*You haven't had to play a meaningful game in a while. Are you going to be set to go? *
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They have all been meaningful to us, just in a little different way. I think we are. We had very good practices last week. I thought we had a good workout on Monday and we got a lot of guys back now, and healthy. I would think we would be ready to play our best game.
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What impresses you about Sunday's win in Cincinnati by your old club?
I thought it was going to be a dog fight, and it turned out to be that. I was very impressed with the way they hung in there. Normally when you get down 10 points on the road, that is very, very tough to overcome but they have a lot of mentally tough guys. They have a lot of guys who have been in those situations before and to me, that was the most impressive thing, just kind of hanging in there and just continuing to fight until they got it back in a manageable situation and keeping their poise and then getting it done.
Is it still special for you to face these guys?
Oh, it is any time. The Steelers have so much history and being part of it, being there for so long you can appreciate it. They are an outstanding organization with so much playoff history. It is definitely going to be special.
With the week off, were there guys that needed the week off injury and health-wise? Did it help you out a lot?
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It has helped us out. If we had to play last week, most of those guys would have played. I don't know if they would have been 100 percent, but they certainly are a lot better now and I think it is going to help us. We will have to get back to game speed, but we have had bye weeks during the regular season before. There is really not much difference.
Have you noticed on video that since the last time you faced them, Ben Roethlisberger has improved?
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He is healthy and has played a little bit. We caught him when he hadn't played in a while and I think maybe that showed a little bit. He missed some balls that he probably doesn't ordinarily miss. So we are expecting to see their best and that is what we are preparing for.
When you run the no-huddle, what is the major advantage from that?
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The benefit for us is that we get a little more time at the line of scrimmage. We get to have Peyton Manning overlook things a little bit more and not get constrained by the 40-second clock. That is probably the biggest thing, getting to the line of scrimmage quickly.
Will you perhaps try to catch the opposition in a defense that you feel you would want them in and then that is when you go to the no-huddle?
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No, that is pretty much our MO. We are no-huddle most of the time, and we do like to keep them out there on the field, whoever they start with, we like to not have people be able to substitute. Really, the primary thing for us is just to get to the line of scrimmage as quick as we can.
How and why did you go to the no huddle? Who's idea was it and why?
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They had done it long before I got here. The biggest thing is that No. 1, it does allow you to keep the same defense on the field. People have a harder time substituting and going back and forth with different defensive packages. No. 2, because we are so much in "check with me" at the line of scrimmage in getting in and out of plays, the more time you have to do that the better off you are.
