2009 Divisional Playoffs Jets At Chargers Photos
Transcripts of coach and player interviews in the Jets and Chargers locker rooms and interview rooms following the Jets' 17-14 victory at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday:
NEW YORK JETS
HEAD COACH REX RYAN
If that wasn't a New York Jets win right there. We looked ugly there for a while. We took their best shots and we were hanging in there. We say that the fourth quarter is like a championship round. Our guys really stood up. We need that first down by our offense. Great job, man. We came down to it. That's a heck of a football team over there. We knew it was going to be an all-day event, that's for sure. We're just fortunate to come out on top and we'll see what happens in the matchup that probably nobody wanted, but too bad. Here we come.
On the defensive game plan to shut down the Chargers' high-powered offense...
Just play like Jets. That's a heck of an offense over there. It was tough sledding, there's no question. I apologize to our fans for going too soft at the end of the game there, but shoot, we were trying to play to that clock a little bit and allowing them to go down there. But they made the plays on us. That's a type of game where you really have to hold your breath. It's one of those things where they have so many weapons over there and our guys did a tremendous job. We knew it was going to be a great challenge and, again, our guys stood up and were up to the task.
On if he's surprised the Jets are one step away from the Super Bowl...
No, not really. We believed the whole time, the whole year, when probably it wasn't the popular choice, the popular opinion. But here we are. We don't have to apologize to anybody. It's just old-fashioned ground-and-pound football and throw completions and play great defense and here we are.
On adjustments made to take away the Chargers' deep pass...
We made a couple of adjustments. We swapped out some personnel and changed a couple of blitzes and things like that. It's such a great football team over there and Norv Turner does a heck of a job. We knew it wasn't going to be easy and that is one heck of a football team there. Some of the adjustments we made, Mike Pettine and Dennis Thurman and Bob Sutton and all the coaches over there did a great job, came together and made a couple of adjustments that worked for us.
On what he thought of the Chargers' onside kick...
I'm happy that we have Kerry Rhodes on our side.
On what he thinks the Colts are thinking right now...
I don't know. They just know that we're going to come in there. It's a football team and we expect to win. They know we're a good team and all that kind of stuff. Do we know they're a great team? Of course. There's no question. I don't know if Santa Claus is going to be that good to me again. I will say it, I'd like to see Peyton Manning not play this week.
On Nate Kaeding, the most accurate kicker in the NFL this season, missing three field goals...
It's the playoffs. Anything can happen.
On the turning point in the game...
Right after we made that first down there with 30 seconds left. That was the only time I felt comfortable.
On what the conversation was like with Brian Schottenheimer and Mark Sanchez before the last drive...
It was just basically "Hey, let's be true to ourselves." They know what we're going to run, but let's put TJ [Thomas Jones] back there and do our thing that we've done all year and that's run that power. We knew they'd expect it but I also felt great with TJ running the football behind [Alan] Faneca pulling and it was just a well-executed play. Our guys believe in that philosophy and no way we weren't going to run our bread and butter there.
On if there's a different strategy used during the game with Darrelle Revis...
I never felt that they had a go-to receiver. They've got both who are very talented guys and things like that. We never really thought there was that big of a difference. We still gave him the tough down every time. We were playing a lot of man coverage on his side regardless of who the receiver was. And on the other side we were running some loaded zones and mixes and things like that. He still had the tough down.
On feeling anything go out of the Chargers when Rhodes hit Philip Rivers...
Sometimes when you hit the quarterback the whole team feels it.
On if he felt the Jets were in good shape down only 7-0 at halftime...
Yeah, I did, because I think that they had clearly outplayed us in the first half. Again, that's a great football team, but this was the old 15-round fight. That's exactly what this game was. We knew it was going to be tough. I felt great coming out of halftime. We felt that if we just stuck to our plan that we'd be just fine.
On what the Jets did to defend against Darren Sproles...
We did some different things on Sproles. We go with what we call "one and a half;" have one guy on him and a half a guy spying him. That's basically what happened.
On what he takes from this game to Indianapolis...
I think it was a heck of a game for a half and a little bit of change. We know that they're extremely talented, there's no question about it. It's going to take our best effort and we'll see if that's good enough.
On if he likes the fact that the Jets get to play the Colts next...
To be honest with you, I wanted to play the Ravens because it would have been at home and I know a lot of guys over there.
On if he feels better this year going into the AFC Championship Game with a rookie QB than he and the Ravens did last year going against the Steelers...
I feel equally as good in both situations. We felt we had a lot of confidence going into that game last year with the Ravens, but we got outplayed by the Steelers. This time we're going into Indy. We know they're an unbelievable football team and we'll see. We're going to play our best and they're going to play their best and we'll see what happens.
On what he thought of Sanchez's play vs. San Diego...
I thought he had a heck of a game. You judge quarterbacks on wins and losses most of the time. For him, we know he's a rookie quarterback and all of that, but we look at him now as he's not a rookie anymore. This is postseason action and he's just our quarterback. He made some big-time throws in there. I think we moved the ball well, especially in that second half.
On Greene and the running game...
That's a big rascal right there. Once he starts getting to that second level, it's a long day. He just kept pounding it in there and the same thing with TJ. We kind of fed that hot hand there with Shonn and he was able to bust a long one. That just shows the confidence we have with both backs that with the game on the line, we went with Thomas Jones.
QB MARK SANCHEZ
On what it means to him to win in Southern California...
It means the world to our team. It wasn't about me coming to San Diego; it was about the Jets coming to San Diego. It was our offensive line just grinding it out, running back Shonn Greene stepping out and running back Thomas Jones getting that crucial first down at the end. The defense, I mean, we leaned on them heavy all year and they didn't disappoint. We made some amazing plays. Darrelle Revis, Kerry Rhodes making some big hits, Bryan Thomas and all these guys. An unbelievable effort by our team. Great game plan and hats off to San Diego for their best efforts. It was a great way to win for us.
On if he got a game ball...
No, I just grabbed it after. I didn't really ask too many questions.
On if it's hard to believe he's one win away from the Super Bowl in his rookie year...
No. We don't think about it like that. We just take in each moment and prepare like crazy and that's what we've done well these past few games; really prepare and study that game plan, believe in it, trust in it. Once we get on the field we just let our preparation set us free and go for it.
On his emotions after throwing his interception...
That one looked like it was going to be costly for us because you turn the ball over to a team like that — same way with Indianapolis, turn the ball over against Indy — those guys can get down and score in a heartbeat. You never want to let one get away like that. It was a poor decision and it should have been picked by the first guy. It was just bad all the way around. But in games like this you've got to level yourself. You've got to understand there are going to be mistakes. You never want to make mistakes, but they will happen. We need to bounce back and all the guys on offense just told me to keep playing and to not even sweat it.
On his emotions after throwing his 2-yard TD pass...
We come back, we're in our third-down situation on the ground and you want it to be a situation where if the ball does get pushed in the end you've got to make sure it's our guy or nobody. The route we had, Dustin Keller just improvised a little bit and I felt exactly what he was doing. We were just on the same page. It makes a heck of a catch because I put it real low and hot — that ball was coming. So it was great on Dustin's part to improvise and make a play.
On if Keller was the receiver he was looking for in the end zone...
There were two or three guys I was trying to find. They played it well. Hats off to them, they played it really well. You can't cover instincts like that. You can't cover a guy with great hands like that and a playmaker who knows when he needs to get the ball.
On playing Peyton Manning...
It's another big-time matchup for us and once you make it this far you play with great quarterbacks. Great quarterbacks have led their teams this far so it's going to be huge for us playing against Carson [Palmer] and Philip Rivers and now Peyton Manning again. Our defense doesn't take it lightly. They are real sharp and very accurate and we can obviously change the course of the game so it's going to be a great challenge.
On his personal challenge...
I don't think of it as a 1-on-1 match. I'm playing against the Colts defense. I'm not playing with Peyton Manning. Our defense is. I'm not comparing stats in the game. That's not what I'm all about. That's not what this team is about. We want to win the game. That's the most important stat.
On if it's hard to believe how close he is to the Super Bowl...
You know, I try not to think about it like that. Just roll; just keep going and keep playing. Don't change a thing. I'm definitely not shaving. I'll do the same stuff and go to the same places to eat and study like crazy.
On how much Rex Ryan has helped him maintain that mentality and composure...
He doesn't hide anything from me. He lets you know these are big-time games and that we're going to need to step up and play well, we're going to need you to make the right decisions. I think if he were to hide it or sugarcoat it at all, maybe it would just distract my focus or make me think the game is going to be too easy. He lets you know it's going to be hard, it's going to be difficult. Just rely on the guys around you. You don't have to do it yourself. You don't have to make anything up. Just trust in what you've got.
On his emotions after Greene's TD run...
