Seahawks players react to Super Bowl defeat

Here's a roundup of player quotes following Seattle's loss in Super Bowl XLIX.

SEAHAWKS QB RUSSELL WILSON

(on the interception at the end of the game) "The last play we had a formation where we could throw it on them. (Ricardo) Lockette was coming underneath, and the guy made a great play. That's really what it comes down to - the guy just made a great play. I think it was (Malcolm) Butler who made the catch, I'm not sure. I had a chance, was looking, and then he kind of cut in front of it and made a play. I thought it was a touchdown, honestly. Unfortunate situation, man. We played lights out for the most part. We fought so hard. You've got to give the Patriots credit. Tom (Brady) made some great plays out there, and he was clutch at the end of the game. I thought we were going to be clutch at the end of the game, too, right there at the end, and it comes down to that last play."

(on if he thought during the week that Chris Matthews would have that big of a game) "Well, we have so many different receivers that make so many different plays. From Jermaine (Kearse), to Doug Baldwin, to (Ricardo) Lockette - Chris Matthews has been doing a great job all season, really. He hasn't been up that much because we had Paul Richardson playing, too. I was so proud for Chris. I'm so proud for everybody on our football team. We played as hard as we could, and they made one more play than we did."

(on if he has been able to process this game yet) "It's tough to process in the sense of I hate losing. That's really what it comes down to. It was one play that he made a great play on. Give credit to their team. I've watched a lot of Super Bowls, and in my opinion that was one of the better ones - we just didn't win it. Our goal is to get back next year. Our goal is to prepare the right way. Our goal is to keep your mind right, stay strong mentally and just keep fighting. We have so many great players, so many great people on our football team, our organization. I'm just grateful for the 12^th man fans and all the things that they do for us. Hopefully we'll get back again."

(on what Head Coach Pete Carroll said when they got into the locker room after the game) "The message from Coach Carroll was just that we played a physical, tough game all the way to the end, and really, like I said, they made one more play than we did. He took the blame for it, whatever, but you know, it's not his fault. I put the blame on me - the guy made a play. I don't know what I could have done differently - I need to see it. We were right there, so I put the blame on me. I'm the one that gave him the ball, in a way."

(on if there was a chance to check out of the play that led to the game-sealing interception) "On that play, no, there wasn't really a check out of it. We had a good play. If it was a catch, you know, it would be a completely different story. They made a great play, like I said. You've got to give credit to (Malcolm) Butler on making that play. I thought it was going to be a touchdown."

(on if that play could have been a throwaway) "I'd have to look at the film, but in terms of being a throwaway, no, it's not a throwaway. I mean, the guy just barely cut in front of him. There was a chance to catch it and a chance to make a play, and the guy made a great play. It wasn't a throwaway situation, really. One inch too far, I guess."

(on if he was surprised by the play call) "I wasn't surprised. I think that we've done a great job in those situations all year - ever since I've been here, we've been great in those situations, too. Obviously, you have different options. You hand the ball off to Marshawn (Lynch) - that's a great option. You can also throw it, which is a great option. We thought we had them, and I thought it was going to be a touchdown when I threw it. When I let it go, I thought it was going to be game over."

(on Head Coach Pete Carroll saying that New England had their run defense in, and if that changed anything as far as the play call) "You know, when they called the call, I just trusted it like I always do, and just trusted my instincts and trusted the play. There wasn't really anything else we could do. We were thinking about throwing the ball, scoring a touchdown right there. You can also run it in, but that also runs down the clock a little bit - we could call timeout. It's just, this could be a completely different situation right now, and it comes down to - that's just one play. In my opinion, it comes down to one play, and I can use this for the future."

(on how much this loss hurts) "It definitely hurts. You think about everything you go through all year and all the ups and downs, just how great we played throughout this game. At the same time, I love the guys that I have around me, I love the people I have around me, so I hate feeling that I'm the one who lost it, in a way. For me, I keep my head up though. I know that I prepare and I know I get ready. I know I play my heart out and I know the rest of the guys play their heart out. So when you do that, you can't worry about it too much. You just have to focus on what you can do to keep everybody together in terms of mentally and spiritually with it, and just keep staying after it."

(on if this is something that his team can learn from) "Yeah, we're such a young team. We have so much talent, so many guys that can make plays and be solid, so I definitely think something can be learned from it. I've lost some close games in my career, just college and the NFL, and I've also won a lot of close ones, too. That's what we can be focused on. Keep focusing on persevering. Keep focusing on guys you have around you, and keep focusing on caring about those guys and working, and just continuing to fight."

(on if he saw where Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler was before the snap on the interception play) "Yeah, I saw where he was, and he just made a great instinct play. Really, honestly a great play. It wasn't a touchdown."

(on if a pass could have worked in that situation) "Well, it could work, for sure. It looked like it worked, and he made a play."

(on if they have thrown to wide receiver Ricardo Lockette much in that situation in practice) "Yeah, we've definitely done that a lot. He's definitely done that a lot, prepared for that."

(on how tough it is having the best running back and running quarterback in the league, and losing after being on the 1-yard line at the end of the game) "I've watched a lot of games and have been in a lot of games, and it always hurts to lose. It doesn't matter how you win it - you just want to score one more point than they do. There's so many different things we could have done throughout the game, I think, to just solidify a potential win for us, but it didn't happen for us today. Tom Brady, I give a lot of credit to him and what he did tonight - he made some great plays. Being on the 1-yard line, 2-yard line, whatever we were - I wish we had scored. I don't care who scores, I don't care how we do it - as long as we find a way."

(on if he was going to WR Ricardo Lockette the entire time on the interception play or if there was another read) "There was another read on the other side, but that wasn't the side I was supposed to go to. I trusted my progression on it and like I said, (Malcolm) Butler made a great play."

