VS.

POSTGAME QUOTES
DECEMBER 2, 2007

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Q: Opening statement:
Obviously it's a loss that doesn't sit well with us. The difference ended up being some poise moments and critical moments that ended up being the difference in the football game. We had some opportunities, and we took ourselves out of the third-and-ones, third-and-two early in the game. When we had a chance to get some other points, we ended up missing the field goal. We ended up having some other critical moments. Third down ended up being a factor, in the first half particularly. The Steelers were better than we were on third down. They converted in the first half, and that ended up being a little bit of a difference in the football game.

Q: The first drive went well - what happened after that?
We just didn't get things done. We had some chances. We didn't make some third downs. We had a penalty that took us out of the one, we had some balls that were thrown a little high. We just didn't get some conversions made.

Q: Palmer had an uncharacteristically bad streak, but you stayed with the pass - did you feel that the pass was more open than the running game?
I think that we were going to run our offense, and I can't sit here and explain to you right now, because I don't know what you're referring to. We missed some throws, as I said, and that ended up somewhat being the difference.

Q: How was the footing out there?
I think the footing was soft - for everybody. In the second half it wasn't very good at all. The first half, with the rain coming down, it was probably a little harder gripping the football. Guys struggled a little bit there. We missed some throws, and that was it.

Q: Discuss the Hines Ward completions.
He had two or three third-down completions that ended up being critical plays.

Q: Were there execution problems on the Ward completions?
No. He slipped the ball through a couple of times. We had guys right there strapped to him. We were probably too soft on the goal line touchdown, but he pushed away from the leverage. He got the one throw early in the game on third down. He does a good job with his body. He fit the one ball through three guys there. Sometimes you come up with it, and in this case he came up with it."

Q: Any ideas what happened after that first drive?
The first drive was great. We executed; we played well. We just never really got anything going after that. We kept getting great field position, whether it was a turnover or whether our defense stopped them in their own territory. Offensively, as a unit, we feel terrible for the way that our defense played today. They kept us in the game and they kept giving us opportunities. We weren't capitalizing and getting points out of it.

Q: Did they change any looks on you?
Yeah.

Q: Was it something that you haven't seen before?
They had a couple of different wrinkles for us, a couple of different looks like we expected. But like I said they do that every time we play them twice a year. They did a good job of adjusting and they made the plays.

Q: How difficult was it with the footing to adjust with Chad Johnson?
I knew where he was going; I just didn't throw good balls to him. I failed to make the adjustment, putting more air under the ball and thinking and knowing and expecting him to be a little bit slower out of his breaks than normal. The field threw off your timing a little bit and I failed to adjust. I missed him a number of times on critical third downs. I just didn't give him a chance to make plays on the ball to keep his feet moving.

Q: Can you explain how the field affects the timing of the routes?
Every route is just a little bit slower. Everything on the field is a little bit slower. My footwork was slower. Receivers' routes in and out are slower. So I didn't do a good enough job of adjusting to that.

Q: Was there any one throw that sticks out in your mind that you would want to have back, especially on the deep balls to Chad?
Ike (Taylor) did a pretty good job. It was just a kind of a 'take a shot' play and Ike turned and ran and just bailed like we expected. We hoped he would slow his feet down for the second route that we were running. But he did a good job on the first one. There were a number of balls from the whole game that I would like to have had back. Every incomplete pass I wish I could have back obviously.

Q: As a defense you forced a lot of turnovers. What do you take from this game?
We improved but they still scored a couple of touchdowns. You know that they are going to score sometimes but we still kept them out and forced a couple of turnovers. We have to find a way to score a touchdown on one of those opportunities. We came close but if we score on one of them turnovers then I think we have a chance.

Q: Carson Palmer was a little bit inaccurate today. But you figure he will bounce right back next week?
Carson, he is good, but right now I am on the defensive side.

Q: Hines Ward was huge on third downs. Was there anything he did special today?
No, not really. It was short yardage on third downs. It was always third-and-four or third-and-five. He could just run, turn around, and the ball was right there. We have to do a better job of making it third-and-long. If we get the safety and score then it's a nine point swing and we are right back in this thing. Our defense knows that we can play better even though we had four turnovers. We will look at the film, try to make the corrections and get better.

Q: You popped the ball from Willie Parker four times. Was that conscious trying to knock the ball from him?
Just looking at the weather, we knew what kind of game it was going to be; a sloppy game with a slippery ball. That was one of our goals to create turnovers, get the ball for our offense, and we did a great job today.

