VS.

POSTGAME QUOTES
NOVEMBER 25, 2007

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Q: Opening statement:
"I think that is obviously the best football game we've played this season. I thought we made good football plays in all three phases. We executed well on offense other than the procedure penalties. We do a lot of things with the cadence and sometimes it hurts us a little bit. We executed great on first and third down offensively and defensively. The guys did a great job again of covering the kicks. We continue to grow with those new guys. We are really playing well in those areas right now."

Q: Was it good to see WR Chad Johnson get back into the end zone?
"Yes. It wasn't good to see his celebration penalty, though. But he said it had been awhile."

Q: When you embraced C. Johnson on the sideline, was that before or after the celebration penalty?
"It was after the penalty. When I saw him move on to the camera pedestal, I knew the flag was coming."

Q: What did you say to him?
"I understand."

Q: Do you think that C. Johnson needed that today?
"I think we all needed that today. Obviously, they are a better football team than what they showed out there today. They didn't get things going today like they wanted to."

Q: After watching this game unfold, were you wondering where this type of performance has been all year?
"As I said last week, we just have to keep doing things the right way. We have to be lower to the point, faster and more physical. Good things will happen. There is no secret quick fix, you just have to keep playing and hope things bounce your way. We are not going to reinvent anything. It's just guys going out there and doing the work."

Q: Thoughts on QB Carson Palmer's ability to bounce back from a bad game:
"There wasn't any question whether Carson was going to bounce back. After last week's game, I don't think anybody was in a panic. We knew he would come back and play the way he can play."

Q: What does the goal-line stand say about this defense?
"It was their resilience to dig down deep. It was testing their resolve in that situation. We let them dink and dunk their way down the field. If you keep them out in that situation, it makes a difference."

Q: The defense has been a stabilizing force the past few weeks:
"I think getting guys back from injury and having Dhani Jones learn the system has helped. You can't say enough about the good things he has done, both on and off the field. He has been a great professional for us."

Q: Do you have anybody you want to credit for the running game today?
"Again, low pads and perseverance. We have to keep doing what we are doing."

Q: Was the idea today to have a disciplined pass rush against Vince Young?
"When you play Vince Young, you have to sacrifice a little bit to make sure you don't go past him. When he does run, he scampers out of bounds - he makes first downs and stops the clock. You have to make him cut back and get him on the ground. He was hurting a bit today. Our guys did a good job of executing the plan."

Q: Was this game a better example of how well you guys can play?
"Anytime you win, it's a good feeling. We just played great as a team. The only mishap we had was the missed field goal. The defense allowed only six points. I don't know how many yards rushing they (the defense) had, but it didn't seem like much against a team that averages a lot of rushing yards and has a running quarterback. They were able to create turnovers for our offense. It was just a good, complete game for our team."

Q: You got some protection to go with a good, strong running game today. That's got to help a quarterback:
"There's no question about it. That was a physical game. The final score may not show that. Our guys did a good job against their very physical group up front. We just out-played them and out-executed them."

Q: It had to feel good to get WR Chad Johnson into the end zone three times today:
"It's huge. Chad has been missing the end zone, and he was able to make up for it. He ran great routes, made an unbelievable catch, and just did a great job overall. He did a great job blocking too, it seemed. He played a great game."

Q: The game was still close when you threw the interception. Did you have any thoughts about last week after you threw the interception?
"No I didn't. I wish I could have had that pass back, and I wish I could have converted that third down. Tipped balls and high throws happen. The majority of the time, those passes end up falling to the ground. I just put too much on the pass and the guy made a good play. It was one I wanted back, but I didn't even think about last week."

Q: You displayed great balance on offense today. Is that more a result of game plan or what the defense gives you?
"It's both. It's a combination of a number of things. What the defense gives you, the game plan you have going in to the game, and the execution. We did a great job executing our blocking and were able to out-execute them in the run game."

Q: You took last week extra hard. Was it something you were over 24 hours later, or is today a sense of redemption for you?
"It's not a sense of redemption. I learned something from Jon Kitna when he was here. He said that the true test of a quarterback is how you respond. It's something I've always taken to heart. Last week was tough for me because I felt like I lost the game for the team. It was a long week for me. It wasn't exactly 24 hours. It took a little longer to get over it. I'm over it now, we're over it as a team, and we can start worrying about Pittsburgh, who we play Sunday night."

Q: You had a stunning day statistically, but you seem comfortable letting WR Chad Johnson have the attention after the day he had:
"Well, I'm not sure there's another receiver in the league that could make the catch he made on one of his touchdowns. And then there was a route he ran for another touchdown that I'm not sure another receiver would have been able to run. He's as good as everyone thinks he is. He should have been in the end zone a lot more than he has this year. He played great, and we did a great job getting him open. Those defensive backs showed him a lot of respect, and were not going to let him get deep. We were able to get him the ball running other routes."

Q: On C. Johnson's performance after struggling in recent weeks:
"Chad just doesn't want anyone not to like him. He's been through a lot this year. There have been a lot of people saying bad things about him. He just wants to make everyone happy - his teammates, coaches, the media, and the fans. He took to it personally when people said things about him. He kept working hard and it showed this week. He played fierce today, and had an all-around great game."