(on if he has seen the play yet) "I haven't - I really want to see it. I tried to look at it on the field, but it hadn't popped up yet."

(on Head Coach Pete Carroll taking the blame on that play and if that is fair) "I put the blame on me - I'm the one who threw it. It's something you learn from, it's something you grow from. I'm proud of our guys about the way that we got down the field there in that situation. We had so many great plays, and we're right there. We'll just keep learning and keep growing."

(on if he was surprised by that play call) "I wasn't surprised at all."

(on if there was a moment of shock when he threw the interception) "It's just a moment of disappointment, you know? We're right there - we wish that we make that play. We've had so many great plays. When you're a championship-type football team, you're going to make a lot of great plays. There's going to be some plays that you don't make, but you just keep believing that you're going to make the one. I've had a lot of success and I've had some failures, but I just keep staying focused on that I believe that you're going to make it every time. I'm just grateful for the guys I have around me and grateful for how hard those guys worked. We played our hearts out. We played our hearts out every game, every practice, every situation. We played out hearts out this game, and we just fell short."

(on if he questioned the play-call) "I don't question the call. I thought it was a good call. I thought we could have scored a touchdown there. We didn't, and that's what it really came down to. Like I said earlier, you've got to give the Patriots credit. You give Tom (Brady) credit for what he did and what he's done in his career. Seeing him after the game and talking to him - I admire the guy because he plays with his heart out, he plays with true grit. I want to be like that one day. I just keep working, and I think our team just keeps working. I think we're in a great situation, and I'm grateful for the guys that are around me. I'm grateful for all the plays that we've made and the plays that we will make in the future. I expect us to win. I expect us to be back here. I expect us to continue to keep our head up and keep moving, because we have guys with great character, guys that love the game of football and guys that love each other. I'm grateful for everybody. I'm grateful for the Seahawks, and just grateful for the situation. Disappointing, but I believe that we'll be back. Go Hawks."

SEAHAWKS C MAX UNGER

(on getting close to the end zone and not scoring) "Yeah, that's on all of us. Just have to keep going. It's a tough one."

(on how Seattle will regroup) "Yeah, I mean, to be honest with you we need to take some time off. Obviously, this is as tough of loss as anybody has ever dealt with. We just have to kind of take some time off, come back and hit the offseason hard."

(on if the team will come together and come back stronger than ever) "Yeah, we need to. This is a tough one, there is a lot of emotion, a lot of emotion everywhere. This is something that we have to get stronger from, there is no other way to do it. We can't let something like this bring us apart."

(on when he can put the pain of the loss aside and focus on what a successful season they had) "Yeah, I mean success is a tough one to kind of say right now after this game. We will just have to make it work."

(on QB Russell Wilson's interception) "Yeah, that's on all of us. No blame. This is a game of a lot of variables. To say one play had a direct outcome on it, you just can't do that."

(on trying to spread the Patriots out when they had a goal line unit in the game) "Yeah, they ran a lot of defensive runs and we just need to do a better job."

(on if Seattle should have run the ball instead of passing on Russell Wilson's interception) "I don't know, I only see a couple guys in front of me, so I don't know."

(on if he was surprised the Seahawks called a pass play instead of giving the ball to RB Marshawn Lynch) "There's no point in dwelling on what play gets called in the huddle because it's up to us to actually do it."

(on coming back stronger) "This will be a tough one. I'll take some time off. We have to."

(on how Seattle was able to finish strong all season) "Yeah, we came up a little short this time. It's tough to say all the right things."

SEAHAWKS CB BYRON MAXWELL

(on DT Kevin Williams' message to "stick together" and the message amongst the defensive backs after the game) "I mean, it's pretty much, really, what he said: Just stick together."

(on how difficult it was to disrupt New England QB Tom Brady's timing) "Oh, man. They had a great game plan to go against us. They did an excellent job executing the offense."

(on how much they could have countered Brady's play with halftime adjustments) "He was just on tonight. It was one of those nights everything lined up and they got the win."

(on adapting to the loss of CB Jeremy Lane) "It was just a key loss. He's such a great player. He picked the ball, he intercepted the ball on the play he got hurt. So, that tells you what kind of loss it was."

(on what he will remember most about this Seattle team this season) "We know how to finish. You've got to look at the positive, and that's one of the positives about us. It didn't work out tonight, but we know how to finish and that's one of the things that we hang our hat on, finishing the ball game."

(on how valuable the experience is for a young Seattle team) "It's key, because more experience is more experience. On the big stages, you're just going to get better off of experience and everything's going to start moving slowly."

(on what is next for Seattle) "Like I said earlier, we've just got to stick together. That's the most important thing right now, and get ready for OTAs when (the time) comes around."

(on what his thoughts were at the end of the game when it was second-and-one from the one-yard line) "What was going through my mind? ‘We're about to win this.'"

SEAHAWKS CB RICHARD SHERMAN

(on if he was surprised Seattle did not run the ball on the 1-yard line at the end of the game) "I'm a little bit surprised. It was an unfortunate play. Their guy made a heck of a play and that's all you can ask for."

(on if Head Coach Pete Carroll explained what happened on the play) "To a degree, but it was just an unfortunate play. The guy made a heck of a play, you've got to give him all the credit."

(on if he would have run with RB Marshawn Lynch in that situation) "What I would have done is irrelevant at this time. We went with that play. We trusted our quarterback, and unfortunately they made a play."

(on the feeling in the locker room) "Well, it came down to a play. We gave ourselves a chance to win, that's all you can ask for. At the end of the day, if we didn't give ourselves a chance to win and play up to our potential, then you can be more disappointed. For us, we gave ourselves the chance to win the ball game, and then that play at the end. Credit to them."

