HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY(general comments following Sunday's win vs. Oakland) 10/11/04
"Well, it's certainly nice to be on a four-game winning streak and still be able to make some of the corrections we need to make, but make them while you're winning. Yesterday was a good example of that. I thought we had a lot of effort and a lot of energy and made some things happen. It wasn't a perfect game, but we did a lot of good things, especially on defense.
"This week, we will kind of continue in that mode, try to get ourselves a little sharper and work on fundamentals. But to be able to get through the first third of the season and to improve every week is a good sign."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY(on what areas he is surprised with at this point in the season) 10/11/04
"Offensively, we've been pretty sharp, and we thought we would be. Defensively, the last two weeks have been better. We just still have to tackle better. I think we have to react a little bit better in our zones, kind of limit the gains on some of those underneath throws. But we're starting to get a feel, and the younger guys have gotten to play a lot. Guys have come through their first few starts and should just continue to get better."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY(on DE-Robert Mathis' role) 10/11/04
"I think we're playing him in a way that Robert can be effective, especially in the wide open game and the passing game like it was yesterday. That's going to be where he's going to shine. There's always a tendency to say, 'Well, can we use him a little bit more?' But he's making plays on special teams, and he's making plays in the pass rush. So, we don't want to overdo it, but he has been productive for us."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY(on being 4-1 going into the bye week) 10/11/04
"We knew that we'd be pretty sharp offensively, and the offense probably would have to carry us through the first month of the year, and they came out sharp and played well. Our special teams and our defense I think are going to improve as we go and should be playing our best ball in November and December. So, to be where we are and get those guys some experience, it's pretty good. You'd always like to be 5-0, but I think we'll take this."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY(on why the Colts have committed so few penalties) 10/11/04
"I think, number one, it's our coaches and what they demand in practice. We have a system that kind of keeps us from offensive holding and defensive holding penalties, and that helps. It's up to the players on concentration penalties, the false starts and offsides and things. But that's just kind of our style and that's to our advantage. I think our guys have bought into how important it is in not giving explosive teams like the Raiders extra plays."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY(on rookie DBs Jason David and Von Hutchins) 10/11/04
"I think it's going to be good for them, getting this playing time early in the season. And they are definitely playing better than they were in training camp or early in the season, and they will continue to improve as they go. They learned a few things, even during the course of the game. That's how it is for young players."