Q: Can you talk more about the second touchdown pass to C. Johnson when he ran the great route you referred to?
"He was so open that it made me nervous. It was one of those that you'd rather have the corner right there, because it's easier to throw it in a tight spot. I saw that the corner basically fell down."

Q: Is it coincidence that you played well because C. Johnson was involved early?
"No. Chad has catches early every week. Maybe they're not touchdowns, but we try to get him involved early. I think we just finally out-executed the other team for the majority of the game."

Q: Was there a sense today that you should have been executing like this all season?
"Yes. That is what is so frustrating about this year. We feel that we have lost games we should not have."

Q: How much does the team feed off C. Johnson's emotion?
"A little bit. We feed off one another. We feed off everyone. I don't think Chad is singled out in that regard. Offensively, we feed off the defense, and vise versa."

Q: Do you feel like you're getting more opportunities to play because of your production the past few games?
"What I've been doing up to this point is just make the best of each opportunity I have. I had a couple more looks today, so I tried to make the best of those. And if it continues to increase, I'll take it in stride."

Q: How does it feel to be able to contribute?
"Like I said, it's hard work. It's just hard work. This is the dream since we were little. You want to come in and you want to play. And now that you're getting your opportunity, you have to make the best of each one."

Q: How does it help as a young player to play with RBs Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson?
"It's great. The wisdom and advice they give to me on a daily basis helps me. I'm always learning. They study just as much as I do. It's great. I am very happy with those guys as mentors."

Q: You guys were able to limit QB Vince Young today:
"Vince is a very capable quarterback. The defensive linemen put some good pressure on him. They were in his face and tried to keep him around the edge."

Q: It was another complete effort by the defense. Is there anything that you guys are doing differently that has caused the turnaround?
"Like it's always been - it's about attitude. In the past, things didn't necessarily go our way. We were shuffling guys in and out. Now, all of a sudden, we've got a rotation. People get to know each other and understand where the other person's going to be, so it helps a lot."

Q: The defense held Tennessee to no touchdowns in five red-zone trips:
"Red-zone defense has always been about attitude. When people talk football, it's the defensive line getting penetration, the secondary covering (receivers), and the linebackers making plays. It's been a long time coming. Tennessee did a great job; we just took the fight to them."

Q: Do you think Young was limited physically today?
"You can never say anything about Vince in terms of being limited. He's an explosive quarterback and is able to make plays any time he wants. He can take off and run the ball. He can be down the field just as fast as you can be back in the pocket. We just got out there (and played hard). I give a lot of credit to the defensive line."

Q: What does it say about this team being able to come back and play a complete game after suffering a tough loss the previous week?
"I think it says a lot. I think last week we realized we're 3-7. What are you going to do? Are you going to hang it up? But there's NFL guys - professional athletes - in this locker room that come out and respond well, and that's exactly what these guys did. It tells you a lot about the guys in this locker room and where their heart lies."

Q: QB Carson Palmer had a rough week last week and then came back this week and had a career high in efficiency today:
"That's Carson. He's a great guy and a great character player, and a guy that's going to bust his head all week to play really well. He came out and redeemed himself and played well. We all expected it. He's a good player, and that's the kind of guys he is."

Q: Do you feel like everything was clicking for you guys on offense today?
"Yeah. Success in football is a lot about momentum. Today was one of the first days when we had a lot of momentum, and we never let that momentum get broken. Anytime you do that, that's how you end up with a game like this."

Q: The offensive line did a good job of protecting Palmer today:
"Exactly. Our goal is to keep people off of him always. The last couple weeks, we have been pretty good at keeping pressure off of him. And today we were actually able to run the football successfully, also. It really all came together today, and I'm definitely proud of how everybody played."

Q: How do you think things went interchanging RBs Rudi Johnson and DeDe Dorsey?
"It went well, I think. The main thing is that the whole team executed today, and that's how you win football games."

Q: The combination of you and WR Chad Johnson was very effective today:
"I thought, for the most part, Chad played well today. Carson was on the money with pretty much everything he threw. The offensive line did a great job. We just had a complete game today."

Q: Carson doesn't have too many bad games in a row:
"No, last week was a mirage of how Carson plays. All quarterbacks eventually have a game like that, and he had one last week. All of it was not his fault. Hopefully, this can be a spring board for us and we can go on next week to Pittsburgh and do the same thing."

Q: The offense was balanced today and that made it tough for the Titans defense:
"When you're winning the game, obviously you're going to have balance because you're able to run the ball more. We've been behind in a lot of games, so we have had to throw more than we would like. When we're winning the game, we can mix it up, which enables us to be balanced."

Q: In the red zone, being able to run the ball effective today was big:
"Yeah, it was big. Rudi, finally, played how Rudi plays and he got his plays. I thought DeDe came in there and had some big runs. Kenny came in there and played well. It was a full team effort."