(on if New England did something differently on offense after halftime) "Not really, not really. We had some unfortunate penalties late in the drives, a couple mistakes by our guys on third-and-long. But other than that, you know, just mistakes on our part."

(on if the decision to pass on the 1-yard line at the end of the game surprised him) "We've done it before, so not really."

(on if he felt shocked on the sidelines at the end of the game) "Not really. The guy made a heck of a play. If we catch a touchdown there and score, then it is what it is. But the guy made a heck of a play and you've got to give him the credit."

(on how difficult it was to transition emotionally in that moment) "I was the same. You understand, you know they earned the win. You give them all the credit in the world. They did a great job. They executed at the end and they won the ball game. You've got to give them their credit, and that's really all."

(on how New England QB Tom Brady performed) "I think he was up and down. We played great. He had his plays, we had our plays. It was great. He continued to compete and he overcame some mistakes early on and you've got to tip your hat to him."

(on if the team expects to be back to the Super Bowl much more in the future because of its youth) "We expect to be here every year. That's the kind of team we have. That's the dedication every year. We'll see how it goes."

(on what happened during the scuffle in the final minute) "I'm not sure, I wasn't in it. I was standing there waiting for the next play. Obviously, tempers flared and guys went to go separate."

(on if he was surprised such a good game ended with that scuffle) "Not really. This is an emotional game. Emotions got out of hand on both sides and guys went after one another. But you know, it's football."

(on his message to QB Russell Wilson after the game) "Just keep your head up. We gave ourselves a chance to win. That's all you can ask for at the end of the day."

(on what he said to New England QB Tom Brady after the game) "I said, ‘Good game.' He battled through. We're just two competitors. He played a good game today."

(on how hurt was the team after the game) "I think they're all right. We're a young team. This is my fourth year in this league, second Super Bowl. So hopefully we'll have another chance to get here and have a different result."

(on how the injuries to CB Jeremy Lane and DE Cliff Avril influenced the way they ran their defense) "We ran it the same. Those were two big injuries to core guys for us, but we ran the same plays. We executed, even though some mistakes (were) made at the end. When you lose two starters, it's going to be tough for your defense. But we were able to overcome some of those things and give ourselves a chance. I think we had a chance to win the game."

(on if he thought they were going to win after WR Jermaine Kearse's juggling catch in the fourth quarter) "I thought we had a chance, through God's grace. He always seems to be with us in these big games. We had to give all the things to the man upstairs. We had the chance to win this ball game. It was a heck of a play by Jermaine. But unfortunately, they made a play at the end and you've got to give them credit."

(on if he worries about players second guessing the coaching staff after the decision to pass instead of run at the end of the game) "We have a mentally strong team, a mentally tough team. Everybody understands it didn't come down to one play. There were a number of plays we could have made throughout the game and extended our lead, and guys understand that. So, there is no finger pointing."

(on if he was 100 percent healthy in the game) "In football, you're never 100 percent. We were good enough to go. We went out there and played. There's no excuse."

(on if he has a greater appreciation for how tough it is to repeat) "It's tough, but we had a chance to make a play at the end. Unfortunately, they made the play. I don't think that had anything to do with how tough it is to repeat. I think it was just a heck of a play by their guy."

(on if he was surprised by the coaches' play call at the end of the game) "No, he gave our quarterback a chance to win it and it looked like they were going to go on formation. It gave us a chance to win the ballgame at the end. But unfortunately, they made a big play on us. That's a once-in-a-lifetime play, and the guy made a heck of a break."

(on what the result of this game do to Seattle's legacy) "I'm not sure it does much to our legacy. I think we've got a bunch of fourth- and fifth-year guys, and we'll have a chance to, through God's grace, get back here and have another chance at it."

(on expecting his first child and if he is surprised that turned into a national story) "Yeah, I didn't think it was that big of a deal. He's close, but he's not expected to come this weekend. So, I was surprised at how big, but I guess in a game like this, a story like that, you can't pass it up. I was surprised it was a national headline more than anything."

(on looking forward to time off to spend with his child) "I am looking forward to it. That's one of those things, it will be a life-changer. I'm looking forward to having a chance to raise my son and meet everybody, and teach him things that I know."

SEAHAWKS CB THAROLD SIMON

(on if he knew his role was going change in the game when cornerback Jeremy Lane got injured) "Yeah, once he got hurt. Once anybody goes down, I know I'm the next man up."

(on if he felt like New England quarterback Tom Brady would throw at him when he got into the game) "Yeah, it's Tom Brady. I'm sure he's going to try to attack the third or fourth corner on the team. They did a great job. I tried to hold my ground. I thought they did a fine job of running quick routes out there. I think I did a fine job of doing what I was supposed to do."

(on if different things happened on Brady's touchdown passes) "Yeah, the one on the goal line was just a real good route, in-and-out route. That's kind of hard to cover, but should have kept my eyes out of the backfield, should have kept them down on the receiver. That's what it was."

(on the feeling in the locker room) "The feeling right now - at first it was real sad, but Mike B. (defensive end Michael Bennett), he brought everybody up. When we lose we're still together. When we win we're together. Right now, we're all together."

(on the initial thought on the Seattle turnover at the end of the game) "I thought we were going to win the game. Then when they threw the ball and he picked it off, I was just like, ‘How do you throw the ball when you've got (running back) Marshawn Lynch?' You could run the ball, but it's the game of football. We all make simple mistakes. Now we know what we have to do next time."

(on how it felt to be thrust into a bigger role than he expected to be in) "I feel good. It's what I prepare for every day in practice. Preparation is a little different when you know you're going to start or you know you're not going to start. Preparation is a little different, but I prepare every day, too. If somebody goes down I know I'm the next man up."

