VS.

POSTGAME QUOTES
OCTOBER 28, 2007

Steelers-Bengals Gameday

Q: Initial comments:
"As a football team today, it was very frustrating to have some of the errors we had, particularly at the beginning of the football game. We gave up the big run and big pass right before halftime. We put ourselves behind where we should have been. In hindsight, we should have gone for it on fourth down rather than take the points. I didn't anticipate them driving down and getting a touchdown before halftime. Since we got the ball in the second half, I thought it was important to put up points at that point in the football game. Looking back on it, if we had scored a touchdown, it might have been more significant. But that is the decision I made based on that. We dug ourselves in such a hole in the first half."

Q: What happened on Hines Ward's touchdown catch where you only had 10 players on the field?
"They changed personnel three times. We changed personnel. That didn't have any significance on that play fortunately."

Q: Thoughts on fourth-and-one decision:
"I asked for the measurement because I wasn't sure how far it was. When I saw the distance I decided to take the field goal. It was a good yard."

Q: Was that your decision?
"Yes. Our fans and our players always want to go for it on offense. That doesn't really play into whether we should go for it or not. I had to take all of those things into account, which I did."

Q: Thoughts on defensive tackling:
"We had a chance to make a few minus-yardage plays. We had Ben Roethlisberger wrapped up a couple of times. He threw for at least a couple of completions after we had him wrapped up on third down. On those third-down screens, we have to fight through and get our guy covered. We have to figure it out and get those stops."

Q: Ben Roethlisberger seems like a big Doug Flutie:
"We didn't do a good enough job of getting him on the ground. He is a big, strong man, and we have to wrap him up. You have to tackle him up high or he is going to be able to release the football."

Q: What happened on the play when Ben Roethlisberger fumbled and it was called incomplete?
"It would end up being the tuck rule and we would not have gotten the ball. Chances are it would end up being a tuck, from what I saw. He was trying to bring the ball back."

Q: Is it a matter of one week at a time with Buffalo next week?
"Nothing is over. Unfortunately, we are in this situation. It looks uphill. We have to find a way to band together and not allow people to pull it apart. We have to find a way to win football games. We are not overmatched. We were outplayed, and out-executed. I was out-coached. I have to do a better job of getting us ready. For whatever reason, we can't come out and get started well at the beginning of the football game. I don't understand why. For whatever reason, we have some early breakdowns. We have to look at who's breaking down, and see if we have a better choice."

Q: On Kenny Watson and John Thornton:
"I think John had a stinger but he should be fine. I'm not sure about Kenny. We will know more tomorrow."

Q: What was the team's reaction to Marvin Lewis' decision not to go for it on fourth-and-one late in the second quarter?
"It's always easy to look back after a game and ask questions. At that point in the game, he thought that was the best situation for us to be in, so we rolled with it."

Q: When you look back and see that you were not sacked, the team only had two penalties, and it was able to run the ball well, is it disappointing that you came up short in the red zone with only one touchdown in four attempts?
"Against a team that's rolling like they were on offense, you can't kick field goals. You need to put up seven points, and we didn't do a good enough job executing when we got in the red zone."

Q: What makes them so tough defensively in the red zone?
"They are very well-coached. They have Troy Polamalu, who in my opinion is one of the best defensive players in the league. They have good players, and when you combine good players with great coaching, you are ranked first or second in defense like they are."

Q: You guys seemed to sort out everything they threw at you defensively:
"The offensive line did a great job in both the passing game and the running game. Kenny Watson had an efficient game. Had we not been so far behind, he would have had even more opportunities. It turns out we were forced to throw because of the time on the clock and the score. Our offensive line has been playing great these last two weeks."

Q: You had a couple chances to connect with Chad Johnson and couldn't convert. Is it one of those days where you have to make those plays because of the fact you're playing the Steelers?
"You really need to be perfect. We had some penalties, some dropped balls, and I had some misreads. When you play against great defensive football teams, you have to be perfect. We let some opportunities slip through our hands, and that's why we're sitting where we are."

Q: How would you describe the mood in the locker room?
"I think disappointed and frustrated are two words that describe how a lot of guys on this team feel."

