Jerod Mayo, Linebacker

(On reaching the Super Bowl)
“I got my first playoff win this year and I have my first AFC Championship win. Just seeing guys like Rodney [Harrison] and Drew [Bledsoe] come back – guys like that – and being able to continue on with the legacy of winning. Hopefully we can get one more. It’s huge for me.”

(On what felt when Baltimore missed the field goal)
“Child-like joy. It’s all about child-like joy. Last night felt like the day before Christmas for me and I haven’t had that feeling in a long time. At this level, the day before Christmas is like a regular day. But now I just feel like I got my present. We have one more game to go. We’ll enjoy this one tonight and get back to work tomorrow.”

(On Brandon Spikes’ interception)
“[It was] huge, huge. Brandon you know, he’s finally getting healthy and that consistency as far as having players out there – Brandon, [Patrick] Chung and all those guys – has been huge for us in the playoffs. We said no matter what the regular season looks like, it’s all about now. It’s all about the playoffs and that’s the mindset we have.”

(On the feeling of going to the Super Bowl)
“It is such a great feeling. We finally got something done and hopefully we get something done one more time.”

(On the defense forcing the Ravens to kick a field goal at the end)
“It is the mental toughness. We have been talking about it all year. Baltimore is a great team but we made a stop.”

(On people questioning the defense all year and making the final stop)
“It showed the mental toughness and it showed the character of this team and this defense. We are happy we got the win.”

(On limiting the Ravens offense)
“Those guys up front did an excellent job and we made the big plays when we had to.”

Matt Light, Guard

(On victory and returning to the Super Bowl)
“The taste and the victory and the whole nine [yards]. When you get an opportunity to do it again – it’s incredible. It’s an incredible feeling. It will take a while to sink in that we’re going [to the Super Bowl] and then it will be a heck of a week of preparation as always, but this is what we fought hard for all year to have an opportunity to get to the Super Bowl. We’ll see how it goes from there.”

(On what the key was to the victory)
“Just staying on track. Not trying to reinvent the wheel, not trying to do anything more than we had to. I think we just go out there and play with confidence and do the things that we do. We always put ourselves in good positions and stay[ed] in rhythm. They threw a lot at us but we’ve got a lot of weapons that people have to defend and they got to respect and honor them, so as long as those guys go out there and make those plays, obviously it does the world for us, especially up front. Those guys getting open [and] [Tom Brady] finding them makes our lives a hell of a lot easier.”

(On what was going through his mind when Billy Cundiff lined up for the potential game-tying field goal)
“I had my eyes closed, man. I wasn’t going to watch that one. That was a little too much stress for this guy, but it was unbelievable man. Things happen for a reason.”

(On Tom Brady’s touchdown sneak)
“We keep telling him to stop doing that stuff but he doesn’t listen to us very well. Look, if he sees something like that he just goes for it. It was a heck of a play. We’ve been stuffed two times in a row and obviously needed that one to come through. We struggled in the red zone to a degree and it was just him making a play and he does that quite often.”

Devin McCourty, Defensive Back

(On what was going through his mind on the last drive)
“We just got to get off the field any way possible and once they got into field goal range it was just trying to keep them out of the end zone or go block the kick.”

(On what he was thinking during the Ravens’ attempt at a game-tying field goal)
“We were going to block it. That’s what I was thinking that we were going to block it and not go to overtime and win and go to the Super Bowl. The guys came off the ball had a great rush and that’s the difference. You just want to keep the pressure on the kicker and it went wide left and next thing you know I’m sprinting down the field.”

(On the defense making four straight huge stops to win the game)
“It’s a great feeling. Like I’ve been saying all year this team and this defense have been working each week in practice to get better and to see it happen when everyone says we’re a horrible defense and we’re this, we’re that, and to just come out here and just play football. Each week we’re preparing to come out and play and to get off the field and get those stops and help this team and feed off the offense and the offense feed off us. That’s how it’s supposed to be. This was a Championship game.”

(On Brandon Spikes’ interception)
“That’s big. On the sideline we kept saying that we’ve got to step up and make a play. [Brandon] Spikes is a very emotional, passionate guy so whenever he makes a play, everyone goes crazy. That’s just what he brings to the defense and what he brings to the team.”

(On not forcing a turnover until late in the game)
“They were doing a good job of taking care of the football and a couple times we got them into passing situations and [Brandon] Spikes was able to make a big play so that was big. As a defense, you’ve just got to keep playing. Turnovers are going to come when they come. Whenever it happens you got to take advantage of it.”

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