We were waiting for a run. There were a couple of holes where we were a shoestring tackle away, an arm-lunge grab and a tackle away from breaking one like that and we could just kind of feel it. Shonn did it right there. And it was great, I mean great push up front. And that's our kind of game. Running it like that. Knowing we were going to get the first down on fourth-and-1. That was everybody up front. Our running game.
On his journey...
It's special, I know that. I'm counting my blessings and am so thankful for the guys around me and being drafted by the Jets. Them trading up seems like a lifetime ago. I was here last year for this game, watching this game between Manning and Philip Rivers. I saw the Chargers win in overtime. I was sitting way at the top, right near the scoreboard. It's a really special feeling. To be here now, to win this game is an amazing ride. You can't do it alone. It's a strong family and a great organization.
On the huddle conversation during the timeout before Jones' fourth-and-1 conversion...
I mean, we knew what the play was. We had no doubt.
On what the play was...
That's our play. That's all you need to know. We knew exactly what to call. Coach Schottenheimer mentioned it early. Earlier in the week he said that if we ever get in a situation where we need to play we know what to call.
RB SHONN GREENE
On how it feels to be one win from going to the Super Bowl...
It's a great feeling. Our team has been through so much this season. We stuck together. Nobody believed in us. But we got the job done.
On his 53-yard touchdown run...
The linebackers played it well. I just went through the hole. Once I got through the secondary and the safety was there, I just broke the tackle and just went to the end zone.
On his back-to-back 100 yard rushing games as a rookie in the playoffs...
It was a team effort, though. We all believe in each other and we all work hard. Special teams, offense, defense. The coaching staff does a good job of setting us up to win.
On how cool it is to be a part of this...
It's very cool. It's exciting. Like I said, as much as this team has been through throughout the season, we deserve it.
T DAMIEN WOODY
On being more physical...
Those guys play tough, I can tell you that right now. We knew it was going to be an uphill battle in the run game, but it's like anything. We're committed to the run game so we're going to run the ball in the first quarter and the fourth quarter and all the way through. And it's not about how you start, it's about how you finish. And we just kept pounding and at some point something is going to break. That's what we always hope on the sideline.
On if the Jets' relentless ground game was just wearing the Chargers down...
I've got to give those guys a lot of credit. Those guys were playing the run tough. They were really playing the run tough. Like I said, we're persistent in the run game. We're going to keep running the ball from the beginning of the game to the end. And it's wearing on people. There's only so much you can take in the running game.
S KERRY RHODES
On the defense in the third quarter:
Since the beginning of the game we played more zone and they started getting more open routes and started getting completions. We don't do that. So we got back to what we did in the second quarter. From the second quarter on, we started playing more man. And we played man-on-man.
On the impact that has on opposing offenses...
When you play man-to-man and you get up in their face, that takes away from their timing. In zone, they are running around and getting free. And Gates made some catches. But after they started making catches, Coach put me on the man-on-man, and he probably only had one catch after. After that, we played well.
CB DARRELLE REVIS
On how he made the interception on the ball that bounced off of WR Vincent Jackson...
Oh, man, it was crazy. I saw the ball thrown up and I tried to make a play. And I saw Vincent try to cut in front of me to make the play. And I grabbed his hand a little bit so he couldn't catch it. And as I'm going down I see the ball hit his foot and then it was in arm's reach. And I decided to grab it.
On how the Jets are going into the AFC Championship Game...
You just have to fight adversity. We have a lot of doubters and a lot of people say "same old Jets." And I think we are getting out of that hole right now by just being in the playoffs this year. And we want to build off this. That's all we want to do. And just try to be a playoff-contending team every year.
On what changed from the first half to the second half...
We made a bunch of adjustments at halftime. We got a little more aggressive by playing a little more man coverage. First half we had a game plan on them to play a little zone and they tore us apart a little bit. Second half I said, "We need to play some man. We need to play some man coverage." We told Coach and we started playing some Cover-1 and Cover-Zero.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
HEAD COACH NORV TURNER
You know, you do everything this team has done to get to this point and you know it's well-documented the number of guys who have contributed to the team, the things that we had to do to get to this point. And then you get in this game, what you like to have happen is to play your best game. You like to be playing your best game in January in games like this. Certainly, we weren't, for whatever reasons. We did not do that today, the things that we've done that have given us a chance to win the games in the end.
First of all, we've been one of the least penalized teams in the league and obviously we had numerous penalties that slowed us down and a couple of penalties that took away chances to get way down in there, particularly on the Vincent Jackson play all the way down in there. We obviously didn't play our best game. It's disappointing.
