NEW YORK GIANTS - WR MARIO MANNINGHAM - Ingles

(on his catch) “On the sideline they were going like this (gesturing a successful catch), so I knew I was in. It was a perfect throw. They rolled into cover-two at the last minute and I saw the corner was acting like he was going to backpeddle, but he came up to play cover-two and I extended to the side a little bit and worked him outside. Eli (Manning) just put the ball on the money. Great pass protection, great ball. I knew where I was on the sideline. I knew I didn’t have that much room. Good thing I wear (shoe size) 11s, because if I wore 11.5s, I don’t think I’d have been in.”

(on whether the previous long pass that he couldn’t stay in bounds for was in his head) “Eli said my bad, ‘I should have kept the ball in.’ We’re a team though, it’s both of us. I could have stayed in and he could have thrown a better ball.”

(on comparing his catch to former Giants WR David Tyree’s Super Bowl catch) “I’m not going to compare catches. We won the game. You can’t really compare the catches. He caught the ball with his helmet, I had good footwork.”

(on his catches on the game-winning drive) “I just go out and do my job. I know that plays are going to come. You have to have a short-term memory playing wide receiver. Just take advantage of every ball that comes your way.”
(on keeping his feet inbounds on the sideline catch on the game-winning drive) “I knew I had to freeze my feet when the ball touched my fingertips. Wherever I was at when the ball hit my fingertips, I just froze my feet and fell. I knew I was either going to get hit or hit the ground. I knew something was going to happen, but I knew that I couldn’t let that ball go.”

(on making plays down the stretch) “We knew that one of us was going to have to make a big play. We didn’t know when though. Just bite your tongue, be patient and the ball is going to come to you.”

(on the run game setting up the pass game) “They played a two-deep zone. We knew we had to run the ball and the run game was going to open the pass game for us. That’s how football is. You just have to be patient and wait your turn.”

(on whether he felt extra pressure on the last drive of the game) “There’s no pressure. It’s football, except you have a little bit more people watching.”

(on what Eli Manning said in the huddle) “He didn’t say anything. He just said the play. We knew what it was going to come down to. We’ve been in this situation all year. We’ve been in that situation, it’s just the Super Bowl. You have to dig deep and go out there and make a play.”

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - S PATRICK CHUNG - Ingles

(on Giants WR Mario Manningham’s catch down the sideline on the Giants’ final drive) “He had both feet down. Good throw, good catch, man.”

(on if he feels like it had to take a championship play like Manningham’s to win the game) “Yeah, I mean we fought down to the end. It was hard fought but didn’t work out in our favor so hats off to them.”

(on how it feels after the loss) “How do you think it feels? It feels badly. We fought hard. We know the taste and we don’t like the taste so we’re going to keep working offseason to try to get back here next year.”

(on what he will remember most about the season) “Close doesn’t get it, man. Almost doesn’t get it either. They played a good game. They finished the game; we didn’t. It is what it is, man.”

(on what the Giants did to be able to run the ball so well and control the clock) “I have no clue. They did run hard. We had a couple missed tackles. We’re going to watch film and see what really happened. I don’t think we can answer all those questions right now. I mean, they played a good game. I can’t take it from them. They played a good game and got the win, so hats off to them.”

(on if they felt as if they had the opportunities to put the game away) “We had plenty of opportunities. Those were the two best teams in the NFL. They’re going to make plays. We’re going to make plays. It’s all about who makes the most plays. They ended up making the most plays.”

(on how tough it is to handle the loss after winning 10 straight games) “It’s very tough to handle. It’s a big game and you lose that game that close, you can almost be proud that you fought all the way to the end, but it sucks, man. We know how it feels and we’ve just got to keep working.”

(on if they were feeling pretty good after they came back from the nine-point deficit to then take the lead at the half) “Never feel good until the game’s over. Regardless of whether we’re on a roll or we’re not on a roll, all that matters is the score at the end. They ended up having more points than us and they won. They got the victory.”

(on if he thought Giants WR Mario Manningham had his feet in on the catch on the sideline in the fourth quarter) “We’re always going to think it’s not a complete pass. It’s a good throw, a good catch. He got his feet inbounds, so it was a good play.”

