Aaron Rodgers & Tom Brady Quotes

QUARTERBACK AARON RODGERS:
(on if he agreed with kicking the FG) “I didn’t have a decision on that one. That wasn’t my decision but I
understand the thinking, above two minutes with all of our timeouts, but yeah, it wasn’t my decision.”
(on his emotions right now) “I’m just pretty gutted. It’s a long season. You put so much into it to get to this
point. We had our chances. We (were in a) different position than the last couple of these where we got blown
out and you have a chance. They went up three scores and we got them back a couple scores. The defense
came up with some big turnovers. Yeah, we had a lot of chances, but yeah overall (I’m) just pretty gutted.”
(on the DPI called against Kevin King) “I think it was a bad call. I think there a few opportunities for plays down
the field for us that weren’t called. I’m just surprised that call in that situation was made. We get the ball back
with probably 1:35 and a timeout and a chance to win the game and go to the Super Bowl. It didn’t look like it
was even catchable, so yeah, it was a bad call.”
(on the two series after the Jaire Alexander picks having to punt) “We had some chances, obviously. We had
the ball there with all the momentum and just kind of needed one first down I think to get going. We just didn’t
get it, which is disappointing.”
(on not converting their goal to go drives into touchdowns) “They have a really good defense. That’s where
some of the credit has to go, but we had some chances, we had some opportunities. We had a couple mental
errors on some of those plays, which hurts, but we had some chances too. I felt good about the plays that were
called and the opportunities. We just didn’t execute.”
(on the field goal drive in the first half) “Yeah that’s part of it. We had a mental error and I’m not sure – I’ve got
to look at the film – on whether or not the ball was catchable to Tae (Davante Adams), but we had some
opportunities. Obviously we’ve been so good in the red zone all season. This was a game where we needed
seven (points) and didn’t come up with it a couple times.”
(on the third down play in their final offensive series and if he had a fourth down play in mind) “I felt great about
the third down call. We actually ran it earlier in the game, the same play that Tae (Adams) caught out of the
end zone, and looking at it back, it looked like he ended up crossing face late. It may have been kind of back
across my body. I felt like I had a chance maybe to run it, but I felt like there was a guy kind of closing on me.
Based on the call – Matty (LaFleur) allowed me to call that third down play – if I had known we were going to
kick it, maybe something else would have been (called), maybe would have gone with some sort of crossing
routes maybe there instead, but I thought we maybe were going to have four chances to go.”
(on if he had that chance to convince coach LaFleur to go for it on fourth down instead of kicking the field goal)
“I don’t know. That’s a tough one, Rob. I look over on the sideline and I see five big guys run on the field.
There’s a lot of gymnastics that has to happen to get us to be able to go for it there. That decision was made
and we moved on.”
(on the missed communication between him and Allen Lazard on the last offensive possession) “Yeah, I
thought he was going to maybe keep it a little skinnier and he was kind of crossing face. I don’t blame him for
that. It just would have been a reaction that maybe he saw the defender going outside of him and maybe a guy
pushing to him. I thought he might keep a straighter route. But I don’t fault him for that.”
(on if this loss will haunt him in the future) “I don’t know about haunt. That word doesn’t really fit in my
vocabulary, I don’t think. This one definitely stings and is going to for a long time. Especially the way it played
out and the chances we had and the opportunity to seize that game in various points. This definitely hurts, but I
don’t believe in games haunting me. It won’t haunt me, it’s just going to hurt for a while.”

