Colts 10, Patriots 6
Q. Great game. Another win, 5-5. Then a bye week. You were terrorizing offensive lines. I always say this, you are criminally underrated. What did you think about the game?
DEFOREST BUCKNER: It was a big game. They were 0 for 4 in the red zone. Defense stepped up when we needed to.
Yeah, we've got to clean up some things in the run game. They were doing really well in the run game the second half. We kind of bailed them out, especially up front.
I know the D-line wanted to continue to get after Mac Jones, but they did a really good job scheming us up in the run game and getting some leaky yardage after contact and little things like that.
But, all in all, it was a great overall. Stops by the defense. We came up with two take-aways when we needed to.
Q. On the two field goal drives, they were long, successful drives. How did you draw a line in the sand on both of those and make them have to settle for three?
DEFOREST BUCKNER: The guys just started to tighten up on the details and making those tackles. We had a bunch of missed tackles as well, and just guys talking to each other, just saying how we've got to bow up. We can't let them in the end zone. If they don't score, they can't win.
Just building up the mentality because we have been in the past not good in the red zone, and they're a top three team in the red zone. That was one of the big emphases this week, and the guys came up big.
Q. What sticks out about Dayo getting to have that game?
DEFOREST BUCKNER: For me it's the constant work he puts into his craft each and every week. He gets close, and just to continue to stay patient and not press or stress about getting sacks and just continuing to work each and every day, not complaining and taking advantage of those one-on-one opportunities.
He just has been -- it's been awesome to see him have this big game, going into the bye. I was just telling him, it's a great feeling going into the bye week with a win in a three-piece. So he deserved that.
Q. He mentioned that he had a bunch of family here. I know you guys always talk about you try to keep the external factors low, but how much of a motivating factor is your family?
DEFOREST BUCKNER: I told Dayo and Kwity, every time they have family at the game, they go crazy. I'm like, I would be calling up my family every week. Make sure you're at the game. I'll pay for it. You know what I mean? Front and center. I want to make sure you're at the games so I can have a great game for you. Come on.
But it's amazing. He was talking about it, about how he had a lot of family out here in Germany as well, and just amazing that he was able to put on a performance like that for them.
Q. DeForest, you're coming out on the final drive of the game. What's the reaction in the huddle when you turn around and go, oh, they benched Mac and put the backup in?
DEFOREST BUCKNER: It's the same mentality. It was a two-minute situation. We know obviously they had to score. They couldn't settle for any field goals.
Obviously we always talk about sacks killing two-minute drives or obviously turnovers, and it didn't matter who was back there. We had to continue to execute what we had going, and the guys were able to come up with a big-time -- Rodney was able to come up with a big-time take away.
Q. What did you think of the fake spike?
DEFOREST BUCKNER: Yeah, that's a Belichick thing right there. Just trying to catch us off guard and little things like that. Just little things that we have to pay attention to because they try and catch us slipping. That was kind of reaching in the bag right there just trying to find a play. Guys were able to execute.
Q. Was it your first time in Germany, and what do you think about the German fan base, and did you have a chance to see a little bit of the town?
DEFOREST BUCKNER: Yeah, it was definitely my first time in Germany. Honestly, during the anthem and everything, and obviously hearing the German anthem and all of that, I was getting goose bumps.
Just the atmosphere. I mean, the crowd was amazing. It was actually one of the best atmospheres I've ever played in front of. You just brought a lot of juice.
There were times when I didn't know who was making great plays because everybody was cheering for both teams, but that's what it's all about. It was amazing.
It was definitely a surreal moment for me. I don't take anything for granted. I'm from a little island out in the Pacific, and this game brought me all the way out to Frankfurt, Germany, so I'm very grateful.
Q. How much do you think a win like this moving to 5-5 and going into the bye can help? I don't know you don't want to look too far ahead, but realistically, we want to make sure that we're in the right space to make a playoff push.
DEFOREST BUCKNER: Yeah, going into the bye 5-5, I mean, everything is in front of us. We have seven more games, and it's just a confidence factor knowing that we have a realistic push to make a playoff run, and we have a lot of guys that are banged up, and we have this bye week to really recover and get our bodies right to make this push.
It was a big emphasis the past two weeks in getting .500 and going into the bye having an opportunity coming out. So I know the guys are -- I'm excited. The guys know we have an actual chance to make a push you.
Q. On those long drives with the defense being backed up in the red zone, how tough was it to the keep the rest of the guys motivated? It's a complex situation. How do you keep them out in the end zone?
DEFOREST BUCKNER: It's all about how you respond in those adverse situations. Guys are looking at each other. We just are talking to one another. Hey, like, we have an opportunity here to keep them out of the end zone.
Guys really just stepping up making the plays that come their way and just sticking together in those adverse situations. I'm very proud of the guys how we was able to keep them out of the end zone today. 0-4 in the red zone. That's big-time.
Q. When you hit the field, it sounded like Foxboro.
DEFOREST BUCKNER: There was definitely a lot of cheering for the Patriots side. At times it definitely felt like an away game for us, but just seeing how the guys have been responding on the road this year, I can say that we've been playing really well on the road.
Guys just embracing those opportunities. It didn't matter how many times the defense had to take the field. We looked at it as an opportunity to make a stop.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports