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**Q: Is it going to be the hurry-up offense for the rest of the year?**
D: Well, we'll see. As I said after the game, it is something that we have to be smart with exactly when we'll use it. Really since, the first game, it is something we worked on to a certain extent every week. As far as when and where we'll use it depends on a lot of things. On the defense we're facing in particular, weather conditions, wind, it comes to what we feel is the best approach in attacking a specific defense. It depends on a lot of things. It is not something that we're going to come and say, this is our offense, this is what we do. This is something that we will keep alive and continue to pick our spots as far as when we'll use it.
Q: How many plays do you get to call?
D: Most of them. In this past game, I got to call most of them. Then there were particular situations that we got into when I would turn to the sidelines and Charlie (Weis) would send in personnel group and call a specific play. Really what happens in that type of situation is Charlie and I kind of switch roles. In a regular game, the way that it works is we'll go in for a series. I'll come off to the sidelines and talk to Charlie about what I liked for the next series, how I want to approach the next series, and he'll give me some feedback and we'll have a discussion on the sidelines. When I go back on the field, I feel confident that we've discussed and have the signals so I can get the things that I want. In a no-huddle situation we come to the sidelines and we have the same type of discussion. When I'm calling the plays, what happens is he comes to me with ideas for what I'm calling for the next series. I listen to him and try to get them called. When I go back on the field, if I need some help, I'll look to the sidelines and he'll send one in.
Q: Do you like it? It seemed like you were comfortable in it.
D: As I said, I think that there are ways that it works to our advantage. It speeds up the tempo first of all, it allows us to get into a better rhythm. When you have the element of surprise on your side, which we did this last week, a lot of cases you can lock the defense into one or two coverages which gives you an advantage. I don't think we'll have that luxury this week having shown our hand. There are some advantages. The other advantage it is something, that I've said many times, I enjoy doing. I enjoy trying to figure out and process all of the different factors that go into calling plays. Down and distance, field position, defensive you face for the pass, defensive tendencies, who you want to give the ball to in a specific situation. Those kinds of things. I've always enjoyed trying to process all of that information in a quick fashion. There's also an element of when I go out there, I'm calling them, I've got to make them work. Because if I call them, there's also that element of I don't want to be the bad quarterback and the bad coordinator at the same time. So, I've got to go out there and make them work.
Q: Buffalo did it a few years ago for a whole season. Why can't you do it here?
D: It's something that as I said, that we have worked on to a certain extent for the whole season and can go to at anytime in any game. As far as why we haven't used that as our offense basically, there are a number of reasons, one of the reasons is personnel. The other reason is that we feel like with our offensive staff and with Charlie (Weis) calling the plays, we can give ourselves an advantage by huddling up using different personnel groups, different motions and so on.
Q: Talk about Curtis Jackson and Jermaine Wiggins.
D: Curtis is a guy who has good speed. He's a very enthusiastic guy. He's always in my ear wanting to know about this route, about that route. What I am expecting from him here. Enthusiastic from that standpoint. It looks like he is a very competitive guy, so we look for good things from him here. We'll see. He's got an opportunity to try and lock up that third receiver spot on our team. If he can do that, then that works to our benefit. But there is still a competition for that spot.
As far as Wiggins, he came in and really right away showed that he's a guy that can get open and catch the ball very consistently. He made some good catches the other day, particularly the one throw where we were coming down to this end zone and I had to put it on his back hip and he was able to spin around and make the catch. He's got good hands and can do some things for us in the passing game.
Q: Is this a new position, the quarterback and the play caller?
D: (Laughs) Like I say, it's something that, it's not a situation where I'm out there on my own just running the show, making it up as I go along. It is just me out there using the things that were designed for that week is what it is. It's a thing where in a normal game where he's calling them we work together as well. In this last week, I'm basically using the stuff he designed for me. It's a thing where we work together and we thought in that particular game it would give us an advantage. It did. It gave us an advantage this last game.
Q: What is the advantage of having Charlie Weis on the field rather than in the booth?
D: The advantage of having Charlie on the field is that he has a dynamic strong personality so that when Charlie needs get the offense together, he can get guys going and get everybody on the same page. He's a good motivator as well, so having him on the sidelines is an advantage from that standpoint. I think if Charlie were to have his way, I think he could see things better if were up in the booth, but I think he feels like with his personality and his motivational style he felt like it was to our advantage to have him on the sidelines where he could be in direct contact with the players more.
Q: What does the addition of Raymont Harris bring to the team?
D: Raymont is a player that I liked a lot in the preseason. He's a pro I guess is the best way to describe Raymont. He's a guy that is diligent at what he does. He runs hard. He'll work hard for you, block well for you. He's a very smart player. He'll get his job done. Hopefully he will bring us a level of consistency and a level of professionalism to a position where we have a lot of young players.
Q: When you come the field after a game like last week, human reaction would be to say, 'Take that critics.' Is that your reaction?
D: That's neither here nor there. When I came off the field, I felt good because we won. That's the extent of that. The other stuff, I never have and hopefully never will get caught up in. The guys that I'm trying to impress are the guys in my locker room. Through the course of the season whether we win or whether we lose, if I can look those guys in the eye and they respect the effort and the performance that I'm giving then that's when I'm satisfied.
Q: Do you feel different the day after using the no-huddle, due to calling the plays?
D: More mentally. After that game, I was just worn out mentally. I wasn't physically all that tired. Mentally, I needed to go home and shut my brain off for a while and relax and slide in the bed. When I got home at 1:30 in the morning or whatever time it was. I was able to relax yesterday and play with the boys. I was able to turn it off for a while.
Q: Are you taking today off?
D: I'm going to practice today. I'm trying to be smart with this thing. At the same time, one thing I learned when I hurt my finger a few years back was that as a quarterback I can go a week, maybe two weeks without practicing and still be pretty sharp and precise. To miss practice for an extended period of time, after a while it turns into a real setback. What I've been trying to do and what our training staff is trying to do is to limit what I do so that I can try to continue to get this thing better, but at the same time get enough practice so that I can stay sharp and precise. There's a fine line and there's a trade-off between getting the thing totally healthy and whether or not I'm on top of all my timing, so we try to play that balancing act a little bit. So far, I think it's worked out.
Q: Is it getting better?
D: It's getting better. It's a gradual process obviously. If I can nothing with it for an extended period then it would heal pretty quickly, but it is getting better. This stuff is getting better, and this is getting stronger and the swelling has gone away, so it is getting better.
Q: What have you seen of the Bears defense?
D: They're a defensive team that has improved a lot through the course of the season. They have some good young players. (Brian) Urlacher is the rookie linebacker that looks like he's going to be a real player for a long time. As I said, they're a young defense. They have improved through the course of the season so when you watch them from earlier in the year, is a very different defense from what they are now.