On how much the Jets dictated how they want to play...
The Jets are a good team. They're first in the league in third-down defense and they're going to create some different looks. But those are not things we've done with a couple of the times we're trying to get the right protection and have had false starts. As I said, the Vincent Jackson play, we haven't made those kinds of mistakes. I don't know if that's based on what the Jets did or we had a critical error there.
On if nerves factored into this game...
Well, you're excited to play and our guys were anxious and excited, but I don't think nerves are what that is. We've talked a lot in the past, to win these types of games, you have to do what you have to do. You can't try to do more than what you do. We had two or three balls that I thought could've been caught and guys are trying to run before they caught it. Those types of plays, you have to maintain the discipline.
On how he explains the uncharacteristic personal fouls...
No question. That's how I describe it: uncharacteristic. Obviously, it's disappointing.
On how much of it was the pass defense and how much the rush defense...
The passing game I don't think was an issue. They're very good up front. They did a good job against us. We weren't able to get anything going in the running game. That's what ultimately makes it difficult and we missed opportunities obviously as we know. We missed a couple of field goals we normally make, and a couple of times down in there we had penalties that took us out.
On if he's talked with K Nate Kaeding...
I talked to him on the sideline.
On the effect of Kaeding's three missed FGs on the outcome...
I'm not going to put it all on Nate. We've had a lot of guys that have had career years that have plays that they would like to have the outcome different.
On if he's ever been a part of a team that played so well for so long and then it all comes crashing down...
I don't think it all came crashing down. Again, these games, as I said during the week, everyone wants to know there are eight teams in it and they're all good football teams. These games come down to a few plays and there's some great effort out there. Defensively, I thought we did an awful lot of good things. We made mistakes that we normally don't and we didn't do enough good things.
On if that could have been from frustration...
As the game went on, I don't know that you can answer that question or analyze that or express what caused that. It happened.
On Philip Rivers' second interception...
He was throwing the ball to Vincent. We put Vincent in motion to get the press off and obviously we're backed up and trying to get out of there. He said when he threw the ball he thought he had a chance and I think it just got a little away from him. Vincent was a little tighter than he expected.
On if he thought he stayed with the run too long...
No, I don't, because that's the type of game. No, I don't. It was a three-point game and we were ahead. There were things we like with an offensive line. With this group, if you turn it into just a pass every down, it gets tough. There's a good period of time where we were ahead in the game and there's a couple of drives where you look at it and you say maybe we should've taken a shot with a run there and given ourselves a chance.
On the Sproles package working so well in the fourth quarter...
It's the same thing we all know. It's a 10-point game and it's a totally different defense. That's part of the deal. It gives you chance to get back in it.
On why he decided to go with an onside kick before the two-minute warning...
That's the one you have to make a call on and that's always a tough call. We've been successful. We got a very good kick. We've got big tall guys that have a chance to get it. Either way we were going to have to stop them. Obviously, if we kick it deep they have three downs to get it. If you kick it deep, their play selection might be a little different.
On thinking of going for the touchdown first and the field goal second being down 10 in the fourth quarter...
Well, we were there and three gives you a chance. As I've said about Nate many times, we get in that range and I expect him to make the kick. He expects to, too.
On how pleased he was with his defense...
We played hard. We did some great things in terms of defending them.
On if he wouldn't have expected the mental breakdowns by his players...
No question because when you go through a season and as I said you're in the top five in fewest penalties, you're in the top five in fewest penalty yards, that's one of the things we know got us to this point. That's something we don't take lightly. We expressed and talked about it a great deal this week, understanding the things that gave us a chance to win those close games we were in and obviously some other games that weren't so close.
On what happened early in the game with calling two timeouts...
We had two things where one of them we had a headset malfunction and the play got in there late and it was confusing. It was a third down and instead of trying to get halfway into a protection, we thought that would help us get it. The second time we sent in the wrong formation.
On if he feels especially disappointed for a player such as LaDainian Tomlinson...
I think we know how I feel and you feel about LT. It's difficult for everyone in that locker room, but I know how he looked forward to this opportunity. It's real hard.
QB PHILIP RIVERS
On why it seemed that everything that could go wrong did go wrong...
You want to play your best game when you get to this point and we obviously didn't do it. It's disappointing because you want to make enough plays and play well enough to win the game. We fell three points short but fought like crazy to try to overcome some of those mistakes, but we just didn't get it done.