(on if he liked their chances to win the game being up 10 points in the fourth quarter) "We loved our chances. When we went up 10, I really thought we had a chance of winning the game from that point on. We're the Seahawks. When we're up 10 we really think we're going to win the game, but (New England quarterback) Tom Brady and that offense, they did a great job of driving the ball down the field. They did a great job."

(on how tough the loss is for Seattle after being one of the best finishing teams in the league) "That's why I think a lot of people were mad, because we didn't finish the way we used to finish. Like I said, when you've got ‘Beast Mode' (running back Marshawn Lynch) as your running back with three downs to go, you should run the ball every time. Nothing we could really do about it. That's gone. The game's over with, got to move on from it."

(on if the players talked about not giving Lynch the ball) "No. People got in there screaming, hollering, ‘Why not run the ball?' Stuff like that, but like I said, nothing we could do. We've just got to come together. We lost. We've got to come together. When we win, we come together. At the end of the day, we're going to be good."

(on how Seattle changed from the first half to the second half) "The second half - the game is not won in the first quarter or the second quarter. It's won in the fourth quarter. We just changed. We just knew there was certain stuff we had to stop. We knew we had to get to the quarterback, tackle. It was more of when they catch the ball we had to tackle better. In the first half when they were catching, we weren't tackling. They were getting a lot of yards after the catch. That's what we did. In the second half we tackled better. We kind of held them until the last two drives of the game."

(on how disappointing it was for the Legion of Boom not to go into the game at full health) "We always feel great because the Legion of Boom - one time that you have somebody go down, trust me, there's always somebody to step in and contribute to the team. I know I'm still young. I know I made a lot of mistakes tonight - gave up two touchdowns - but I can promise that will never happen again. The Legion of Boom - Sherm (corner back Richard Sherman), all those guys - those guys are great guys. We're going to work hard this offseason, and hopefully we get back again here next year."

(on if the first touchdown against him was a matter of leverage) "The first touchdown, I think it's more of as a corner on that play, we had two responsibilities. One responsibility went away. Then, the other responsibility came, and I was too late on my second responsibility. That's how the first touchdown happened. The second touchdown, I just knew the route was coming, but my eyes got caught in the backfield. The first time - the same route, but they missed it the first time. The second time, they caught it. My eyes got caught in the backfield. As a young guy, I know there's a lot I have to work on."

SEAHAWKS LB BOBBY WAGNER

(on his impression of New England TE Rob Gronkowski) "He had a good game."

(on what this loss in the Super Bowl will do for Seattle in the long run) "You learn from winning. You learn from losing."

(on having a good game and playing hard) "I just try to give it my all and just tried to do whatever I could to help the team win, and unfortunately, I didn't do a good job of that."

(on how Seattle will handle this loss) "We'll bounce back."

(on what happened during the fight at the end of the game) "I don't know. I wasn't involved in it."

(on how the players are dealing with Seattle's decision to throw the ball in the red zone at the end of the game) "I don't know. We've got (RB) Marshawn Lynch, one of the best running backs in the league. Everybody makes their decisions, and unfortunately, we didn't give him the ball."

(on what he thought about how New England QB Tom Brady played tonight) "He played good."

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS LB BRUCE IRVIN

(on why New England was able to move the ball on in the air effectively) "Receivers made plays for them. The first half, we didn't do a good job of tackling them, but the second half, I feel like we did a great job. We were on the field a long time the second half. They got the best of it, and they got out of here with a win."

(on whether or not Seattle's defense expected New England to go hurry-up in the first half) "We expected it. We ran up-tempo, so we were prepared for all of that."

(on what happened when he got ejected at the end of the game) "I was protecting a teammate. Emotions flew. I saw somebody hit Mike Bennett, so I went and backed up my brother. I went about it wrong. Emotions were flying high, and I apologize. But if it happened again, I would go protect my teammate. That's just how it is."

(on how he felt when Seattle didn't give the ball to running back Marshawn Lynch on quarterback Russell Wilson's goal line interception) "We had it. I don't understand how you don't give it to the best back in the league on not even the one-yard line. We were on the half-yard line, and we throw a slant. I don't know what the offense had going on, what they saw. I just don't understand."

(on how he is going to stomach this all offseason knowing Seattle was so close to repeating) "It's going to kill me. I think I'm about to just go lock myself in my room for about two weeks. This one hurt because we had it. We had it."

(on if he felt like it was there after wide receiver Jermaine Kearse's catch late in the fourth quarter) "It was there. It was meant to be. After Kearse caught that ball, it felt like it was meant to be. We just didn't finish it."

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SS KAM CHANCELLOR

(on how tough this game was to swallow) "Very tough, it's a loss. Every time you lose, it's tough. It's a learning situation. You learn from these losses, and you move forward. You figure out what was the problem, and you fix it. You fix it, and you move forward. You can't dwell on the past. You've just got to move forward."

(on why New England threw 50 times if Seattle has such a great secondary) "Those were all quick passes getting the ball out fast. That's their game, throw quick passes and try and get a little YAC (yards after catch). We've just got to tackle better. We've got to get off the field. We've got to eliminate penalties."

(on if he was surprised running back Marshawn Lynch didn't get) "Things happen for a reason. That happened for a reason."

(on how challenging it is as a team to stick together after a loss) "You win together, and you lose together. We always say, ‘It's all about the journey.' This game doesn't define this team. It doesn't define this team's character. This team is a fighting team. No matter what, we're going to fight and we're going to fight. Then win or lose, we're still going to fight. We're going to feel this. We're going to feel this all offseason. The chips didn't fall the way we thought they would, but, at the end of the day, we still had a chance. We had an opportunity to play on this stage. We've still got to give God all the glory for the opportunity. Just for the opportunity to be in the moment."

(on how bad his knee was during the game) "The knee was a knee. It's football. Nobody plays at 100 percent."

