Q: Your thoughts on your team's
performance today...
BB: I thought we did a lot of good
things today on the field. I have to give a lot of credit to the players. We
were a little banged up this week coming into the game. We had a tough week
of practice and came in here and battled through it, which we transferred
onto the field today. I thought we ran the ball well today, and played well
on third down. We had the return game going today, which gave us good field
position. It was a good team effort, and I am real proud of them. They
practiced well all week and stepped it up today. It is good to win. That is
a good football team we played today. ... I have a lot of respect for the Bengals – for Mike Brown, Marvin
Lewis, and the entire football team. We have had some bad days here. It
was nice to be able to play well and come out of here with a win.
Q: How key was having good field
position today?
BB: It was great to have good field
position today. We had a few drives that started out near the 40- or 50-yard
line. It always helps to play on a shorter field.
Q: What made the running game so
effective today?
BB: Players. Blocking. The running
backs ran hard. We had a lot of contributions from the tight ends and
receivers. The running game is a team game. It is not about one guy.
Everyone contributed.
Q: Your thoughts on the big plays in
the return game?
BB: They were good. The team gave a
good effort. The players certainly deserve the outcome. They played hard.
Q: Was your game plan to run the
ball?
BB: Our game plan was to try to move
the ball and score points. If that means running the ball, then we will run
it. Running the ball well depends on our opportunities. It was a balanced
game for us. We made some plays in the passing game.
Q: How important was the Laurence
Maroney touchdown run in stopping the Bengals' momentum?
BB: It was big. It made the score
(21-13). It was a great drive. We had a couple nice runs, and created some
turnovers on defense. We were able to convert those turnovers into points.
The run was big, though. At that time, they definitely had momentum in their
favor. They are a tough offense to stop. They have a lot of great players
and a good staff. Honestly, I can never say I felt safe until it was 38-13
with only a few minutes to play. I was still sweating with five minutes left
to go in the game.
Q: How was the play of the front
seven?
BB: It was a good team effort. I
would be reluctant to single out anybody. I felt the entire team had a lot
to do with our success. They all played together with good team defense. Cincinnati is a hard team to stop and one guy cannot shut them down.
They have a very good offense. I give our players a lot of credit today.
They played well against a good football team.
Q: What does this win do for your
team in terms of confidence?
BB: We have to play well every week.
We must prepare and play well every week. That is what we must do.
Q: Did Corey Dillon play
harder this week than normal?
BB: You could see the excitement and
energy in his preparation all week. He ran hard today. He broke some
tackles. I think he played with a little something extra coming back here.
Q: You had a few words with Chad
Johnson after the game, what were they?
BB: I have a lot of respect for Chad Johnson. He is a tremendous player. He has lead the AFC the last
couple of years in receiving. I have spent some time with him in the
offseason. He is a great player, and we both wished each other well. |