On if the Chargers lost sharpness over the bye week...
That's what everyone is going to say because it's the easy thing to write about but we just didn't play well enough to win. They outplayed us.
On why they didn't pick up the Jets' blitzers off the Chargers' right side...
Sometimes they bring more than you have. You can't block them all. They're bringing more guys than you have to block. Protection-wise, we did a great job picking up the blitz. When they're bringing more than you have, you have to throw it hot. I thought we made some of those adjustments pretty well and the one I can remember was the sack fumble and we regained possession.
On if he was going for Vincent Jackson on Jim Leonhard's interception...
Yes, he was coming in on a dig and I just threw it a little too soon and brought him in a little too far. It was just not a smart play.
On if he thinks this game was uncharacteristic of his team...
Well, there's no doubt. We did some things we haven't done in these last 11 games. Some things we did do in these last 11 but we were able to overcome them. When you're able to overcome them, people forget about them and when you can't, they cost you a playoff game. It's unfortunate.
On if the penalties were disappointing...
It is disappointing that we had that many penalties. Some of them were unsportsmanlike and some other different things like delays and false starts. I think it was 10 or even more than that so it certainly wasn't the football we played when we won 11 in a row.
On if he thought the unsportsmanlike-conduct call was out of frustration...
I don't know. It really doesn't matter why it happened. It happened. That ended up not hurting us, really.
On if he thought the Darrelle Revis interception was an incomplete pass...
I thought it hit the ground. If they get an interception, then I'll take it. It is my fault but that's just an unlucky deal. Vincent almost makes a great catch and it bounces off his leg and pops up in their hands. I thought I saw an incomplete sign. The ball was 100 percent intercepted. I was hoping if it at least got called incomplete you could use a challenge. That was more heat of the moment and hoping it wasn't true, but it was.
On if the Jets get credit for some of the Chargers' "uncharacteristic behavior"...
Whoever you're playing deserves the credit. They won the football game. We didn't play as good as we could have or have in the past. I think the reasons why don't really change the outcome. We just didn't get it done.
On how difficult the Jets' defense was compared to other defenses he's gone up against...
I think they are a good defense. You can't take that away from them. They only gave up an average of 14.8 points during the year. We beat their average, we moved the ball and challenged them in ways they haven't been before, but we just didn't turn those into points. We got down in there early but didn't get points. We had a play in the third quarter after [Quentin] Jammer's interception that took us down to the 15 but had a penalty. We had some others things that kept us out of the end zone but we did some things offensively yardage-wise, but who cares about yards if you don't have more points at the end than the other team?
On if their defense confused him...
No.
On if the outcome of this game wiped away the season...
There's only one team happy at the end. Unless you win it all, it eventually ends like this, either this week or next week or at the Super Bowl. Obviously you want to be the team standing at the top, but for 31 teams it ends like this. Some get further than others, but the feeling of the loss, defeat and disappointment is the same for all 31 of us. We prepared the right way, practiced the right way but just didn't make enough plays to win the game.
RB LaDAINIAN TOMLINSON
On how tough it was to run against the Jets...
Their defense was perfect. They were the No. 1 defense for a reason and they proved it today.
On if he could have imagined all the things that went wrong in one game...
Of course not. We haven't played like this all year. Penalties and stuff, that is uncharacteristic of this team. We did it today. You can say maybe it's a case of their defense getting us out of rhythm and having us press a little bit. Credit goes to them.
On how good their defense was...
It was the best defense I've played this year, no question. Run, pass and they are really prepared. Hats off to them.
On being motivated to return next season to try to earn a Super Bowl ring...
I can't even think about that right now. It's very disappointing to think about the future.
On if he wants to come back...
I can't tell you that right now.
On if he thinks he played his last game with the Chargers...
I don't know. I'm not sure. I've heard all the speculation. But, I'll tell you what, I've had a heck of a time here and if it is, I've enjoyed the ride.
On if he knows if this is his last year...
I don't know. Obviously I have a couple years left on my contract but it's a year-to-year league. No one knows what will happen.
On how disappointing it is for him to lose his first playoff game this year...
You can't explain it because of the disappointment. You had it all thought out on how it was supposed to go and this was the best shot we had. To lose this game today, I'm at a loss for words. Of course no one expected to lose tonight.
On if there was a sense as the game went on that it wasn't going the way the Chargers wanted...
No I don't think so. We always felt like we were going to get it going and they weren't going to be able to stop us the whole the game and at some we point we were going to put the ball in the end zone.
