Thursday, November 1, 2001

Q- Kerry did you watch the end of the Yankee game last night?

KC- Are you kidding? I was in bed at 10:00

 
Q- Well, I was going to say that maybe there was a lesson to be learned that it is never over until it is over, that you could carry into this locker room.

KC- Yeah, I think we probably already knew that, but I definitely didn't see the game.

 
Q- You say you know it, but there are times where a team learns about winning and how to finish games, that is my point, it is almost a mental approach and you have to be tougher than the other team.

KC- Right, and I think if you look back in recent history, we have been pretty good at finishing games. It has been the past couple weeks, the past three weeks, that we haven't finished games, but I think we know how to do it, it is just a matter of doing the things we have done in the past to do them. We haven't been doing that, and as a result we are losing games.

 
Q- The one thing for sure is that somehow, some way, this losing streak has to end, right?

KC- Yeah, and we are working at it. We are real close. Everyone talks about us losing the games we lost, but if you look at two or three plays in each of those games that they came down to. We all know that that is what it takes, but at the same time, there is no reason to feel like we are the worst team in the league or anything like that. We definitely have a lot of things going for us; we have a good attitude, we have good players, and I believe in what we can do and it is just matter of doing the smart things.

 
Q- Last year, you found ways to make plays, while this year you are not making that play, and that is the fine line.

KC- No question, and there is a fine line between winning and losing in this league, a very fine line. The plays that we made in the past to win games, we are not making now, and it is not a lot, but it is a few and we need to find a way to make those plays.

 
Q- What do you see from the Cowboys defense this week that bothers you?

KC- I think they are playing real good defense. They played real well, actually, against Arizona. They kept Arizona out of the end zone, got turnovers; they are playing with a lot of confidence, and you can tell that in the way they play. They put some pressure on you, they are doing more blitzing than they have in the past, they are playing their coverage, and they are getting Woodson involved a lot in their blitz package, really a lot like the Eagles are doing now. It will be a big challenge for us. If you think that they are not going to come in here fired up and ready to play, then you are mistaken.

 
Q- In addition to preparing for the Cowboys this week, is there one aspect of your game that you are trying to work on this week?

KC- I think for the most part, my decision-making and that kind of thing, has gotten a lot better since the beginning of the season- I just want to continue with that; I want to continue to play smart. I think overall the execution of our offense has been spotty at times, and we definitely would like to become more consistent.

 
Q- Kerry this is an important game because it is another division game, and you just can't waste that many division games half way into the season.

KC- No question about it, and they are all important. We have lost two division games already and if we lose another one, it would be digging a pretty deep hole. We realize that and I think we are preparing in a way that this is a critical game for us.

 
Q- Despite your record, do you guys still believe that this is a better team than last year, and eventually that is going to be proven in the long run?

KC- I believe that, you look at and it is almost the same team that we had last year, but we are another year older and another year wiser. I believe we are a better football team, but I don't think we are playing as smart as we did last year, I don't think we are executing as well as we did last year, but I think potentially we have what it takes to be a better football team. But potentially means we are not doing it right now, so we need to take care of the things we need to take care of.

 
Q- How do you think Ike has been playing since coming back?

KC- I think he looks great, I really do. I haven't seen that rustiness that a lot of guys would have after being out so long. I think he is running well; he has is speed, he has his moves and he has his brains, which probably is his biggest attribute.

 
Q- Is seems like you guys work together really well, almost instinctively. How is that?

KC- Because I know I can count on Ike being in the right place all the time. Very rarely is he in the wrong place, or not somewhere he is supposed to be. You hit him a lot when the play breaks down, it is like you know where he is going to cut. He has great instincts. He is a very good instinctual player, he makes good moves, he is just a very good football player and as a quarterback, you like to anticipate what guys are going to do before they do them, and with Ike, it seems like he always ends up doing the right thing, or what you would expect him to do.

 
Q- Did he get that ball knocked away from him in the end zone? KC- I don't know, it is tough to see- we have that wide end zone shot and the wide sideline shot, so we couldn't see it too closely.

 
Q- Jim said that he was going to take a much more micro-management approach, have you noticed it, and how much of a difference does it make?

KC- I have noticed it, and throughout the season, we have been going at it for a long time and sometimes you just overlook things naturally; you take things for granted, that you know, and it seems like a couple of things have been popping up lately. I think Jim just wanted to make sure we are hitting all areas, taking nothing for granted, leaving no stone unturned and I definitely sensed it this week.