Q: As an offense, do you wish the coaches had shown more confidence in you guys when the elected not to go for it on fourth down in the second quarter?
"I think we are all confident in our coaches. If they think that's the best situation for us to be in, then we'll roll with it. We trust our coaches, and expect that they're going to make the right decisions."

Q: Is there also a feeling of disbelief with your frustration? Marvin mentioned he's frustrated because you guys are not overmatched in these games:
"I am mostly frustrated because we are sitting here a 2-5. I never would have guessed that we would be sitting where we are right now with only two wins. The teams that we've played is a factor in that. We've played some good football teams, but there have been some games that we should not have lost."

Q: How does this team hold it together at 2-5?
"This team isn't about that. We have a great locker room with a great group of guys that enjoy being around each other and working together. This isn't the type of team that would allow a lot of finger-pointing to go on. We just need to figure out how each of us can do our jobs better and get a win."

Q: With the teams you have remaining on the schedule, do you see where this team can rattle off some wins?
"I know we have Buffalo next and then Baltimore. I'm not really worried. We need to go up to Buffalo and fight hard to get a win."

Q: You're now three games out of first place with nine games left. Do you see any light at the end of the tunnel?
"We're frustrated and not happy with where we are, but all we can do is try to get some wins. It starts with one, then it goes on from there."

Q: Was the field goal attempt on fourth-and-one before halftime the turning point in the game?
"I thought we were going to go for it, but coach Lewis decided he wanted to kick the field goal. He's the head coach, so that's what we did. They just went down the field and made plays. I wouldn't say that put the game out of reach, but instead of it being 14-6, it was 21-6 - a two-touchdown game with a two-point conversion. They ran the ball well. They made big plays in the passing game. I thought for the most part offensively. we played OK. When we were down in the red zone, we got just two field goals."

Q: Do you think it was a lack of confidence in the offense when coach Lewis decided to kick a field goal on fourth-and-one?
"Lack of confidence? It could possibly be that because, on fourth-and-one, why wouldn't you go for it? He's probably figuring, 'Let's get points on the board.' But I don't know. You guys can ask coach Lewis about that. It's his decision. He's the head coach. If he makes that decision, we've got to roll with it."

Q: Has the offense lost confidence in their ability to produce?
"I can't speak for everybody, but me personally, I don't think I'll ever lose confidence, really. And when I begin to do that, something's wrong. I can't speak for everybody. I would think not, because you don't get to this point in you career by dropping your head and losing confidence when things are going bad. When your back's against the wall, you've got to come out and fight. If you curl up like a coward, then it's going to be a long season."

Q: Would you liked to have had the ball on the fourth-and-one play before halftime?
"Of course I would. As an offense, we take pride in getting the tough plays, but that's not what coach called."

Q: Was that a difficult decision for the offense to call a timeout and then decide to kick a field goal?
"Well you know, that's coach's call. We line up and run whatever's called. It was his decision to kick a field goal, and that's what we did."

Q: Did you feel surprised when Steelers LB James Harrison came from behind you to force the fumble in the fourth quarter?
"It doesn't matter where he's coming from; it's up to me to take care of the football. I didn't do that today, and it cost us some big plays."

Q: You had four trips to the red zone and scored only one touchdown. How disappointing is that for you?
"It was disappointing. But for me, the biggest disappointment is not taking care of the football. I think I cost us today. You can put this one on me today. Something I take pride in is taking care of the football."

Q: Is it tough playing catch-up against a team like the Steelers?
"It's tough playing catch-up any week. That's something we had to do today. We had some big turnovers and we didn't make enough plays to win."

Q: The offensive line didn't allow a sack against their vaunted defense:
"I think the offensive line's coming along. We're getting to the point where we want to be. But we've got to keep striving and not waste drives. We had some good drives today, buy had a miscue here and there where we weren't able to continue drives. I think we're playing well, we've just got to keep playing better."

Q: What are your thoughts on the fourth-and-one play when you decided to kick a field goal right before halftime?
"It was tough. I think it was a situation where the way we were moving the football, you've had to think that we were probably going to get points the whole game. I think Marvin was thinking, 'Kick the field goal and get more points, and then come out in the second half.' But they put a great drive together and scored. It's just a tough situation."

