Joseph Addai Q & A. . .
Colts running back Joseph Addai addressed the media Wednesday prior to Saturday's Wild Card Playoff Game against the New York Jets.
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RB-JOSEPH ADDAI (on how he feels)* "I'm fresh. I don't think I've been fresh since I started playing football since 1996. I think it's kind of a good and bad thing. I'm fresh, but at the same time, missing all that time, nine weeks, regardless if you're in the meetings, just not being out there on the field, you miss a lot. You've got to study more. It's coming back. I'm not saying I missed a whole lot, but there is stuff that just flows that I've got to get back to. Third game back, I think I'm getting a good feel for it. The first two games I was getting in there, we had the rotation going, which was a good thing. We wanted to keep everybody fresh. This game is just playing ball, all of us—me, RB-Donald (Brown), RB-Dominic (Rhodes), whoever is in the game, I think we'll all be ready."
RB-JOSEPH ADDAI (on having RB-Dominic Rhodes back and if it is like 2006 at all) "I can't lie to you, 2006 was a big blur to me. I was a rookie. It was a big blur. But at the same time, having Dominic back, he's a guy that's been around, playing a lot of football. His insight on the game helps us out a lot, me and RB-Donald (Brown) both. I really can't say it's like 2006 until (if we were) to get to the big game and win it, but I feel like we're in a groove, all of us. Now, it's not two of us, it's three of us that can run the ball and do some things. I think it's good to have depth at the running back position. Early on you were saying, 'Where are we going to find a back?' Now, everybody is kind of healthy. I think it's a good thing that you could put anybody in and be comfortable."
RB-JOSEPH ADDAI (on if RB-Dominic Rhodes is any different in 2010 than he was in 2006) "As far as the locker room, Dominic is going to be Dominic. Now, I see him, he's more calm. He acts like a veteran. I'm not saying back then he wasn't, but you can see a difference between the (2010) Dominic and the (2006) Dominic. He just goes out there and plays and has fun. That year (2006), Edge (RB-Edgerrin James) was gone, his first year starting, my first year in the NFL, so a lot of confusion, trying to make sure everything was on point. Dominic, now, he's just playing. It's kind of good for me and RB-Donald (Brown) to watch, to just go out there and play and not think. I think it's a great thing that we do have Dominic back. Like I said, in his 10th season, he's just playing ball and he's doing it well."
RB-JOSEPH ADDAI (on what this season has been like for the team) "Since I've been here we've always been winning. Me, myself, that's all I've known as far as being a Colts player. I think us going through this season, it kind of brought the team closer, willing to do whatever to get a win, and that's what we've been doing. Now we are at this point. I think it will carry on into the playoffs, doing whatever it takes. Even though we have some guys back, we still have some key players that are out and won't be able to come back. I think a lot of the young guys stepped up and helped us out."
RB-JOSEPH ADDAI (on if the team was more desperate or just got into playoff mode earlier than usual) "I don't think we panicked. I won't say that. But we really made it a point to believe that every play counts. I mean every play counts, but we really, really focused in on that, and not even just in the games; walkthroughs, at home, meetings, all of that. I'm not saying we took a different approach, but you just learned something new about the guy beside you. If anything else, it really brought us together as a team. In the playoffs you really need that. It might be a blessing in disguise."
RB-JOSEPH ADDAI (on QB-Peyton Manning when the team was in their three-game slide) "He was getting all the young guys, getting everybody together. Peyton was being the kind of quarterback that you want to be in a tight situation. Whenever you're in a bad situation, it's just like a family, whoever is the head of the family and you're in a crisis, the person that is supposed to lead, stands up and gives you the right direction. That is what Peyton was doing. No matter what the situation, come back Monday, let's get back going. Everybody was following along. All the veterans were doing that, (and) all the young guys were seeing that."
RB-JOSEPH ADDAI (on QB-Peyton Manning's leadership during the team's struggles this season) "Talking, practice, examples, all of that. That's what they teach the young guys when they come in: if you don't know how to do it, watch the older guys. That is what Peyton was doing, just little things. We'd have extra meetings to focus in on what we were trying to do for that particular team. I think Peyton did a great job as far as showing us what we needed to do when we were in those bad situations."
