POSTGAME QUOTES
JANUARY 8, 2006

Back to Bengals Gameday

Initial comments:
"It was not a very good finish to a decent start and a good first half. In the second half, we didn't have the ability to keep things going. We had a couple of turnovers that were critical. We didn't make a couple of plays on third down, which was kind of the story of the football game. We're not satisfied. Unfortunately, our season is over. We had a good season, but not a great season. We're not satisfied with finishing here, but we'll learn from it and move forward."

Carson Palmer goes down. You have a veteran in there, a former comeback player of the year. What was the feeling like? Was it as smooth as can be expected?
"Yes. It was smooth as can be expected, but we have to make plays. Jon did a good job handling the first half. We had the first drive in the second half, and we ended up getting it down, but not getting anything out of it. We have to make enough plays in critical times. We had a couple of pre-snap penalties that crept back in today and that hurt us."

Do you feel cheated?
"I feel like we as a football team need to learn from this. We came in here as a football team, and we need to leave here as a football team. We need to understand it is about working through the tough times. You work through the critical points in the game and keep your eye on the target. Do your job. This is a lesson that we needed to learn. We handled the first part of the game, and then we let them right back in the football game."

How devastating is it for Palmer and the franchise?
"It's not devastating. Carson has an injury. He'll be back."

What did Palmer's injury do to the offense?
"Obviously it changed some things. We had to come out and play the second half the way we played the first half — get the ball back, take them out of plays, make plays on third down."

Did you have any issues with the manner in which Palmer was injured?
"It's unfortunate."

(The Bengals medical staff confirmed that Palmer suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. No further information was available. Palmer is currently on crutches, wearing a brace on his knee. A decision on when he will undergo surgery has not been made, pending follow-up examinations. It was determined that there was no need for him to be hospitalized, and he is spending the evening at his Cincinnati home.)

On his recollection of the play when he was injured:
"I knew right away that it was bad. I felt my whole knee pop. I didn't feel a lot of pain. It wasn't really painful at all physically. It was just a sickening feeling, because I knew what it was and that my season was over."

On what he felt while laying on the turf, waiting for the cart:
"I'm thinking about how we can win the game. I'm thinking that there's not a better quarterback in the league than Jon Kitna for coming in as the backup in this kind of situation, with a young team in a tough spot against a good opponent. I knew the team would have confidence in Jon and rally around him. He's a natural leader, and we were still ahead at halftime. But losing Chris Henry hurt us, too, and the Steelers were on their game on offense."

On his upcoming rehab:
"I've never had an injury this serious in my career. I know it's going to be a long road back, but it's a long way until the next training camp. I'm going to work my butt off and come back better than ever. It's over, but I'm looking forward to next season right now. I believe we have a great team, and we had a season that's something to build on. I feel bad right now for what happened, for our team and for our fans, but at the same time, I'm excited thinking about next year."

People say you're always just a play away from getting into the game. And on the second play of the game, Carson Palmer goes down. What were you thinking?
"The range of emotions on that particular play was incredible. I'm excited. The play happened and we got a big 60-yard play or whatever it was, so we're excited about that. As I'm excited, I look around and I see someone lying on the ground, then I start looking for Carson, and he's not the one standing up. I had to run and grab my helmet, and it's time to roll. So you ran the gamut of being excited, and then upset for Carson. But then you have to go out there and do your job and fulfill your role. You never know in this game, and that was a testament of that today. Football is a microcosm of our life. We never know what's going to happen in life, and you have to be ready to adjust when things come."

What adjustments did Pittsburgh's defense make after the first half?
"In the second half, they did a lot of the same things, but they just started really paying more attention to Chad (Johnson) and T.J. (Houshmandzadeh). We had the drive to start the half and got down there and weren't able to get a touchdown, and were going for the field goal, and I think that kind of deflated us a little bit. Then late in the game, Troy (Polamalu) made a great play there on that interception. That's the kind of player he is."

When the starting quarterback is out, is there added job responsibilities when you come in like that, or is it pretty even keel when you get in the huddle?
"I try to remain as even keel as I can, and I thought that they responded well. Then we had one of our big-play receivers (Chris Henry) go down not long after that. It was kind an interesting start to the game, but I thought our team handled it well, and I thought they responded well in the first half. Offensively, we did some effective things. It's unfortunate that we couldn't get it going in the second half."

