2014 Super Bowl: Patriots Defensive Quotes

Here are the highlights from Wednesday's media day.

Linebacker Dont'a Hightower

on if there is any weakness in the Seattle offense:

"I don't know about weakness. They're a real good football team. They have a really good offense. I think the best thing for us to do is to play the run really well on first and second down and force these guys to be in third and long and force these guys and make them feel uncomfortable. Put them in a situation that they don't want to be in."

Defensive Lineman Vince Wilfork

on if he notices any evolution on how Bill Belichick handles the team since the beginning of his career:

"Yeah, I've seen the difference in Bill in the 11 years that I have been here and I tell him he is getting soft. But this is a different era of football now with how the team is shaped up and how a lot of guys are younger guys. You don't really have that veteran team that he used to have.

When I first came in the league, he had a veteran team that didn't take much to get those guys going. But if I have to say anything, I think over the years he got a soft heart. But he's more understanding now. I think when you get so used to having a certain quality of players and it changes, it's hard for you to adapt to change. And I think Bill had to do a good job of that ever since I've been in the league because we've changed so much. We were a veteran team, it was a younger team, at one point we were the youngest team in the league.

So I think he had to try to find the identity in what works for that team. And I think he's done a great job over the years of doing that. But at the end of the day, he is still Bill. He coaches the same way. He demands everything the same way. But I think he's got a little soft heart now. Over time, he got a little softer though."

Safety Devin McCourty

on what type of personality football players prefer in a coach:

"I think it's depends on the team that year. In the league, so much changes each year. Bill's not the true player's coach, but he's the kind of coach that adjust to what team he has. I remember, during my rookie year, it seemed like we practice longer and harder more than this year.

I look back at that year and remember that we had four or five rookies starting on defense, so that was probably a team that needed more action or practice time being on the field. I think he's more of a coach that adjusts to whatever his team is and whatever is best to win."

Cornerback Darrelle Revis

on playing wide receivers one-on-one and testing his will against theirs:

"It all starts with just film study and breaking down the receiver or my opponents. There are always tales on film. That's what I always say. There are always tales, tendencies that you can pick up, and I just go off of my notes. I really go off of my notes and my studies of covering receivers."

Cornerback Brandon Browner

on what could be the X factor in this game:

"I would say special teams. Everybody knows how good Russell Wilson is and (how good) that defense is. I think whoever's special teams wins, that matchup will play a big card in who wins the game."

Head Coach Bill Belichick

on the process that led to the hiring of offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo and his mark on the team:

"Well, ‘Guges' has been in the league for a number of years now with several different organizations, has a New England background, has a strong college background, has a lot of experience. He was available - he wasn't in football last year. We interviewed him at the end of the season - I think it might have been during the bye week last year before the Indianapolis game if I remember correctly, but somewhere in there. Because we knew that Dante (Scarnecchia) was going to be retiring, we wanted to kind of try to jump on the process.

Met with our staff, we all spent time with him, brought him back for a second interview and hired him. So not a normal process I would say. Again, he's got a lot of experience, works hard, knows our system very well - obviously, there's a lot to learn - but from his background with the Giants and also with Miami, there are a lot of similarities in the things that they did in Miami when Coach (Brian) Daboll was the coordinator down there, or with the Giants in terms of terminology and so forth with Coach (Tom) Coughlin and some of the similarities that we had going all the way back to the roots of Charlie (Weis) and Tom and the Giants.

I think that there was a good amount of carryover, certainly a good amount of differences, but due to his - very adaptable coach and he can take things that he's done and modify them, and the way we're doing, either change it or find some intermediate compromise to get it done right - he and (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach) Josh (McDaniels) and the rest of the offensive staff have worked well. I think it's been probably as good as you could hope for.

Like you said, Dante is - his career as a coach and as an offensive line coach for the Patriots really was second to none. But I think I've said I think he's just come in and done a great job for us."