Rich Eisen:
Let's talk about your preparations this week. What does this week look like
for you?
Bill Belichick: Well we really have to get ready for three different teams, based on how
the results come out this weekend. So we'll kind of take them one at a time.
Work on one team then move on to the next. At the same time try to get a few
things straightened out on our team in terms of just fundamentally our
execution in different situations and that type of thing. Regardless of who
we play we can still improve in a number of areas there.
Eisen: Let's
talk about injuries for a bit. I know that's not your favorite topic, but
there are some people out there whose names leap off the page. Certainly Ty
Law and Richard Seymour. What could you tell us about their readiness for
whatever game you play?
Belichick: Well, not too much. We'll have to wait and see where we are later on in
our preparations this week, and then evaluate them next week when we get out
on the field and really get into it.
Eisen: Is there
a chance that we might see them?
Belichick: Yeah. Sure.
Eisen: OK. Now
let's talk about that secondary that you guys have patched together in a way
with Troy Brown obviously being one of those guys. How did this come about?
I know you certainly were beginning to look at those sorts of things back in
the preseason when you were playing Troy, correct?
Belichick: Well that's right. Troy's been working back there since training camp,
played there in the preseason games, and has played there basically the
second half of the regular season. So he's gotten quite a bit of work back
there, and he's done a good job.
Eisen: In terms
of your planning for whichever team you play, how long might you spend on
each team this week? Just trying to get a glimpse of your preparation and
how might that go.
Belichick: Probably about a couple days for each team.
Eisen: Now we're
talking about your team as you take on the Colts and other teams that you
might face in these playoffs. What do you think is the one thing that your
team needs to work on as you take on any other foes that you take on in
these playoffs?
Belichick: I think it's important that at this time of year we're playing our best
football in every phase. So I think there are areas that we can improve all
the way across the board—on
offense, defense, special teams, coaching, some situational things. We can
do a better job everywhere, and that's what we'll try to work on. And then
at the same time try to gear our preparations towards the specific opponent
once we know who it is.
Eisen: I'd love
to get your philosophy on playing your starters in a game that obviously
couldn't have improved your standing in the playoffs. That seems to be a
major topic across the country for a lot of teams that had already clinched
their position prior to the playoffs. You played Tom Brady three quarters.
Corey Dillon scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter. It seemed that you
approached this game just like it was any other week.
Belichick: Yeah, that's really about the only way we know how to do it.
Eisen: Was there
any way that you think that that just keeps your guys ready? Is there any
question at all about you moving forward on that front?
Belichick: No, not really.
Eisen: OK. So in
terms of you and that...I'm just trying to get the idea of you and the way
you approach the postseason, and trying to keep your guys mentally fresh. Is
that something that you were trying to do by keeping those guys out there?
Belichick: Look, we were just trying to play a game. We've got our players—they're
professional football players. They've worked hard all year. I think
that's the only way they know how to play a game, is to get ready to play
and go out there and play it. I couldn't get into, at all, the 'taking anybody
out' approach. There are a couple people that we wanted to play so they'd get
some playing experience in case they need to play later on during the
season, they'd have just that much more readiness. We got into a situation
like that last year with Russ Hochstein at guard. He ended up playing the
whole postseason for us. Those were some big snaps. So anybody that we could
get some work that we thought could help us, and that might have a chance to
play down the road, we tried to do that. But that was a lot more about
putting people in than it was taking people out. I think it's a real credit
to our players. That's really the only way they know how to play the game,
and that's how they wanted to approach it. I think that's what went into
last week's game.
Eisen:
Couple of questions outside of the playoffs for you: a compatriot and your former
defensive coordinator Nick Saban is now within your division. I'd love to
get your thoughts on him being a competitor of yours twice a year from now
on.
Belichick: I think Nick's an outstanding football coach. One of the very best I've
ever worked with. I think Nick's strong in every phase of the game. He's a
great strategist, a motivator, really knows all aspects of the game, inside
and out. I have a lot of respect for Nick...
Eisen: OK. And
is it something you look forward to?
Belichick: ...and he's a good friend of mine. You get two Croatians in the same
division. That doesn't happen every day.
Eisen: That's
right. And I guess you're going to have to find somebody else to give you
tips on players out of LSU now.
Belichick: That's right. I doubt if Nick will be sending me too many of those tips
now.
Eisen: Yeah, I'd
imagine so. So where are you watching games? I'd love to know where you
watch playoff games.
Belichick: I'll probably watch them here in the office.
Eisen: And are
you going to have some of your staff around you? Do you take notes during
the games, and things of that nature?
Belichick: It's hard to do that TV scouting. I think sometimes you just look at the
game and try to get a little feel for the flow of it. And there might be
some things that you might be able to pick up, maybe situational things. But
it's hard. I think we get a lot more out of the coaches' copy. We'll break
down the film a lot more carefully when we actually get that in. But TV scouting's tough. You just don't get to see the whole picture, you don't get
to run it back. So we'll just kind of sit back and see what happens.
Eisen: If
there's one bolt that you care to tighten before your last game, what would
that be?
Belichick: I think everything's important. I think all the phases of the game are
important. Everything. Preparation's important. I don't know what anything
would come down to so I think you've got to try to cover all your bases and
make sure you're ready to play the very best football at this time of year.
Every team that's left playing is a good team. They all have a lot of
strengths, they're well coached, they've gone through the competition and
come out on top. So whichever one we're playing against we know will be
tough. We know they'll be ready to go. And we know we'll need to be at our
best. So that's where we want to try to be in two weeks.
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