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CarolinaPanthers conference call
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HEAD COACH JOHN FOX (on overall performance of team last six weeks)
"First of all, they all count. We'd like to be undefeated kind of like your team but that's not reality. We've got a couple of quarterback issues that had a little bit to do with it. Our team understands it's not where you play, it's who you play and how you play."
HEAD COACH JOHN FOX (on the return of Vinny Testaverde at age 43)
"The key there is not the fact that he came back to play. He's very capable. He was in New England's camp and we actually saw him in the pre-season. I think the fact that he got here at 10:30 in the morning on Wednesday preparation for the Arizona game and steps in and plays like he did with all intents and purposes only three day practice."
HEAD COACH JOHN FOX (on Deke (Evansville, IN native) Cooper's road back to the Panthers)
"Deke was obviously a guy we knew because he had been here. That's kind of the way the National Football League can work. Guys make their rounds and sometimes they hit a spot where they're doing really well and right now Deke is playing well for us."
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HEAD COACH JOHN FOX (on the difficulty in preparing for an AFC opponent once in four years)
"No, it's not difficult to prepare. We get the luxury of watching tape. We get to do it for 18 hours a day. We look at a lot of games and you get a feel for what the team is all about, what they do. It's kind of true in your division. You probably know them better, because you do play them twice a year. In another conference, you get a feel for people, playing them in the pre-season or just experiences you've had in the past."
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HEAD COACH JOHN FOX (on what he sees in the Colts)
"They're playing as well as anybody in the league right now. When you're sitting at third in the league in offense and defense, that's pretty good. They're playing like defending World Champs."
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HEAD COACH JOHN FOX (on losing your starting quarterback to injury)
"Yes, it's a nightmare. It's a key position. You look at the two teams everybody is talking about, (the Colts) and New England. I think a lot of it revolves around those quarterbacks. Anytime you lose your starter, it definitely hurts. That's part of the game (injuries). I look at what happened to Philly last year when Donovan McNabb got hurt and Jeff Garcia comes in. You just hope you have a guy that can spark your team."
