Chargers 40, Patriots 7 .
Q. Drake, take us through your day, especially your health and what happened and coming back but also just how disappointing after what you guys were able to do in Buffalo was this effort today from you guys?
DM: Yeah, just kind of got my bell rung on the first drive. I don't know if any of y'all have played and you got hit, but sometimes you get your bell rung, and you've got to shake back. I guess the spotter called down again and had to pass some tests. I felt good, I still feel good, and then I was good to go.
Just the game, things weren't going my way. I kind of felt like in Arizona where I couldn't get in a rhythm offensively. Obviously the pitch was unfortunate. Just had a blitz off the edge that just happened to be a good call on their part, and then just felt like all day we were -- nothing they were doing. We've just got to play cleaner football. We've got to help our defense out when they're moving the ball well. Staying on the field and time of possession was pretty one-sided.
Q. Drake, you were passionate defending Jerod and Alex when you were asked recently. Can you just explain what in your view they're doing well that gives you hope and promise for the future?
DM: Yeah, I think they're still bringing it every week. I think that's the biggest thing you see. They're not quitting. They're still coaching as hard since week one. They're still studying film as hard. We're still meeting as hard.
I think the biggest thing was you don't see those guys quitting. I think the score may not tell that today, but I feel like the guys are still wanting to win. We're still leaving it out there every week, and I think that was kind of my message to the team. Man, just give it all you got. It's our last two games, and this one today, so we've got one more chance next week, so just leave it all out there.
Q. Coach was asked about you staying in the game late, and he said, again, we're trying to develop a quarterback. He also said that you're a competitor and so forth. Was there a discussion late in the game about you staying in or coming out earlier than you did?
DM: I wanted to be in the game. I think that's the biggest thing. I wanted to be in the game. I want to be out there with those guys. If our guys are out there, I want to be out there with them. Shoot, may see something that may help us next week out there.
Q. Was there a discussion, though, or is it just an understanding?
DM: Understanding. Yeah, just understanding.
Q. Drake, is there sort of a fine line when you turn into a ball carrier like you did on the play where you got your bell rung of trying to make the yardage but also, again, we've talked about this, about trying to protect yourself?
DM: Yeah, for sure. I think probably should have just thrown it away or played the next series. It was 3rd down so I was trying to get a 1st, and I guess I stepped out of bounds before, but I definitely think in the first quarter of a game where 3rd down is my mentality to go get it, but at the same time you've got to know kind of the situation.
Q. Drake, I'm just curious, on the touchdown to Demario Douglas, were you aware when you took that shot, was that the play call, or was that a result of kind of seeing that you had a free play based on the penalty that was called?
DM: Yeah, kind of seeing a free play. We worked on it this week, and just give those guys a chance when we know we've got a penalty to give those guys a chance. A negative play on a free play doesn't hurt, and I think the biggest thing is not to take a hit, so I tried to get it off before I took a hit, and Pop made a great play.
Q. Drake, over the last month, the team may not have been winning games, but there was a feeling there was development, there was growth taking place, and the group was heading in the right direction. This result obviously kind of hits in a different way. How do you feel overall about the growth and development of the team overall, and do you have questions about whether you are trending in the right direction?
DM: Yeah, I think Jon Jones hit it in the locker room after. I think it's just two different teams that's showed up with us between this week and last week, and I think two playoff teams we've faced and we see what we can do against a playoff team last week, and I just feel like it wasn't there this week.
I think just look back, self-evaluate, look myself in the mirror. I definitely left some plays out there, so everybody has got to look themselves in the mirror and say, hey, am I doing whatever we need to do to be on the same page and play good football. I think it's in there. I think it's in store for us.
Like I said last week, we've got people in here that can make plays, good players in this league, so we've just got to put it all together and find a way to do more and get on the same page offensively and kind of get the ball rolling. I feel like that's kind of the tale of two tales when we're rolling well and when we're not we're kind of stagnant.
Q. Coach Mayo mentioned trying to develop you, develop a quarterback. What was your mindset in the two series you played in the fourth quarter? Do you feel like at this point in your NFL career you're able to protect yourself out there? You know how to do that without compromising competitive integrity?
DM: For sure. I think the second part of your question, definitely an even balance between being competitive and protecting myself out there, especially in a scenario like that, but at the same time you want to go down there and move the ball. Want to move the ball, want to get some juices flowing for these guys and make everybody, at least offensively, say hey, we can still move the ball on these guys and go score. So that's the mentality.
First part of your question was --
Q. The value of those two series.
DM: Yeah, the value. I want to be out there. Like I said, I want to be out there with those guys. At the end of the day, those guys up front, they're battling their butts off, so I'm not going to be out there and go to the coach and say, hey, take me out. That's not me.
Q. Drake, what happened on the toss to Demario Douglas, the fumble there?
DM: Yeah, we've practiced the play for a long time. I felt like we were executing it well. We had to bring the nickel off the edge, and I think he just kind of -- right without a Pop, and that's unfortunate. Just a good call on their part. I've got to give him a better ball to catch. That falls back on me.
I think kind of Pop readjusted his thing a little bit, his route or his path just because of the blitzer off the edge. But yeah, we just got to give him a chance -- can't turn the ball over.
Q. Drake, I was just curious with Cole Strange, obviously Ben brown was out today, so we saw Cole at center. What's it been like working with him and just how was that being out on the field with him for this first game today?
DM: Yeah, I thought he handled it well. A lot of pressure on him. His first start at center, it's a different job than playing guard. I was proud of the way he worked, proud of the way he fought. Got to watch the tape and probably go over some little things that maybe we can do better, but he caught the guys offsides. That's really him doing that. He snapped the ball, and really credit to him.
Q. Drake, the first play you came back into the game you scrambled nine yards and took another hard hit there. Is that the kind of message or signal you try to pass to your teammates that we need to play tough, we need to play competitive game?
DM: Yeah, anytime I'm telling the doctors I'm good to go. I'm going to come back and give it all I've got. Maybe could have had Boutte on a crossing route there that I could have thrown it, but ended up getting a flag. But I think that's the message to those guys, hey, I'm coming back in, I'm ready to go. Kind of the same thing when I came back from concussion. I'll be the same player. If I feel like I'm not 100 percent ready to go and the best me out there, I won't put myself back out there.
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