Q: It seems like the Steelers are very opportunistic. Ben Roethlisberger seems like he is hard to sack:
"You've got to give him credit. He made some great plays on the move and with people all over him. He was able to avoid them and still find a few of his guys. He's a good player. I played against him in college and he's always been good. He definitely hurt us today."

Q: It seems like you were able to move the ball but unable to capitalize in the red zone:
"It's something that we can work on a little bit. We're going to work on it and take it from there, because we've got to perform better. We do good things, but we're not consistent."

Q: How tough is it to play from behind against the Steelers?
"We've just got to execute and we've got to be flawless. We've just got to be flawless. We've got to run the ball, and we can run the ball on them. But when you fall behind, you've got to take it to the air. It's just something that's apart of the game. We did good things. We've just got to find a way to do better."

Q: Initial comments:
"It is great to come into a hostile environment against a division opponent and get a win. I am pleased with how the guys competed today. We had a simple plan today — it was no frills. The guys executed today. We faced a little adversity along the way. We really wanted to feature Dan Kreider quite a bit today, but he got hurt early. Carey (Davis) stepped up and contributed for us. The plan didn't change. The next man stepped in and we moved forward. I though Ben (Roethlisberger) was awesome today. Willie (Parker) ran the ball well in the trenches with our offensive line. Defensively, I have to take my hat off to those guys. They bled us a little bit, but they have a high-powered offense. They have a great quarterback and great wide receivers. I think the key for us was we made them kick field goals in the first half. To hold that offense to 13 points, on the road, in the type of situation that they were in ... hats go off to those guys. We've got to get a little better in our kick off coverage, but, of course, we are always searching for perfection. We will pretty much always fall short, but that's the nature of it. It was good to get a win today. It was great for our football team, and we will march forward."

Q: The plan to feature Dan Kreider ... was he supposed to get touches, or was that as a blocker?
"We wanted to attack downhill on some bubbles. He's a good isolation blocker. Many times, we have quite a few guys offensively that are capable of contributing to us. There are 11 guys in the huddle that represent us as starters. We know that Dan (Kreider) is a great isolation blocker, and that was the plan today. There have been times in the past that we know Matt Spaeth is great on the end of the line of scrimmage and we create eight gaps and we will start two tight ends. There are times where we want to get on the perimeter with two backs, and that's when we put Carey Davis in. That was the plan today. We faced a little adversity when he got hurt, but the guys stayed the course."

Q: Hines Ward looked like he was back to 100 percent. Did it look that way to you?
"It's only natural. This guy missed some time with an injury. He experienced some soreness, but that was expected. Hines is a tremendous professional, tremendous competitor and he responded today as did a lot of guys."

Q: You didn't have any sacks today, and you only had one forced turnover, but it was a big one in an important part of the game. Can you talk about that?
"I mean what I say when I say we are not concerned about stats. We are trying to win football games. I could care less if we got a sack today. We kept a good offense out of the end zone. We held them to 13 points, and we were able to get a win. In terms of the play that James (Harrison) made, it was a great hustle play, and it is indicative of what he is capable of. He chased the ball down from behind. Not only did he secure the tackle, but he went after the ball, and showed great ball awareness. He is a very smart football player. He is talented in a lot of ways, and we are glad we got him. It was a significant play in the football game - a big play for us."

Q: What's the key to playing against an offense like this?
"Just understanding that they have firepower. When somebody like that has firepower, they are going to get a play or two. You can't lose the man-versus-himself battle. You are going to lose some battles, play in and play out. They are going to drop back and throw the football, and they are going to make some plays. You can't get down on yourself, and you can't blink. You have to move forward. Then next snap is the most important one. Regardless of what happened throughout the course of that football game, I felt like our guys did that. We had them fourth-and-seven in the second half, and they converted that first down, and they went in and scored. I looked at each of the men's eyes as they came off the field after that drive, and there was no blink in them. They knew they had to take the field again. They knew that we would need them to step up."

How important was Roethlisberger's "escapability" today?
"I think that we are all getting comfortable with expecting those kind of plays from him, because that is what he is capable of. He is tremendously talented, and very smart. Generally, a great decision maker under those circumstances when plays break down. I think potentially, that's what makes him different than most. He remains calm, and he makes good decisions as those plays break down. I know he had one that he wished he had back, but that's football. We all fall short of perfection when we step inside the stadiums. That's why we continue to come to work."