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(on the plays that weren’t made that he’ll be thinking about later) “Probably the go route to Marquez (Valdes-
Scantling) that I threw just a little bit too far inside and a little too flat. That’s definitely going to hurt. If I put that
in the same spot that I put the first one then maybe he scores, who knows, but at least it’s a big one so that
one definitely bothers me. The whole sequence there on the 8-yard line the last three plays. I’m not sure what I
could have done on first down, but second and third down maybe moving up in the pocket and being able to
get that one on Tae’s (Davante Adams) body. Third down I’d have to look at the film, but that last series
definitely is frustrating.
(on the game WR Marques Valdes-Scantling had) “I’m really proud of him. He’s had such an interesting year. I
think it’s been a good year of growth for him as a person, and that’s what I’m most excited about for him. I told
him before the game I was going to need some plays (from him). I was going to need at least two big ones,
and he made many, many plays for us… I’m gutted for ‘big dog’ (Marcedes Lewis). Obviously, I’m hurting for
myself, Mason (Crosby), and some of the older guys (like) Tramon (Williams) coming back. But it hurts for
those young guys too who grew so much this year and added so much to our team. (Valdes-Scantling) and
Allen (Lazard) and Bobby (Robert Tonyan) and Jamaal (Williams) and just the uncertainty of it all is so difficult.
The abruptness. So many futures are a little gray right now so it’s definitely sudden.”
(on what this particular team means to him) “They are all special for sure, but I think this one as much as any
of them, I found some really special friendships, with Marcedes, Davante, and especially Tim (Boyle) and I
have become really close over the years. Jamaal, I love Jamaal. Aaron Jones. A lot of guys’ future are
uncertain, myself included. That is what’s most sad about it. Getting this far, obviously there’s going to be an
end at some point whether we make it past this one or not, but just the uncertainty is tough and the finality of it
all.”
(on how he moves forward from this loss) “I don’t know, I really don’t. There’s a lot of unknowns going into this
offseason now. I’m going to have to take some time away for sure and clear my head and see what’s going on
with everything. But, it’s pretty tough right now, especially thinking about the guys who may or may not be here
next year. There’s always change, that’s the only constant in this business. It’s really tough to get to this point.
It’s really, really tough, especially with there being only one bye week in the playoffs. It’s a grind just to get to
this point, and that makes the finality of it all hit you like a ton of bricks. That’s why it’s a gutting feeling in your
stomach. But I do appreciate you all and the job you’ve done this year. I appreciate our interactions. Appreciate
the opportunity to share every week, and I’ll always be thankful for this season.”

QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY:
(on taking Tampa Bay to the Super Bowl in year one) “It has been a great journey thus far. We put the work in
and a lot of guys just embraced everything with a lot of great things that were happening. A lot of great young
players. I just made a decision. I love coming to work every day with this group of guys. We worked really hard
to get to this point. It was a tough game. We have had a few tough games in a row. The next one will be really
tough too. We know what we are playing for and we have two weeks to prepare. It is going to be a great
opponent. It will be a really exciting couple of weeks for us."
(on the risk he took coming to Tampa Bay) “This is the ultimate team sport. We have had a lot of people really
work hard to get to this point. It is a tough journey to get here, so to go on the road and win another road
playoff game is just a great achievement, and now a home Super Bowl for the first time in NFL history. I think
that puts a lot of cool things in perspective. Anytime you are the first time doing something it is usually a pretty
good thing. Now we just have to go have a great two weeks and prepare for whoever it is and be ready to go.”
(on Tampa’s defense today) “They played incredible. I thought the defense was spectacular, and they have
been that way all year. Great front. Great linebackers. Played their butts off in the secondary. Some guys went
down with injuries and other guys stepped in. It was incredible effort by the defense and what they did today
was amazing against really an incredible offense.”
(on what this means for Head Coach Bruce Arians) “I am so happy for him. It is amazing. For me and my
experience, I don’t think about what it means for me, but I do think about what it means for everyone else. It is
an amazing achievement for B.A. I am so happy for him and the staff he put together. Coach Bowles. What
Bryon (Leftwich) has done. The whole coaching staff has put us in a position for us to go out there and do our
jobs well. It has taken a lot of different people over the course of the season on offense, defense and special
teams to come through and that is why we are still playing. There are going to be two teams left playing and
we are going to be one of them. Again, just an incredible journey for all of us and just proud to be a part of it.”
(on the touchdown pass to Scotty Miller) “B.A. wanted to go for it. I liked the call and I am going to do whatever
he asks me to do. Byron (Leftwich) dialed up a great play, got behind the defense. We had a couple other
opportunities too. It was just a great job by Scotty (Miller) running a great route and getting open. I just tried to
lay it out there for him to go grab it.”
(on if he ever envisioned hosting the Super Bowl) “It is hard to envision this as the goal, but at the same time it
is a week-to-week league. We were 7-5 seven games ago, not feeling great. It felt like we needed to find our
rhythm and then we played four great games down the stretch, the last quarter of the season. After that it was
just all bonus and we had to go play well. We played well in Washington, played well in New Orleans against a
great football team and then came up here knowing that we needed to play great. The guys came through.
Everyone stepped up to the challenge. Football is the ultimate team sport and it takes everybody. Everybody
plays a role. I am just so proud of this whole team. Again, just blessed to be a part of it.”
(on his offensive line) “I think the last 19 weeks the pass protection has been amazing. The big guys up front
have set the tone for us all year. Ryan (Jensen), Capp (Alex Cappa) when he was in there, (Aaron) Stinnie
came in and did a great job. Ali’s (Marpet) done a great job. Donnie’s (Donovan Smith) played incredible. Big
Tristan (Wirfs) has done incredible, Joe Haeg has come in. Everybody who has been out there is doing a great
job. When they are playing good, we are great in the run game and really solid in the pass game. We are going
to need another great week of it.”