HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (General Comments) * *
"I want to begin by saying we will approach the 14th game just like we did one through 13. We will look at this game (Jacksonville) and prepare just as hard. We want a great rhythm in terms of our preparation. We are going to go out and play like we've done the previous 13. Our focus is going to be narrow. The only thing that will deter anyone from playing time is a health issue. We are going to play ball and approach things the way we do every week. All I'm going to deal with is this game coming up. I'm not looking beyond this game."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On what he expects this week)
"Just like any other week, we just have to look at our team and where we are. We are trying to make sure we stay in rhythm. That's most important to us."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On if his decision for the remaining regular-season games is popular with the players)
"I'm not sure. I think all players are exactly the same in this league. The reason they are here is because they are highly competitive. That's why they signed on to do what they do. They love to play and certainly are interested in doing so. Every coach is exactly the same way."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On dealing with a short week for a Thursday game)
"It's a real challenge. Last week we had several guys who didn't practice until Thursday. If the same thing happens this week, those seven guys would not play in this ballgame. You just don't have that extra time to get yourself healthy. Our approach this week is we will treat tomorrow just like a Wednesday. They (players) are off today. On Wednesday, it will be much like a Friday. It's also a travel day for us. We do not plan to go in pads all week. We'll focus in and try to get ourselves as well-prepared as we possibly can for a real tough, tough battle."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On the team's preparation this week)
"Oftentimes, I think short weeks are good because they really make you narrow your focus in terms of preparation. When you have a little bit more time on your hands, sometimes you are willing to add a couple more plays here or maybe a couple more defensive looks here or a variety of plays in your kicking game. When you only have a couple days to get ready, you really have to narrow it down to the plays you actually will use. You don't have the opportunities to dream up a bunch of scenarios."
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HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On players having limited playing time)
"We will approach this game like we do any other ballgame. We are not going to assign a number of plays to any players. We didn't do that for any of the other 13 we played, and we won't do it for the 14th."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On preparing for Jacksonville this week as opposed to the beginning of the season when the two teams played)
"You have to go into it a bit differently because we played them (Jacksonville) previously. If you do the same things over and over again in some situations, then maybe they can get a beat on you. We take a fresh new look at them. We started a little bit last week because we knew we were going to have a short week. They present some problems for you."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On having a better percentage for fourth down)
"We've had a couple of key and clutch plays on fourth down. I'm not quite certain as to what's happening to us in some of the third-down situations. It's just on of those strange statistics."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On RB-Mike Hart)
"He (Mike Hart) has power. He has that low center of gravity. He has some push. He also can make you miss as well. He has good vision. He is very smart. He looks good and has been performing well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On the play of the defense this season and Sunday against the Broncos)
"Overall, I think our guys have played well all year. They (Broncos) started one drive on our 24-yard line. Our defense just charged right back out onto the field and the only thing they were concerned about was getting them stopped. We had those short-field situations back-to-back-to-back and they (defense) kept answering the bell. It was a heavyweight fight. They did such a tremendous job. That sticks out in my mind. It was a gallant effort. No allowing a team to score touchdowns after turnovers is big. I think our guys have taken a lot of pride in that. We want to make certain that continues."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On the defense having an identity)
"We try to press the issue. We are an aggressive bunch, and I think that permeates our entire team. We are an up-tempo type team. Being fast, smart and physical are words that identifies us when we go out and play. The defense embodies that three-word phrase."
