HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the game) *Sunday, November 15, 2009 *
"Close games in this league are close games. I think your earn them. They may not always fall the way you want them all nice and pretty and neat with a runaway victory or a clean victory. I don't think that ever happens when you talk about two very talented teams. So things like this happen. They fought. They hung in there and they executed when it was time."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Tom Brady) Sunday, November 15, 2009
"He's a great player and a very talented guy and to get him where he's even with you and Brady is not missing. He puts the ball on the money. Then we had penalties that set us back, dropped passes and things of that nature. So there is a lot for us to work on. It's always great to get a victory when maybe you didn't play as well as you're capable. But you did some things very well so you can certainly focus on those things and try to continue to get some improvement."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Robert Mathis) Sunday, November 15, 2009
"There were some big plays out there that really helped us. We got some turnovers but we weren't able to capitalize on in terms of points. We gave it right back to them in that one situation. Mathis is a guy that week in and week out he helps our team a tremendous amount. Not only in the sacks and productions but also making the tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He strips the ball a lot. He knocks that ball out. I think he and Dwight (Freeney) probably the last four or five years have had more caused fumbles than any other pair in the league. It's something they work at and something that they are good at as well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on being undefeated) Sunday, November 15, 2009
"It certainly feels good. This team has done a great job of fighting to make certain that we haven't lost one. There's been a few that have been awfully tight. So we feel good about where we are right now. But we've got a lot of work to do. Just over the halfway point and we have to keep playing."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on getting our defense back on the field in the 4th and 2 scenario in the 4th quarter) Sunday, November 15, 2009
"Because their punt team was out there. They had started to substitute themselves. They obviously changed their mind and said hey let's go for it in that situation anticipating that thinking they could make it. The officials give you an opportunity to match up when it's that much confusion. So we had an opportunity to get our defense in."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the game) Sunday,
"Obviously, that is not a team that you want to get down to. You certainly know you are going to have to score some points to be able to match their offense. They came out hot and their offense hit some big plays. It took us a little while to kind of catch our rhythm. We kind of hit it in spurts. We thought we had something going, then we had a three and out. We even struggled on third down. Obviously when we needed it in the fourth quarter we had some critical drives. The best thing was we kept making them have to play. I don't think they could ever say it is in the bag, even at 31-14. We kept scoring and making them have to make plays and give our defense a chance to stop them and get us the ball back."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the final drives of the game) Sunday,
"Not really. Not much surprises me with New England. You kind of expect the unexpected. Obviously you prepare to get the ball back and certainly when you see them stop them on third down, you get excited to get the ball. When you see them going for it on fourth down, I can't lie to you, obviously you certainly get a little nervous because you realize you might get a shorter field, but the game might be over. Defense sold out. Thought we blitzed them and pressed them and stopped them short. It really changed our philosophy because certainly when you get it on the 30 or 40 (yard line) you are doing whatever you can to score. And you think it is going to take five, six, seven plays. We certainly felt confident, but you got to the distance. I told the guys in the huddle, obviously we need a touchdown, but lets don't be in a hurry to score. And that is the truth. We ran the clock down. We had a couple of runs there. I was not interested in giving them the ball with 1:20 or 1:30. We ran the clock. Even if the one to Reggie (Wayne) is incomplete we are going to have two more shots and the game is going to be over one way or another. Good time management on our part to take it down to the very last few seconds."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on Reggie Wayne's touchdown catch) Sunday,
"Reggie (Wayne) called the last play. We threw a fade route to him earlier and they defended it well. I was going to throw the fade again, but he wanted the slant. He had been sitting them up. It was kind of crowded in there with the guy covering Dallas (Clark). So you kind of always error extending him up field and he kept fighting through and made a great extended catch. It is hard for me to say it was his best catch ever because he has made so many, but it was timely."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on coming back in the game) Sunday,
"Certainly great team come back win. Everyone had to do their part. Defense had to hold them at the right times. It certainly is as much adversity as we have seen all year. Certainly Miami was a tough scenario. So back and forth and kind of high and low and right when you think you have something they return a punt or (Tom) Brady hits a big play to (Randy) Moss and it kind of deflates you back. We just sort of weathered the storm and knew it would be a sixty minute game and it sure feels good to come out on top."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the late interception) Sunday,
"The interception to Reggie (Wayne) was a miscommunication. Obviously very untimely. My fault, trying to change the route and just didn't get it to Reggie in the right manner. Had a chance to go down there and get a touchdown or a field goal and make it a one score game. Then to give them the ball right back on a turnover. Thank goodness our defense held them to a field goal. That was probably as critical a series as there was. If they get a touchdown there now it is a three score game. They held and got a field goal and went down and had another good drive to get it in the end zone."