Did you say anything to the guys in the huddle when you came in?
"No, I didn't have a chance. It was time to say the play and get going. There was no time. I think last week having a chance to play, I think guys were settled in. They've been around me and I've been around this team for a long time, and playing for three years. I thought they responded well."

When did you know for sure Carson Palmer was done?
"I didn't know right away that he was done. But Carson is so tough, I knew when he was laying on the ground that it had to be something serious. When I saw the replay, it didn't look good."

What was it like in the huddle when you went in?
"It was business as usual, to be honest. I thought our guys were focused and ready to try and go score on that series."

Did the replay make you cringe?
"Yes. I only looked at it once. I didn't want to see it twice."

What did you think of the hit?
"I didn't see enough of the replay to see what happened prior to that. It's rare in this day and age that a guy would purposely go after somebody's knee, and I don't think that was the case. But only one person really knows the answer to that."

You and Palmer are pretty tight. Did you get a chance to say anything to him, and if so, what did you say?
"I felt terrible for him. The only chance I got to see him was at halftime, and that was briefly, because I knew we were going to make adjustments. It almost brought me to tears going in there and seeing him. I consider him my best friend. I felt terrible for him, to have to go down that way. But that's the reality of this game. Everybody knows that on any play, anything crazy can happen."

How was Palmer when you saw him?
"Like Carson is. He said, 'Good job,' like he's not even hurt, but for some reason can't play. He doesn't want any attention on himself, and just was himself."

WR Kevin Walter came in for Chris Henry when he got hurt. Talk about his play:
"Kevin Walter has done a good job all year, playing a lot of different roles for this football team. He did a great job coming into the game and handling the constant changes that we were going through on offense."

You talked about changes in the second half. Was it more emotional that you guys were out of the game, or was it just the Steelers?
"They got us into some predictable situations with a sack or penalty, and it's second-and-19 or third-and-20. Those are defensive advantages to be in those situations, and it was tough for us to be in those situations. When you're down 11 and 14 points, the other team knows you have to throw the football, and it's an advantage for them. It's tough to come back from. Unfortunately, we were unable to get it done."

Do you think you or anyone else in this room is going to sell themselves short?
"You can say that we were happy to make the playoffs. This season was a good season for the fans, but we can't walk out of hear saying we are happy. The object of the game is to win, go as far as possible and end up in the Super Bowl. I guess you guys can say that this was a good season. It would be great to end it in Detroit."

You now know what it takes to get to the playoffs. Now, after this experience, will you now know what it takes to move on?
"Every game, you have to execute at a high level. The bigger the game, the more on target your execution has to be. I think we came out ready emotionally, but plays weren't made and we didn't stop them."

Is anyone making reference to losing Carson Palmer on the second play of the drive?
"Obviously, it was big. I hope everyone is praying for him. That still isn't an excuse. We were still in the game. We had the lead. We have been in this situation before with Jon Kitna as a starter. We all had to raise our level of play. We sit here and harp about how we aren't a one-man team, so ... For a minute, we were in there, but then things started to break down. We missed the field goal, and I think that changed the momentum a little bit. They took control of it, and the game was over after that."

What happened on defense? Were you satisfied in any way, shape or form?
"No. We did some things well, and we did some things not so well. We have to eliminate big plays in a game of this magnitude. As a team, we didn't play well enough. That was evident on the scoreboard. I guess we got a playoff learning session today. Believe me, I know, you never know when your next chance is going to be. When we do get that chance, hopefully we remember some things that happened today and how you go about business in the playoffs."

You have learned some things by going to the playoffs. Hopefully you won't fall victim to them again next time:
"That's what we hope. We will see next time we get in this situation. I feel good about the way this team learns from past experiences. The thing about it is that you don't get to compound those things into next season. You have to start over next season, and that's a good thing. Starting tomorrow, we will be getting ready for next season."

This team had this town whipped into a frenzy. That has to be gratifying. You take that away don't you?
"No. Not after losing a football game. All those things are great up to this point, but we didn't finish the job. Hopefully we will give the town another chance to host a playoff game."

