**
Q: Can you tell us anything on the potential trade?**
A: Not really. I don't have anything to add to what you already know.
Q: Looks like Chris Snee might be heading to injured reserve?
A: We'll see.
Q: Are you going to maybe bring somebody off the practice squad to help you at corner?
A: That's an option. That decision hasn't been made yet, but it's an option.
Q: David Diehl talked yesterday about filling in, stepping in at right guard.
A: That's nice of him to announce to the opponent. We'll see about that. That could get him a seat next to me right there. His exuberance is outstanding. We're excited. He's like a rookie. He runs around all over the place yelling and screaming and talking to everybody. If he makes an error, he yells out, 'That was me. I messed up.' I appreciate the energy and the enthusiasm.
Q: Can you talk about the opportunity that despite the struggles, the division hasn't gone anywhere? Have you emphasized that to the team at all this week?
A: Over and over. First thing Monday morning, I put the standings up there and we talked about it in our team meeting on Friday morning and reiterated where we were and where the division stood. Really what it boils down to is us. We can talk all we want. We have to play. We have to play a lot better than we've been playing. I've been asked by each one of you about the week, at least one question with regard to what do we really need. There's a lot of things that need to improve. Guys are in a good frame of mind. They've had a good week. Let's see this thing come together this weekend.
Q: Do you feel fortunate that this has unfolded the way it has? Outside of what you guys have done?
A: I don't know. That word would be a stretch for me. Really, all I do is worry about our team. I have no control over anything else. I just worry about our team. The idea that we haven't played as well as we can play is something that is of major concern to me. We've got to do it.
Q: Do you talk to your team at all about the '92 Chargers and reference them at all?
A: Well, we did. Just briefly.
Q: How much is positive reinforcement a factor? Is it something that you've made a …
A: There's nothing new about it. We've been doing it here for a lot of years. As I try to explain, we don't sugar coat anything. We tell it like it is. That's been Sunday and that's been basically Monday. I don't leave them with their heads down on Monday even. They've got to get themselves back up and be goal-oriented and talk about improvement and getting better and opportunity. The big words are improvement and opportunity. From Wednesday on, that's all it is. That's where we go.
Q: With all of the injuries, do you get the sense the team is still positive?
A: I do.
Q: If you could get some degree of stability and consistently good play along the offensive line, I know there are a myriad of other issues, but how far would that go?
A: We need points. Obviously you're not going to do anything in this league with the point production that we've had. That would help take care of that aspect of it and a lot of other aspects. Let's face it, your ball control, your time of possession. Take care of the ball and don't turn it over, don't give the other team the short field. All of those things are such key factors that have to do with 11 guys playing as one on the offensive side of the ball, which I think we're capable of. That would help an awful lot.
Q: It's been the third quarter where a lot of these games have gotten away from you. Is there anything teams are doing after halftime …
A: It's not the third quarter. It's three minutes to go in the third quarter. Very deep into the third quarter where we're very much in the game, whether it's 30-24, 17-16, 10-7, it doesn't matter what it is. We're right there to make a play, to put ourselves into position to win the fourth quarter, win the game, and we haven't done it. A major objective for us has been to talk about playing four quarters and like I just mentioned, go do it. Play four quarters. Play four solid quarters of championship quality football, supporting one another in all three phases, eliminate the foolish penalties, eliminate all that garbage that keeps you from being one. The illustration last week when we took the punt return out to midfield only to see the drive start at the minus-eight. That stuff has to go. There's no place at this level, if you're a smart guy who's trying to do his job and is very much aware of the rules and the circumstances. We have to clean that up, too.