(on if he was shocked that Manningham held onto the ball on that catch after they hit him) “I mean, all we can try to do is knock the ball out. They’re good, too. They’re in the NFL too, man. They’re going to make good catches. He has good hands and it is what it is.”

(on what the defense was thinking when the Giants got the ball with three minutes) “We’re thinking we’ve got to make a play. We’re thinking the game is on us and we’ve got to stop them. They’re good, too, so they just finished the game. They finished the game and we didn’t. But we fought hard, man. I’m proud of everybody. I’m proud of the whole team. We fought hard.”

(on the closeness of the locker room and what it feels like to go through the loss with his teammates) “It just sucks, man. Plain and simple, point blank, it sucks. We know what it feels like now. Now we have to make sure that we don’t have that feeling again.”

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - LB BRANDON SPIKES - Ingles

(on how he feels following a close loss) “Right now, words can’t even really express how I feel right now. It’s a letdown, and we’ve got to go to work next year and try to get better.”

(on what his head coach said in the locker room) “Just how it goes. The better team won today, and they made their plays and we didn’t. We had opportunities to make big plays when it counted, but we just couldn’t come up with it, so the better team won today.”

(on the late catch by Giants WR Mario Manningham) “It was a terrific catch. It was a good game, a championship game. He made a play and that’s what it’s about, making plays when it counts. My hat goes off to him. He’s a great receiver.”

(on whether the defense could have proved something by holding on to the lead) “Absolutely. I still feel like defense wins championships. We had our chances. We were right where we wanted to be as a defensive unit. I just feel like I let the guys down myself. There were a few plays I could have made myself and I was just a step late. It just hurts right now. Like I said, I can’t really sum it all up with words.”

(on the plays that he could have made) “I can just remember plays that I recognize and I was just a half-step late. That kills me, and obviously it will motivate me this offseason to get better and be ready to make those plays when I get the opportunity.”

(on the feeling walking off of the field) “Like I said before, I never dreamed this part of the game. A good team has to lose and that’s just how the game goes. Like I said, they played well and they beat us.”

(on whether it was hard to let the Giants score the final touchdown) “It killed me. When the call came in to let them score I kind of was like, ‘What?’ I’m here to do a job and it’s my job to play the defense and let them score. It was tough, though. It definitely was tough.”

(on whether they could have stopped the Giants without letting them score) “Yeah, you never know, but in that situation, that’s what we’re taught to do and what we had to do.”


(on what his offseason will be like) “Just work, just trying to get better. I’m going to make sure I let my teammates know to be grinding and getting better every day. I never want to feel like this again. This feels terrible. It’s a nightmare right now for me. I’m just at a loss of words right now.”

(on what this offseason will consist of) “Just grinding. There’s no easy way around it, just head first, jump right in. I’ll take a few weeks off and jump right in and just remember this moment, remember how it felt and just be motivated by it. You can’t look back. It is what it is, and I feel like me personally, everything happens for a reason. We got a few balls out; they recovered them. That’s just how it goes.”


(on whether he was surprised they weren’t able to recover three fumbles) “That’s the thing I’m talking about. We planned to put pressure on the ball and that was our whole gameplan. Like I said, it was just a step for us. They made plays and they were in the right spot. Like I said, my hat goes off to their team. They fought to the end and they deserved this one.”

(on whether there was confusion with 12 men on the field early in the game) “I don’t think so. We were just trying to get it from up top and see what personnel they were in. We fixed it after that. We were good. We had opportunities defensively to do what we wanted to do; we just couldn’t get it done.”

(on what the conversations in the locker room were like) “Most guys just felt like we let each other down. My thing is we fought until the end. I know that defensively we tried everything we could do. Like I said, they had some great players that made great plays when they needed it. That’s just how it goes. Like I said, they came to play today and they beat us.”

(on whether they can return to the Super Bowl next year) “Absolutely. We won’t have the same defensive unit; we know that. I’m pretty sure there are going to be some changes. There’s always changes in this business. We’re just going to go to work with what we have. Me personally, I think we have a young defense with a lot of talent, a lot of good guys, a lot of great friends and as long as we can just keep together and get better as a whole unit, I think the sky is the limit for us. I’m really looking forward to this offseason and getting with the teammates and trying to get all the little details that we missed and trying to correct them.”