You had a good season with an 11-5 record and you made it to the playoffs:
"Yeah, but we didn't finish it. We had a great run. We accomplished some great things this year. Things that a lot of people didn't think we could do. We just didn't finish it at the end. Great teams learn how to finish a season off, especially in the postseason where every game and every play is important. We'll learn. Hopefully we learn some lessons from this. We have to play together as a team. Everybody has to step up and do their roll."

How was Pittsburgh's defense?
"They always have a great defense. But I think we didn't come to play in the second half. We had a lot of mental breakdowns. That was pretty much the difference. The first 30 minutes we played our kind of football, and in the second half our whole season went down the drain."

How was the emotion of the team after Carson Palmer went down?
"There was definitely a lot of emotion. That's our guy. We rally around that guy. He does a lot of things this offense. So, to see him go down so early ... I believe it was the second play of the game. We didn't know what to expect. We didn't know if he was coming back or what happened. We had to keep playing. I know Carson would have loved nothing else but for us to keep playing, keep fighting and keep playing hard. We just had to maintain our composure and keep playing together. People had to pick it up. That's what we did in the first half. When we came back in the second half we just broke down."

What happed when you saw Carson Palmer go down?
"I didn't know what happened. I looked back ... I haven't had a chance to see the replay. I was just sitting there asking him if he was alright."

When your quarterback goes down on the second play of the game, how hard is that?
"Its real hard. We run the plays with Carson all week. (Jon) Kitna is our No. 2 and he came in and filled in his shoes. Basically that's it."

At halftime you guys were in this game. What happened in the second half, and how frustrating is that to watch?
"I have no idea what happened. All I could do is try to make the plays when the opportunities came. Other than that, my focus was on just doing that. As far as what happened, I won't be able to tell until I see the tape."

How painful is it to have it end this way?
"Painful. All the work we put in. Since April 4, we've come this far. The point of what we put in was to get to the post season. Not just getting there, but finishing it off. I don't want to say that we have sold ourselves short. We have improved, but what's the point of getting there if we're not going to finish it all the way through. I'm sure it will probably be this way with this team from here on out, seeing us in the postseason from this point on. Hopefully, next year we can finish it off the right way."

What kind of effect did Carson Palmer going out have on the teams energy?
"It didn't have an effect on the energy at all. We had a game plan put together. We have 11 people. One of the 11 went down then somebody had to step in. It was like a totally expanded role. That's what Kit (quarterback Jon Kitna) did. Unfortunately we still lost. Kit gave his best effort. That's it."

Do you think the Steelers are a better team?
"No."

When Carson Palmer went on the cart you walked over. What did you say?
"I got your back. I tried to do that the best that I could. It wasn't much of an 85 day at all."

Did you come in at halftime and talk to Carson Palmer at all?
"He told me to keep my head up and keep playing. That's all I could do."

Initial comments:

"First of all, I just want to congratulate Cincinnati on a tremendous season. I feel very bad about Carson Palmer. It's an unfortunate accident. You hate to see someone's season end like that. That's a good football team. This was a big challenge for our team coming in and kind of weathering the storm early in the game. We came out in the second half and made a couple of big plays. These are two very evenly matched teams, as was proven this year. We're fortunate and feel good about moving on. We're looking forward to next week."

On the throwback touchdown pass:
"We've been repping that play for about two months. We repped it this week and walked through it on Saturday. We've had it in there for a while and Whiz mad a great call in the perfect situation. We've got a lot of things and still have some more left. We're at the point now where there is no tomorrow. It was just a good call by Whiz."

On how QB Ben Roethlisberger kept his cool when they were down:
"He made some big plays, some big scrambles, and (had) very good decision making. I just thought our offensive line, we got through that first part after a couple of false starts, really they were with the receivers. There was a lot of energy and emotion in this game, and we kind of knew that going in. It will be no different next week in Indianapolis. Obviously, the score at the end of the first half was big. We got down 17-7 and cut it back to three."

On Jerome Bettis:
"He had some great one-yard runs today. There were a couple of times he was hit in the backfield and he was twistin' and turnin'. I told him on that drive, 'That was a heck of a drive.' He brought the ball in the end zone. The big guy still has some pretty good feet, I think. He's just been invaluable. What can you say about Jerome?"

On the high emotions of this game:
"We knew there would be emotions in this game. There was a lot that was being said leading up to this game, none of which I want to get into. We understood that this was a rivalry game. This is a rivalry team. Certainly the playoffs are here; there was a lot leading up to this game. There were a lot of emotions. What happened with Carson was nothing that was intentional and I don't think anyone would interpret it that way. It was an unfortunate accident, really."

On the improved second half pass defense:
"We didn't do a whole lot (to adjust), we just executed a little bit better as the game went on. That's a good offense. Rudi Johnson is a good back. They had us on our heels. Our offense did a good job of responding. The biggest thing is not to overreact and to keep responding. Our guys just kept responding. You can't get caught up in the emotion and the finality that these games can bring. The fact this team's been there before, I think, they really understand that mindset."

On the biggest challenge for next week:
"We gave up some big plays today. James Harrison has an ankle sprain, and Quincy Morgan as well. I'll have to see how we get out of this physically. We're going to play a team that is well rested. It's a big challenge."

On a possible "redemption game" against the Colts:
"Right now, we just enjoy playing. We're just going to go to the next game where they send us and we're going to try to find a way to win this next game. If we don't, then we understand that mentality."

On the big games from Randle El and Cedric Wilson:
"They're good receivers, and Ben has a lot of trust in them. Ben's been working in practice to develop some timing and continuity. That will be the biggest difference against Indianapolis this time."

On Rothlisberger's improved play this postseason:
"It's experience. He's been there. It's not a case of having to do too much and take too much on his shoulders. He did a nice job of stepping and getting out of the pocket and hitting check-downs. That's the thing is his composure. He's aware of what's going on and does a good job being the leader that he is."

On Cincinnati needing the threat of Carson Palmer making plays downfield:
"Well they have a lot of guys. I know Chris Henry went out of that game early too, so that's two good players that went out. Carson Palmer is a Pro Bowl quarterback, so it's tough to lose a guy like that."

On playing better in the second half:
"We felt at halftime that we had taken their best shot. There were so many positive things coming from their side and it was only 17-14. That's not bad. I felt good that we didn't play very well in the first half, but yet we're only down by three points."

Any difference this year from last year? How was your playoff experience this year?
"I think my play and our play spoke volumes for that. I have to give a lot of credit to the Bengals, they came out and were firing on all cylinders. They gave us a few 1-2 punches in the mouth, and I think we weathered the storm very well and we were able to keep it under control. I told the guys we should batten down the hatches, weather this out and hopefully when it goes away we can step it up and play good football, and I think we did when it mattered."

At what point during the flea flicker did you know it was going to work?
"At no point. I faked like it was over my head. I saw the cornerback come towards me, and I'm like, 'Oh boy he's going to stay here and watch me.' Luckily I played opossum and he started running after Antwaan (Randle El), so I am sitting there waiting for Antwaan to throw me the ball. He went about 10 yards further than he was supposed to. The ball seemed like it was in the ball forever. When I was catching the ball, I saw out of the corner of my eye ... I saw a bunch of guys running down the field and I knew they were in man coverage, and they were staying with somebody. When I caught the ball, I turned and saw two people open. It was my pick who to hit, Hines (Ward) or Cedric (Wilson). I said that Hines had enough touchdowns this year, so I am going to make up for the ones that I missed to Cedric. I got it to him. I wasn't sure if Hines was going to box him out and catch it anyway, but he threw a good block and got Cedric the touchdown."

You had enough time to think about that once you saw Hines and Wilson out there:
"It wasn't a pretty ball, so I thought it might get knocked out before it even got there."

Why are gadget plays such a big part of the offense?
"We have had those plays in all year. We practice them every week, but we never run them. We called them today. And when coach called them in, I thought, 'Is this play going to work or not?' I give coach a lot of credit. He made those plays work. And we should have had another, Bussie (Jerome Bettis), should have had a touchdown pass, but Hines is going to thank him so that he would get a chance."

Are you going to have to coach him up on the passing, because it was pretty bad?
"Jerome and I, every day, we play a little accuracy game, and I beat him the last two weeks. Maybe I need to get his confidence back up."