Q: We talked previously this week about how many guys care after being 3-7. It looked like a lot of guys cared today:
"Everybody has pride here. You don't get to this point and get into a game and say, 'You know what? Let's just end this game. I don't care how it goes.' Nobody. It doesn't matter if we were 0-10. We want to win. You go out there and you compete. You don't get to this level by giving up. Nobody has so far, and nobody will."

Q: No Bengal has ever led the league in receptions. Does that ever enter your mind?
"I don't think about leading the league in receptions. If it happens, it happens. Would I like it to happen? Of course. Why wouldn't I? If it happens, it happens. I just want to win."

Q: Opening statement:
"I certainly didn't see that coming. During the week, I thought we rebounded fairly well from the Monday night loss. I thought they were ready to play. I really don't have many answers for you at this point. The difference in this ball game was third down - we couldn't get off the field (defensively), and we couldn't stay on the field (offensively) - and our inability to score touchdowns in the red zone. We have to rebound. We have let three get away from us now. We are going to lock the doors, and find a way to win. That's first and foremost for us right now - to win a ball game."

Q: Was there a problem in the secondary?
"They did a nice job up front with their run-check passes. Carson (Palmer) managed this game very well. I don't think I've ever seen a quarterback manage a game as well as he did."

Q: Do you know why you weren't able to stop the Bengals on third down?
"We didn't make any plays. They ran it, they threw it. We just didn't make any plays. That is uncharacteristic of our defense."

Q: You did have some big plays on offense:
"We showed some signs of life, and then we let things slip away. They got Vince (Young) on a sack and caused a fumble. We got the ball back, and I thought we had a shot right before half, but we didn't. It's just one of those things. There was nothing good about it. We just have to correct it and move on. We are going to have to rest. Our defense has been on the field way too much the last few weeks. We need to rest up."

Q: Does this loss put you in a little bit of a panic mode?
"We're not concerned about anything but winning a game."

Q: How close was DT Albert Haynesworth to playing today?
"There was a chance that he probably could have gone. We want him back full-speed. We don't want to set him back by trying to get him out there playing. He is closer, but he's just not ready."

Q: WR Chad Johnson had a big game. Did they do anything special to get him the ball?
"We didn't play particularly well. (On) his first touchdown pass, we had them first-and-goal at the 23-yard line ... it was just a defensive mistake. It shouldn't have happened. I will credit him on the second one. It was a great call - a great adjustment. He recognized the coverage and ran a slant. You can't stop that play; he's a good player. This is a talented offense. I didn't expect this out of them, but when they are playing like that, they are hard to stop."

Q: Is this one of those plays where you just burn the tape and move on?
"No. I think we all have a responsibility to look at it to see what happened. The players need to see how they can do better. Us coaches need to see if there was something better that we could have done from a game-plan standpoint, and to better manage the game."

Q: Your thoughts on today's game:
"I feel we are not playing the football we are capable playing right now. We know how we need to play. I don't know what is going on. We have five games left, and we need to get back to work."

Q: Do you feel like the team is deflating because you consistently are getting into the red-zone and coming away without points?
"We commit a lot of missed assignments. I put it on myself when I cannot lead the team into the end zone. I put our situation on myself. I need to do many things better. I need to get our team into the red zone and score points."

Q: The Bengals seemed to control the game from the start. Can you elaborate?
"We knew they had a great offense coming into the game. Our defense did their best. They have some great receivers, with good running backs, and a great quarterback. There is nothing we can do but play as a team and give great effort."

Q: Is there a sense of desperation in this locker room?
"No sense of desperation. We have five games left. We need to stay focused and get ready to play the next game. We need to just finish games."

Q: Do you feel like this team has its back against the wall?
"Our backs are not against the wall. We are 6-5. As we finish the season, we should be just fine."

Q: You sat on the bench following the game for a long time. What was going through your mind at that point?
"Thoughts. What do we need to do to get back to the type of team we were at the beginning of the season? Why is this all of a sudden happening to us? This takes me back to the bad feeling that we had last year. We need to come together as a team and get back on the same page."

Q: Have early point deficits caused you to stray away from the game plan?
"We came into this game wanting to throw the ball, and that is what we did. When you get behind early, you can't run the ball. You need to throw the ball in order to have a chance to be in the game.

"We are playing against the opponent. We are playing against the refs. We are not going to always get calls. (There are) all kinds of things going on. We need to overcome all outside influences and play our game. We need to just play Tennessee Titans football."

Q: Your thoughts on today's game:
"We have to get back to the basics. We must work on the fundamentals of the game in order to pull out a win next week. We have not been executing up to our potential. Our goal right now is win the next game and look ahead.

"The Bengals have a great receiving core and they took advantage of that today."

Q: Reactions to today's outcome:
"We simply couldn't get the points on the board today. We are hurting ourselves. It is committing penalties or giving the ball away that hurts us. We are just not getting the job done."

Q: Can you explain what is happening in the red zone?
"I don't know. If I had that answer, we wouldn't be stalling out in the red zone right now. We need to have a sense of urgency and get the points on the board. We haven't been doing that. Eleven players are on the field. Each player must make plays, myself included.

"I am disappointed in the outcome of today's game. We need to look beyond this game, come Monday or Tuesday and start getting ready for the next game."