(on how tough it is to repeat as Super Bowl champions) "We've got to appreciate the guys that did it twice. It's definitely tough, but you can't get in your own way. You've got to eliminate mistakes. When you get in your own way, that's when you mess up."

(on how he hurt his knee in practice) "When I was checking a guy outside, one of my teammates ran into my knee. It was to the outside of my knee. It just happened. It was bang-bang. Just a freak accident. That's football."

(on whether or not it was a question he'd be available for today's game) "When it's two days before the game, it definitely was a question, it's a testament to God with all the prayers around the world, all the prayers from my family and all the prayers from my team. I was able to go out there and fight as hard as a could. He allowed me the strength. He allowed my knee to be stable enough to go and do whatever I could out there."

(on if his injury was why Seattle's secondary played more Cover 2) "We didn't play a lot of Cover 2. It might have seemed we did. It was man and three (deep)."

(on how Seattle processed the play call on quarterback Russell Wilson's goal-line interception) "Things happen for a reason. A play was called. Anytime you get a play called, you just have to execute it. It is what it is. The game is over. You've just got to execute plays."

(on what happened at the very end of the game when punches were being thrown) "I'm not sure. Basically when I turned around, I just saw a big tussle, and I just went to try to break it up. I want to go out with class. We're a classy team. From what I heard, we threw the first punch, but we're a classy team. We're not trying to fight you. We're going to fight you in between the whistle. We're not that type of team."

(on what Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn means to Seattle) "Dan Quinn means a lot. He lets us go out there and play. He lets us be us out there. He lets us use our strengths. He just lets us be us. I respect him with the upmost."

(on if Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn leaves Seattle to be the new head coach in Atlanta) "He's definitely going to be missed. That's our defensive coordinator. Like I said, he allows us to be ourselves. He got us to this point by being our leader. We're definitely going to miss him. We have a foundation here. We have standards here, we have support here. As long as we have the pieces we need, we can plug in the next man up. We'll just keep moving"

(on what the message was in the locker room after the game) "There was just a lot of appreciation. We all understand the journey. We all understand the fight. We understand each other. We love each other like brothers. We feel each other's pain out there. I think that was the biggest thing, just the appreciation. The love and the fight that we have for each other. Whatever pain we have out on the field, us going out there and playing injured. Whatever we have to do for our brothers, we'll all do it."

(on what it means to have a young team that can come back from this next year) "We'll be back."

(on if this makes Seattle a more hungry team now) "We're always hungry. We don't do it for the people that say we're on top. We don't do it for them. We do it for our last name. We do it for each other. We do it for ourselves and for God. We don't do it for the outside people. It's all in house."

(on why quarterback Tom Brady was successful with the underneath passes in the second half) "We've just got to be more fundamentally sound. We're a very fundamentally sound team. When you're not fundamentally sound, bad things happen. A great quarterback like Tom Brady, he'll find it. He'll definitely find it. We've just got to be fundamentally sound. We've got to play within our scheme."

SEAHAWKS T JUSTIN BRITT

(on how he feels) "Shocked. No one's fault. The game wasn't decided on one play."

(on the feeling in the locker room) "You see the feeling in here. It's not good."

(on if he is surprised by the final play call) "No, we have great coaches and great players. Sometimes things don't work like you want them to."

(on being down and coming back during the fourth quarter) "Well, we just did it at home. We don't go on the field thinking we might not win. We go out there knowing that we are going to win. We've done it before, and we have been in situations like that."

(on what Head Coach Pete Carroll said to the team after the game) "Stick together. We played with each other and for each other, so we will stay together."

SEAHAWKS T RUSSELL OKUNG

(on the challenge of sticking together after loss like this one) "Well, I believe we will really have to see the character of our team. I mean, anyone can be happy in defeat and, you know, anybody can have a great time when they win, but when you face adversity, when you face failure, your character will show. It's a tough pill to swallow but we are looking forward to the future.

(on WR Jermaine Kearse' catch in the red zone) "I think the mentality of our team, we are always thinking about finish. We always believe there is still a chance no matter how much time is on the clock, and for Jermaine (Kearse) to make that type of play was phenomenal. We didn't expect anything less from him."

(on if he was surprised to run a pass play that close to goal line) "Honestly, I have full confidence in our offensive coordinator, I have full confidence in our quarterback and our offensive line's ability to protect as well, too. Today we just came up short. So obviously as an offensive lineman you want to run the ball, but we've been in that same position in the past and we were able to deliver and today we just came up short."

(on if play calls were coming in late) "The time was kind of coming down and I believed we could make a big play, trying to keep them on their heels, and we just weren't able to come through."

(on moving the ball more after the first quarter) "We still stayed true to our identity. We ran the ball like we wanted to and Russell (Wilson) started making some good plays down the field and some receivers started getting open as well. So we just stayed - stayed at it and before you know it started breaking out a couple of big plays."

(on how difficult it is to run the football based on personnel of Patriots on final play) "We just had five guys really protecting and they had their goal-line package in, so it's something either we holler or whatever. But, hats off to a good Patriots defense, they just made a good play. They were prepared for that time."

(on if it is particularly difficult to run the ball based on that specific matchup on the final play) "Well we've done it before. We've scored when we have had a goal line defense in front of us on really the same play. Today we just had a setback, we weren't able to deliver."

(on if this game is an example of the fine line between joy and pain) "Yeah it could have definitely went the other way. We've been in the same situation in the past and we've run outside and actually run the game. So, as unfortunate as it was we will learn from this and we'll get better."

(on what the team would miss if RB Marshawn Lynch wasn't on team next year) "Well, he is part of our team. He is part of what makes us who we are and I don't really understand the intricacies of that. I don't really know what's going to go on but we hope to have him here. He is still my teammate right now and we love him."

