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An interview with
TEDY BRUSCHI
Q. Would you rather be instinctive like he said or would you rather be the smartest guy? TEDY BRUSCHI: I like my instincts. They go all the way to home when I feel things going out there too, so I use them a lot.
Q. Can you take advantage of the fact that Ben Roethlisberger is inexperienced at this point? TEDY BRUSCHI: You try to look past that because of the magnitude of the game. This is the AFC Championship and I can't really look across the line and say, you're a rookie, we're going to get you. He has many victories under his belt and now he's got a playoff victory. We look at him not as a rookie but as a capable opponent.
Q. You can look at some teams and say, this is what they do. If someone were to come up to you and say, what is the Patriot system, how would you answer that? What's the overall system and the Belichick way? TEDY BRUSCHI: Number one, we know what we're doing most of the time. I would say, number two, we're physical, and number three, when situational football comes about, I think we know the right thing to do.
Q. When you look at the guys on this team, you led the NCAA in sacks and you had to wait until the third round to get your name called. Does it run through you guys as motivation? TEDY BRUSCHI: To tell you the truth, I think earlier in my career that was motivation for me, from high school to college to my early years in the NFL proving people wrong. You get to the point where you've proven enough. I feel I've gotten to that point. My motivation has sort of changed now that I've further progressed in my life. I'm a father and husband, and now my main motivation is to make my family proud. That's even more motivation than having a chip on your shoulder.
Q. Success sometimes leads to complacency. You guys haven't fallen victim to that? TEDY BRUSCHI: Yeah, I think it's the overwhelming attitude in the locker room of how many years we have. I mean, I think we have close to 90 years of experience in the NFL, so with that comes a lot of wins a lot of losses. A lot of guys know what it's like to go 6 and 10, to not make the playoffs, to get back to winning the Super Bowl. Again when you start at the bottom there are a lot of situations that we've all been in being in the league so long.
Q. The defense is coming off one of the best performances against the Colts. What's the mind‑set? Is there a challenge among your unit to try to be better? TEDY BRUSCHI: Keep it going, if not be better. It's a different animal this week. To us it's night and day. We have different matchup problems we have to worry about, and to relate this game to the last game, the first thing we said this week was, okay, that game is gone. We had a good performance, but forget about it. It's going to be a totally different game this game.
Q. Bill talked about Seymour being a game time decision. How important do you think he is to you? Do you need him? TEDY BRUSCHI: I wouldn't say need. I would say that you want your best out there, and I want Richard out there, but I'm not going to say, we absolutely need him, because once you start looking at it that way, you sort of start, you know, approaching the game differently like we need Richard to do this or that, but I feel like who we've got in there can do the job also. If he's going to play, it's a bonus, but if not, believe me, we'll be fine.
Q. This will be a physical game. You're a guy who loves to mix it up with the best of them. So this must be just up there on a scale of 1 to 10? TEDY BRUSCHI: You talk about being physical, let's go to the quarterback also. He's a big, strong guy and got away from us a couple times. He was able to make plays. The physical nature really projects onto the quarterback. This will be the most physical game we have played all year since we played the Steelers the last time we played them. We sort of know what to expect. They do what they do and they do it well.
Q. Talk about the anticipation now that you've hit Friday and you'll be on a plane in a couple of hours. TEDY BRUSCHI: Yes, sort of excited to get out of here now. There's been a lot that's been going on this week here and to get into the city and the area where the game is going to be to sort of take a deep breath and have more extra time than we usually have with no distractions to do more studying and preparing. It's been crazy this week. I've got a two‑week‑old at home that's been keeping me up all week. It's been tough getting sleep. I'm looking forward to that and preparing where I don't have any outside distractions tugging on me so I can watch some more film.
Q. Talk about the offense and everyone who's in there. The first game between you guys Ty Law gets hurt and the 47‑yard touchdown. Have you gotten to the point where the guys back there, you are confident they can handle anything? TEDY BRUSCHI: Much more confident than that point. From then all the way to now, they've gotten some very valuable game experience. They've got playoff games under their belts. You say now you've got to trust your ability and there's a reason why we brought you in here.