Q: What was the field situation like today?
It was great. Actually it was great today. We both had to play on it. We both had to play 60 minutes on it so I'm not pointing any fingers on a field.

Q: How tough is it to know that your playoff hopes are over?
All that we can do now is just go out and get ready for St. Louis. We have to come to play with pride because we are a prideful team. We have to let the chips fall where they may. One thing we will do is come out ready to play against St. Louis.

Q: How tough was it in that first half with the great field position you kept getting?
The defense gave us plenty of opportunities like that. We just didn't capitalize. We had ample of opportunities. We just have to do better as an offensive unit, including me as an offensive guard. Just working together as a group we have to do better putting points on the board. If we do that then it is a different outcome.

Q: You guys had a bunch of guys get dinged up on the offensive line. How did that affect you?
Yeah, that is going to happen here and there. But we are a good team and we are going to fight through things like that. That's not an excuse we just have to come out and play ball. If we execute a little better then it is a different outcome.

Q: Opening statement:
It is great to get another win, particularly in our division and at home. We did fall short of perfection like we have in just about every game we have played thus far, but the guys were resilient. They didn't blink. They stayed the course and were able to get it done. They didn't start fast. They went down the field and put seven on the board. We sputtered a little bit offensively. We were highly penalized. We had five penalties. It is tough to get a rhythm and get things started when you are penalized the way we were in the beginning of the game.

We put the defense in some bad situations. They stiffened and responded. That was good to see and they did that all night. We openly talked about as a team, people having to expand their roles and having to deliver. We weren't going to be pleasantly surprised by contributions but there was a level of expectation with that. I thought some of those guys in expanded roles did that, but more importantly than that we talked about some of the known guys.

Some of the guys with extended reputations and resumes leading the charge. I thought those guys did that tonight. Hines Ward was Hines Ward tonight, for example. I am excited and happy for him. It is a tremendous honor and one he truly deserves. I'm sure he will continue to move forward and playing winning ball for us. Like I said, it was great to get a win, particularly at home and against a division opponent. It is December. You have to find ways to keep stacking the wins and sticking them with the rest of them and moving forward. We were able to do that tonight.

Q: What adjustments did you make after the Bengals' first drive?
No adjustments. They executed early on and sometimes that happens when people have scripts and they are ready to go. They have great players. They have a great scheme. They did a nice job, but defensively, our guys did not blink. They moved forward and stiffened and got better and better as the night wore on, which is good to see.

Q: Ben Roethlisberger didn't get sacked tonight. What was the difference?
It thought the line played well. I thought Ben did a nice job of recognizing pressure at the line of scrimmage and changing some protections when we were in the no-huddle. Again, I don't put it all on the line when we don't protect him and I don't put it all on the line when we do. The protection of our quarterback, as I have said repeatedly, is an 11 man job and our offense did it today.

Q: Did Max Starks do OK tonight?
He did a nice job.

Q: What happens when your quarterback gives up his body to get a touchdown, as Ben Roethlisberger did on the touchdown scramble?
Ben is a tremendous competitor. He gets that wild look in his eye. You love that about him. His teammates love that about him. They rally around that. They know this guy will do what it takes to lead us to victory. We have to chalk it up as a learning experience and appreciate it, but move forward. Understand that isn't a pleasant surprise, it is a requirement for us to continue to get better.

Q: What do you think about Willie Parker's fumbles?
We don't make excuses. The bottom line is that we have to do a better job of holding on to the ball and I think Willie will be the first to tell you that. The weather conditions are what they are. Our running backs have to have great ball security. We as a football team have to have great ball security.

Q: Does Hines amaze you with some of his catches?
No. I have quickly gotten use to seeing it. He does it. He is a tough guy. He is a football player first and a wide receiver second. He makes plays when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. He makes plays when he does have the ball in his hands. He is a legitimate tough guy.

Q: Is there an update on Najeh Davenport?
I don't know as of right now. I know he experienced some discomfort in his foot, particularly numbness. It is something that has developed over the past 24 hours or so. When we get more information, of course we will update you. We don't have enough information to say anything definitive at this point.

Q: Did that happen on the field or off the field?
It happened in the last 24 (hours). Friday was the last time we practiced. We did a walk-through on Saturday. I would be speculating if I went into any more detail.

Q: Do you have any concern about Willie Parker?
I have a lot of concerns. I don't have enough time to give you the laundry list. Willie is our feature ball carrier. He's got to hold onto the ball. He is a professional and he's done a great job to this point. We accept what was put on tape tonight, because that is us. We will make corrections and move forward and understand that it is unacceptable. I know he knows that.