(on how Russell Wilson will respond to throwing an interception late) "He will probably respond the way he always responds. He will work harder. He'll probably watch more film and so next time he gets put in that situation, he will come out on top."

(on if this loss is the worst possible way to lose) "We're in probably one of the biggest games of our life so, however you lose it, you lost it. So, obviously to lose in that fashion we would have hoped to come out on top but we didn't, and the Patriots played a really good defense in the end, and they were able to come through and we weren't. They finished a lot better than we were able to do."

(on tempers flaring at the end of the game) "We're an extremely emotional team, you know. That emotion we really feed on it. A couple of guys had a couple tempers flare up and you know, good thing we were able to pull it back so it didn't escalate into anything more than what it was."

(on if he expected Marshawn Lynch to get the football on the final play) "Well, I believe our offensive coordinator would put us in the best position to win, and I believe that is what he was trying to do. So, we've been in that same position before and we were able to make that throw so, unfortunately we were unable to come up today but we will in the future."

(on how common it is to not run the ball if perfect personnel is not in place) "We've ran the football with that personnel against that type of front before, and we've had success. We've also thrown in that same personnel and have had success as well, too. It's just football. Sometimes it goes that way, and sometimes it doesn't, but you just got to accept it and be able move on.

(on a time when they ran the same play and had success) "Yeah, we did a couple years back against Arizona. We've done it a couple times. I can't really remember every single instance, but that play - we've been in that same position and we've came out on top in that same scenario so it just didn't happen that way today."

(on if there was an option play call based on Patriots personnel) "It was just a huddle call, and they had the right scheme, the right defense in front of us in order to defend it, and they did a really good job of making a good play."

(on if they feel like they can get back to Super Bowl because they are young) "Well, you know, I think as far as we are concerned, we have our offseason, we are optimistic about the future, but one day at a time. That's what we always do, and if we end up back here, we are blessed."

(on if they have the right coach to bounce back from this loss) "I believe in Pete (Carrroll), I believe in what he does. He was able to bring me here and he also brought us to our second Super Bowl, as well, too. We are very - I am very grateful for what he has done for me, and I believe he can bring us back."

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS TE LUKE WILLSON

(on the loss) "Yeah, there is not much to say."

(on the message from Head Coach Pete Carroll) "Stick together. That's about it."

(on if he felt he deserved the ball more in this game) "We moved the ball. We scored 24 (points) and it looked like it was going to be 31 points. Our offense doesn't have a featured guy. It is what it is."

(on how much it is going to take to let the sting of this game pass and realize the great season the team had) "That is a good question. I don't know."

(on why New England was able to finish the game when Seattle had been so good at finishing all year) "I have no idea. I am at a loss."

(on Jermaine Kearse's catch late in the fourth quarter) "(He) has made a lot of great catches. It bounced around and he came down with it. He is a playmaker. Nothing surprises me."

(on how hard the loss is) "I am just at a loss of words - to be down there on the one (yard line) with 20 seconds left, down four - yeah, I don't know what to say. I am sorry."

(on giving words to describe his emotions during the last two minutes) "Not really. I don't know how to do it. Called a good shot, but it just feels like we just gave away a Super Bowl."

(on why running back Marshawn Lynch didn't get the ball late in the fourth quarter at the one-yard line) "I don't have a comment for that question."

(on describing the locker room) "Devastated. Lot of hard work to get here and (we were) right there and that was our ending there."

SEAHAWKS WR CHRIS MATTHEWS

(on if it is even tougher considering the first half ) "Yeah, I mean it was definitely tough, but we're built off of finishing and we definitely didn't finish towards the end. Certain mistakes that we made and we have to live with it. We're just going to get ready for next year."

(on the final drive) "I don't know what they were thinking about as far as what was going on with the plays, because I was really worried about my teammates and focusing in on the next play. We called a play, we ran it, we tried to execute it, we didn't and that's the end result."

(on if tonight's game was bittersweet considering the game he had and his long journey to the NFL from the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers and how much nicer it would have been to cap it off with a win) "Yeah, I mean it definitely would have been, but I wasn't worried about myself. I was worried about the team. Like I said, I was wanting to go down there and play as a team player and do what I needed to do to help win the game and obviously it wasn't enough."

(on his first catch trending on Twitter in Canada) "Canada treated me right and I have nothing but love for Canada and all the Canadians that were down there that helped me out, (Winnipeg Blue Bombers wide receivers) Coach (Markus) Howell, (former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) Coach (Gary) Crowton and all of them."

(on if he can feel okay about his game or if he just sees it as a loss) "I'm not okay with any of that. I'm not a selfish player. I'm definitely a team player and I don't care if I don't even have one pass, one yard, one tackle, it wouldn't have mattered to me as long as we had won the game and I would have made an influence in any way. I would have been happy with a win with no stats."

(on what point during the preparation for the Super Bowl did he know that some of the plays would be available) "None. We didn't have anything. I was just out there playing and practicing and going through with the team and focusing. I didn't have any inclinations of any type of plays set up for me."

(on if he was surprised when he started getting the opportunities and how he felt coming out of the huddle) "I wasn't feeling like anything. I know it's nothing compared to the NFL, but throughout high school and college I've always been the player, one of the main players, so just stepping up and being there was nothing new to me."

(on Head Coach Pete Carroll taking responsibility for the last play call) "He's a great coach, definitely a great coach. A lot of coaches probably wouldn't have done that. They probably wouldn't have even mentioned it to us. I just take my hat off to Coach Carroll."

(on if he felt more pressure coming into the Super Bowl without a catch in the NFL) "No, because I wasn't even expecting to get a ball. I was expecting to go down there and do special teams and make plays as a special teams player."

