Thursday, December 30, 1999

Q- Any thoughts going through your mind because this could be the last week of practice?

A- Obviously, those thoughts go through your mind. Hopefully it won’t be.

 
Q- Do you think the team has forgotten what happened last week and just wants to get back to focusing on football?

A- I think so. It looks like we have another opportunity this weekend. It might be our last opportunity. I think everyone here wants to end the season right. No one is happy with the way the past two weeks have gone, but we have a chance to go into the offseason at 8-8, which is a lot better than 7-9. That should be motivation enough for us.

 
Q- I know you have not been around here a long time, but when the owner of the football Giants come down here, did you understand what that meant?

A- Not at first, because a couple of other places that I have been that has been more commonplace. From what I understand, it happened here in 25 or 30 years. I think it sent a pretty strong, powerful message to all of us. It shows that he cares and it shows what he wants to do to win around here. I think as player you have got to respect it but you also need to hear what he is saying, take it to heart and if it applies to you, do something about it.

 
Q- What do you think about the Cowboys defense?

A- They are a good, solid, overall defense. They are very good in coverage. They have a very good cover team especially on 3rd downs. The 3rd down percentage against them is very low. They have obviously have got good, talented players like Deion (Sanders), Leon Lett, and Darren Woodson. They are good football players. We are going to have our hands full, just like we do every week. They covered us pretty good the last time we played them. We need to come out and play our best game otherwise it could be a long day for us.

 
Q- Why have they been giving up so many big plays in the last few weeks?

A- Speaking of last week, I think Deion got lulled to sleep on one of them. It has been a breakdown here, a breakdown there that teams took advantage of. They are the kind of team that has got a lot of pride, they have got a lot of good football players, and they have the motivation of knowing if they win, they are in. We are going to get their best shot on Sunday and we better be ready for it.

 
Q- Have they been moving Deion (Sanders) around to cover the best receiver?

A- They have, like with the Patriots he covered Terry Glenn and with the Jets he covered Keyshawn Johnson. Amani is a guy that has been catching a lot of balls for us lately so we it could end up him covering Amani all over the field. If that is the case, we will have a plan in place that we will be able to hopefully get some other match-ups.

 
Q- Is their anything that you feel like you have to accomplish because this is the last week of the season?

A- We have to win, is the first thing. On a personal note, despite some of the inconsistent play that I have had, I feel like I am throwing the ball well. I feel like my game is improving. I just want to continue that process. We have one more game and there is never any substitute for game experience. I feel good about where I have come from, where I am going, and I am looking forward to another opportunity this weekend.

 
Q- Re: Importance of this game

A- It is our last opportunity to try to play our best football. A lot of people are going to be watching. I am sure everyone heard what Mr. Mara said and how serious he was about it, so there is going to be some motivated people on this team and certainly the fact that we need to help to get in, shouldn’t have an effect on the way we play. We should all be professional enough. We should have goal in mind that we are going down there and winning that football game, regardless of the situation. Hopefully, we can come back and play better than we did in the past two weeks. That is what we are trying to accomplish and ultimately get a win.

 
Q- Re: Connection with Amani

A- It is in the very early stages. We haven’t played together that long. We have practiced together for a year now, but it is different in a game. Things happen at different speeds and there is a different look every time you get up there. We are developing that. I feel like that not only with Amani, but with Ike, Pete, Tiki, and all of those guys. I expect that only to get better.

 
Q- Are you satisfied with what you have done this?

A- I am not satisfied. Encouraged…yes. Do I feel like I have made progress? Yes. I don’t think that in this business, you can ever be satisfied. You can never be satisfied with your play. Until you have that perfect game, which no one has ever had, I don’t think you can ever be satisfied.