Q. Can you talk about what makes Romeo the coach he is? TEDY BRUSCHI: I think his ability to relate to players. The way he's able to talk to one guy, a certain guy, and the next guy, he knows what to do to get him ready also. In the meeting rooms, it's really Romeo's deal how he's making adjustments, and how he's answering questions and running the films. I know Bill gets a lot of credit, but Romeo is just as important as Bill is. I have been there on the sideline where Bill is on my left and Romeo is on my right and they make the adjustment in front of me. I have confidence because when those two guys put their heads together, you're confident it's the right thing.
Q. Does Vrabel in your mind have a signature play and why? TEDY BRUSCHI: Well, maybe it's the Super Bowl sack that he tripped Delhomme that really got us going. He was the one that sort of broke the game open for us and helped us get our first touchdown. That's a play that you look at in the biggest game in the biggest stage where he's able to perform and play.
Q. (Inaudible)? TEDY BRUSCHI: He's good. Nothing special about it. When you have a player that's just a good football player that puts together preparation, athletic ability and intensity, he's going to be around the ball.
Q. Talk about the fact that this linebacking core knows each other so well. TEDY BRUSCHI: Sometimes we eliminate steps in communication. Sometimes we're talking about the adjustments before they happen. First quarter, first play of a series, this is what they anticipate, that's the type of talk that goes on in the huddle with us before the snap. So, we've already got a checklist of things that we're thinking about before the ball is snapped, and once the ball is snapped, we anticipate motions, shifts, it's sort of like a head bob like that, and we know what the other is talking about.
Q. Tom Brady, he's the most recognizable face on the team, but yet he's the one that still works hard. How much does that mean to the rest of the team? TEDY BRUSCHI: He better do that, because that's the only kind of person that's going to fit on this team. Any person that thinks he's above anything is not going to last. If we think there's a guy like that, we're going to let you know that. We're going to let you know there's one way we do things around here, that's collectively, with hard work and preparation. If we don't think you're doing enough, we'll let you know. We may joke about it, but it will still be put out there. I think Tom just fits in with that attitude.
Q. Have you ever had to have that talk with Tom? TEDY BRUSCHI: No, that's who Tom is really. Tom is a guy who wants to work. He's a guy that knows he can't win a game all by himself. Somebody has to block, somebody has to tackle, somebody has to catch the ball he throws. I think he knows that more than anyone.
Q. Have you had to have that talk with anyone? TEDY BRUSCHI: Yeah, with a lot of guys, but what happens on the mile stays on the mile. Have you seen that movie, “The Green Mile?” That's the way we approach things. It's going to be taken care of internally as best we can. You know, if we have to pull a guy aside or joke with a guy -- if we're joking about your work ethic, it's not a joke, it's our way of letting you know about it. We're not going to go to the media and say this guy isn't doing a good job.
Thank you.
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An interview with:
RODNEY HARRISON
Q. I want to ask you about (inaudible). A lot of these guys weren't first‑round picks. Do you think that ever helps guys like yourself to keep an edge to always feel as if there's an element of needing to prove something? RODNEY HARRISON: Yes because you always face that stigma that you're just a fifth rounder, that you're an overachiever, if you have any success, and no one really expects much out of you. So I think, for the most part, guys that have been drafted in the 10th round and fifth round, you work even harder. You always have to prove yourself and go out there and do that extra mile in order to just be accepted. And a bunch of guys on our team, we were late‑round draft choices, free agents that came here, and guys always constantly have to prove themselves and, you know, really have to work hard to maintain a level of consistency in their play.
