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POSTGAME QUOTES
DECEMBER 27, 2009
Initial Comments:
“I’d like to congratulate the guys again on getting the victory. We kind of got in our own way in the first half and didn’t execute very well on offense. We set ourselves back a little bit. But we came out in the second half, drove the ball down the field and did a good job. We didn’t get many opportunities in the second half. Defensively, we’ve still got to improve in those one-minute situations. We let them drive and get the field goal before half. We don’t want to do that. Obviously, we’ve got to (clean) some things up in the kicking game — today, we had the punt that was blocked and we weren’t able to get the ball down. Kevin (Huber) has got to get the ball down for us inside the 10 yard line.
“I thought we did a good job today in the return game. Defensively, again, they came up with the big plays when they needed to. We knew it was going to be a tough game, and we had to be ready to play. Our guys kept playing and didn’t panic or flinch. We had a 98-yard drive to win the football game basically, and the big stop on the kickoff. There are still some things to improve on, but that’s where we are.”
Q: Is it a familiar feeling to be able to put together a drive when you absolutely needed one?
“We did a good job today. We had the penalty on the third-and-one that hurt us, and another flinch today. Other than that, I thought we improved in that area, which is big for us. We’ve got to keep working hard at that — getting the proper alignment and being in the right spots. We were able to drive the football in the first half and make some adjustments at halftime that helped us out a little bit.”
Q: No Gatorade?
“No Gatorade. No Gatorade, no hat. There are two more hats to get. If we want to earn a hat, there are two more to earn. That’s what I told them. Enjoy it, congratulations. But there are two more to earn, and that’s a different atmosphere (in the locker room) than it was a few years ago in Detroit, which is good.”
Q: The difference between this team and the ’05 team, at least symbolically, is no Gatorade and no hat:
“Yeah, I think this group knows that there are more out there. We’ve got to keep learning and growing because we are so young in some spots. The NFL is new to most of them. If you look across the board at these guys, all they know is what has transpired over the last couple of years for them. Other than our quarterback, Chad (Ochocinco) and our kicker, there aren’t many guys that have been here (very long). You look out there on defense, and there are five rookies. We’re telling them there’s more to it than that, and I think that is the message across the board.
“You look at the guys that are playing — guys that have been on practice squads — there’s not that sigh of relief that we did it. Well, yeah, we did it, but let’s keep going. That’s what we’ve done all year, so let’s keep doing it. Being the best team that we can be on Sundays — that’s all we need to do for the next five weeks, and we’ll be fine.”
Q: The team has done it the hard way all year:
“We don’t like to make things too easy, but that’s all right (laughing).”
Q: In light of the past week, are there more feelings of relief, or that you can exhale now?
“It’s an exhale, because we got one of the goals accomplished. But again, there’s more to be gained. You want to take a degree of satisfaction — and I don’t want to rain on their parade too much — but there’s more to gain.”
Q: You said earlier this week, “No matter what happens I’ve got your back.” What did you mean by that?
“I knew we were going to need some energy this week. We knew Tuesday was going to be a long day. I knew after the disappointment of the loss, it was hard. You’ve got to mount back up, but it can’t be the same message. We had to gather back up again and get going. I had to trim things out of practice; we just couldn’t be the ‘same-old, same-old.’ I think the guys did a good job responding to that. We were off the practice field 20 minutes early on Wednesday and 15 minutes on Thursday, and we moved right through things yesterday and Friday. With the holidays coming up, we were able to get them finished earlier in the day, and that’s what I meant — I’m going to take care of you, and you just keep working, and you’ll be OK physically.
“You get to the end of the year, and while it is the end of the year, it really isn’t the end (of the season). Now, you work harder to work more. That’s what you’ve got to understand. We’ve got to work smarter and harder and be more diligent at it in order to keep playing.”
Q: Are you satisfied that they were able to put Tuesday behind them and focus?
“Yeah. Tuesday, I was more worried about the energy part than the emotional part. It was a long day. We get back home from San Diego at 3:30 a.m., we were on the plane (to New Orleans) at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, and we got back here to the stadium at almost 8 p.m. so it was a long day. We knew that, but they did it together as a team. They showed a lot of patience.”
Q: What was it like in the huddle on the final drive of the game?
“It was as calm as it was on the first drive of the game. We have guys on this team that have played in that type of situation before. No matter how big or insignificant the game, we have guys that step up when it’s time to go. We have players who accept their roles and do their jobs. We don’t try to play too hard. We don’t get scared. We don’t get shy. We understand there is a job to do, and we each must do our individual jobs and execute each play. That is what we have done on a number of game-winning drives this season.”
Q: Has the adversity you have had to overcome this season been character-building?
“I think we have a veteran group. This is an experienced group. We have been through a lot off the field. On the field, we have guys who don’t flinch. They don’t shy away from that moment in tough situations. This group thrives off of those things. This group understands that they don’t have to do anything special — that each person must do his job individually.”
Q: When coach Marvin Lewis stated that he ‘had your back’ earlier this week, how did that play out this week?
“He shortened up a couple days this week. We were released from practice 15-minutes early one day, and he cut a couple plays out of practice this week. Fifteen minutes makes a difference. It is better than nothing.”
Q: Does it feel like the veterans are approaching this AFC North Championship a little bit different than in 2005?
“I was not a veteran the last time we did it. At that point, I assumed we would do this every year and that we would defiantly win the Super Bowl within a few years. I took winning the AFC North for granted. I was young and didn’t understand that this doesn’t happen every single year. When I was younger, I assumed it did. We have a few players that have been through that situation here and are on this team now. We understand this is a rare opportunity. You have to take advantage of this opportunity now. You must play like every game is your last in this situation, because this situation doesn’t come ever year. That goes for every team. We must continue to go to work this week. We must continue to do the same things that we did Week 1, and during training camp. Even though it is now Week 17, we must prepare our minds and bodies to go out and play at the highest level in our current situation.”
Q: What changed in the passing game in the second half?
“We started throwing the ball more in the second half. More runs were called in the first half. Guys did a great job getting open. Laveranues (Coles) did a great job winning one-on-one, Quan (Cosby) made a big play on third down, and Chad (Ochocinco) made a great play on the touchdown. Today, we just made plays more often in the second half than we did in the first.”
Q: What are you going to do with the hat that you received?
“I am going to hang on to it. It is nice. It is one of our goals, but at the end of the year, if we don’t win the Super Bowl, it is just a hat. Then it doesn’t mean anything. The Super Bowl Championship hat is the one you want.
“The AFC North hat is just a hat. The AFC Championship hat is one you want, but the Super Bowl hat is what we are working for. This title is one of the many goals we set out to achieve. We are not going to pound our chest over this. We don’t feel like we have conquered the world. We still have a lot work to do.”
Q: How important is going to New York and playing the Jets next week and building on this momentum?
“It is huge. We are a team that thrives on momentum. We need to go out and shut them down and put up some points. We need that momentum and aggressiveness going into the playoffs. We need that indestructible feeling going into the postseason. They are a very good defense and run the ball very well. They have a young quarterback. It is tough to get to 7-7 with a young QB, and they have done it, so they have a good nucleus of players around him.”
Q: Was preparing for this game tough, based on the off-the-field things that occurred this week?
“You can’t get too down and dwell on it. You cannot let losing two games in a row drag you down. We came back and went to work. That is what this team is built upon. We have been pushing since April. All we know to do is to go back to work.”
Q: What was the feeling after the game?
“It was nice. We have won the AFC North a couple times now. It is one of our many goals, but we are in no way satisfied. We are fortunate to be in the situation that we are in, but we have a lot of improving to do if we want to get the Super Bowl hat and trophy. We will go back to work and continue to improve.”
Q: I asked you weeks ago about the 2005 team and you stated that they were young and dumb. How do you describe this team?
“A veteran group of guys. It is not like we have a bunch of players that have been in the league for 10 years. Guys like 
Q: No lingering effects from the loss of Chris Henry?
“It was a long week. We didn’t have an off day this week. We played on the West Coast last week and the time change got to us. Tuesday was a long day with Chris’ funeral. This was a long emotional day. We had a long Wednesday and an abbreviated Thursday. We were drained and Coach has done a good job letting us get our energy back. We are off Monday and Tuesday this week, but guys will be in watching film and working out. We will have some down time to get some rest and prepare for the game this week.
“We want to be the third seed going into the playoffs. We want to be in the best position possible. We are playing to win. We want to go 11-5, and play good football against a good team this week. We have guys that really care in our locker room.”
Q: Is it extra gratifying for you to win this game, grinding it out like this team has done so many times this season?
“Yes, especially for the team to have that drive at the end. That was us playing our game, the way the Bengals play football at its best. We pounded it down the field and finished it off with Carson and Chad. Everybody played great, and it was a tremendous ending.”
Q: Did you expect to get this from the Chiefs, considering they really had nothing to play for?
“We expected to get a lot more different things. They play strong up front. They had their safeties down at the line of scrimmage. That made it fun for the running game to be successful. It was a fun day. It was a good change.”
Q: The Chiefs defense made it a priority to try to stop the run today:
“They definitely weren’t trying to let us (run the ball). They were coming off a bad week last week defensively, giving up a lot of yards on the ground. With us being as potent as we are in the running game, they had to assume we were going to come out and try to get the same outcome as the Browns did the previous week and create big runs. They schemed well for what we had. They had a lot of guys in the box. I guess we overmatched them and played a little more physical than they did.”
Q: You’ve got a chance next week against the Jets to rush for 1,300 yards:
“I owe it all to the offensive line. They provided the situations and opportunities for me to make it happen, as well as the receivers blocking on the edges. Those guys make it possible. I’m very proud to be in this position and very honored to be on this team. I’m very thankful.”
Q: It seems like things have been a challenge all year long for this team:
“That kind of sums up our season thus far. You have to finish. You can’t leave them hanging around. We’ve done that in games past with the Baltimore game and the Steelers game. It’s very characteristic of this team and the spirit that these guys have.”
Q: Are you concerned at all about the offensive lulls that this team seems to have?
“No. They (The Chiefs) are still a good team, despite what their record is. They have beat some good teams along the way. They’ll be a good team. They have good players. It’s the NFL. A win is a win, and we’ll take it. We are glad the way we finished out, and we are now looking at the Jets.”
Q: In the locker room, you guys have congratulated each other, but it’s not like the highlight of your career:
“Not at all, because we expected this out of the season. We knew what we wanted to do. We want to finish off the season and go into the playoffs strong. We don’t want this to be the highlight of the season and then fizzle out.”
Q:
“He’s a tough player. He plays low to the ground and he is hard to tackle. He just keeps coming. You might get him on the ground, but he’s going to spin through there eventually. Hat’s off to this offensive line, to him (Benson) and to Carson for finishing that last drive.”
Q: This day probably seemed inevitable, but now that it’s here is there a sigh of relief?
“Definitely. As a team, from where we were last year at this time to now is a dramatic difference. Through what this team has been through, this year makes a huge difference. Also with this group — the offensive line — being where we are ... At the beginning of the season, nobody thought that anyone could play a position. And now, to go in and have a season like this has been great.”
Q: How does it feel to be the AFC North champs?
“It feels like a sore ankle and a sore knee. It feels good and the hat fits. If we can get another one, I hope it fits too.”
Q: You are playing for the No. 3 seed now, which is important, right?
“It’s all important. Matchups can propel you to the Super Bowl. Anytime you get a team that you match up well against, it’s a matter of executing then. If you get a team that has deficiencies, then you go attack those things. So, sometimes that 3-6, 5-4 thing is a big deal (referring to playoff seeds).
Q: Nothing comes easy with this football team, including this game:
“The thing about the NFL is it doesn’t matter if a team gets blown out by 100 points the week before, they are still going to fight. These are all professional men who get paid to fight. No one is going to come in here and lay down. Hats off to the Chiefs, because they fought. We just had to hang in there. Games can go like this all the way up to the Super Bowl.”
Q: The injuries have hit the team hard this season, and now
“It’s a part of the business. With Rey (being injured), obviously that’s not very good for us. But,
Q: How tough was it to get through this week and come away with a victory?
“It was real tough. We loved that guy (Chris Henry). It was tough, but it felt good coming back home, playing in front of the home crowd. We dedicated the rest of season to him. We are going to keep fighting. He would want us to move on and make plays, so we are going to go out and make plays.”
Q: How does this victory feel after an emotional past few weeks?
“It feels very good. Going through those tough few weeks and coming home and getting this win in front of our home crowd felt very good.”
Q: How difficult was preparing for the game mentally this past week?
“It was tough. During these tough times, that’s what the good teams do — they get through it and are able to battle back from it. That’s what we did. This is just the first step in our goal to get to the Super Bowl. This is one step closer, so it’s very exciting.”
Q: It must have felt good to catch the game-clinching interception to win the division:
“Definitely. Any time the ball’s in the air, you want to either bat it down or, in that situation, catch the ball and seal the game.”
Q: How significant was it for you to close the game out after a tough game last week?
“It feels really good, especially after the tough game I had last week. I came into this game with a little chip on my shoulder. I stayed disappointed in myself for my performance last week and just tried to forget about it and play well for my team this week.”
Q: How does it feel to win the AFC North?
“It feels very good, but we still have a lot of games to play, hopefully into February.”
Q: How does it feel to win the division in your third year after last season’s four-win campaign?
“It’s been a roller coaster, but it’s a great feeling. You really can’t explain it. We’re obviously going to celebrate it tonight and soak this feeling in, but we realize there still are more games to be played. We don’t just want to be AFC North champions.”
Q: There didn’t seem like much of a celebration after today’s win:
“We can’t be satisfied with this. Obviously we’re happy, and it’s a great feeling. But we can’t be satisfied. We’ve got to keep it going into next week.”
Q: What are your emotions like after today’s victory?
“Pretty good; all right. We got a ‘’W today. It wasn’t the prettiest of ‘Ws,’ but it’s a ‘W,’ regardless of how you win. That’s it. It’s a really good feeling. I’m not jumping for joy or glee; just thinking about No. 15 (Chris Henry) once that clock hit zero. That was everybody’s mindset — to go out there and win this one for him. That’s about it. Again, it wasn’t pretty at all. I’m not sure what the stats were. I know the first half wasn’t good at all offensively on the run or the pass.”
Q: Was it emotionally tough for this offense to get going after the hectic week?
“No, because we did fairly well in San Diego in the air and on the ground. Even though we lost (against the Chargers), I was expecting that momentum to carry over into this game. We did extremely well on the penalties — extremely well. I think we only had two today. Other than that, we just couldn’t generate much offense. Ced (Benson) had a really good day today. That’s about it.”
Q: You guys really mixed it up on that last drive:
“Yeah, we need to take that last drive and add to it. Whatever we did (on that last drive), do the same thing all four quarters. But, as you know, in the NFL, it’s not that easy. We’ve always been those ‘Cardiac Cats’ that come in at the last minute. That’s how we played again today.”
Q: How exciting is it to win the AFC North?
“It’s due time. Great feeling. We’re going to enjoy it tonight, but we’ve got business coming up. New York —we plan on going in there and executing our game plan. Look at that — we just won the AFC North, and we already are talking about next week.”
Q: Is that the difference between 2009 and 2005?
“Maybe, maybe. I think we’re more like, ‘OK, we know what happened then. Let’s approach it the right way now.’ ”
Q: Does the 98-yard drive to win the game sum up the season?
“Not dead, can’t quit. If you’re not dead, you can’t quit. There was no doubt in our minds. We just had to execute. As long as we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot, we were going to get a ‘W.’ Kudos to the offensive unit. Kudos to the defense.”
