Patriots 48, Commanders 18
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Drake.
Q. A thought on getting out there, stadium, Tom Brady night, the game action?
DM: Yeah, I think shout out to the fans. It was a great turnout. Felt like a real game atmosphere. Get the same jitters going out there.
Obviously a big celebration for No. 12. That's pretty cool statue they put out there. I was able to listen to a little bit of his speech. It was pretty cool. Honoring him, what he's done for this organization, speaks for itself.
But for the fans, they showed out. I think what the guys did tonight, everybody playing, playing hard, blocking, tackling, running around I think just kind of for full four quarters. I thought we kept playing.
I think we're kind of starting to build something, that we're going to start to build an identity. That's what coach is talking about. I got to do my part of protecting the football, so...
Q. I know you were very complimentary of Efton Chism over the spring. From the sideline, what did you see from him and maybe his overall growth?
DM: Yeah, he's a baller. I mean, he loves coming up and asking me questions about routes. He loves talking football. He's just a football player. You saw him tonight making plays. Glad he got in the end zone. Almost got in the end zone again on the screen. Got chased down.
Blocking hard, doing all the right things. That's what we're preaching in the offensive room: keep doing things the right way, keep showing up, you're going be rewarded.
Q. How disappointing was it to start with that fumble?
DM: I was excited to get out there. TreVeyon takes it the hundred yards. It was pretty sweet.
Yeah, you got a little bit of a drive going. Third down. Yeah, just can't do that on my first time out. Glad we responded well that next drive.
Yeah, same time I'm glad it's something that I can control. But at the end of the day you just can't put the defense in that position when games matter, during the season.
I told those guys it's on me, we got to get back out there. Glad I was able to get another series going.
Q. Drake, as quarterback one of the top priorities in the pre-season is avoiding contact. When it comes to using your legs, how much is the balance of I don't want to take off running, get too much contact, versus if they're going to give me all that green grass, got to take it?
DM: When they play man, they're down in the red zone, sitting back in zone, playing two I, I got to play football. That's my natural instinct.
Obviously wish you could have hit some more passes. At the same time thought we were running the ball well all night. There's an even balance of them accounting for me being able to run a little bit. Thought I got down on the first third down scramble. The red zone, like I said, we go out there and play football.
Q. Take us your reaction to seeing TreVeyon?
DM: I think it's different with the kickoff rule now. Teams are going to want to tackle, not get 35 yardline. It's going to be a chance for some returns.
He's like a lightning bolt. I saw the crease, knew he was gone. Pretty cool the first time he touches the football, it's a touchdown. Credit to the guys that did the blocking up front. That's special teams and all three phases. Special teams got a chance to be big for us this year.
Q. Back to the end of the first drive. Plays like that where you're trying to extend, do you feel like that's more just instinct, reflex, or is there a deliberate thought on what you were trying to do?
DM: Oh, yeah, it's instinct. First time I've gotten hit since, shoot, back in week 17. It's instinctive. Try to do my best to not get hit. I'm going to do my part of standing there, delivering throws. I know it's going to happen.
Yeah, just instinctive, playing football. Obviously try to get the ball in the other guys' hands because they're better runners than I am. It keeps the defense honest.
Q. In your first answer you mentioned the optimism you have with the group this year. Is it possible to sense for who and what this team is this early, and what's driving that optimism?
DM: Yeah, I mean, you just got to continue to work at it every day, every week. Learn from it, learn from the tape. That's the biggest thing I've seen these guys, they want to get better. They're asking questions. A lot of football talk around in the locker room. I think that's just something you like seeing.
These guys, like I said, we want to win. It starts with the head coach, the intensity. You see the guys up front. First offensive line group, wasn't even me, I was tossing it, handing it off, watching them set the tone early up front. That kind of gets me excited, gets me pumped up. You see guys talking trash till the whistle. That's what you want around the locker room. You want those guys. It's easy for me to get excited playing with guys like that beside me.
Q. When you think about Rhamondre and TreVeyon and Antonio, how would you sort of describe the way they complement each other from your view?
DM: Yeah, I think it's tough on the defense. They all can make you miss. They can run over you. They can catch balls out of the backfield. It's going to be challenging for us on when to use 'em, how to use 'em, getting 'em the ball. Got to get those guys open in space.
They're great football players. See two of them on the kickoff return. I don't know who they're going to kick it to. Pretty big ones tonight.
Excited to have them beside me. I think the best thing about them, they're smart. They're good running the football, that's obvious. But routes. I think they're willing to back. That's something you look for in a quarterback, is he going up in the A gap, I got to do this. These guys are going like, I'm going to protect the guy behind me. Like I said, it's pretty cool. Fires me up.
Thank y'all.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports