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HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (general comments) Wednesday, December 12, 2007
"I was on the conference call with the Oakland media and a guy asked me if I had ever (coached in Oakland), he didn't remember me coaching a game out in Oakland before. I said I'm glad that he didn't remember (the 45-0 loss while with Tampa Bay in 1999). We're going to try not to have a repeat performance of that. I think our guys understand how tough it is going out there going to the west coast and going out and playing well. So that's our goal. I think we're off to a good start in terms of preparation and meeting time, and we want to go out there and see if we can get our division locked up. That's kind of the order of business for us."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if the Colts clinch everything, if he has decided whether to rest or play his core players down the stretch) Wednesday, December 12, 2007
"Your goal is to get in the playoffs, number one. We have that done. The next goal is to win the division, and that's what we're focused on this week. If we win, we can do that. If we win and get a little help, we can clinch that first-round bye. Once you get in and get things where you can't do any more or any less, then you start focusing in on the playoffs and how's the best way to prepare your team to do that. For some guys, it's rest. For other guys, some of your younger guys, maybe it's playing more. I think we'll take it in an individual case, but if we get it clinched, whenever that is, we certainly wouldn't put anybody in jeopardy that's a little bit iffy. But you do start pointing for the playoffs at that time."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on his last trip to Oakland) Wednesday, December 12, 2007
"The last trip to the Black Hole was in 1999. We were in Tampa trying to clinch our division, we were on a six-game winning streak at that time I think, and we lost 45-0 to a team, I know they weren't in the playoff race, they might have been right around .500. Napoleon Kaufman as I remember had a big day, Rich Gannon was the quarterback, but it was the same type of scenario and I kind of referred to it last year after we lost to Jacksonville. The Jacksonville game was beautiful compared to that one. I know what it's like going out there, going out there with a good team and still not being able to come back with a win. So we're forewarned and I think we'll be ready to go."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on the atmosphere at the stadium in Oakland) Wednesday, December 12, 2007
"You have to really work to focus on the field, and you can't get caught up in what happens off the field before the game, afte