Thursday, October 5, 2000

Q- Jim’s instructions are to fire the ball more aggressively. Tell us the conversation.

KC- I thought that part of it has been pretty good for me but I understand what he is saying. You can always improve on that, being decisive and going back and throwing with authority. It’s something I try to do every week and work a little bit harder to do.

Q- He (coach Fassel) doesn’t want the picks to change any of that?

KC- And it won’t, I think it’s hard to have a conscience sometimes. You have to have a good memory and a short memory. You have to be able to put things behind you. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better at that and I don’t think it’s going to effect how I go out there on Sunday. I realize the best way to go out there and have some fun. And play loose and hard and try to make the best decisions you can without outthinking yourself.

Q- You guys haven’t had to have one drive to determine a game, is that the next step for you?

KC- I’m looking forward to that opportunity. I’m confident that we can do it and I’m confident in what we’re doing as an offense and the things we have in place here and my own confidence in my own ability. We haven’t got in that situation, it has been kind of an either or. It’s either we’re up and running the ball or we’re down a couple of touchdowns and we’re throwing it and playing big time catch-up. Like you said I’m looking forward to those opportunities, we got the guys that can make the plays. We’ll continue to try to get ourselves in that situation.

Q- Until you guys actually do it is it still always out there?

KC- Yeah, I think it’s out there and you if get in that situation and it doesn’t work out the way you want it to you move on and put it behind you. We’re going to go out and if that is the situation the best thing for us to do is to execute on every play. If you go out there and try to do more on that particular play it’s going to get you in trouble. Regardless of the situation it comes down to execution and I think you have to have enough poise and maturity to do that and hopefully we’ll have that and I’m sure at some point we’ll find out.

Q- Is there something lacking because you haven’t had an opportunity to bring a team back in a fairly close game?

KC- I don’t think so because I’ve done it before and just because it hasn’t happened in the past couple of games. It doesn’t make me think that I can’t do it. To answer your question, No.

Q-Do you like throwing in a dome?

KC- Yeah, sure it’s all right. I mean I like praying on nice fresh grass and the smell of fall in the air but you don’t have to worry about the wind obviously.

Q- Did you have success at all down there?

KC- Yeah I think we won one game when I was in Carolina. I threw for a bunch of yards there a couple of times.

Q- What about them defensively…

KC- I think their cornerbacks are really good. I think they have good cornerbacks in Buchanan and Ambrose. I think they’re a real active defensive line, Travis Hall and Brady Smith and those guys get up the field and could put pressure on the quarterback with just the front four. That is one of the strengths of the defense and we have to make sure we always have a guy there to account for they’re four.

Q- Kerry, Coach talked about you guys getting your swagger back…

KC- I think going into the past couple of games we haven’t had that swagger for whatever reason. I just think about going into any of the first three games we were really confident and felt we had the advantage on teams and on the defense. I haven’t really felt that from everybody the past couple of games. Hopefully we can get back to that. That goes back to working hard and really working hard at what you’re doing in practice during the week. When you get a little bit of success it will start coming back and hopefully we can get some of that on Sunday.

Q- Is this game kind of dangerous because they’re struggling to get back on track too.

KC- I’m more worried about us than I’m worried about that. I think we need to take care of the things… we’ve slid back the last couple of weeks. They’re going to play hard but I think it’s real important for us to take care of the business we have in our house. After that, I think we’ll be fine if we can play the way we want to play and do the things we want to do. I’m just going to worry about what we’re.

Q- Any concerns about Amani?

KC- It looks like he’s a little bit hobbled but you got a few days and hopefully he’ll make some progress in the next couple of days. It seems like he is okay but I don’t know the exacts of it but it doesn’t seem like he wants to push it too much.

Q- We talked before the season about getting a third receiver involved and that hasn’t really happened. Would that help you?

KC- The first three games we didn’t get them involved at all. The past couple of games they’ve gotten a little more playing time and we need a balance; that personnel group that is going to be out there on third downs and two-minute. Those two Joe and Ron each has specific plays, specific parts to what we’re trying to do with them. We still haven’t found that right mix yet I don’t think.

Q- As far as the interceptions is it kind of like a shooters mentality,

KC- Yeah…

Q- have you had to learn?

KC- I had to learn to, regardless of what happened on the last play you got to put it behind you. Even if it’s a touchdown or if it’s an interception, it doesn’t matter, each play is a new play you try stay in the moment. It is similar to that but you have to be a little bit smarter than a jump shooter. If Michael Jordan goes 2-10 he ain’t going to stop putting up 25-footers. You just try and execute. Just try to as decisive as you can with your reads and continue to try to make good decisions. But you have to be able to put the interceptions behind you.

Q- At what level did you learn that?

KC- This level, oh yeah definitely.

Q- In college if you threw one you were hesitant to throw the next one?

KC- In college, RUN. Those were the days. At this level they happen and I had games my rookie year three or four picks and guess what you got to go back out there. So you either put it behind you or you let it effect the way your going to play the rest of the game. It’s easier said than done sometimes but it’s something that I strive for.