Q: Would you have replaced Willie Parker with Najeh Davenport if he was able to play?
Hypotheticals I don't deal in.

Q: What are your thoughts on the next game against New England?
We will deal with that in the morning. It is good to get a win tonight. We will treat this game like we have treated all the rest of them. It is important because it is the next one. We will focus on what it is that we do and how we do it. That is why we take the approach that we take, whether we are playing a team with one win or no wins or a team that has won them all. It doesn't matter. The quality of our execution determines how well we play and that is what we focus on, the things we can control.

Q: Is this as good of a defensive effort as you have seen all year?
Arguably, yes. We put them out there in some tough circumstances, but this defense has a desire to be great. They understand they have no control over how they take the field. They have all of the control in the world over how they get off of it. They take pride in that. They take pride in defending every blade of grass if there is a blade of grass to defend and they do.

Q: Are there any other injuries to report?
I think we are pretty clean at this point, but I am starting to learn and I am pretty sure something will turn up in the morning and I will let you know.

Q: You threw the tying and record-breaking touchdown to Hines Ward. It had to feel good to throw it.
"It was. I told Hines [that] we wanted to get it at home. It means more. I'm glad that he got the first one to tie it up. And, then, I missed him on one right before he actually caught one a couple of plays later. I feel privileged to be the guy to get him the ball when he does that. I'm privileged to play with such a great wide receiver, person, athlete, football player, everything."

Q: Did you make any adjustments after the first couple of drives?
"We went to the no-huddle. I think we moved the down the field pretty well in the no-huddle. I'm real proud of the way the offensive line played during those periods because it's not easy out there when I'm changing the play at the last minute. So, I'm real proud of the way they played."

Q: Would you like to do more of that?
"Well, we've done quite a bit of it the last two games and we've been pretty successful with it. So, I think we'll continue to do it."

Q: Are you taking as many shots down the field as you'd like?
"Well, they're kind of watching that. And that's why you've got to take what they give you. Take the runs. They like to do a lot of two-high stuff. So, we'll get our shots when we need to."

Q: Talk about your touchdown.
"I just took off. I was trying to hit Ced[rick Wilson] on the scramble and said, you know what, I'm just going to run it and see what I get. The guys kind of sat there. I took a shot earlier on a scramble and this time I said, 'you know what, I'm going to try to go over the top.' I went over and thought I landed short, but I guess I got in."

Q: How was the field?
"Equal for both teams."

Q: Do you think it was any better than last week? Did you notice any difference?
"Obviously, the elements played a big part in the mud out there, but you have to give a lot of credit to the grounds crew. They did a great job of getting it ready for us to play on."

Q: Half your throws were to Hines [Ward] tonight. You talked about taking what they give you, but you went to a lot of double-coverage.
"You know what? That's just being on the same page with a guy like that who's so talented. He gets open, even when he's not open. If I put it close to him, he's going to make plays. That's Hines Ward. I have to look at the film. I don't think I tuned down anybody for him, but I was impressed with the way he played tonight."

Q: Was that just him getting open, or was it something you guys saw on film?
"Well we always know that Hines in going to get open and we know that he gets a lot of attention. There were a lot of times tonight where we heard them say, 'watch Hines on this, watch Hines on that.' I'm real proud of the way Cedrick Wilson stepped up great tonight. I don't think he's going to get enough credit for the way he played tonight as well."

Q: Your first couple of throws tonight, it seemed like the ball was sailing. Was it wet?
"Wet and sandy. Every time you took a snap, when Sean [Mahan] would snap it, water and sand would come up into your face and it would kind of get in your eyes and it would be all over your hands. Honestly, that's why Willie [Parker] fumbled. I remember when I took it, I went to hand it to him [and] it was soaked with a lot of sand. And it was tough."

Q: Have you thought much about New England?
"Obviously, you think about it because everybody talked about them because they are undefeated. That's all over everything that has to do with news and sports is the New England Patriots. And deservedly so. They're a great football team offensively [and] defensively. It's going to be a challenge for us and we're going to have to come out and play great football."

Q: Do you want them to be undefeated when you play them?
"It doesn't really matter. We'll see how it goes. They have a tough one tomorrow night at Baltimore. So it will be tough for them. I'm sure it will be a short week for them."

