Hobbs wasn't running for cover after loss

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The NFL media representative wanted to know if Ellis Hobbs wanted to leave, to duck out early from the questions about how Plaxico Burress got behind him for the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII last night, a 13-yarder in the left corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining.

Hobbs, just as he did in answering questions, didn't waver. He stayed and faced the music.

"I am not going to be sad and sit here and mope about anything," said Hobbs, who had a first-half interception that will now be a footnote to history. "I had humbling moments worse than that, but I have to take it for what it is. I think we did an excellent job the whole game except for that last series. We definitely lost that game for our team and I capped it off with the touchdown."

Hobbs said he had Burress one-on-one on the decisive play as the Patriots brought an all-out blitz.

"If you can't get to that guy in a surmountable matter of time it's not going to be good," said Hobbs. "I got to respect the inside route when I'm playing coverage like that and I just got beat."

Hobbs said his mind went blank when Burress caught the ball.

"You want to question, but then you know what, there is no need to," said Hobbs. "It happened and you move on. I blame this game on no one individually. I blame it on all of us."

Hobbs said after the game everyone was just devastated by the moment.

"These are the moments that make you in this game and that you live with as well because it will make or break you," said Hobbs. "I don't think it broke us or me individually. The opportunity to be perfect, something that you can't do as a human. We allowed ourselves to do that and for us to be so close, that's the most disappointing thing.

"Eighteen and one makes it hurt worse because you're there, but you're not."

Hobbs's teammates supported him.

"It's not one play that beats you in a football game," said safety Rodney Harrison. "It could be a bunch of different plays that beat you, so I don't have to say anything to Ellis. We had opportunities, blown coverages and missed tackles and drops. We had our opportunities, so we can't make any excuses."

Fumbled opportunity

One of the key plays came in the second quarter, when Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled an exchange with quarterback Eli Manning, the ball loose on the field. It looked as if outside linebacker Pierre Woods had recovered, but after the pile was sorted out, Bradshaw came away with it at the New York 30.

The Patriots initially thought they had it, with players celebrating. It would have been a big turnover, the Patriots taking over deep in Giants territory.

"I was on top of the ball and they just jumped on me," said Woods, who was on the field in place of Mike Vrabel for the series. "I couldn't get my arms under it and they got the ball back. It was a missed opportunity, something we talk about, and you can't make those mistakes. I had one. That was mine and I'll try to make up for it."

Brown: Waiting game

Is this it for receiver Troy Brown? The 15-year veteran, who was inactive for the Super Bowl, indicated that wasn't at the forefront of his mind.

"A lot of what is going to happen is going to be my decision and some other people's decisions," he said, hinting that it could come down to if the Patriots are interested in having him return. "We'll take some time to recover from this one, this wasn't a great end to the season, and we'll see what happens."

Moss is willing

Wide receiver Randy Moss, who had five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown, said after the game his preference would be to remain with the Patriots.

"I would love to be in [a New England uniform], but if I'm not the show must go on," said Moss.

He called the defeat the most personally painful one of his career and used the term "we" when talking about next season and the Patriots.

"The only thing we can do is bounce back," said Moss. "This does hurt. The good thing we can come back and try to bounce back from this next year. We got a long wait until next year, so that's the bad thing about it."

Gay guts it out

Cornerback Randall Gay injured his elbow on the sixth play of the game, left for the locker room, but returned to action, playing in six-defensive-back packages. It was a painful night.

"It was the biggest game of the year and I couldn't not play, so I came back out," he said. "Just falling on it was tough. It seemed every time the ball came [my way], I would fall and hit it. I felt like I should have caught two interceptions, but there are no excuses. The plays weren't made."

No quit in Seau?

Linebacker Junior Seau on if he plans to retire after 18 seasons: "I haven't thought about the future. I am having too much fun." . . . Stephen Neal limped off the field following the second of back-to-back sacks of Tom Brady midway through the second quarter with a knee injury and never returned . . . Running back Kevin Faulk left the game in the third quarter with a leg injury but returned for the final frame . . . The teams set a Super Bowl record with just two possessions during the first quarter. The Giants spent the opening 9:59 driving to a 32-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes, and the Patriots followed with a drive of 5:04. Laurence Maroney's 1-yard touchdown run came on the first play of the second quarter . . . Each member of the winning Giants receives $78,000. Shares for the Patriots are $40,000.