Initial Comments:
“This was a disappointing loss. I thought the team really fought back after the loss last week with a lot of distractions. We came on the road against a very good team — a team that is obviously now a playoff team. We had every intention of keeping them out of there for right now, and I thought we had a very good chance to do that up until the final drive. I thought our defense really came to play. We corrected some technique errors that got us in trouble the last two weeks. We have some players that are battling through injuries and I thought they came out and battled their hearts out. Up until that final drive, I thought we were in a very good position to win that game. Even after we got the kickoff, it looked like we had a chance to take it down the field on them, and unfortunately we turned it over for the second or third time if you count the snap. We had a lot of positives offensively. I thought Jamaal Charles was right around 100 (yards). Cincinnati has a very good run defense — they are third in the league — and in the last half of the year, they have been very difficult to run against. I was encouraged with some of the run game; I was encouraged with some of the pass game. Again, the two turnovers cost us because we were able to move the ball a little bit. Defensively, I thought these guys pulled together and played their hearts out. We just needed to get a stop on that final drive and have a chance to take the game. Special teams: I thought were real good in some areas, but the (bad punt) snap is something that we just can’t have. It ultimately cost us three points. Overall, I thought the team played their heads off. There are no moral victories here, but again I thought it was important for us to come out here and compete against a good team.”
Q: Was there an issue with long snapper Thomas Gafford today?
“I think the wind was blowing a little bit out there. I don’t think he had a problem. He made a poor snap, and I thought the defense did a great job of keeping them to three points with the position we were put in. I don’t know that he had a problem; he has been pretty reliable this year. There was quite a bit of wind blowing across there. And, again, I thought he bounced back from that.”
Q: Why was Cincinnati able to get it done on that 98-yard drive?
“They had the penalty called, which was an incomplete pass which obviously hurt us. The third-down conversion hurt us. We had them pinned deep on the first three plays, and they hit the shovel pass, which looked like it was well-executed, and we didn’t get it stopped. They were just able to gain a little momentum and got their pass game going. But again, overall, I thought the defense showed a lot of tenacity against a very good playoff team.”
Q: Up to that point, was that about the best you could have asked for from your defense?
“Again, I think this team is a team filled with weapons. Cincinnati can clearly run the football, and we only gave up the one big run to start the second half. Other than that run, I thought our guys did a very good job against a very good run team and a very good pass team. We challenged Brandon Flowers, who has been battling through injury, and I thought that kid showed a lot of heart playing against one of the better players in the league all day. Unfortunately at the end, they were able to get one on him, but I thought overall he really showed something to me and his teammates.”
Q: On Tim Castille’s touchdown catch, did you think it was picked?
“No, I thought it was a touchdown. Tim Castille is a guy that hurt us last week, and we have talked a lot about guys bouncing back and showing us something. We are trying to find the nucleus of this team, and I thought the kid went in there and made a heck of a play for a touchdown on third-and-long.”
Q: Do you feel like you made some progress today, maybe took some baby steps?
“It is ‘baby steps.’ It is clearly not where we want to be. I think it’s hard with the results, but I think our quarterback has continued to make strides. Would he like to have two balls back? I am sure of that. He is very difficult on himself. I think these guys are starting to find their identity. We were in there against a pretty good defense. We didn’t have 400 yards of offense, but in difficult conditions against a pretty good defense, we were able to keep them on their heels and make progress throughout the game — at least enough progress to stay out of the three-and-outs and some of the things that have been problems for us. I think the guys are encouraged. They understand that we have to execute and do what we are supposed to do, which means catch the ball and run the route the right way. If you can stay out of three-and-outs, move the football and not have a bunch of minus plays — those are things you have to do to be a good team all the time. I thought we showed some of that, and if you do those things, you will generally be in games offensively. Defensively, you have to play the way we played. We will be in games and have chances to win, and the more that we are in those situations and have more chances to win, we will come out on top and get to the point where we feel pretty good about ourselves.”
Q: You mentioned technique tweaks on defense. Are there things at this point in the season that you can still improve on?
“I don’t think we had a lot of penalties. The one was just a killer — a big run by Jamaal. He found the hole and had a great stiff arm. He was running down the sideline, thinking potentially a touchdown before he got pushed out. The penalties have been critical. Overall, I think we have done a decent job with penalties, considering where we started in the first four games. We were in the bottom (of the league) then, and we have worked our way up into the top-10. That’s a good sign of guys playing with discipline and keeping control. We just need to clean up (the rest of them). We would like to have no penalties. The two big ones on offense, the false start early, and then the holding (call) were critical. They really hurt our team.”
Q: Did you feel like the running game for both teams was going to dictate success today?