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QB-PEYTON MANNING (on extending their lead in the AFC) Sunday,
"It is a huge win. That was really the main reason we wanted to win it. Obviously there is a lot of drama that comes with a big game. The main reason is its an AFC team, certainly a home game. Teams in our division are winning. Tennessee is kind of getting hot. Jacksonville is getting hot. Houston, we certainly know how good of a team they are. That is what we are trying to do, staying ahead of those teams."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on staying calm) Sunday,
"I think our veterans do a good job. Obviously this was a big game and a new game for our young guys. For Kyle DeVan, Pierre (Garcon), Austin (Collie) & Donald (Brown), I think our veterans, Jeff (Saturday), Ryan (Diem), Ryan (Lilja) and of course Reggie (Wayne), Dallas (Clark), Joe (Addai), these guys show good veteran leadership and we hope to make those guys feel somewhat calmer and kind of lean on the veterans. We have been in a lot of these situations. This was a unique game no question about it because it was so kind of up and down throughout the entire game. We have some guys that have been in these tough situations and guys were able to stay calm and do their jobs in high pressure situations."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on what he saw on his game-winning touchdown reception) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"I'd been running pretty much take-offs all game. I thought that would be an ideal time to change it up. We had just thrown a fade earlier on the drive before and it was unsuccessful. I just wanted to do the same thing, but convert the fade into a slant route and it worked for us."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on what the offense said to each other in the huddle with two minutes to go) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"It was perfect. On Thursdays, we have1:30 from the opposite 30, so we usually have to go 70 yards in practice. Whenever we get it on the other 30 it seems like it was a bonus. We were trying to use a little clock, but at the same time score a touchdown. 13 seconds is when we scored and gave them very little time to make something happen."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on if it surprised him that New England went for it on fourth down) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"It does, but it doesn't. Coach (Bill) Belichick has never shied away from confidence. He really feels like his team can get the job done. He made a call and they had to execute it, and our defense did a good job of holding them short and giving us an opportunity to go out there and take a lead. It was one of those games, and we were able to finish on top."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on if winning it this way makes it sweeter) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"However. I really would take it 30-0. However we can it, we'll take it. We just want to do our best and play Colts football. We knew it wasn't going to be easy because they're a real, real good team, as they are every year. We knew they were going to challenge us tonight, and they did. We were able to keep fighting and fighting and fighting and found a way to win."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on if his catch is one of his top-ten plays ever ) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"Moments, probably. I mean it was a big game. As far as catch wise, it was just a routine catch. It was just a slant pass. Peyton did a great job of putting out front. If I want to home smiling, I make that catch. If I want to go home upset, I drop it. The catch it was just routine, but situations and moments, it was up there."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on if the Colts would ever go for it on fourth down like New England did) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"If need be, yes. I don't know (what makes it a need). Just thinking of it, probably not. We probably wouldn't. Like I said, Coach Belichick has never shied away from confidence. He really felt like his team would get the job done. They tried and they were unsuccessful, and we did our job of taking advantage of their mistakes."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on what t) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"You have to take your hats off to them, they're a real good team, but a lot of the mistakes tonight were our own mistakes. We dropped some balls. We had some offsides situations that pushed us from 3rd-and-3 to 3rd-and-8. That's always tough. If we just minimize those mistakes and catch those balls that are thrown to us and keep those drives going, it's probably a different kind of game. We kept putting ourselves in a hole. Defense did a good job of holding them to a field goal after Peyton threw his last interception. It's just one of those games you have to keep fighting and fighting and hope it goes your way."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on him shaking Peyton off on the touchdown reception) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"I actually did. I gave him my C.C. Sabathia shake off. It was initially a fade route. We had just run the fade the last series and it was unsuccessful. I wanted to do the same thing, show fade and just come with the slant and it worked."
OL-JEFF SATURDAY (on the win in general) Sunday,
"I think the one thing it says about our team is that there is no quit in these guys. Guys are going to keep fighting no matter of what it looks like and what the circumstances show. We just kept telling each other on the sideline, 'Just one more. One more stop on defense, one more touchdown on offense. Let's see if we can get back in this thing and make a run.'
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OT-RYAN DIEM (on being down by two scores) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"It's always a tough situation to be down by 17 points. You just have to keep fighting, keep chopping wood, and know that every time you touch the ball you have to make something happen. You have to point some points on the board and hope the defense can slow them down and stop them, and they did a great job getting some huge turnovers."
