Sports

Brady: 50th career fourth quarter/OT comeback

FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 24: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots exits the field after defeating the Houston Texans 36-33 at Gillette Stadium on September 24, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

FOXBORO — The full transcript from Tom Brady's postgame news conference after the Patriots beat the Texans 36-33.

Q: Did you ever doubt, with just over two minutes left when you got the ball back, that you'd be able to orchestrate a win?

BB: Yeah, that was great situational plays by a lot of guys. We didn't do much there in the fourth quarter, and the defense kept holding to the field goal there and gave us just enough time and made some great catches, great blocking, and glad we won.

Q: How do you pull off that flick pass to Rob Gronkowski when you were being tackled?

BB: I mean, they have a lot of good players on the D-line. They rush the quarterback. We had some opportunity there, and we just kept fighting. That was the most important thing. When we were in this stadium a couple weeks ago, we talked a lot about that – playing four quarters and playing all the way down to the last minute – and we needed it today. It's a real good football team. I thought they played really well. It was just a great win for our team.

Q: It seemed like you were under pressure for much of the game. How good is the Texans' defense and ability to bring pressure?

BB: Yeah, they have some of the best players in the league at their position rushing the quarterback, and I thought they played good coverage. I mean, there was nothing easy out there. Kind of like the playoff game last year, there was nothing easy in that game either. I don't think this is the type of team that gives you many free plays or free yards. They make you earn it, so I thought we battled. It was a great team effort. The defense really stepped up when they needed to, and we made a couple plays there at the end. I think we made it hard on ourselves – too many loose balls – but we've got to keep fighting.

Q: When you were facing third-and-18 at the end of the fourth quarter, how improbable did a win feel in that moment?

BB: Yeah, we kept making it hard. I mean, we had penalties and then the sack and the fumble and it just kept feeling like we were going backwards. We were running low on time. I hit Danny [Amendola] on that pass, looked up at the clock and it was like, whatever, 30 seconds left or something. I thought we had a little more time than that, and then the next play, Josh [McDaniels] – we kind of had a two-on-one there on the safety and Cookie [Brandin Cooks] got behind Kareem [Jackson] and I tried to put it out there. It's a game of inches, so it was a great play.

Q: Can you tell us what you saw on that play? Did you see Cooks open or did you take a shot?

BB: Yeah, they were playing a two-high defense and we got Cookie behind the corner. We had Danny going up the middle of the field, so I tried to stare down the middle and then put it up and didn't really see the end of it until I saw it on the scoreboard. It was close, and then they reviewed it. I'm glad we got the two-point play. It was a great win. Got to play to the last second.

Q: As the season goes along and the team starts to develop an identity, are these the kinds of games that help forge that identity and confidence in the fourth quarter?

BB: You know, you have to gain confidence in a lot of situations. You've got to gain confidence on the road that you can win. You've got to gain confidence when you're behind that you can come back in win. And, you've got to gain confidence in every position. Guys are different. Guys are making plays at different times, whether those are the backs or the tight ends or receivers made a lot of plays. I mean, that was a lot of a big plays we made. It felt like it was either a big play or a loss. We've got to figure out how to tighten up the negative plays, but glad we made the ones we needed to at the end.

Q: How important was it to be successful on that final drive in terms of building confidence going forward?

BB: I think, no matter how you get it, you've got to figure out how to win the game. I mean, they're all tough. That's a real good team. They play with a lot of effort, and I thought they played really well offensively. We just kept battling. I think that's a good one to win. Like I said, two weeks ago, we weren't in a position to do what we did today. I thought it was a great win last week and then another great win this week. So, we've got to keep stringing them together. We've got to make improvements. Obviously, there's a lot of things we need to do better. We're going to have to get back to work and face a really good Carolina defense. They present a lot of challenges.

Q: Around the NFL, one of the images that people are looking at is of you interlocking arms with Phillip Dorsett with your hand over your chest. What was your message in doing that during the National Anthem?

BB: I just think there's just a great love for my teammates.

Q: There were boos before the game when some players took a knee. What are your thoughts on that?

BB: Like I said, I've got a lot of love for my teammates. I mean, we go through a lot together. There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I don't think it's easy to play this sport. I mean, there's a lot of guys that sacrifice a lot. I think you have a lot of respect for the guys who play, not only your own teammates but guys you play against. I mean, without them, it's not a great game. So, it's like I said. I believe in all of us coming together.

Q: The President said that kneeling was unacceptable. Do you agree with that?

BB: I'm not getting into any of that. Like I said, I speak for myself. I believe what I believe. You guys know me. I'm a very positive person, so I try to just live by example and say positive things about people. I try to control my own emotions, and no matter what anyone says, I'm going to have a positive outlook, certainly with my teammates. We all go through ups and downs and there's struggles and it's life and we're all trying to navigate it as best we can. So, I believe that love is the greatest thing we have that overcomes a lot of things.

Q: A lot of owners and people around the NFL were bothered by what the President said. Do you feel like the NFL is in a position to defend itself?

BB: I mean, everybody could do whatever they want to do. I don't care what the owners do. I care about my teammates, and like I said, the belief that I have in them and the love I have for them. We get to play a great game. I love playing. I never take it for granted to come out here and play in front of our fans, and to play in my 18th year is a great lesson for me. So, I don't take it for granted. We'll do the same next week.