A year ago, could you have done this, being down 10 points and then throwing three touchdown passes in a playoff game?
"It felt good. Everyone said that if we couldn't run the ball, we couldn't win. They did a good job of stopping the run early. I think the offensive line did a great job of opening things up for me — giving me time, picking up the blitzes — and I think our passing game really stepped up today. I know it was a big step for us on offense to complete our offense and make it a more well-rounded offense."

How much did the earlier plays in the season set that play up? And how much were you banking on that happening?
"We are always banking on our gadget plays — reverse passes, and things of that nature. We have done a good job with that. Bussie (Jerome Bettis) had an opportunity to hit Heath (Miller) in the end zone, but it came up a little short. He is going to get (teased) about that too. We did a great job and won the game. Cincinnati played well, but we are going to move on to Indianapolis."

Do you think the Bengals felt they had to come and rough you up?
"No, we were just two teams trying to go on in the playoffs."

Did someone say something to you when you got the penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct?
"No, I was just being stupid."

Was that one of the playoff lessons?
"Yeah, it definitely is."

Speaking of lessons, having played the Colts in Indianapolis already, do you feel better prepared for this game coming up now?
"Well, we know what to expect, but it is a very different situation than earlier in the season. We both have playoff experience and they are very tough at home. It will be very tough for us."

The way that last Indy game started with the bomb to Marvin Harrison, how much did that do to disrupt you guys right away?
"We were pretty solid throughout the rest of the game. We were in the game. But against a team that great, you can't give up too many big plays. I think this was a great test for us, facing Cincinnati, because they are a big play team as well."

The experience this team has, you are down 10 in the first quarter, you have the Bengals losing their quarterback, talk about how experience came through:
"We knew it was going to be a four-quarter game. I think the experience comes into play when you are down like that and you take their best punch. I think the experience was a factor in the second half."

What was learned from the regular season game in Indianapolis that you can take for the game next week?
"Understanding that we aren't going to be able to hear. I think that is an important part of the game. We understand that it is going to be deafening, and we aren't going to be able to hear, but it helps us having played there earlier this season."

What were your thoughts when Carson Palmer went down?
"My heart was with him. It looked really bad. I was just hoping that he would be OK. After that, we knew that Kitna is battle-tested. He's a veteran in this league, so we knew it was still going to be a tough test."

Could you talk about the go-ahead drive? You had a couple of carries on third-and-one, and you got a touchdown:
"For me it was important, because that is my role. Third-and-one, I am licking my chops because it's my opportunity to come in and make an impact in the game. When they called my number, I knew I had to get my yard. On the first one, a guy was free in the hole and I had to just make him miss and get a yard. I was able to do that. I feel really proud to be able to get those tough yards."

After the game started, it looked like a street fight. You guys kind of took control after that. What turned things around for this team?
"They came out and we withstood their first punches. Playing on the road, we wanted to come out and play pretty fast, get off on a good start. It took us the whole first quarter to do that. We kind of settled things down, and got back, calmed things down. It is always tough playing on the road. The crowd was behind them and we got some false-start penalties early. Once we settled down and got into the rhythm of things, we went out there and did what we did. For them to make a rap video, and come on out (the way they did) — it was exciting for the city. But it was kind of disrespecting us. We have won this division for a long time. Yes, they won it. But in the playoffs, the loser goes home."

How different was this game without Carson Palmer?
"It was different because when your leader goes down it takes a lot out of you, but it is a part of the game. In the playoffs teams have to worry about injuries, and it was unfortunate, and my heart goes out to him because he had a tremendous year, but it is a part of football and injuries do happen and people have to deal with it."

It seemed like it was tough to run the ball at first. Talk about how the passing game really picked this team up:
"We just found ways just to go out there. We are going to go out there and run the ball, but we like our chances as far as the passing game, and when we did get opportunities to make the most of it, I think we as receivers did. It was just one of those games that we couldn't get things going in the running game, so we had to make plays in the passing game."

Was there a reason QB Jon Kitna was holding onto the ball that long, or did you guys know that you had the receivers covered?
"I guess we had them covered in the back end, because he was running around with the ball, holding it a lot, and it allowed our guys more time to get to him. We did a good job in the back end covering."

Was that part of the plan, dropping more guys and not blitzing as much?
"We did a little bit of both. We mixed it up a lot. We didn't want to just stay doing one thing. We wanted to try to blitz a little bit, cover a little bit and just keep them off of their pace."