(on coming back from deficit and what that says about the team) “We’re not into moral victories. We came here to win the football game, of course, and we didn’t do that. Green Bay did and we congratulate them.”
(on what his mindset was going into the final drive having been in the position before) “It was just that, not anything emotional to be honest with you. We were just looking at the scenario- 1:59, I think, and a timeout and a bunch of grass. We’ve been in that situation a bunch. We practice that situation a bunch. Quite frankly, we’re probably fully capable of executing it but we didn’t and a lot of that had to do with Green Bay’s execution.”
(on the turnovers) “It was a factor in the game but usually when you’re in a game like this it’s because of the execution of the opponents. We realize that the defense they had an opportunity to create turnovers and put themselves in poor position in this game and Green Bay did that.”
(on what Packers QB Aaron Rodgers did so well in the game) “He made plays. We didn’t get turnovers. We know that they’re capable of getting plays in chunks. We knew that they would throw the football quite a bit and they did. He didn’t fold under the pressure. I thought we hit him some early, we got to him as the game went on. But he showed his metal and continued to stand in there and throw the football and throw it accurately. I tip my hat to him for that.”
(on the Packers depth at wide receiver and the way they spread the ball around) “We weren’t surprised by that.”
(on whether he was waiting for his defense to make a play and get a turnover) “We were just trying to make a play in any of the three phases to win the football game.”
(on giving the Packers a short field to play on) “Well, the short field was created by turnovers.”
(on the long third down completion) “As I sit here, I can’t remember that one specifically. There were several of those type plays and there always are in a game like this.”
(on QB Ben Roethlisberger’s performance) “It was a losing one, just like mine.”
(on whether the turf was an issue) “They played on the same turf that we played on. We’re not in the business of making excuses. We won’t do it. Next question.”
(on whether he regrets not using timeouts or spiking the ball on the last drive) “You know, I am sure there are going to be many instances where we can look back at this game and wish that we had done things differently, and I am at the front of that line. I’m not going to dispute any of those suggestions.”
(on whether he was confident they could score on the final drive) “Whenever there’s time on the clock and we’re inside of a one score game, I feel pretty confident that we’re capable of doing the job.”
(on whether there were things that he thought he could do against the Packers that they did not do) “I did. At times we did. They made plays, guys. It’s probably less about what we were unable to do and more about what they were able to do. Such is the case in the greatest game in this game. We can sit here and make excuses, you guys can and I will not. What I will do is say that Green Bay played a really good football game and made the necessary plays to be World Champs, that’s what I will say.”
(on where they were better than the last meeting between the two teams) “I can’t remember the ’09 game at this point. There’s a lot of grass between that ’09 game and today.”
(on why Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was so tough to play against) “I would imagine he’s better equipped to answer that that I am. I just acknowledge that he was.”
(on how the Packers minimized LB LaMarr Woodley’s impact) “I thought Woodley had a heck of a ballgame . I thought he applied pressure off our left edge the majority of the game. I’m not willing to concede that he didn’t play winning football.”
(on the ‘never say die’ attitude of the team) “These guys are pros and competitors. I expect them to do that.”
(on S Troy Polamalu and his performance) “He’s probably better equipped to answer that and I am sure a guy like Troy will be around to answer that.”
(on how much he took advantage of having Packers CB Charles Woodson out of the game with an injury) “We had injuries, they had injuries. We had a plan, they had a plan. We tried to execute ours, they executed theirs better than ours. I don’t know how much of a factor that was.”
(on whether the Packers took S Troy Polamalu out of the game) “He was on the field. They made plays.”
(on whether he believes Polamalu had an impact) “I’ll let you be the judge.”
(on the officiating) “I thought the officials did a really good job largely. With 160 to 180 plays in a football game you can talk about instances but I thought largely, Referee Walt Anderson and his crew did a really good job in this football game.”
(on what his message to the team was at halftime) “It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. We created the bed we had to lay in it a little bit. We had to ball our fists up a little tighter. I thought the group did that but we fell up short.”
(on his thought process on kicking the field goal) “That was a terrible decision by me. In hindsight it wasn’t even close. We made the field goal in pregame and he kicked the ball well going in that direction. I took a calculated shot at it and failed. But no judgment on K Shaun Suisham. This guy has been everything that we’ve asked him to be. We picked him up along the way this season and he’s one of the reasons that we’re here. I appreciate his willingness to go out there under the circumstances that I put him in.”
(on the penalties and turnovers in the game) “Usually when you lose it’s because of penalties and turnovers.”
(on whether he thought they were gaining momentum before Mendenhall’s fumble) “Yeah but I felt pretty good after the Mendenhall fumble too at different points in the game.”
(on whether the long third down throw to Packers WR Greg Jennings was as good of a throw as he has seen) “That ball down the middle of the field to Jennings late in the contest, that’s big time.”
(on his assessment of QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Mike Wallace tonight) “Again, in instances it was dang good and in instances of course it was below the line; one of the many reasons why we fell up short.”
