HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (opening comments)
"We're going to get our Thursday work done and then take (Thursday) off and give our players the chance to spend it at home. So far it's been good. I think the concentration levels have been good and guys understand what we have to do to get ready. We'll try to finish up and then come back in on Friday and put the regular finishing touches on the week."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on TE-Dallas Clark saying he didn't have great receiving numbers in some of his best games)
"We've had some games in the past where the tight ends have been involved in a lot of pass protection. You play against blitzing teams and they're staying in more for blitz pickups and point-of-attack running, things that we appreciate that everyone may not see. I think all of our guys take it that way. The balls that come to you, you can never count how that's going to be. One week it may be a lot and the next week not as many. I think they all look at other things besides the number of catches."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if former Colts TE-John Mackey was the first TE to play the position like it is played now)
"I was pretty young, but that's the way I remember it, a guy who revitalized the position. Mike Ditka caught passes and ran through people and was a very, very tough tight end that was kind of the focal point of their attack, but Mackey was a guy who caught balls up the field, who caught screen passes and ran after the catch and was more than just a glorified blocker. I would remember it that way, yes."
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HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on DT-Keyunta Dawson)
"He's really played consistent for us. He's undersized in there, but he fights. He has a knack for finding the ball in the running game. He's been a very, very consistent guy and brought an element of toughness to us. He's played very well."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if it will be hard to get QB-Peyton Manning off the field Sunday vs. Tennessee)
"It is. Everybody would like to play, there's no doubt about that. They get 16 opportunities a year and I think, especially when you get in Peyton's situation where you don't have 12 or 15 years left, you do start counting the games. I think a lot of our veterans feel that way. A number of guys have come to me wanting to play the whole way and wanting to play more. We'll have to gauge it and judge it. We do only have 45 guys who can play, so guys will get to play their share."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on RB-Joseph Addai)
"Joseph's ready to go. I'm going to talk to him before the week is out just about how much he feels like he needs and if he feels like he needs to get a few carries before next week seeing as how he missed last week. Our situation with him is really based on (RB) Dominic (Rhodes). Dom is down a little bit, definitely going to be out of this game, and that's going to influence what we do maybe more so than how Joseph feels. We'll see how it is by Saturday, but I know he wants to play."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if the running game has been like he hoped this season)
"It hasn't, but I'm hoping that we have three or four weeks where it really shines, and then people won't worry about it so much. That's what happened to us two years ago when we went to the Super Bowl. We got on a run with the running game. We played some tough defenses to run against, and (Joseph) and Dom played lights out in the playoffs. We're hoping that's the case again this year."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if he wants to get LB-Tyjuan Hagler meaningful minutes on Sunday)
"Yes. We need to get Tyjuan going. He's been anxious. He's another guy that hasn't played as much as he would like. He'll get a chance to play quite a bit and we'll get some rhythm and get him ready before the playoff game as well."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if Hagler could start in the playoffs)
"Depending on how he does and how he makes it through health-wise, he very well could. That's one of the things we'd like to get out of this game is get him grooved a little bit."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if Hagler starting would move LB-Freddy Keiaho inside)
"We'll see. We're going to rest Freddy this week. He's taken a lot of physical toll and getting him rested up will be good. But, we'll see how everybody is when we come into work next week."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if he has thought about the possibility that this could be his last game in Indianapolis)
"No, I haven't really thought about that. There's still a way we can win a few playoff games and get a game here in the playoffs as well. But, my focus is on what to do with our team and how to get through this week and then get ready for this week. So, I haven't really thought about that part of it very much."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if he cherishes memories as they are happening)
"I've done that the last three or four years. I always do. I remember sitting at the Dolphins practice facility on Saturday at the Super Bowl thinking, 'This could be my last practice.' I cherish every single time I get to go out there."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if he has decided on his future)
"No, I have not."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if he would be surprised if Manning is named MVP)
"I will not be surprised if he gets it, no. I've seen more of him, obviously, than anybody else and what he's done over the last two months it would be hard to argue with that. Would I be surprised if he doesn't get it? There are a lot of good candidates and people you could vote for. I guess it depends on what your criteria is. Is it the most spectacular player, the guy who has the best year or the guy who has helped his team win the most? I think you'd have a hard time arguing that somebody else has helped their team win more than Peyton has us."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if players are aware of the history of the NFL)
"I think different guys certainly are. Some guys aren't, but there are a lot of players that are. There are so many good records and so much video now that players are aware of more things I think than when I played."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if any other players besides Brackett, Keiaho and Rhodes are out Sunday)
"Those are probably the only three guys we can say for sure right now that wouldn't play. There probably will be some others by the end of the week, but health-wise Gary is the only guy right now medically that would be out."
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HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on when he expects LB-Gary Brackett to return)
"I don't know that for sure."