Q: Is there any significance in the fact to that this is the third win in a row against a division opponent?
"No. You have to stay right here. The ability to stay singularly focused on what's in front of you is what's going to define you in terms of greatness. People get mentally weak when they look at the big picture. Stay focused on where you are. Appreciate the journey. If you do that, and do a good enough job of it, then it will take you where you want to go."

Q: Talk about your defensive backs, and the job that they have done:
"I'm sure they want more splash. I thought there were instances where we could have tackled better, but that's a good receiving corps, led by two very good football players. Basically, they had to fight today. That's what you have to do when you play against a team with a high-powered offense like these guys."

Q: How did you limit their success throwing the ball down the field?
"We had some guys back there that respected the job. There were a couple that made your heart skip a beat when they were throwing the ball down the field to No. 85 (Chad Johnson). I have to give credit to our guys. They remained disciplined. They fought through some play actions, flee flickers, etc.. Anthony Smith is growing and developing each time out. He is getting an opportunity to play based on some unfortunate circumstances for others, but that's the nature of football. The standard of expectations doesn't change. He is doing a nice job."

Q: What is it about playing here in Cincinnati that seems to bring the best out of you?
"I don't know. I think it is the hostility. We always have a lot of fans here. Bengals fans are very good fans. They are always yelling and screaming at us.

"We did a great job today running the ball and run blocking. They threw a lot of blitzes at us, and our line did a great job picking them up. We made the checks at the line and we were able to adjust. We covered our assignments most of the game. The most credit should go to the five guys up front. I am really proud of them."

Q: Your thoughts on Hines Ward's performance?
"He had two touchdowns today; he is going to be really pumped. He is a player that is going to draw a lot of attention. A couple times we found him in single coverage, and that kind of threw us for a loop. We were excited. He got open on the sideline, and I didn't want to miss him because I never would have heard the end of it. I am going to give him a hard time because he should have had three touchdowns.

"When we are in the red zone, he is one of those guys that we look to make a play. He gets in the end zone and he did that tonight."

Q: Comments on the running game tonight?
"The running game was unbelievable tonight, and that credit goes to the offensive line. They opened up running lanes. We audibled in good situations, and we made plays. Willie Parker found ways to get yardage. When Willie is running the way he did today, it makes things easy for all of us."

Q: Comments on Santonio Holmes:
"If you go in the locker room right now, he will be getting iced down. He understands his role. He goes across the middle well and he takes some hits. He is maturing and developing. This is only his second year in the league and he continues to get better every game. Last year he may not have made some of the catches that he made to day. He has grown so much."

Q: What is making you so efficient on third down?
"Third down has been going well for us this year. Like I said before, a lot of that credit goes to the O-line. I am going to watch the film and learn from some of the things I need to work on. I need to make some things happen with my legs. I will also study some of the checks and audibles I made in different situations. I need to be a little smarter in certain situations and just make the correct throw."

Q: Overall, you have to be happy with the win:
"I am happy with the way the entire team played. It was a great team effort in all three phases of the game. Our offense starts up front. When they give me time to throw the ball, and I can get the ball to the receivers, they can makes plays for me."

Q: Your thoughts on next week's game at Baltimore?
"It is going to be a special week next week. We are getting better and better each week. I am feeling physically better each week. The training staff is doing an excellent job rehabbing me. I really need to give them credit. I was supposed to be out six to eight weeks.

"I feel much better and comfortable each week. I felt really good today - really confident. Last week is behind us. It felt really good to come back with a win this week. The line gave us the opportunity to makes plays, and that is all you can really ask for. We took advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves."

Q: How did it feel to get your 60th touchdown?
"It feels really good, 60 touchdowns. Looking back, it is a great feeling to have my name up there with many of those players like Stallworth and Swan. To have a Steelers record for most TDs would be a huge accomplishment for me. I would have never dreamed this when I was drafted, and now I'm coming up on my 10th season. To get that record would be a huge honor for me. The important thing is that we got the win today. When you contribute to a win, it is a great day. We are 2-0 in the division, and w won on the road in Cincinnati. It is a great day."