Miami Dolphins 22, New England Patriots 12
Q. How does it feel knowing things are kind of over as far as the big picture goes?
DEVIN McCOURTY: Just got to regroup and keep fighting. It is what it is. I think we just got to just keep fighting because that's who you want to be as a man. We got a lot of stand-up guys in this locker room, so we just got to keep fighting. It's not normal around here but we are not doing something that's not been done in the NFL every year. Some teams don't make the playoffs. It is what it is. I think as a team, as an individual, you have to keep playing. You can't take this for granted. I've been saying it the last couple weeks and we just got to continue to do that.
Q. It seemed late in that game you were down three, and you had a chance to make a stop there to get the offense the ball back. Has that been the microcosm of the year for you where it's been one stop away on defense from making that one dynamic play that you might need to turn yourselves around?
DEVIN McCOURTY: I don't know, it's felt like -- it felt like we chased it the whole year, whether it's offense, defense, one play, a missed opportunity on defense, a turnover on offense. It seems like no matter what, it's just right out of our reach every time we go out there. So that's how you end up in the position we're in. So just got to keep fighting and keep trying to finish the season strong.
Q. JC told us a couple minutes ago that he felt that Miami competed harder than you guys. Is that something you agree with?
DEVIN McCOURTY: No, not really. I mean, we said it last week. We got to stop the run as a defense and you watch the game, that's what it came down to, third down, towards the end, they stuck a draw play in there for a first down. It was -- if we don't stop the run, we'll just continue to see it. I mean, that's what they did. Early in the game and then really in that second half, that's what the game turned into, but I don't think us not stopping was from a lack of effort.
Q. So how do you explain that lack of run defense, you said coming off a game where that broke you and you had ten days and so why did that come up short again?
DEVIN McCOURTY: If I had that answer, I would -- I would gladly share it and we'd probably play better.
Q. You mentioned obviously the idea that as a group you want to keep fighting and pressing forward. Do you learn something about this group now in these final couple weeks here knowing that obviously the playoffs are out of reach and that's not something you're playing for and now you're just playing for each other?
DEVIN McCOURTY: Yeah, definitely. I think the thing as a veteran, I know in this league, no team stays the same and teams that make the playoffs definitely don't stay the same. I think we want to fight for each other because of what we've built through this season obviously has been a lot to go through this season for everybody and obviously the country as a whole.
So I think we want to fight for each other because we've done that this year. We've battled through a bunch of different things and we want to do that for this team but moving forward the 2020 Patriots, it won't be the same in 2021. It's all about the now and trying to play for each other now.
Q. How disappointing, knowing all that had to go into this season and the sacrifices that had to be made to know that you're coming up short of what your ultimate goal is?
DEVIN McCOURTY: Oh, definitely. I mean, I think just speaking about today, disappointing, knowing where we were at the last two weeks and then to come up short and not play the way we're capable of playing, I think obviously it stinks to lose, but I think the way that we've played has been the most disappointing, not really giving ourselves a chance to win these last two games when we've been -- we've had a chance for postseason play but it just hasn't developed for us.
Like I said last week, it just really has not developed for us all year. Like it's just felt like that throughout the whole season.
Q. You mentioned that each year teams don't make the playoffs, but you've made the playoffs every single season throughout your career in the NFL. What are your reflections on that in a moment like this? Is it how fortunate you've been? Is its frustration in the moment now? What are your thoughts?
DEVIN McCOURTY: Honestly I haven't even thought about that. I would just say it's frustrating now. I'm in this moment. All the other years really don't matter. I think you have goals each season, so you feel how you feel in that moment.
So obviously very fortunate for all of the years past, but right now, all that experience, it does nothing for us. Does nothing for me. Just disappointed, frustrating, whatever -- whatever word you want to throw in there, I think -- I think we all feel that right now.
Q. You were also talking about how hard everything has been this year, whether it's on defensive side or offensive side, hard to get stops, hard to get touchdowns, why do you think that has taken place this year? Why do you think it's been hard on both sides of the ball to perform in the level you're used to?