Q. Do you think that helps to maintain your focus even after 21 straight wins and a Super Bowl win last year, and all the other things that come with what you've accomplished? RODNEY HARRISON: It's more so what's internally inside the person because you can be a fifth‑round draft choice, and you can go on and make millions of dollars and get complacent. I think if you have that fire burning inside of you constantly, never really being satisfied and always having that hunger to prove yourself. I think you know in sports you're only as good as your last game. Fans remind of you that. Regardless of what you've done in the past, it's the past, you have to move on. You have to pay attention to what's going on in the future and really concentrate and put your attention to that so you can continue to have success.
Q. Because you have two physical teams there, is it important for a guy like you to set the tone immediately in that game? RODNEY HARRISON: Well, it's not just about me. You have 10 other guys on that defense as well as not including the offense. We have to go out there and play our most physical game, but we have to play a smart football game. We can't turn the ball over or make the mental errors we made, sacks on the quarterback, we can't give up the big play on defense like we did the first game. I think it's very important for us to go out there and establish that right off the top. It's going to be a different game. They're not going to blow us out like they did the first game, but they're a tough team and we have to play our best football. They're the best team we face, and we've got a great challenge ahead of us. We worked extremely hard this week and we need to establish things right now. We look forward to it.
Q. Is there a difference with Corey Dillon or without Corey Dillon? RODNEY HARRISON: I think it speaks for himself. With his presence, his presence alone forces them to have to put an eighth man in the box sometimes. Corey's been big for us. He's been our workhorse, a determined runner. He's definitely made a difference on our football team. You have to account for Corey. You can't just sit back and stack the line for the run.
Q. Is there a psychological difference? How big of a presence is he? RODNEY HARRISON: He's arguably our most valuable player on our team. We thought he should have made the Pro Bowl. Just phenomenal, and has a great presence in our locker room. Psychologically we have more confidence going into the game saying "We have Corey Dillon," whereas opposed to the first game, we didn't.
Q. Where does experience fit into this? Most of you guys have gone through this? RODNEY HARRISON: It's huge. I think you can definitely relate the experience you have had over the course of our career, over the course of time in the playoffs, to the younger players. I think you can. Really, I find myself describing different situations to Randall Gay, Dexter Reid, young rookie guys. You can relate what’s to be expected, what kind of crowd, what kind of atmosphere. The veteran players have been through it, been down 15 points with 10 minutes left. So I think just having a veteran lineup, and that experience really will help us, and even if we get into a tight bind, guys won't panic.
Q. How do you take advantage of Ben Roethlisberger's inexperience? RODNEY HARRISON: Well, he doesn't look inexperienced to me. He's played like a seasoned vet. He's won 15 games in a row. This is probably the biggest game in his career. Not saying he can't have success. It's different. He's playing at home. He has a great defense where he doesn't have to take a lot of chances or make a lot of mistakes. You can rush the ball for 200 yards against us and control the ball and control the clock, it really helps you out as a quarterback. He hasn't seen everything. Even though he's a young quarterback and he's played well, he hasn't seen everything, so I think we have to go out there and play good, solid football, not give him the big play, make him earn everything that he gets. When we get a chance to tackle him, he's made a lot of big plays by guys falling off him, we have to tackle him.
Q. Can you comment on Hines Ward, he's obviously a very physical receiver. How difficult is he? RODNEY HARRISON: I can probably sum up Hines Ward by saying he's a pro. He's a football player, and you rarely get a guy like Hines Ward in this league. You get so many guys that want to moon people, but a guy like that who's willing to block a defensive lineman, a safety, he's 100 miles per hour every play. He's definitely one of my toughest challenges personally. He's always after you. He's 205, 210‑odd pounds, and he's tough as nails. He's one of the toughest football players I've ever faced. He's always out there laughing and smiling. If you get a good shot on him, he's going to come back on you. We talk a lot on the field. We play hard, and we both respect one another. We'll see what happens.
Q. Every team has different systems. How would you describe the Patriots' system from yours two years? RODNEY HARRISON: Versatile. I think with our linebackers and what the guys that we have in the secondary, we have the ability to do so many different things. It comes from the coach's confidence in our ability to go out there and get the job done. Our linebackers are so versatile. They can rush, drop into coverage or blitz. They do everything well. It will be interesting to see what happens this week. I'm very excited. All the guys are excited. This will be a tough, hard‑nosed physical fight.
