this type of game behind you as opposed to losing in the final seconds?

TB: Quick. Ultimately it’s going to count the same in the end, counts as a loss, so as quick as you can. Like I said we were down 17 to zero and had to come out and get a spark in the third quarter and didn’t do that. We started too slow in the first half. Guys who had the opportunity to make a play, have to make them. We have to do more on first downs and convert on third downs or we’re not going to score any points.

Q: So you guys were struggling to make first downs even, do you need more of what you got from Brandon LaFell tonight?

TB: Yeah that was a great catch and run by him. I think he always does a good job of that. Those slants are things we are still learning but he did a great job tonight, it’s good to be in the huddle with him. When we are down like that you want to be able to look across the huddle and know that your guys are going to fight to the end, and he’s that guy.

Q: Is there one thing that you can say you need to work on going forward?

TB: There’s not much that we are doing well enough on a consistent basis to score points. So, I would say run game, pass game, convert on third down, red area, it’s all a problem. I wish there was an easy answer; we just have to fight our way through it and see what kind of team we have. There are not going to be any easy games for us, we have a good team coming up this and so we have to play our best game yet.

Q: What went through your mind when Jimmy [Garoppolo] went in, I noticed you were sitting by yourself on the bench?

TB: It’s just a disappointing night. You never expect these things. We’ve been on the other end of it a few times. It’s a tough loss, but I know we are not going to quit. There is not a guy in that locker room that is going to quit, and we work on the things we think we need to work on. We all feel like we have a good football team we just didn’t play well tonight. We’ll see what we’re made of this week.

Q: There are a lot of changes to the offensive line, and tonight it was almost every series. Have you ever experienced that and how does it affect things?

TB: I think we all are trying to do a better job. I don’t think it’s just one position, it is all positions. A lot of guys rotating trying to find combos that work in every position and at the end the guy who makes the most plays and is the most consistent is going to be out there.

Q: Is it a concern that you got beat physically on both sides of the ball?

TB: That’s part of it. Certainly running the ball and stopping the run is important to the physical toughness of the team. You just lose control of the game, and it became one dimensional like it did in the third quarter. We didn’t do much offensively. I wouldn’t say we’ve had the most productive four games, but hopefully we can learn from it, understand the things we are doing wrong and improve on them.

Q: Do you think you need outside help?

TB: I think those guys are playing really hard, working hard every day in practice but that’s not my decision. I have a lot of confidence in the guys that are out there. Like I said it’s all of us, it’s not just one position. The play makers and the skill guys all have to make plays that’s what’s going to help.

Q: Was it shocking to you the way this game ended?

TB: We can’t afford to not be productive, not convert third downs. We got behind on the road to a team that has good pass rushers, that’s what they did to Miami last week and that’s what Miami did to us in Week One. We have to do a better job of playing from ahead and have better mental toughness when playing from behind. We have to make plays that put us in better place to score. There are a lot of things we learned tonight, but we have to move on.

Q: How do you make sure this doesn’t shock the confidence of some of the younger guys?

TB: If you play poorly you are not going to win many games, especially on the road against good teams. I think we just have to find a way to play better. That’s what we learned tonight. I’m not worried about confidence going up or down. There is going to be a lot of negativity, it’s the National Football League, but we have a lot of character in our locker room and our guys are going to work hard for each other.

Q: After a loss like tonight how excited are you as a player to get back out there?

TB: We have no choice, that’s what we are faced with. We would just like to go out and do a better job than tonight. We are going to need to do a lot better job with the next team we are playing, hopefully find some type of silver lining.

Q: With all the movement out there do you get any input on who you would like to see out there, and if not would you like some?

TB: Those guys do a good job of coaching. I have conversations with everyone, players, coaches; we are all trying to find something that works. Since training camp guys have been fighting hard for spots. It comes down to dependability and consistency; those are things that I have to think about for myself as well. I have to help this team win.

Q: What happened with the interception that was returned for a touchdown?

TB: I threw the ball, and I shouldn’t have.

Q: You talk about consistency but how can you be consistent without being dependable?

TB: Those are the things we are going to work at. Find out what we do well consistently, and so we can all depend on each other to do them consistently. Our guys are out there fighting hard, I know that. When you lose the way you did tonight you know you don’t want to feel that way again, so we’ll use it as motivation to get better.

Q: Have you even faced this much adversity?

TB: It’s football. It’s not easy. The sport challenges you physically and mentally every day. It’s not easy for any team to show up and win games. We are up there with the other teams in our division that probably aren’t happy about where they are at. Now we’ll see what we’re made of, what kind of mental toughness we have because we are the only ones that can do something about it.