Q: Was that a hot potato or a football?
"I don't know. The one got away from me. I didn't feel it was a fumble, but it was. You've got to hold on to the ball. I let my team down. We still came out with a win, but it's still disappointing."

Q: Are you trying to do too much out there? Are you pressing?
"No. I was fighting for extra yardage. When the field's like that and with those conditions, sometimes when you lean in and are trying to run the five-minute "O", you just have to put two hands on the ball and go to the next play."

Q: Ben said when he handed you the ball on the one fumble, he felt sand and the ball was soaked. Is that pretty much what happened?
"No excuses. I have to do a better job of holding the ball. No excuses."

Q: What kind of adjustments did you make after the Bengals had success on their first drive?
"We just started dropping more into coverage, and not rushing anything."

Q: Carson Palmer was, I think, 11-of-37 after that first drive. What does that say about your defense?
"I think we played well. I think up front, we tried to get some pressure, get some hands on him. We didn't get a lot of sacks, but there was a lot of pressure on him. Our DBs played unbelievable."

Q: Could you tell he was getting frustrated back there?
"He was getting a little frustrated, and we tried to give him a lot of different looks. He's a smart quarterback and if you give him an opportunity, he's going to pick you apart."

Q: How important was this game to keep pace with home field advantage?
"Any time you win in the division, it's big. And you have to win the ones at home. To get another victory and put ourselves a little further ahead, this is a big victory for us."

Q: How does it feel to be remembered with the great receivers in Steelers history?
It's definitely a great feeling to surpass Mr. Stallworth, Mr. Swann with the touchdown record. It's something that is a credit that hard work can pay off. I worked my tail off ever since I've been in this league. I worked my way up through special teams. Had to overcome a lot of adversity in my career, but to sit at the top of a prestigious franchise as the touchdown leader, I'm still ecstatic. I'll go home tonight and probably won't be able to sleep just reflecting back on all the guys who threw me touchdowns over my career.

I remember warming up tonight with Ben (Roethlisberger). He said 'let's get this touchdown record out of the way tonight.' It's just a great feeling to go out and put it past me. I really wanted it bad coming into this year, needing [five to tie, six to break] the record. It's a great feeling especially on a night where it's a big game, a divisional game. The weather conditions were terrible but to get the opportunity to help our team win ball games and get its ninth win of the year, it's just a great feeling. Coach Tomlin preached all week about during the month of December, all the guys who are playmakers, who people lean on, I want you guys to step up. I think all the guys he mentioned on that list, we all went out and played a great game. It's great, because we definitely have a big challenge next week.

Q: You really paid the price with some of your catches over the middle.
I take pride that every time I put my hands on the ball, I can catch it. I know I'm going to get hit across the middle anyway. The workout regimen that I do throughout the whole year. I got hit over the middle, he hit me pretty good, but when I get up smiling and laughing, it just crushes them. The safeties don't particularly like that. It's just great to go out there and make plays. To have Ben go out there and trust me especially on a night like this. Santonio [Holmes] wasn't out there so a lot of the passing game was on my shoulders to go out and make plays. It's up to me to play great situational football. Third down conversions are huge. They're just as huge as a big play like somebody throwing a bomb down the field and scoring. For me to go out there and keep the chains moving, to keep the drives alive, just shows the confidence and rapport that Ben and I have throughout the week.

Q: You mentioned that you get up after a big hit smiling. Is that one of the ways you keep the opponent off balance?
Always. It demoralizes guys. Especially if they put a great hit on you. They think that you wouldn't get up from that and to get up smiling from it, all the guys kept commenting during the TV time outs. Cincinnati's players saying 'Man, you're one hell of a football player.' That's the biggest compliment I can get from anybody. When your peers give you compliments like that, it's definitely a great feeling.

Q: The Bengals had won their last two games at Heinz Field. Was that part of the motivation tonight?
Of course. For whatever reason, they have a comfort level here. That's something Coach Tomlin really wanted to change. We don't lose at home. Cincinnati is a divisional game. Cleveland lost earlier. A lot of guys were looking at the Cleveland game, but we're not really worried about Cleveland. We're worried about the Pittsburgh Steelers. If we go out there and take care of business, we'll be fine. There was no panic mode. They went out there and jumped on us early, 7-0. We found a way to keep it going and found a way to win this game at home. All around, it was a great win for us. It was our ninth win and now through the month of December we have a tough stretch of games here. New England, we're going to need all of our weapons out there. Everybody is going to have to play a flawless game. We're going to enjoy this one, there's no question. But there's not really a lot of time because we have to get ready for New England.