(on his personal story and reflecting on where the journey has taken him from working two jobs, one at FootLocker and almost not making Seattle's tryout) "It has been an amazing journey. God is good. He's definitely good to me and everybody. When your time is up, you have to be ready. I feel like I did as much as I could to help myself be ready and put myself into position to excel. They definitely gave me the opportunity today and ‘Russ' (quarterback Russell Wilson) threw a bunch of great balls, especially towards me and I just wanted to execute and capitalize on them."

(on if they put New England cornerback Brandon Browner on him more in the second half than the first) "Yes, they did."

(on if that was in response to New England feeling like the matchup was better because he was catching passes over the smaller cornerbacks) "Yeah. Brandon Browner is definitely a great player. It was a challenge going up against him, but it was great, especially in the Super Bowl. I take it as a compliment."

(on if he expected to be matched up with Brandon Browner) "No, my personal thoughts were that Brandon Browner was going to seek a tight end because they like to match up. I definitely didn't think that he was going to be on me. The second half came around and that's what happened."

(on his first catch of the game and his NFL career) "It was just that they called a great play. I wanted to go down there and I wanted to clear it out and make sure (wide receiver) Doug (Baldwin) had a chance to get the ball, it was one-on-one coverage for him. I haven't even seen the play so, I can't really speak too much on it but I know that for me, I was definitely going out there just to clear it out."

(on how he feels about his career going forward and what he can expect next season after his onside kick recovery in the NFC Championship and his game tonight) "I have no expectations. All I know is that I'm going into this offseason to workout extremely hard and do the same thing I did last year; try to put myself in the best possible shape and position that I can so I can be ready for whatever they throw at me."

(on how he balances having such a great game with a disappointing result) "As I was saying earlier, I've always been one of the key guys growing up, in high school, college and the CFL. So, like I said, it was nothing big to me. You go out there and do your job because you know how to it. Nothing is too big for me."

(on going into tonight's game after his onside kick recovery in the NFC Championship Game) "You just have to stay focused. Coach Carroll does a great job making sure that we compete every day. I think that's really what it is, making sure that we compete every day and working hard in practice to where it is game-like simulation for us. We go out there in a game, and it's not as hard. It's not as fast to us. We can slow things down for each other and make plays."

(on wide receiver Jermaine Kearse's catch at the end of the game) "That was an amazing catch right there. Once again, he comes down and makes another great catch after the championship, and it put us in a great spot to potentially score and try to win the game."

(on how nice it was for him to finally have this opportunity to show what he can do) "It was great. It was great for me. I just think the coaches prepared me in the best possible way they can in practice, making sure that I was well prepared for what was to come, regardless of whether it was this year, next year or the year after that, whenever it was."

(on if he knew in the week leading up to this that he would be utilized a great deal in the game) "No, I didn't at all."

(on how he explains that they didn't finish this game after being one of the better finishing teams this season) "Like you said, we pride ourselves on finishing. It happens. It happens to the best of them. We just have to keep on pushing forward and work out hard this offseason and come back next year and hopefully make it back to the Super Bowl. We won't have that same outcome. We'll end up finishing."

(on what a game like this means to him going forward) "Oh, this is huge. This is huge for me right now, just being able to finish the game and do what I did. Now I feel like I should come back and work extremely hard. I didn't have a perfect game. I messed up on a couple routes. Who knows? Maybe if I hadn't messed up on a couple routes and been in the right place at the right time, we probably wouldn't have been in that situation. We probably would have had a whole different turnout."

(on if he allowed himself to think ahead to winning the Super Bowl late in the game) "No, I wasn't thinking about that. I was actually telling my teammates we have to stay in it. Tom Brady, he's a great quarterback. He's legendary. I didn't want to give him any time on the clock. It's just - it is what it is. It happened. I'm upset about it, but it's time to move forward."

(on what was said in the postgame locker room) "I have nothing to say about that."

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS WR DOUG BALDWIN

(on the final play) "You saw it. Unfortunate series of events. "

(on moving on from this game) "I think we need to be real with ourselves. It pretty much is what it is."

(on the message from Head Coach Pete Carroll) "Stay together. He said some other things, but that is going to stay between us. (He just said) to stay together."

(on the feeling inside the locker room) "Obviously it is disappointment, but at the same time I think the guys realize we need to stick together. Everybody is going to want to blame something or somebody. There is plenty of blame to go around. We are going to stick together and take this one on the chin and keep moving forward."

(on what it says about Coach Carroll for taking the blame for the loss) "We appreciate the sentiment of him trying to put that all on his shoulders, but I think once we look at the tape that it shouldn't have come down to that one play."

(on the route on the play of the game is run successfully) "I didn't get to see the lock on that side. It was a man-zone read, so I came over and (Darrelle) Revis came over with me. (Russell Wilson) realized it was man-to-man. That is the right read. I don't know what happened at that point. It was the right side to go to though."

(on if he was surprised that running back Marshawn Lynch didn't get the ball on the last play of the Seahawks final possession) "All of us are surprised. In that moment with 20 seconds left on the clock and we still had a timeout. We felt like, from what I understand, we should take a shot, and still have another down. If we ran the ball and didn't get in then we had to stop the clock and it would limit our abilities to run or pass. I don't know I am just trying to come up with an explanation for it. I really don't know."

(on his touchdown celebration) "That is between me and the guy it was directed at."

(on Jermaine Kearse catch late in the fourth quarter) "At first I didn't even know it was a catch. I saw it had been bobbled, so I looked back to the sideline to see what type of personnel it would be in. Then all of sudden I turn around and see everyone yelling and see him get back up. Fantastic catch. Fantastic focus on his part and it was an unbelievable play."

(on if he thought after Kearse's catch that there was any doubt that they would score) "Honestly, I didn't have any doubt that we were going to get down there. In that situation you can't have any doubt, so in that moment there was nobody on the field or the sideline that didn't believe we were going to score."

