The issue here is that Google doesn't know how much data the NSA collects. The NSA has access to the internet backbone that Google uses and can read whatever traffic it wishes that leaves the Google network. Obviously this is not everything but most everything. It is a low view of the NSA to think that they do not have the ability to real-time decrypt SSL certs from every major SSL cert authority. So while Google can claim they do not allow the NSA direct access to it's servers that is only a small comfort in the big scheme of things.

This sort of response from Tech companies is just a distraction from the real issue.