Q. Most players would consider going to another team instead of taking a pay cut. What is it about Jerome Bettis that you believe may have had him stay in Pittsburgh this year? RODNEY HARRISON: I think there comes a time when it's not all about the money. Jerome Bettis has made a ton of money. I think it gets to the point where you're comfortable in a situation. You love where you are. Unfortunately, with this league, the older you get, that's the way the league is structured, they want you to take a pay cut. I believe Jerome, he had his heart set on retiring as a Steeler and playing good football. He looks awesome right now. He looks like he's 26 years old, he's running with a lot of fire. He's excited, he's running intense, and he looks like he can play two or three more years. I think his commitment to the fans and the city of Pittsburgh really made him stay.
Q. You talked about Hines Ward, does that sort of exemplify the difference between the two games. Between last week and this week? RODNEY HARRISON: No question, these guys are probably the most physical set of receivers that we've seen. You've got Randal El and Hines Ward and these guys, they pride themselves on blocking. The safeties and the corners, they get up celebrating when they get a big hit, and they're going to be seeking us out and we'll be seeking them out. So it should be fun, some good collisions out there.
Q. When it's this cold, what do you think it feels like to get hit by you when it's 5 degrees out there? RODNEY HARRISON: I don't know. Hopefully it hurts them as much as it hurts me. It's pretty painful. When you're in the mix of playing football you really don't feel the cold. You really don't feel the bumps and bruises until a couple days after the game. It's just fun. This is what you have been dreaming about since you were six years old. I started playing football then, and just to have this opportunity, you definitely want to capitalize on it. I went to the Super Bowl in '94 in San Diego, you can't undermine the importance of this game. Like I told the young guys, don't take it for granted, because it's hard. First of all, it's hard to stay in the league for 10 years, let alone make it to the Super Bowl or AFC Championship.
Q. What impresses you about Romeo the most? RODNEY HARRISON: His personality. He's definitely a players coach. We respect him. It's not like we take him for granted. He's a very intelligent man. He knows what he's talking about. When he says something, 90 percent of the time, it's true, dealing with football. He's an honest guy, he tells you what he feels, what he thinks. He's very open‑minded. It's been many times I say well, I think this is better in this situation and he said, let me take a look at that, and he comes back and says, you're right. A lot of coaches can't do that, put their pride down. I like that about Romeo. I think he's a leader. He's been overshadowed for so many years and I just appreciate everything he's done for me these last couple years that I have been here and I think he's a tremendous coach.
Q. On Ted Johnson… RODNEY HARRISON: Johnson is definitely going to be a factor. After battling injuries the last few years he's a strong physical presence. He's been dominating, a leader on and off the field. He's been very consistent with his tackling and how physical he plays. Our linebackers, those are the core guys in our group and they will be an impact.
Q. What is it about Vrabel that allows him to be in the middle of so many plays? RODNEY HARRISON: Like I described earlier he's versatile. These guys are playmakers. Coach Belichick said he used to be a defensive end and he runs. People underestimate that. When we're running the sprints, he's one of the first guys all the time. He works extremely hard in the weight room. He's probably the most intelligent guy on our football team. The guy is smart. He knows the defense inside and out. Tedy Bruschi is the most instinctive, but Vrabel is the most intelligent. He's got coaching in his future. He can do so many things.
Q. Are you like a proud papa now seeing how things turned out? RODNEY HARRISON: You basically look back there and you go from having two 10‑year veterans playing with me and Ty Law, we play on An interview with:
TOM BRADY
Q. (Inaudible)? TOM BRADY: What we've accomplished is something special, but I think at the same time we realize there's still a lot of work to be done, and this week's going to be the toughest challenge yet. Regardless of what we've done all year, it's really time for us to try to go out and play our best game.