(on learning from the loss and how it can help propel them forward) "My mom always says find value in valley. This is definitely going to be the valley for us at this point. We are going to find value in it, find what we can learn from it and what we can improve on and we are going to move forward. If we handle it correctly and we stick together this is going to make us stronger down the line."

(on if he thought the team would handle it correctly) "I believe so. The guys we have in this locker room are going to take ownership of this loss and we will find a way to get better from it."

(on if his touchdown dance was directed at Darrelle Revis) "No ma'am."

(on if it was common to have Ricardo Lockette as the primary receiver on the final play on their final possession) "We don't have any primary receivers on this team. It is based on the look. (It was) a man-zone read. There are no primary receivers on our team."

(on if it was up to quarterback Russell Wilson to make the call on man-zone read plays) "Pretty much, like I said it was a man-zone read."

(on if the last play of their final possession describes the finite line between joy and pain) "Yeah, I was in disbelief on that last play. When it happened - there was no way. That didn't happen. That is the game of football. Anything can happen at any given moment. That is why you play the game until the clock winds down. Unfortunately we were on the losing end of it."

(on if losing the Super Bowl gives him an appreciation for how tough it is to repeat as Super Bowl champs) "I have always had an appreciation for it. I grew up watching the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills. I know that it is extremely difficult to get back to the Super Bowl, not only to win it, but to get back to it. (I was) not surprised at how difficult it was."

(on the play of wide receiver Chris Matthews) "We have always known that he is talented and that he had the ability to play. That is why he was in the game. We don't throw the ball that much, so there aren't a lot of guys who will get a lot of opportunities. Fortunately enough tonight, we had some good matchups with him, and we took advantage of it."

(on how he will balance his emotions after coming so close to winning the game) "I don't know. I don't know if I am balancing them. I am still in shock. I really don't know what to say."

(on what the challenge will be like for the Seahawks when people challenge the last offensive play call of their final possession) "I don't know. I think we have the ability to take ownership of this in the locker room, including the coaching staff. There is going to be plenty of blame to go around, but we just have to stick together. If we stick together, we will get through this and we will be fine."

SEAHAWKS WR JERMAINE KEARSE

(on his feelings with the dramatic ending to the game) "It's disappointing. We worked so hard to get to this point and not to come out with the win is definitely disappointing."

(on the call to go for the pass at the end of the game) "We just have to execute no matter what was called. We didn't execute, and they made the play. It was a good play by New England. That's how the game went."

(on how to avoid the second guessing on not running the ball at the end of the game) "You just have to take it for what it is. You just can't point the finger at anyone. There's multiple things during the game that we could have done better. One game is not defined by one play."

(on what it was like to be part of a close game) "I had a lot of fun out there playing. Obviously we wanted to win but we just didn't finish, and that's what it comes down to."

(on his big catch at the end of the game) "I was just trying to make a play for my team. I just got an opportunity and (Russell Wilson) gave me a chance. However I could come down with that ball, I was going to try."

(on if that was the craziest catch he's ever had) "It was probably the most interesting, but it doesn't really matter right now anymore."

(on if he thought they were in a good position to win the game after he made that catch) "Yeah, obviously we had a chance, but we just didn't execute."

(on the interception at the end of the game) "It is what it is. We called the play and what it comes down to is executing the play. That's not what we did. (Darrelle) Revis made a great play on the ball and they were able to come out with the win."

(on if it was hard to stay in the moment after he made a great catch at the end of the game) "You got to finish the game. There was a lot of time left and even though, with that play, we still had a chance, we just didn't finish."

(on how proud he is of the team's accomplishments) "I'm extremely proud of this team. There was a lot of ups and downs throughout the season and for us to even get back here was a huge accomplishment. Obviously we wanted to win. This team's been through a lot and to just to watch them fight through the adversity and just keep pushing forward, was a joy to see."

(on when he will be able to push aside the pain of the loss and see the positives of the season) "It's going to be disappointing throughout the whole offseason just to know how close we were. You got to learn from the experience and just got to keep getting better and just keep competing so we'll be ready for next year."

(on what was going through his mind during that pass at the end of the game) "Just trying to make a play for the team. (Russell Wilson) gave me an opportunity and we always talk about maximizing opportunities, and that's just what it comes down to."

(on if he lost the ball in the air on the last catch of the game) "No, I saw it. I got a piece of the ball a little bit and it just kind of bobbled around and I just tried to stick with it."

(on how the team is dealing with the loss) "I mean, obviously we're disappointed. It's just a disappointing feeling."

(on if the last play call will become a challenge for the team) "It's just about getting better. That's what we're going to take this offseason for, and it's just to get better. Keep improving. We'll watch the film throughout this whole season. We'll have a personal breakdown of our season and just try to find errors where we can get better at."

(on if it was tough to have a great catch and then lose) "It's not taking away from anything. The ultimate goal, I'm going to say it again, is to win the game. That catch doesn't mean anything to me."

(on wide receiver Chris Matthews and his ability) "I have the most confidence in him. I mean, I knew he was able to make those types of plays. We spent time together just trying to figure things out trying to get him going. He was able to come up huge for us, and I was really proud of his performance."

(on what the players are saying in the locker room) "We're obviously disappointed in the game not coming out with the win. This team is a team full of brothers. Everybody's going to stick together. We're going to take this like a team, you kind of go through the ups and downs."

(on what it says about Head Coach Pete Carroll for putting the blame on himself) "It just shows his leadership. I don't think one play at any point of the game can define the game. Obviously, it could be a lot better in certain areas. We just got to watch the film and just get better."

(on what it was like to see Matthews come into the game and play how he did) "It was huge. I'm just so proud with the way he played. He stepped up huge for us. He made some huge plays for us. That's something that we needed, and he was there."