RB-DONALD BROWN(on being down by two scores) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"We just kept on fighting and kept on going and just stayed the course. Everything turned out alright."
WR-PIERRE GARCON (on what a game like this does) Sunday,
"It makes you feel good, but it lets you know you're not as good as you think you are. You have a lot of work to do. You have to go back to the fundamentals, go back to the basics and get back to the grind."
WR-PIERRE GARCON(on if this game is a lesson that you can never give up) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"It is a lesson. It's a good lesson. You learn from it. You learn from everything, and you keep moving forward and keep working hard."
WR-PIERRE GARCON(on the Colts defense on New England's fourth down attempt) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"I knew they had it. They were doing great all game. They were doing good things. They kept us in the game. They should be awarded a game ball, the whole defense. I knew they were going to stop them."
WR-PIERRE GARCON(on his touchdown reception after earlier drop) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"It was just a basic call. The guy was being overaggressive on it. I just happened to beat him, and Peyton made a good throw. The drop was driving me. I should have caught it."
WR-PIERRE GARCON(on the game) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"I didn't think it was going to be this close. We started off great. It was what the fans expected, not what I expected."
WR-PIERRE GARCON(on redeeming himself with a touchdown reception) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"It feels good, but I don't feel totally redeemed. You can't let an easy one get away like that, and I'll always want it back. I'm going to see it on tape, and I'm going to be upset all over again."
WR-PIERRE GARCON(on how New England was stopping the Colts) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"They were playing good defense. They were showing their coverages late. They're the Patriots. They're a good team. They have great, great players. They were just beating us on some points and some points we got them back."
DB-ANTOINE BETHEA(on coming from behind) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"New England is a great team. They came out strong in the first half, but as we always preach, it's a 60 minute battle. It just shows what type of team we have. There was no bickering out there. We were keeping each other up. It took 60 minutes, and it was a big win for our team."
DB-ANTOINE BETHEA(on both sides of the ball coming up big) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"All three phases, defense when we had to, offense when we had to and special teams when we had to. That's what Coach Caldwell always preaches, every phase of the game has to be good. They were good tonight."
DB-ANTOINE BETHEA(on what he was thinking when New England went for it on fourth down) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"We were like, 'Look man, they don't respect us.' Like a reporter said, they might want to covert because our offense was clicking at the time and they wanted to keep our offense off the field, but as a defense, that's kind of disrespectful and that's how we took it. DB-Melvin (Bullitt) came up with a big play on that fourth down."
DB-ANTOINE BETHEA(on his interception in the end zone) Sunday, November 8, 2009
"It was just the coverage. Coach always tells us, 'Read the quarterback.' WR-Randy (Moss) got behind us a couple of times early in the game, and we knew they were going to come back to it. I got a good read on the quarterback. I was telling my teammates on the sideline after giving up that touchdown, 'I'm going to get one back for y'all.' That was my thing I wanted to do, get one back for my team, and I was able to go and make a play."
DB-MELVIN BULLITT (on his defense on the Patriots' fourth-down play late in the game) Sunday,
"As soon as the ball came, whether (Kevin Faulk) caught it or not, I knew he wasn't at the yard marker. Our (secondary) coach did a great job of telling us the routes they were going to run in that situation. He alerted us, if we get into this situation, either Faulk or (Wes) Welker would get the ball. We took his advice and went with it."
DB-MELVIN BULLITT (on whether he was surprised the Patriots went for it) Sunday,
"No, not with the New England Patriots. You never know what you're going to get with them. You can expect anything, and you always have to be ready. … They have that die-hard type of attitude."
DB-MELVIN BULLITT (on the finish to the win) Sunday,
"It was very unlikely. It was just one of those things where we never doubted ourselves, no matter what the time on clock said and what the score was. We just kept fighting and came out with the victory."
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on the game in general ) Sunday,
"It's just amazing to be a part of a game like this in the NFL, especially against the Patriots, another high-caliber team and organization. For it to come down to the final seconds, I think it's an instant classic."
DB-JERRAUD POWERS (on the Patriots' fourth-down decision) Sunday,
"I was surprised. I thought maybe he was going to try to get us to jump offsides or something. I didn't think he'd actually try to run a play. That's the confidence Belichick has in his players and his quarterback. But we just stepped up to the challenge and made plays when we had to."
DB-ANTOINE BETHEA (on Randy Moss' big day) Sunday,
"He's a great player. Good players make big plays in big-time games. … We knew he was their go-to guy down the field and that's what they did. They went to him."
