What I know about it so far -- and I don't know everything -- it should not be. |
What Matt has to do, and what those other guys learned to do ? Joe already had it by the time I got there ? was to control his emotions ... how he reacts to bad things happening, ... That takes some time to learn. Matthew has really played only three seasons, so he's still a pup. It took Steve Young that long to find it. Brett took that long. |
What we're asking him to do is difficult, ... A rookie middle linebacker calling the signals, there's nothing easy about that. His plate is full. But if anyone can handle it, of the young people I've seen in the last few years, he can. |
What's really helped us is our rookies and first-year players are playing older. They came in and are more mature on the football field than their age dictates. I think that's really the difference. |
When Herndon intercepted the ball, he could have gotten some yards on the return, |
When something like [Rhodes' stroke] happens, if you don't think about things a little bit and it doesn't effect you a little bit, there's something wrong with you. You have to sit back and think about what this business can do to you at times. |
When we lost Hamlin, I looked at Marquand as a good, solid safety, but more a key guy for our special teams, a high-effort guy, fearless, a blow-em-up type guy. And now, all of a sudden, he's our starting safety, directing traffic back there and changing things, and he's had a phenomenal season. I'll never forget that. When I'm in my nursing home on the porch in my rocker - it might be next year - that is just a wonderful thing for a coach to see. |
When you are with the quarterback, you learn his decision-making ability under pressure, with guys in his face. You learn how he does and how he performs when he's hurt a little bit. I think that's a huge thing, because they all get hurt a little bit. Then, how does he handle that, because a quarterback is not a running back. He's not used to getting smacked every single time. So how does he play when he's hurting? |
When you look at the two teams, (the Patriots) have been in more situations like this and they are more experienced than we are. They are a very veteran and smart team, and that's our goal, to get there. What I have to do is get our guys to believe they can be there. I believe we're going to be a better football team at the end of the year than we are right now because each game our young guys get better. |
When you play a team like that on the road, ... you can't turn the ball over. That's a very over-used (phrase), but it was very appropriate today. |
When you play in weather like this, those things are going to happen. |
Where I am impressed even more with him this year is his pass protection, |
Whether it actually can be done or will be done, we'll see. |
While they're thinking about him, I'm sure, we have work to do and they're pushing hard to get ready to play this football game, ... I'm sure it affected some guys, but we have a job to do and they know that and that's what we've talked to them about. |
While we did some good things with our first group in the first quarter, we were careless. |