Q. Along that line, all week long, media from around the country referred to you guys as the defending Super Bowl champions. In the locker room, you don't think that way, do you? TOM BRADY: I think Coach Belichick said early in the year for us and we have a posterboard up in the locker room that says, you know, everyone starts at the bottom, and what we did last year, you can't take that away. We're not really defending anything, because it's not our title this year. We're just like everyone else, fighting to try to attain that goal. It's been a fun year, and I think hopefully everything we've done this year has built up for this moment and this game and all the practices and all the preparation, the mini‑camps and the workouts in the weight room have really got us ready and prepared for this week.
Q. (Inaudible)? TOM BRADY: Well, we did certainly miss him that week, but at the same time, I don't think that was really ‑‑
Q. How will it be easier to have him as an option? TOM BRADY: Hopefully, I think it's not only me, but all of us and what we can do as a group out there and we're trying to move the ball and trying to control the tempo of the game, and one way you do that is to run the football. Corey has had a great year. He's been the deciding factor in a lot of these games, especially late in the year with the weather getting cold. Last weekend, with the elements as they were, it made it tough to throw sometimes so you can give it to Corey and let him run off 144 yards. It's probably going to be the same type of weather this weekend, so Corey is going to be certainly a big factor in the game, as will Kevin, and hopefully we can make some plays in the passing game too. It all kind of runs together.
Q. (Inaudible)? TOM BRADY: Psychologically, you know, I don't think the guys are ‑‑ I don't think we really get in the huddle and say, Corey's here, it's a different team. He does his own thing back there. We give it to him and he runs and does a great job running the ball.
Q. (Inaudible)? TOM BRADY: I turn around and see 28 running down the field, I know that, and I think everyone feels good having him out there and knowing he's going to play and hopefully go out and play well, as hopefully does everybody, the entire offense and the team as a whole, but everybody that is dressing for the game we're going to need to play our best game. We're playing a team that beat the crap out of us on October 31st and only lost one game all year.
Q. (Inaudible)? TOM BRADY: He's critical to the week for the quarterbacks. I think he's got a great history of understanding the coaches and the teams and he's coached against Coach Cowher a bunch of times. He knows the strengths and weaknesses, and for me, it's my fifth year, and for some of the other guys who might be even younger than that, he does a great job of saying, guys, okay, this is the style they want to play, we've seen this before, they were in this five years ago, I'll tell you what's going to happen, and he usually has a very good understanding of what's ultimately going to happen, which helps us prepare and ultimately helps us go out and execute better on Sunday. The more time he spends, you know, with the offense, I think that we're always more prepared, especially in the quarterback room.
Q. Do you look at that first game in Pittsburgh and say that's one of the games I would like to have back? TOM BRADY: Oh, the hard part about that game was we had this game plan that was all set and all these plays, and with multiple tight ends and things we thought we could do well, and all of a sudden we're down 21‑0 before we could catch our breath. We were basically trying to run our stuff and the game was out of hand, and then we were in the multiple receiver groupings the whole rest of the game. We never got a chance to get into the flow of the offense. We threw the ball okay, but it wasn't enough. The turnovers killed us. Philly did the same thing the next week. They were down 21‑0, by the way Pittsburgh played. It shows you that if you don't go out there and you're not prepared or ready to start the game, which I don't think we didn't go out there ‑‑ I thought we were prepared and ready to go, we just didn't execute, then you will be down 21‑0. This is not the team you want to get down to. They do a good job controlling the clock and running the ball. It's going to be important to us not to go out and make mistakes and let them jump out on top.
Q. How would you describe the Patriots' offensive style or system? TOM BRADY: It's ‑‑ our style, I think we do ‑‑ we kind of incorporate a bunch of those elements, and I don't know really where the offense originated from. Charlie would probably be better to speak on something like that, but we do use elements from all of those. We have a little bit of a vertical passing game, but there's ball control mixed in. We play action, throw short, intermediate and deep. We use all the way from five receivers to no receivers. So, it's kind of a hodge‑podge of whatever is working, whatever we think we can do to move the sticks. That's really what we're trying to do.