DB-ANTOINE BETHEA (on what this means for the Colts) Sunday,
"It just shows what type of team, what type of players you have. Never, never quit. As you can see, it paid dividends for us. Keep fighting."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on New England's decision to go for it on fourth-and-two) Sunday,
"Wow. All you can say is wow. They were going to do it like that so we had to step up and fortunately we did. That's a lot of disrespect. I know they're trying to win the game just like we are but we were fortunate to get a stop on that play."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on the pressure of getting a stop on fourth-and-two) Sunday,
"We just had to get there. That was the game. If we didn't get there it was going to be a first (down) and (they were) going to run the clock out so we were fortunate to get there."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on the importance of getting pressure on Tom Brady) Sunday,
"Everybody had something to do with it. You just had to know if you didn't get any pressure on him, he was going to make you pay. He kind of made us pay. He tossed for a lot of yards but we were able to come out with a victory. We just give all the praise to God because that was God at work. That was nothing short of it."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on the Colts-Patriots rivalry) Sunday,
"This is Pats-Colts. That's enough said. You've got to expect (an) instant classic every time we face off. It was just a blessing to come out with a victory because it looked bleak."
LB-CLINT SESSION (on New England's decision to go for it on fourth-and-two) Sunday,
"Total disrespect. They disrespected us and got what they deserved. They fought hard throughout the game but they disrespected us at the end and they got what they deserved."
LB-CLINT SESSION (on coming out with a win) Sunday,
"They didn't win. We won. We knew it was going to be a tough game. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game, 60 minutes. This is a team right here. We've got a team right here. Nobody doubted nobody. Everybody came (and) everybody had faith."
LB-CLINT SESSION (on beating a tough team) Sunday,
"A win like this just shows the character of your team. Everybody knew we were 8-0 but they felt like we weren't playing anybody. We had a chance to play a tough team in New England and we came away with a victory. It just boosts us up down the road. We're going to be faced with times like this and we know we can always come back to this game showing the character of our team and know that we can pull everything through when it comes down to it."
LB-GARY BRACKETT (on New England's decision to go for it on fourth-and-two) Sunday,
"They're notorious for that. They're a ballsy team and they really put it on the line on fourth-and-two. They put their offense out there. It was a gutsy play and we stepped up big."
LB-GARY BRACKETT (on having a tough night defensively and still winning) Sunday,
"They're not always going to be pretty and like we say all the time you don't take winning for granted in this league. It's tough to win in this league and win consistently like we've been doing (and) finding ways to win. It just says a lot for our perseverance to stay in there. A couple times we were down 14, down 17. For us to continue to play hard, come back in the game, fight and claw (and) do everything we can to come get a 'W', I think it speaks volumes for this defense."
LB-GARY BRACKETT (on the importance of beating New England) Sunday,
"Just winning another game nine (and) giving those guys three losses, essentially we get the tiebreaker. We still have a lot of football left but it feels good always to be on top of those guys."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on New England's decision to go for it on fourth-and-two) Sunday,
"I couldn't believe it. They were thinking (that) they couldn't stop our offense so no matter if they go for it or they don't, we're going to win maybe. As a defense, we take a lot of pride. When you go for it on fourth down in that situation, we have to make a play and that's what we did. We stepped up."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on whether New England's decision to go for it on fourth-and-two was disrespectful or not) Sunday,
"To be honest with you, that's how we take it. Any defense should take it the same way. Whenever you go for it on fourth down in that situation, we've got to make a play. It even happens in video games. You go for it on fourth down when you're not supposed to and something bad happens. We're happy. We got to continue the streak. We won another game. We came down. We fought, we fought, we fought and next week is next week."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on the end of his sack streak) Sunday,
"They did a great job. They quick counted when they needed to. They slid the protection when they needed to. I was guessing wrong sometimes. I couldn't get there. Like I've always said, if they (sacks) come, they come (and) if they don't, they don't. You don't really know when it's going to happen. The big thing is about winning the game. I'm just happy that we won this game and I get two days off now so I don't have to come in."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on Robert Mathis) Sunday,
"You have to pick your poison. If you're going to slide to me and you're going to double me, you have another beast on the other side and you're going to have to account for him. Robert did a great job today like he always does. (He) takes advantage of the opportunities that present them self over there. Everybody played great. Rob had a great game today and we got the win."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on the rivalry with New England) Sunday,
"It's amazing when it comes down to it. I don't even remember when it wasn't coming down to the fourth quarter. Maybe one time. These games (have a) playoff atmosphere. Huge games. Everybody wants to win. They did a great job (and) had a great game plan going in. We kept fighting and we kept fighting."
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