DEVIN McCOURTY: Just not getting it done. I mean, you can watch it and break it down. It's a bunch of different things. But overall just not getting it done week-in and week-out. We haven't been consistent. I would say, you know, the answer isn't easy because people have done that. Like the hard work has not stopped and New England, we are still working our butts off but we are not executing and getting it done the way we need to to be successful in this league. That's what it comes down to. It doesn't come down to what you've done in the past or your coaches. It comes down to executing and playing football and winning your matchups and beating and being better than somebody week-after-week, and we haven't done that.
Q. Gilmore leaving the game and the history with that kind of thing, how much do you feel for his situation right now?
DEVIN McCOURTY: We'll see how it all works out. But I mean, Gilly works his butt off and just to see him go down. Tough as a defense, especially in the secondary how close we all are and how we have built bonds over the last three to four years. It's just tough. Any time you watch a guy go down, especially something like that, we'll just be praying for him.
Nothing will stop him, though, no matter what the outcome is, I know he'll be back and be his normal self, if not better, because of the way he works and his mentality.
Q. I know it's day of now but the totality of the season and all the change that kind of happened this year, can you look back quickly here and say, yeah, maybe we didn't have a certain presence that we had in the past or maybe a collective attitude?
DEVIN McCOURTY: I don't know. I don't think about that. For me, it is what it is. We can talk about who is here, who is not here, the attitude, guys is like bottom each year we continue to work and we've gotten better, and the improvement we've made has been the result of our season. However good that improvement is, then the season went a certain way; if it hasn't been, then we fell short and I would say this year has been no different, even though we have worked hard, we have not improved enough or improved at a faster rate than the teams we've played, so the result's been what the result's been. I just can't look at it and say it's from a lack of like, attitude or this or that. Like we've come in and we've worked hard.
Obviously with the condition, it's been different. We didn't have the off-season and all those other things, but everything that we could do, we've come in with the right attitude. Coach Belichick has not change his standard and what we do from an everyday basis. We're still out there practicing hard. It just hasn't worked out. We haven't been -- we just haven't been good enough.
Q. What do you hope to see and what do you hope to accomplish over the last two weeks?
DEVIN McCOURTY: To win. That's all we've got left. Last two weeks. Next week we'll get a chance to play a team that's riding high and has a postseason future, Buffalo wrapped up and won the division. So it's how can we spoil their season and spoil what they have doing, and then the next week, it will be trying to get another win against the Jets.
There's nothing else. There's no moral victories or hoping for this or that. It's how can we win the last two games.
Q. Obviously when a season plays out the way this one has for you guys, the quarterback position gets analyzed and in talking about a potential change there, one of the arguments against it would be that Coach Belichick would lose the locker room, so as a captain and a leader, is it even possible that Bill Belichick could lose the locker room?
DEVIN McCOURTY: I don't even have a comment towards that. Whoever -- whoever they put out there, I will say all across the board is who they put out there and we all have a job to go out there and compete. So whoever they put out at any position, we'll go out there and play and like I said, when you're not in the playoffs, things change, and if things change, shoot, that could mean me not out there, I don't know. But I'm going to continue to do what I do. I take pride personally at working hard and being -- and going out there and competing, and I think each guy does.
Q. How do you think the character of the team will be tested these last two games?
DEVIN McCOURTY: Yeah, I mean, however we want to be remembered for the rest of this year all comes down to these last two weeks. It is what it is. We won't be in the playoffs but we have two games left and that's what we got. So you talk about character, you talk about perseverance, competing, like you know, we got a lot of guys out here that still I think want to prove themselves, still want to try to be players in this league.
So we've got to just keep fighting, and I think -- I think we can lead the way as older guys, but at the end of the day, it comes down to how well we compete and execute on Sunday; the same thing we've said all year. That's what football is about, especially in this league. Every time you play can beat you on Sunday, and you know, same thing for us. We can go out there and beat a very good Buffalo team Monday night, but it's up to us. It's how well we execute and how well we play our roles. We'll have to see. But I just think that we're going to compete. I think we're going to work hard. I just believe in it because that's all I know since I've been here and I don't think that's going to change.
Q. How hard is it to say it, what you just said, "We're not in the playoffs." That's something you're not used to.
DEVIN McCOURTY: Oh, it sucks. But it is what it is. It's the reality of the situation. You get used to being in there and playing and having the opportunity to do what every guy dreams of and to fall short is disappointing. We'll take -- we'll take our licks and get that right on this plane right home, but once we get to New England, it's time to forget about that and move on. We can't do anything about the performance today.
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