Q. (Inaudible)? TOM BRADY: I think a little bit about Mike's question. Part of that is we never got a chance. It was trying to score quickly. When you score quickly, you usually need three or four receivers on the field. They were rushing and pressuring us. When they pressure you, you try to keep a lot of guys in for protection. A lot of times you try to protect it up and try to get the ball down the field, which we did, and that's probably why those guys weren't a big factor this last game, as hopefully they will be this weekend. Hopefully we'll make plays, which it is every week for us. We always try to incorporate everybody.
Q. (Inaudible)? TOM BRADY: It seems like such a long time ago. So much has happened, but I remember going into that week and the excitement around the game and we actually flew to Pittsburgh for that press conference, and I was at dinner, and that's when it all started to sink in. It was like, wow. When you come to a game like this, you got to sit back and say, wow, there's four teams playing. There are 28 other teams now sitting at home. We won a very tough game there and won a Super Bowl. Since then things have changed quite a bit and the growth has been steady, I think for myself and for this team, and as the coaches have been here and tried to implement more of their style, I think the players have taken to it more. There's much more trust between the coaches and the players. So, we're much farther along I think as a team. That was a great team we had that year, but in terms of knowing our coaches and the coaches knowing us, I think everybody is very comfortable where we're at.
Q. Can you talk about the bad conditions you might be playing in and you've got a kicker who can make goals in the Ice Age. How comfortable is that? TOM BRADY: That game in the snow three years ago, that's as great a kick as I've ever seen. I was watching the Jets game last week and their kicker had a tough time. No opponent has made a kick over 47 yards at Heinz Field ever since it's been open. It's very tough to kick field goals. That goes to a bunch of things, the protection, the snap the hold the kick. Adam on the back end of that, he's showed he can make it under the toughest of circumstances in the Super Bowl when the game is on the line. Whenever he runs out there, everyone feels very good about our field goal team and what he's capable of doing.
Q. Can you talk about leaving early and how that may help your focus and preparation as a team? TOM BRADY: With the weather conditions, Coach wanted to head out today. I think at this point in the year everybody is just ‑‑ it's not like you would be doing a whole lot today or tomorrow morning except getting your mind in the right mind frame. I think leaving this afternoon might be good. I mean, the teams are going to be together. There's going to be plenty of film to watch and plenty of things to meet on and talk about, for myself to communicate with the receivers and tight ends and running backs are things we want to do, and the linemen, the protection, hopefully, we'll use it to our advantage. It's going to be nice to be a little more relaxed. Normally it's really frantic getting everybody here and the meetings and getting on the plane.
Q. With your experience do you still get nervous, anxious, before the game as you lead up to it? TOM BRADY: Yeah, I get very excited. I have been anxious all week. Since we won the last game I remember walking out of here last Sunday night and seeing Coach Belichick and saying, "Well, it's time to get ready for the toughest game in the year." It's one of those weeks where you're trying to put as much into it as you can because you're going to need to play your best, you don't want to be taken by surprise by anything. I want to ‑‑ need to make sure I know what I'm doing inside and out. This team makes it very tough on you and we're playing in a very tough stadium. So we really need to be at our best, and that's really been building the whole week, and the practices have been very up‑tempo. Sometimes you want them to go so well, but you also realize how tough of a team we're playing and the type of schemes they're running, and some things are pretty new to us. After three days of practice everyone feels good where we're at physically. Mentally we have just over 48 hours to get ready to go.
Q. In that first game, I believe both tackles got hurt, you get sacked four times. How far has this line come since then and how confident are you? TOM BRADY: That was a tough game for us and for those guys. The Steelers really did a great job rushing the passer. They had a significant lead where they knew we were throwing on every play. They really pinned their ears back. All those guys really can rush the passer. I think everybody is very comfortable having him over there and he knows what to do. He's a physical player that's done a great job. You're right, Matt was out for portions of that have game, but he's had a great year, and the three inside guys have been pretty much solid all year. I think that shows in the running game and what we've produced running the football, that's really where the communication with those guys is so important to get on their blocks and let Corey run.
