Q:  Tom said that you were going to use this week to go over the best of the worst of the first half and how you improve.  Where do you think the most improvement has been on your side?

A:  I’m not a big statistics guy.  I haven’t talked about – the only two statistics that I have talked about with our guys is the win and points allowed.  But when you get a break like this and you can sit down and evaluate what you need to improve on, sometimes the numbers speak loudly.  So we begin there and Jon Berger, who works for us, does a tremendous job of all of that.  He listed, from a statistical point of view where we needed some work.  And most of them you could have picked out easily.  The first one that stuck out there was the Red Zone.  Efficiency in the Red Zone has not been close to what we want.  And there were a couple of others there.  The ones that stick out with me is the Red Zone, the third-down we need to get better at.  The points allowed is a little skewed because you take those first two games and we don’t rank very well.  But that’s not lost on us because that is probably the most important stat defensively.  There were some issues, there are some things that I would like to see us do better at the end of the half and at the end of the game; either finishing the game to win it or prevent a field goal or touchdown at the end of the half.  We have had some spotted good play in that but I think we can get better there.  So that would be the three areas.

Q:  Your turnaround from Game 2 to Game 3, is it as simple as the pass rush just makes everything else look better or did you do other things, too, like your secondary also playing better, or your linebackers also playing better.  Or is it just because those four guys get the job done?

A:  I don’t think it is just on four guys.  I always think it is more than that.  Before we got on the plane to come home from London I was walking down the street and happened to bump into Cam Cameron, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for.  They are obviously going through a tough season (0-8).  And that’s not easy.  And he asked, just in general coaching talk, “What contributed to your turnaround after two games like that?”  The only thing that I could --- what immediately came to mind -- was what we kept preaching and pounding to the guys was, “What we are doing is prudent.  It has worked somewhere - either here in New York or in Philadelphia or somewhere else.  And if you keep believing in it, hopefully eventually, we will see this thing turn around.”  So I think – in my opinion the biggest thing was that they didn’t give up; they didn’t bail on it, they didn’t second-guess themselves.  They didn’t second guess the coaching.  They stuck with it and they kept working at it.  And I think anytime you do that in any sport, you have a chance of being good.  Now a couple of wrinkles here and there and a couple of changes personnel-wise certainly added to that.  But I think the players --- just hanging in there – which is not easy to do – that is not easy to do from a player’s perspective.  But they did that. 

Q:  I think your players – someone said that they were kind of surprised that you were able to stick with it so well. They thought you might come in screaming, ripping things up.  Was it tough for you to contain yourself?

A:  Oh, yeah.  That’s never easy but I don’t believe that that is the way you get it solved.  If you do that, you are admitting to yourself that you questioned them.  And we never questioned them as a staff.  We knew what we were doing was --- at least had a chance of being pretty good and if we kept pounding at it, it would turn around.  But again I really do feel like the credit goes back to the players.  In this league it is hard; it is a challenge to go through what they did in those first two games and come around and play some good football.  So I really give it right back to them.

Q:  Was a lot of it because Michael Strahan became Michael Strahan again in the second half of Week Three?

A:  Yeah, that is certainly one of the factors; that and a lot of different things.  Mathias gets more and more reps and he gets better.  Certainly the change in putting the four defensive ends in on third-down --- but let’s face it, third-down is only, I don’t know, 20% of the game when you start counting up the numbers of downs.  There are a lot more first- and second-down plays than there are third downs.  And guys played better.  Guys stuck with it.  Everybody got better.  You only have four preseason games to get ready in one system.  So we added two more games to it  --- Games One and Two.  We have a long way to go, too.  I kept telling the guys, “We’ve only played half of the season.”  We would like to feel good about that and I’m glad we feel good about it.  This road is still a long one. 

Q: Using the four defensive ends seemed to provide a spark.  Do you look at that as one of the touchstones of the turnaround?

A:  As far as the …… change, yeah; or a personnel change.  I think that helped.  But there are times in those, ‘passing situations,’ where we keep our two defensive tackle tight guys still in there.  And the one guy, we talk about Kiwi being moved down there.  But I want to tell you, a guy that has really been really the key to all of this is Justin Tuck.  He goes in a lot of different spots.  I think he has done a really good job in accepting that role, he really has.  That’s not easy to do from a mental standpoint and even physical.   He goes inside; he goes outside.  First and second-down he is outside; third down he is inside.  That is challenging.  He has done a really good job of that.

Q:  You mentioned that you are appreciative that the players stuck with it.  But really it was them sticking with you.  And you said to them that, “this is proven.”  So they had to stick with you also during that time.  Was there ever any question in your mind that they would stick with it.

A:  You always are concerned.  I wasn’t ever worried.  I guess I was concerned that if it continued I knew how hard it would be for them to continue to buy in.  So down deep inside I certainly was hoping it would come as soon as possible.  And where it really rose up was in that Washington game.  You guys would remember better than me --- I know they scored 17 points, but wasn’t one of those touchdowns on a fumble, or something happened?  They got the ball at the six (or something), right?

Q:  Yeah, but you guys played okay?

A:  Yeah, we played decent enough in the first half that we could build on that.  And then in my own opinion, from God up above, helping us on the goal line stand, that certainly gave us tremendous confidence.  I don’t think there are any secrets to it except that there were 11 players working their butts off and I think divine intervention helped us a little bit there.  We needed that.

Q:  You came in at halftime and said, “Guys you are actually playing pretty well.”  Some how several of them told me that kind of a light bulb went off, “You know what, we have actually.” 

A:  Yeah, I didn’t think we had played all that bad.  Again, they got the ball, I think, on the six.  I think we turned it around on the six and they scored like in one or two plays, which would account for seven.  And I also believe, you guys will have to help me – I want to say that the three points that they got was another turnover, too.

Q:  Eli’s interception.

A: Yeah.  So technically, in my opinion, when I talked with them I felt there was only one scoring drive where they were able to …..

Q: Long pass …..

A:  Yeah.  But other than that, and to go into a halftime and really have only technically given up a long drive and seven points, that’s pretty good football.  And if we could just remember that and go out and do the same thing, I felt like we had a pretty good chance to win.  Because I knew our offense would come around.  I think our offense does a great job.  And I know they are going to score points.  On a muddy field it is a little bit tougher.  But we have a lot of confidence in our offense.  So we just feel like if we can do our job we have a pretty good chance to win. 

Q:  After that goal line stand, for that next week, was there a change in the players’ attitude; confidence?

A:  You hit the nail.  I don’t think the attitude changed because the attitude was always good.  I felt they always worked.  They didn’t stop working after the Dallas debacle – 45 points.  They didn’t stop working after the Green Bay game.  But I do think that their confidence grew after the Washington game.  It would be safe to say that I definitely felt that.  When a defense does come together that is usually next phase as you putting it in, is to have confidence in what you are doing.

Q:  The last four games you have played against offenses that are not good..

A:  I agree.  When I say that, that is not to disrespect – because of a bunch of those teams didn’t have all of their people. 

Q:  Two quarterbacks …..

A:  Yeah, exactly.  They had some running backs hurt.  They didn’t have Brian Westbrook when we played.  They didn’t have Ronnie Brown.

Q:  Now you are going against a team…

A:  Yeah.

Q:  How anxious are you to see…?

A:  Just talking about it this morning.  We were talking with the staff when we met this would be --- this is a challenge.  We will have to find out, really, where we are.  And I know the players feel that, too.  And we would like to think that we have gotten to a certain point, but you don’t know until you go against that type of opponent.  Let’s face it, I don’t know what all of the statistics say, but Dallas’ offense certainly has to be at the top of almost every category.  You guys could help me with that.  And what better way to find out than to go to one of the best, certainly in the NFC.

Q:  You guys help put them there.

A:  Yeah.  That’s one way to put it.  But you are right.  …. Pretty accurate.

Q:  Is there a perfect symmetry, now you are starting the second half, you guys get a break. 

A:  That’s a heck of a point.

Q:  It’s a perfect way to say, “Where are we; where are we now compared to eight games ago?”

A:  Yeah, that is an enlightening statement you just made.  We will find out.

Q:  Can a defense – not lulled into a false sense of security – but when you play against lesser quarterbacks in teams, can you maybe subconsciously get sloppy or do things that maybe only a coach would notice. It might be a rude awaking in the first couple of minutes.  “Wow, this is not what we are used to here.”

A:  You mean going into the Dolphins’ game?

Q:  Yeah.

A:  I will say this, going back to the so-called backups that we have played.  We always talk about respecting everybody that we play. And quite honestly anybody that is in this league, anybody that gets paid to play, is pretty good.  Now I’ll say this – just kind of going back a little bit – that quarterback at Miami; that guy is a good football player.  He showed us some things and we didn’t think otherwise going in.  And so every game that we approach, no matter what the name is on the back of the jersey of the quarterback, we do respect the quarterback, the offensive coordinator that is running the offense, and try not to do anything differently from the standpoint of preparation or attitude or inside or emotions than we would in any other game, because if you get into those yo-yo up and down patterns, you are asking for trouble.

Q:  How much will you look at the first Dallas game?

A: Yeah, we have already watched it.  I have watched the whole thing and then the first half again.  And we will use it because you can see personnel against personnel.  Now we have had some changes.  They have a few there and there; not much.  They are pretty well intact with their guys.  But we will lean on that a little bit and then obviously see where they have changed from their first game what they did against us and what they have done in others.

Q:  Sometimes coaches won’t even go back and look at a poor performance…

A:  No, we will look at it.  They might do that.  They might throw it out and say they were so good in that game they won’t look at it.  But, no, we will use it.  We will try to make corrections and see where they attack us. 

Q:  In hindsight when you look at that game, you only had four preseason games to get ready for it.  At the time were you a little bit leery?  Like, “I’m not sure we are ready for this, but here we go anyway.”

A:  Going into the game?

Q:  Going in to that game.

A:  No, I did think we were ready.  At that point you are anxious to play a so-called ‘real game.’  No.  I also knew ….. and I knew how good T.O was.  I knew the tight end was good.  …………….. I felt that the quarterback was still one of the premier guys.  And then let’s not forget, he went to the Pro Bowl last year.  All people remember is that last game.  But he is a quality player.  You are talking about an athletic quarterback who can control it, he is smart, he knows what to do with it all when he gets pressure.  Coach Palmer coached him there last year.  He says the same thing.

Q:  When you look at that tape now, from the first game, do you think to yourself, “There is a mistake we wouldn’t be making today?”

A:  There are a few of those, yeah.  No question, we looked at one this morning and said, “No, James Butler wouldn’t do that now.”  That is encouraging.

Q:  Given the two-game struggle at the beginning and the six games after, the whole picture, is it what you expected becoming a coordinator?  Has it been an easy transition?

A:  I didn’t expect 45 points, or at least I was hoping it wasn’t going to be one of those.  That was a nightmare.  But to Dallas’ credit they are every bit as good as the 45 points they scored.  And Brett Favre is every bit as good as the 35 points they scored.  I felt we would fare better.  I know our players did.  Luckily for us we did piece together in the third game.  And now, and again, when I say this, every time I talk about it, it is only eight games.  We technically, really, have not accomplished anything, expect that we have put ourselves in the position at the mid-point in the season to be competitive and have a chance to do ….    We are not out of anything.  That’s really all we have accomplished.  We have kept ourselves in things, and the goals that we want to achieve at the mid-point in the season.

Q:  Transition for you as far as being the guy in charge.  It was a reflection on you the first two games, just like the last six games has been a reflection on you.

A:  Oh yeah.  It is funny, when you said that, it is a reflection on me in the first two.  I don’t think of it the other way because I still think that this is a player’s game.  And it is up to us to put them in the right positions and then they go out and play it.  So it is to the guys’ credit that they stuck with it and they go out and they go out and play the way they do.  These guys have been --- from the standpoint of work ethic and attitude and character, they have been outstanding.  Usually when teams do well it is because they have good character; it is because good attitude; because they will work at it.  If you don’t have those three things, you are going to have to be really talented to overcome bad character, bad attitude, poor work ethic. 

Q:  Your defensive ends, when you put the four guys in, has anyone ever said to you, when you think about it, a lot of teams have one of those guys, some of them have two; you have four.  The way you can be creative with it……

A:  It is an advantage.  It is an advantage.  I’m lucky that way.  What I like about it is they work really well together; they enjoy doing it. But again, I would preface that by saying the other guys in that group, Freddie and Barry; they do some --- the one thing we have been able to do in most games is get in those third-down situations.   So somebody is getting us into that.  And that is a credit to the linebackers that are still out there; the two tackles that are out there during each play.  I don’t think we should lose sight of that.