“We knew they were a run team first. They were going to show run, and they were going to run. That is what has given them success, and put them in a position to win the AFC North like they did. We knew that coming in, and we knew it would be a challenge for us. I would have loved to have had more (from our run game). I wish we didn’t have that penalty. We probably would have had 150 (yards) rushing and had a chance to win the game. But I thought there were some positive signs.”
Q: Where does Jamaal Charles stand, not only after this game, but after the last few?
“I think the guy is trying to make a case to be talked about as one of the good backs in the league. Coming the route he has come as a fairly high draft pick and a well-known college player, he has come a long way and I think that is encouraging for us and for him.”
Q: There were fewer mistakes this week:
“I know we’re making progress, and the unfortunate thing is that we’re fighting and haven’t been able to come out on top yet. We continue to get better, and this was a good test for us against a playoff-caliber football team.”
Q: How much more comfortable are you with Jamaal Charles now being used as the feature back?
“He’s one of the most dependable guys on the offensive side of the ball. In the passing game he’s a threat as well because of his quickness. He’s doing a great job for us, and I’m sure he’ll continue to do that.”
Q: How deflating was it when Jamaal’s big run got called back?
“Anytime you have a big-play opportunity that gets called back, it’s deflating because you have to start all over.”
Q: Were you trying to let the receivers make plays when you threw your two interceptions?
“Exactly. You just throw the ball up and hope one of the guys can make a play, and sometimes it doesn’t go your way. It wasn’t a bad decision, or me not knowing where I was going with the ball. It just didn’t go my way.”
Q: How were the Chiefs able to improve so much after last week’s performance?
“We were critical of ourselves after last week. It comes down to playing better — everybody understanding where they are supposed to be, being there, and doing their jobs ... not trying to do somebody else’s job, and leaving your gap alone. It was better, but obviously not good enough. The end result was a loss.”
Q:
“You have to be smart with him and 85. They have other weapons. (Laveranues) Coles is a good receiver, as is (Andre) Caldwell. The reason they are winning games is that they are more balanced than Bengals teams before were. Carson used to throw the ball 50 times, and if he completed 30 or 40 passes, they would win. If he didn’t, they would lose. They are a lot more balanced now. They are able to dictate the flow of the game. We were able to hang in there for a few quarters. We gave up one huge drive with one third down conversion after another.”
Q: What happened on the third-down shovel pass to
“It was third-and-long. They made a good call. The back ran for the first down. We will look at the film and find out what happened. It’s one of those things that you have to rally to stop. You’re not counting on a shovel pass on third-and-eight.”
Q: How do you explain what happened on that last Bengals touchdown drive?
“It was a great call by the defensive coordinator (Clancy Pendergast) to call for an all-out blitz. Cincinnati had a great call coming out in a stacked receiver set. It was one-on-one with a blitz coming. Chad (Ochocinco) won that matchup.”
Q: Talk about what that formation presented you on the touchdown pass:
“They came out in the stack and I couldn’t come up and press (coverage) against Chad. He broke his route off well and made a good play for the ball.”
Q: Talk about what the matchup against
“He is a great receiver, if not the best in the NFL. I enjoy playing against the best receivers in the league. I try to get better and better each time I play against a receiver like him.”
Q: Talk about your performance today:
“The Bengals have a good defense. We played well against a defense that is going to the playoffs. If we could have made some plays, we could have taken over the game and won today.”
Q: If you had been told you would rush for more than 100 yards and make some plays in the passing game, would you think the Chiefs would only score 10 points?
“They have a good defense. I am proud of this team. We stepped up on third downs and made plays. We had an opportunity to try to tie the game up and hopefully go to overtime.”
Q: Did you have a chance to talk to
“We were glad to see each other again. I am happy to see him get another chance with another team. They are a good team that might need him as they go to the playoffs. They have two good backs on their team.”
Q: Did competing against fellow former University of Texas running back Cedric Benson present a challenge for you today?
“I wanted to compete against Ced. He’s been a great back since he was at Texas. I wanted to go out and compete against him today. I know he wanted to do the same thing, because he saw the young Longhorn on the other sideline before the game. I wanted to go out there and shine.”
