* *
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (general comments)
"It's fun to actually be here preparing, knowing the opponent that you're going to play. We've had a couple of days of preparation time and our first real legit practice. Our guys have been very attentive and I think they're excited. We're fairly healthy, so it's a good time for us. It's a fun time of year and hopefully we can keep it going for a little bit. This will be a good game and a fun test and playing a team with a great playoff history and tradition. I don't think we could ask for anything more."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if the attitude is different in the locker room than it was this time last year)
"Well, I thought we had a pretty good feeling going into Foxboro. Maybe I'm not in the locker room enough to know, but this year I don't think is going to be too much different. We have to come out and play. We've played well at home for the most part. We've played all the teams that are still in it other than Denver. Maybe that has something to do with it. We have a good team that has played together all year, and I'm sure the other three teams in the AFC are just as confident as we are."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if the team will be defined by what they do in the playoffs)
"It will be. I think it's that way every year. In the regular season, you are fighting for position and we have the position and now the playoffs will determine what will be said about this team down the road. I think all of our guys know that."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if this is the best he has felt going into the playoffs)
"Not really. I felt good in '03 and felt great in '04. Last year we were coming off a win streak. We lost our last game in Denver but we had won eight in a row before that. In '03 we were playing well, so I guess I feel this way every year."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on what this time off has meant for Peyton Manning)
"I think mentally you're a little fresher when you're not cramming every week. It's like cramming for an exam. When you get a little time off it helps you. Physically, he was able to throw just as much as he wanted to, and not have to throw a certain number of balls everyday. I think a lot of us are in that boat. I think the guys feel pretty good. We had 25 guys in here yesterday on the off day lifting and wanting to run. That normally does not happen on a Tuesday after you've played a game."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if their timing will be disrupted from the layoff)
"I don't think our timing will be off. We practiced very well. I pretty much know how we're going to play by how we practice. There has been very few times that we have practiced well and didn't play well. The last two weeks since I've been back, the practices have been excellent. I think our timing is going to be there.
