Q. In a short week preparing for a Thursday game can you give us a little idea of what your schedule is like today and when you started making a transition from yesterday to the next game?
A. We made it about an hour after the game. A lot of the coaches came over here last night and graded the tape. This morning we had two games that we had to evaluate from our original breakdown, so we did that and then we evaluated our first and second down information. Really, we call today a Wednesday. So, we went with our first and second down presentation this afternoon and we had our normal meetings. We came in (the TPC Field House) and had, I would say, modified jog through work and then conducted what would have been a normal practice except some of the reps were cut down and we were jogging through. We did get the mental part of it. We didn't get it full speed. It allowed us to at least cover everything, other than just a meeting. I feel okay about that. Tomorrow we will advance. Tomorrow will be our third down. We brought them in a little later this morning. We will bring them in a little later tomorrow morning and work primarily in the afternoon and early evening tomorrow. We will keep them and look at the tape of practice tomorrow and have dinner with them. Then they will be able to head for home. Wednesday morning is back on schedule with our normal early day. We'll have our presentation of a Friday, a normal Friday. We'll jog through that, we'll meet and jog through that. We'll clean up and be on the plane. When we get out there we primarily go through our night before the game routine with perhaps a little more meeting time.
Q. Have you ever done this before?
A. No, I have not had a short week. I thought about it and I thought we could take the best advantage of it, of this, by working this way.
Q. Brandon Jacobs? Was he able to return?
A. Fine, he's fine. I don't know. That is not what the medical people said. I don't think he could have. He did seem okay.
Q. Everybody else?
A. Yeah, I think we are in pretty good shape. Except for the normal people: Bradshaw, and, of course, Antonio. One of the good things about this is you get all the guys out and you have a full run and stretch. You get the heart beating and you get a chance to look at it and they worked their way through some of the soreness which naturally occurs at this time of the year. There is some benefit to this.
Q. How physically demanding is it to play two games in a short week?
A. The demands are great. Two games in what, four days. The demands are great. The players can do it. You set your mind to it and they can do it. It started taking place last week. Of course, we saw there was a Thursday night game last week. So, it is the same basic schedule for us.
Q. Your strength coach Jerry Palmieri does a good job of getting the guys ready and he has been with you for a long time. What did he do to earn that trust?
A. He is so devoted, dedicated to what he does. He does an outstanding job of researching new material, trying to stay current, but basically we are a free weight operation. That's what I have always been.
Q. Are there any greater concerns with the short week, physically, with the altitude?
A. There is always the thought of that and there have been a few incidents of players that have had difficult times with that from previous conditions. I have asked Ronnie Barnes to work up a procedure for us to relate to the players. Hydration, lots of rest, no alcohol, that type of thing. We will have stuff on the sideline. Oxygen on the sideline. I have personally been involved in coaching teams that have played there in the past and we never had a real issue.
Q. How much do you have to juggle your preparation. Ultimately, come Thursday, this is a big football game and people expect you to play well?
A. We expect to play well. We will do whatever we have to do. It's a fine line to get your team ready to play, but your team has to be physically and mentally ready to go. But we have kind of built up to that. We have talked about that. I have given the leadership council the schedule well in advance so they could decipher some of the information out to the players. I think the motivational and inspirational part of this stuff has all been disseminated and hopefully we will do well with it. It's just another challenge.
Q. Defensive concerns, particularly late in the game?
A. Anytime you are in that position where you really have to stop. I think there are two things that I would say. One would be when the offense has the ball with six minutes to go, you would hope that you would keep the ball, run the clock out and have it in your possession. That didn't take place. It didn't take place a (two weeks) ago. Then it goes to the other side of the ball. Some how, some way, there were enough opportunities to make plays to stop the drive or at least create a long fourth down situation. We weren't able to do that. There are obvious concerns there. You would hope that. We have played back to back teams that get the ball out really quick. They do a good job of that. I think in some situations it's a matter of our guys were in the right place they just didn't make the play on the ball you would like it to be done. Those things are being discussed and shored up. Hopefully we can do a better job of that.
Q. What's missing, how do you correct that?
A. You just have to work at it. You have to go back to the tape and you have to show people where they are. You've got to hopefully get some advance tip as to what is going to happen, where the ball is going. You, perhaps, have a good idea by the formation, or by the alignment, what's trying to take place and hopefully you can make some corrections.
Q. You mention that you were in position to make plays and in past games you have been, too. At some point, isn't just about guys making plays?
A. Well there is still a lot to be done. I don't know if you separate that out. Scheme, yes, but within the scheme you would hope there is a comfort level where the player is in position to be able to make some plays from his alignment spot.
Q. What about the lack of pressure on the quarterback?
A. I don't know that there has been. We have rotated through and we have gotten the rush up the field. The ball has come out fast and people are doing a good job in protection.
Q. What did you notice about not having Pierce in the lineup yesterday?
A. Whenever you take a player of that caliber out of your game the leadership concept is obviously missing. He is a rallying point for everybody, as well. I thought he did a nice job on the sidelines working with the players. Chase did a good job.
Q. On the touchdown to Tony Gonzalez, should there have been more help over the top?
A. Well, you can say that anytime you want. You would hope there would be a little bit more help, yeah.
Q. Given his leadership and knowledge, even though injured players don't normally travel, will Antonio Pierce make the trip?
A. I really haven't talked to him about that. That will come up here in the next couple of days.
Q. How much easier is the turnaround coming off a win? What was the feeling getting back to work today?
A. It was a lot more fun. I will tell you that.
Q. Does it make it easier bouncing back and having to play on Thursday night?
A. It makes it easier to do everything. I thought the coffee was better this morning.
