Dec. 6,2002

How does everyone look?

I think everyone looks good. We are practicing well. I see guys have come back, wanting to improve and play better this weekend. I don't see any ill effects from the past couple of weeks.

Will this stretch of the season show a lot?

I think so. I think it will say a lot about why we play the game and what kind of team we have and what kind of season we want to have. I think the guys on this team have character. I think you will see great effort from us the rest of the way.

Re: the state of the team.

I think we are all aware and understand that we put ourselves in a really tough position. I don't see anyone with their heads hanging down. I see guys up for practice, trying to get better, trying to get a win this Sunday. That hasn't been anything that is concerning for us.

Re: the Redskins

It's a big rivalry for us. It is an opponent we have played very recently. We want to win every time we step on the field. Our effort has been great, we have just made a lot of mistakes. I think we have guys in here that love to play the game and love to win, so I think our attitude is in the right spot.

Is it hard to scout this game not knowing who is going to line up on the other side of the ball?

Spurrier said he is going to play some of the younger guys. We don't look at it that way. We look at as preparing to play a defense, regardless of who is playing and who is not playing. You still have to play well yourself and I think that is the approach we are taking. We have enough things to worry about ourselves rather than what they are doing on the other side of the ball. Obviously, you game plan and you get ready, but we are looking to improve ourselves and get better. So, I don't think we are caught up in that train of thought or that thinking that they are doing what they are doing. We are going to go out and play our game and try to get another win.

How much of the offense goes through Trotter with Wilkinson and Trotter out?

It's not going to change what we are going to do a whole lot. They have Mitchell, who has been around. They are going to rotate some guys in at defensive line, but that is not going to affect our game planning. We try to beat the defense itself, not individual guys. I don't see there being much of a drop-off from those guys being out.