(on what he is most proud of and most disappointed by) “I’m proud that my team fought until the end. We never game up and we played 60 minutes. That’s all I can ask for from my guys. As far as the disappointment, it’s the ‘L.’ Nobody wants to lose, but that’s just how it is in this game. Two good teams played today and a good team lost. I can’t take nothing away from those guys. Like I said, they made their plays. It was a good game.”

(on whether he has spoken to Robert Kraft and what was said) “I haven’t spoken with him yet. I just want to let him know that we’re going to be better. I feel like we’re going to be better, and I’m going to make sure to work my butt off in the offseason. I’m looking forward to it right now. I’m going to soak this all in, but with my family and my teammates, I’m pretty sure they are going to be there for support. I’m looking forward to this offseason.”

(on his first full offseason coming up) “I just feel like no matter what the situation is, I’m going to put my ten toes in head-first. I’m going to grind my butt off. It was a great experience to get here, and the way we lost, it just hurts. But like I said, I’m going to use this as motivation and try to keep developing as a professional player.”

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - WR WES WELKER - Ingles

(on dropped pass) “It’s one of those plays I’ve made a thousand times. Just didn’t make it.”

(on the locker room after the game) “Same.”

(on if he felt disappointment after tonight) “Yeah, of course. We had an opportunity.”

(on if he was expecting the pass to be on the other shoulder) “I mean, no. The ball is right there. I’ve just got to make the play. It’s a play I’ve made a thousand times in practice and everything else. It comes to the biggest moment of my life and don’t come up with it. It’s discouraging.”

(on if the play is designed to go in the inside or outside) “You’re supposed to get at the numbers. It’s usually inside edge of the numbers. Just trying to make an adjustment on the ball and it’s a play I’ve got to bring in.”

(on what it is about this Giants team that plays them so close) “It’s the NFL. A lot of great teams and everything else. A lot of games come down to the wire.”

(on if he holds himself solely responsible for the dropped pass) “Yeah, it hit me right in the hands. I mean, it’s a play I never drop, I always make. Most critical situation and I let the team down.”

(on if they left opportunities on the field) “No, I think that goes into every game. I think there’s a lot of opportunities to miss out on. We definitely had ours and didn’t take advantage. I’m right there at the top of the list.”

(on if they felt after that drive if they still felt they had a chance) “Yeah, sure. We always got a chance when Tom (Brady) is back there. Deion (Branch) made a great play on fourth down and kept us alive. It should work out in the end.”

(on if it’s a perfect play does he score) “I mean, I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter now.”

(on the coverage on the play) “I think they got a little mixed up. I think man over me was playing high look and then safety went to one high. That’s why it opened up for me when it did.

(on if he got turned around on the pass) “No, I saw it develop and saw the ball in the air. I went to make the play and on it and didn’t make the ball.”

(on if Tom Brady saw the play develop) “Yeah, I mean he saw it and threw me the ball. I think he was a little worried about the safety so he threw it a little wider or whatever. But I mean, its right there. It hits me right in the hands. It’s one I’ll have to live with.”

(on if he’s felt this way after a loss) “Nope.”

(on the job the Patriot’s defense did) “They did a great job. They kept us in it. They got the ball out. A lot of great things out there. In the end it just wasn’t enough.”

(on the team this season) “We got a lot of tough players who do a lot of great things and keep fighting till the end. We just came up a little short.”

(on how uncharacteristic it was for receivers to drop passes in critical times) “I don’t know. I really don’t know how to answer that question. We work on it all the time and try to make plays. It’s one that will take a while to shake off, that’s for sure.”

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - WR MATTHEW SLATER - Ingles

(On if there was a specific reason on the loss)
“I don’t think there is a specific reason. The Giants are a good football team and we’re a good football team. They just out executed us when it counted most and that’s just football. They played great and hats off to them.”

(On the play of the defense)
“They took a lot of heat all season and I think that they fought really hard today. None of those guys should be hanging their heads regardless of what they think they did. They held a hell of a good football team to just 21 points. Those guys fought and did everything they could. It’s no one’s [fault]. You can’t put it on anyone; we just didn’t get it done.”

