(on the game) “First, I’d like to give the Giants a lot of credit. They certainly made the plays when they needed to. That is a very good football team. They put a lot of pressure on us. We just came up a little bit short. I think we had a couple of missed opportunities out there. Every guy in the locker room wishes he could have done a little bit more and maybe the outcome would have been a little bit different. It was a very hard fought game and we fought until the end. I’m very proud of that. I’d say we just came up a little short.”
(on if he thought there was a enough time left at the end of the game to win) “We got to the 50 (yard line) and just ran out of time. We threw a hail-mary at the end. I’m not sure how close we were to getting it. Obviously I wish we could have done a little bit more.”
(on the play intended for Wes Welker in the fourth quarter) “Wes (Welker) was running down the field and it looked like they messed the coverage up a little bit and I threw it to him. (Welker) went up to try and make it, as he always does, and we just couldn’t connect. He’s a hell of a player. I’ll keep throwing the ball to him for as long as I possibly can. He’s a phenomenal player and teammate and I love that guy.”
(on if this loss feels similar at all to the Super Bowl loss four years ago) “We just didn’t make enough plays. In the first quarter, we didn’t have the ball a ton. The second quarter, we played a little bit better. Third quarter, we started well and it came down to the fourth quarter. (The Giants) made some plays there at the end. We went out there to win the game. We just didn’t make enough plays.”
(on the safety) “It is a referee’s judgment call. I was looking down the middle of the field and (Justin) Tuck was looking to come get me and I tried to get rid of it. The referee made the call.”
(on what Wes Welker was like in the locker room) “I think everybody was just disappointed. You win as a team and you lose as a team. One play certainly wasn’t the reason we lost today. Everybody feels like we could have done more. I said after the game, ‘I’ll keep coming to this game and keep trying. I’d rather keep coming to this game and lose than not get here.’ Hopefully we’ll be back at some point. We had a great year; we just didn’t make enough plays today.”
(on what he was thinking when the Giants got the ball back with three minutes to go) “The first play that they made on our sideline was a phenomenal throw and catch. That got them going. They’ve got a very good offense. Certainly, Eli (Manning) has had a very good season. He made some great throws there in the fourth quarter and they deserved to win. They did a better job than we did.”
(on if they made adjustments after the first half) “We scored and got the ball a second time and didn’t do much with it. Then the next drive we had was (in) the fourth quarter. We had a few opportunities in the fourth quarter and didn’t really take advantage of them.”
(on the adjustments the Giants made in the fourth quarter) “They made a few more plays than we did. They’ve done a good job of that all season. Like I said, we all wish we could have done a little bit more. Our team fought really hard. Our defense really held at certain points today. They knocked some balls out. I wish we’d have gotten one of those. The ball didn’t really bounce our way either. They played a good game.”
(on not making the key fourth quarter play) “Yeah, that is what it comes down to in football. That’s one play. You look at our game four years ago, it was a miracle play that they made. Today, we had the chance to make one of those and we couldn’t come up with it. It always comes down to one or two plays in this game and if you make it, you’re celebrating. If you don’t, then you don’t sleep for a week.”
(on what this means for his legacy and if that matters to him) “I hope we do get back here again. I’ve been lucky enough to play in this game five times in 10 years. I’d love to keep coming back to this game and taking a shot. It’s better than sitting home and not playing in this game, so I hope another opportunity comes.”
(on how much confidence the team had going into the game) “We felt good. We made two critical drives. We did a good job. That’s what it takes to score. We didn’t really make any big plays. You need those methodical drives and we put together a few of them. We just didn’t put together enough.”
(on if an injury to his non-throwing shoulder from when he was sacked affected him the rest of the game) “No, it didn’t.”
(on if Rob Gronkowski’s injurt affected their game plan) “He played his butt off. He fought. He came out to our practice on Thursday and it’s hard to believe he could play the game with the way he was feeling. He really toughed it out. He’s a tough guy. He had a great season for us. You get bumps and bruises in this game and you have to fight through them and he did a great job of fighting and being very dependable for us all day.”
(on how he deals with losses) “As a competitor, we all hate to lose. We fight as hard as we can and sometimes you get beat. I’m proud of our team for the way that we hung in there all season. We just kept fighting until the end and it came down to one play at the end of the game. If we make it, we’re world champs, and if we’re not, then we’re wishing we were. I give (the Giants) a lot of credit for the plays they made. They deserved to win and hopefully we’ll be back at some point.”
(on not getting the final win for Myra Kraft) “It’s tough. It’s tough for all of us. Certainly, I wish we would have gotten it for (Mr. Kraft). I saw him after the game. I love him and respect him. We gave everything we could. Coach Belichick coaches us hard every day; puts a lot of pressure on us. The guys really responded and it just wasn’t our day.”
(on the Patriots’ decision to let the Giants score with a minute to go) “I liked it. It was better than not having a chance at all. Their inside the 10 (yard line) and could run the clock out and score, but we made the good decision to try and leave ourselves a little bit of time. We had a chance to win it there at the end and we just couldn’t do it.”
(on if he was worried about Eli Manning getting the ball back with three minutes to go to win the game) “Yeah, that first play that they hit on our sidelines was a big play. They got a big chunk of yards. After that, they were a little bit methodical after that. They made the plays when it counted and that’s why they won the game.”
(on Manning winning his second Super Bowl) “He’s a great quarterback. I’ve always really respected him. Obviously, he is a great leader. He’s a great quarterback.”
(on if the media gives too much credit to the quarterback for the outcome of the game) “We always get too much credit. Certainly, the quarterbacks do. It’s a team game and we win as a team and lose as a team. I don’t think that certainly one player – there are certain positions that obviously have more influence on the game than others – but you win as a team and lose as a team.”
(on if there is one throw he would like to take back) “Well, obviously, you hate to throw those (interceptions). I wish I would have gotten a little more on it. (I always want to give Rob Gronkowski) a chance to make the play. I just came up a little bit short.”
(on what he will focus on when he looks back at this game) “You always wish you could have done a little bit more. When you win, it’s great. When you lose, you rehash the game and certainly think about the things that we could have done better. I wish we could have made a few more plays.”