On if the Chargers underestimated the Jets...
No, not at all. There is no such thing as underestimating somebody at this point. If someone makes it to this position in the playoffs, you can't underestimate them. Like I said earlier, they had the winning formula to be here.
K NATE KAEDING
On getting through a tough game after missing three field goals...
One of these rested on my shoulders before. Professionally, it's a tough thing to get through but I never feel sorry for myself. I feel sorry for my teammates, my coaches and the support staff for letting them down. It's going to be a tough few months but I have to get through it. If you relish the good parts of it, you have got to be able to work through the bad part as well. I've been through it before. It's a tough night, obviously, and we'll let this rest and pick up the pieces.
On what happened on the three missed field goals...
I didn't kick it between the uprights.
On how he felt coming into the game...
I felt great coming in and obviously I've been kicking the ball great coming in. It was just one of those things where I put some bad swings on it and the ball didn't go in.
On the ups and downs of his career...
It's tough. It is obviously not enjoyable. The other side of it definitely beats this side of it but like I said, if you play this game and you can only accept when things go well, then you're in the wrong business. Especially in my position because you're going to miss some and unfortunately some days like this will come and my really bad days have been untimely ones. It's tough to deal with but you have got to deal with it. It's part of the deal.
TE ANTONIO GATES
On how he is feeling right now...
Disappointed, frustrated at this point just knowing that there were a lot of things that we did to ourselves. We had a lot of penalties, which is uncharacteristic of the San Diego Chargers.
On the Chargers in the second half not seeming like the same team they had been over the previous 11 games...
When you are playing this kind of game, it's amazing how penalties can change field position and can mean so much in a game like this. Obviously, it meant a world of difference in this game. They continued to stick with their game plan. They bust up a long run and you look up and we were trailing. That's just how easy this game can turn around.
On whether the Jets beat the Chargers or the Chargers beat themselves...
To a certain extent, there were some things that were just uncharacteristic of the Chargers, all of the penalties and we had delay-of-games. To me, we had more penalties and unsportsmanlike-conducts in this game than we had since I can remember. That's why it's just important to come out and play your best football around this time of the year.
On how good the Jets defense is...
They play hard, they make plays, but with all due respect, we just weren't playing up to our standards. We made some plays offensively but the key to me was just the penalties — they were killing us. We turned the ball over and that just was uncharacteristic of us offensively. It just hurt us.
On if any of the Jets defensive looks confused the offense...
They do a lot of different things defensively. You look up and there are two down linemen and nine guys walking around. They are a tremendous team, they play hard on both sides of the ball, but make no mistake about it, this was just about the San Diego Chargers. We lost by three points and there were some things that were just … I mean, I dropped some passes. It wasn't the team I've been around for the last 11 weeks. With that being said, we fought hard and we went out and did what we could do and our guys played their hearts out.
LB SHAWNE MERRIMAN
On if he was surprised at the number of penalties...
Yes, that was very uncharacteristic of us. Why today? I don't know, but you can't win like that at all, you can't win. We can't expect to win a game in the playoffs with that many penalties. It's just not us.
On the shock of going from the high the Chargers were on before this game to where they are now...
It's not a good feeling. I'll tell you that much, especially when you come so far and you've done all the right things to get in the position that we were in, and to fall like this is a horrible feeling. Horrible.
On if the Jets' running game took a toll at the end of the game...
I don't think so. I think we had a wrap on them for most of the game. But when you keep giving them back the ball and keep giving them opportunities, there's a reason why they're in the playoffs. They are going to finally score and we missed some field goals and if you do uncharacteristic things like that, you have to expect to lose. It's a terrible feeling.
DE LUIS CASTILLO
On what he can say about the loss...
The one thing we can say is that everybody is going to be looking for someone to blame. We'll have nine months for every individual to find a way to point to themselves and to find a way, one of these years, to get past one of these games.
On what happened to the maturity of the team over the bye week...
You always play as a team. When you are at this point, at this level of the season, you're not playing a bad team and sometimes it's a matter of who can go out there and have things go their way and we just didn't today.
On the long touchdown run given up by the defense and what happened on that play...
I don't know what happened. It was most likely a missed fit, a mental mistake. To give up that type of a play, it's not usually something where everybody was where they were supposed to be and they just got blocked. It's usually a mental mistake and look, if it was, it's still on the other 10 guys on the field to find a way to get it corrected because in this league everyone gets beat every now and then. We all have to rally. We have to find a way to play together and it's not on just one guy.