(On what the Giants did to win the game)
“Obviously, they made more plays then we did and that’s what matters in who wins the game.”

(On if the Patriots had mental mistakes)
“We had some penalties that cost us, but we still had a chance to win and obviously if you don’t play your best, football penalties are going to happen and the game’s going to go back-and-forth. But they just made more plays than us.”

(On seeing the confetti fall for the other team)
“I couldn’t even look at it to be honest with you.”

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - WR DEION BRANCH - Ingles

(on the loss being a tough one to swallow) “I mean, it’s tough man. Especially when we didn’t play good ball but still had the chance to win the game. Tip our hats off to those guys that won, the Giants. Congratulations to those guys.”

(on a turning point in the game) “I look at everything as a whole, from the start to the finish. The start of that we only had the ball a couple plays in the first quarter. Second quarter we had the ball and made some amazing plays. We got ahead then came out second half, went down and scored. From that, we just didn’t do anything else to effect the game and really push us over the top.”

(on Tom Brady’s missed pass to Wes Welker at the end of the game) “That one play wasn’t the end of the game. There was so much stuff that went down throughout the third and fourth quarters. All of the plays were big, every play is very important. Had I made the catch that was behind me, that could have been a key third down but we didn’t connect on it.”

(on whether the Patriots left a lot of plays on the field) “We did. We made more mistakes and regardless of the plays we made, we didn’t capitalize on the opportunities that they gave us. We caused a fumble, we had 12 guys on the field, we put balls on the ground two more times and they recovered the ball which would have been on their end of the field. Those plays like that don’t happen too often in a game and we didn’t capitalize on the opportunities.”

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - RB DANNY WOODHEAD - Ingles

(on if he was confident the Patriots would score on their last possession) “Any time that we get a chance to get our offense on the field, we think we have a chance to score. It didn’t work out like that. They ended up getting more points than us, and they ended up winning the game.”

(on having a chance to score on the last play of the game) “Any time there’s time on the clock, we think we have a chance. It didn’t turn out how we wanted it to.”

(on how painful the loss is) “It’s as tough of a loss as I think I’ve ever had. You get so close, and it doesn’t end up the way you like it. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

(on the confidence level of the team at the start of the second half) “We always have confidence as a team, as an offense, defensively and on special teams. They just ended up scoring more points than us. That’s what happened.”

(on how the Patriots seem to play close games against the Giants but come up short) “They’re a great football team, and I think that’s what it comes down to—two great football teams playing and going neck and neck towards the end of the game. One team ends up winning.”

(on if he sensed his role was going to increase this week) “I approach every week the same, and that is to be ready for whatever can be thrown at me. No matter how many carries or receptions I may get, I just feel like I need to stay ready all the time.”

(on his touchdown reception) “I was able to get open, and Tom (Brady) did a great job of putting the ball right on me. I had to do the easy part, and that was just to catch it.”

(on putting the loss into words) “It’s tough. We were that close to being world champions, and it didn’t happen. It’s a tough situation, but you’ve got to wake up tomorrow. The sun’s going to shine.”


(on head coach Bill Belichick’s postgame address to the team) “We went out there and played as hard as we could. We’re a tight-knit group. There isn’t any other 53—or 61 including practice squad—guys that I’d want to spend this with.”

(on Tom Brady’s ability to give them a chance on the final drive) “We think that no matter what happens, if there’s time on the clock, we think that we have a shot at still scoring or getting the first down. We were able to, but like I said, the tough part is that we didn’t score as many points as they did.”

(on how special it is to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl) “That’s something I haven’t thought about. The individual statistic of scoring a touchdown isn’t going to make me that happy. It’s the score at the end of the game. This is a team game. It’s not an individual game. I really haven’t thought about it.”

(on if the plan was to get him more involved or if they took what the Giants gave them) “I think every team is going to take what the defense gives them. Every week I approach it the same. I try to be ready for my opportunities, and that’s really what it boils down to. If I get an opportunity to go out there, go out and make the best of it.”

(on not being the first option on his touchdown reception) “The O-line did a great job of giving Tom [Brady] time, and I was just trying to break free any way I could. It happened to work out on that play.”