An interview with:
BILL BELICHICK
BILL BELICHICK: Just to start off, I would say it's a privilege for the team and the organization to be involved in this AFC Championship game. We have tremendous respect for the Steelers. They're the toughest team we've played this year. They play hard, tough, physical. They play great defense, they run the ball, and the quarterback has done a wonderful job for them. As you know, we've altered our travel plans a little bit. We're coming out tonight due to the storm warnings in Pennsylvania. We'll be leaving in a little while and we'll be out there tonight.
Q. The game against Pittsburgh on the 31st of October when Ty Law got injured, your response was "We have trust in our system. We just need to do better in our system." Can you talk about the system and what are some of the key tenants of the system. BILL BELICHICK: I think any time ‑‑ at that point it was our sixth game. That's ten weeks. A couple more weeks of training camp. That's basically half your season. I think as much as possible you don't want to make changes that will involve all 11 people. It's a lot easier if you can keep the other 10 guys the same and plug somebody new in there, whoever it is, and have him do what everybody else is doing. It's hard to change the system and adapt to a whole new set of plays when you change one guy. I think that's what I was referring to.
Q. What are just some key elements that maybe highlight the system itself? BILL BELICHICK: Well we are a multiple defense, and we play different coverages, man zones, combination. What we have in our repertoire, we have, it's been in since training camp. That's what we have. That's what we do. Some of it is used in some games more than others, depending on the opponent and situation. I feel like it's a fairly comprehensive system that gives us flexibility in situations.
Q. The exercises you've done in the last four years, have you grown accustomed to it? BILL BELICHICK: No, it never gets old. It's an honor to be here, it's a lot of hard work. We had our 92nd, practice today. We started training camp roughly six months ago. It's been a lot of hours, a lot of energy, it's all really to get to this point right here, so, it's satisfying, but, you know, we still obviously have a lot to do, but in order to be here, just to get to this game has been a big accomplishment, and so from that standpoint, no, it doesn't get old.
Q. There's guys in the locker room that haven't done this, but there's a large contingent that has. Is there any kind of advantage to that working to a high pitch on Sunday? BILL BELICHICK: I think experience is always a plus. Guys or players that have experience, I think that's something they can draw from and give to other players that don't have quite as much. In the end it comes down to which team plays a better football on Sunday and can execute and doesn't make major mistakes. They have players that haven't played in the games before. We have. I think in the end it will come down to the team that operates the best and executes the best.
Q. How did you say your week was? BILL BELICHICK: It was kind of a normal week for us. We were off Monday and Tuesday and had a normal Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. We're leaving a little bit early here, but otherwise normal. We have some familiarity with Pittsburgh. We played them earlier in the season. It's sort of like a division game where you play the team a second time. There's still a lot of work to do. They're a tough team. We've put as much as we could into it. We've got a little over 48 hours to keep working on it.
Q. Can you contrast the difference between Bettis and Staley? BILL BELICHICK: You know, they're both ‑‑ I think, Alan, they're both very good runners, they both have a lot of patience and power. They make more yards inside than outside. They're hard to tackle. The biggest thing the Pittsburgh running game has is patience. The backs do a good job getting up to the line of scrimmage. If there's not a hole there, they can see the entire line and the way it's blocking, and then sooner or later something is going to develop. It's just a matter of time until there's a crease there, and when they see it, they pop through it. I think they're both very similar in that respect. We saw a lot of Duce in our game, and Bettis came in and finished us off. I think they both have a similar running style, both big powerful blocks that are tough to tackle because of their size, power and body lean.
Q. Talk about Tedy Bruschi and the role he will play on Sunday. BILL BELICHICK: I think it's going to take team defense. I don't think any one guy is going to stop the Steeler offense. Tedy's a good football player, he's tough, he's physical. He's a hard‑nosed guy, he reads the running game well. He's got a lot of experience in there. It will take a lot more than one guy.
Q. Talk about playing against the team that's number 1. BILL BELICHICK: Steelers are very tough to run against, they've always done a good job in the running game. They mix up their fronts. They're a strong two‑gap team in the line of scrimmage. I think coach LeBeau and Coach Cowher have done a great job of complimenting the different techniques on the defensive front. We have to do a good job of blocking and running. It's tough. We'll have to be at our very best to execute the plays. I certainly hope we can run for more than 6 yards. They're not going to give you anything.
Q. What particular skills does Corey have? BILL BELICHICK: I think he'll run the way he's run all year. He had over 116 yards. He's got a good vision, he's a good runner, he's broken some long runs, I think he's got quickness and elusiveness in the open field that he can get some yards with power, whether it be tough yards or breaking tackles.
Q. Has he made more progress during the week? BILL BELICHICK: That will probably come down to a game‑time decision. Richard won't start, but we'll see where he is.
Q. Do you take great comfort having a kicker who can kick under pressure, but knowing what the conditions are on Sunday, do you take some comfort in that? BILL BELICHICK: There's no kicker I would rather have than Adam. He's proven himself in cold conditions. I think the whole unit on the football team has had a good year, done a solid job. We have a lot of confidence in them. That's the way you have to feel. The only reason they're out there is to score points. I'm sure the conditions will be challenging against Pittsburgh, and we'll all have to deal with them then.
Q. Coach, you talked about the experience factor, they've got a rookie quarterback. Do you consider these guys risks anymore? BILL BELICHICK: No, not really. We're into our 18th game. That's a lot of snaps. I think everybody at this point is no longer a rookie. They're really into their second year. Some guys have more experience than others. Most guys have seen pretty much what they're going to see all year. Randall has gone up against a lot of different receivers, Ben has seen a lot of different conferences, a lot of different looks. It's not the third game of the year, those guys have seen a lot of football at this point. I think they have a pretty good understanding, and they can execute their system.
Q. This is really only his first run through the playoffs. Is he sort of like in the same boat as they are? BILL BELICHICK: I don't think that's even close. Two years ago we had five in a similar situation within in the league, a dozen years, never been in the playoffs. Last year was Fauria. They play like veterans. I know they're excited to play in the game, particularly after a long career of not being in them. That's a similar situation that Corey is in. They're tough, hard veterans. They have been through the wars, and I'm sure Corey will be, the same way he showed that last week.
Q. What did you like about Vrabel that made you acquire him? BILL BELICHICK: We thought Mike would be good for a 3‑4 defense. That's what we were going to play in the '01 season. Mike played defensive end at Ohio State. Pittsburgh drafted him, I thought it was a good move. We watched Mike in the games of Pittsburgh. He had limited playing time, and a little bit of trouble with some injuries there. For the most part, he was primarily on special teams. I thought he played very well. He was playing behind a couple guys that were pretty good, and didn't get a lot of opportunity to play. I think our situation offered him a little more opportunity on the defensive side of the ball, but he's been a good pass rusher for us in sub situations. Again, that goes back to his background in Ohio State. He's been productive in the kicking game and linebacker and shown his versatility playing on the offensive side of the ball at times.
Q. Does anything stand out about your initial meetings with him? BILL BELICHICK: I think what he was looking for, we could provide, and what we were looking for, he had those things to offer, so I think it was a good situation for both parties, and that's always good. You want to be ‑‑ you want to talk to players who you feel have a role and can contribute to your team, and the player wants to see the team that he's going to and picture himself in a role that he wants to be in. I think in that particular case, that those two kind of fit together.
Q. Bill, how much does the change of schedule matter, arriving tonight versus tomorrow? BILL BELICHICK: Not a whole lot. At this point in the season we have been through 92 practices, a lot of walk‑throughs. We'll have to adjust it a little bit, but I think we can handle it. We'll have our normal meeting schedule tomorrow. Maybe we'll do the walk through in the hotel. Or maybe we won't do it at all. I don't think that's a big deal. We didn't do it last week.
Thank you.
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