Q: How do you feel about going back to Minnesota?
LM: I feel good. I treat it... it's just a game to me. I have to work hard and just go out there and play my game.
Q: Do you think you'll be tempted to show [the Minnesota fans] a little something special?
LM: No. I don't have anything against them.
Q: How about the Vikings' run defense?
LM: We have to go out there today and practice hard this whole week. We watched film on them. They have a great defense. We just have to go out there and run off of what we see.
Q: You know how loud [the Metrodome] can get...
LM: No. Not really. It didn't get too loud for us (the University of Minnesota). [laughter]
Q: Okay, so you've seen on TV how loud it can get. How do you adjust to it?
LM: It's just a game. I don't really pay attention to the noise. I feed off the same noise that [the opponents] feed off of. If it gets loud, I get [pumped] and get ready. It just amps me up ... I'm just going to run the best that I can do.
Q: What's your best memory of playing there?
LM: I don't know. I have a lot of them.
Q: What's the biggest adjustment you've had to make as a rookie?
LM: Reading defenses is about the hardest for me. Just going out there and reading the defenses and seeing where everybody else is lined up.
Q: How about playing on Monday Night Football? This is a first for you as well.
LM: Yeah, it is a first. A lot of things are going to be a first for me this year. I don't look at it differently. I still think of it as just a football game. I still have to go out there and perform.
Q: Is it fortunate to come into a backfield with veteran guys like Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk?
LM: It's definitely a great deal for me because it helps me out, it takes a lot of stress off my shoulders and it gives me a lot to learn from.
Q: How many friends and family will you have there?
LM: Not that many. About 15.
Q: Have you gotten extra phone calls this week?
LM: No, not yet. I don't think anybody knows yet
Q: How has playing special teams been to you?
LM: It's been fun. Basically, just to get out there on the field is just a great feeling. Just to go out there and help the team in any way possible. It's just a great feeling for me to just go out there and perform.
Q: Have any of your teammates made fun of you for not scoring on the 74-yard kickoff return against Buffalo?
LM: Oh man. They did. But, hey, you just have to take it in stride. They made fun of me. It's cool. I told them I did get tired. My legs did get heavy.
Q: What did they say?
LM: Nothing. I told them, 'I'm carrying an extra 15 pounds. What did y'all expect?'
Q: How can you guys attack Minnesota's rush defense as a unit?
LM: Basically, we just have to go out there and play our game. Don't try to play their game. Go out there and try to execute our plays and do what we do best.
Q: Are there any extra plays you might try to run to counter their front seven?
LM: Not that I know of.
Q: What's been the most fun about the year so far?
LM: Being in that running back room. Just being with such a great group of guys, as in Corey [Dillon], Kevin [Faulk], Heath [Evans], [Patrick] Pass. It's just been fun just being in the room.
Q: Do you feel worn down at all?
LM: Oh no. My body feels good. My body feels fresh, feels good.
Q: Do you guys hang around outside the practice room?
LM: All the time. All day.
Q: What do you do?
LM: Play video games. Play Madden. Do something. Watch film. We just do little small things. We don't hang out [all the time] but we do have our little times.
Q: Who is the best Madden player among you guys?
LM: I have to say Corey. I don't play Madden like that.
Q: What's his team?
LM: The Patriots? Who do you think?
Q: Were you disappointed you only have an 82 rating in Madden?
LM: No. I was surprised I was even that high.
Q: Do you like the way coaching staff has used you and Corey together?
LM: It's been working good. I like it. I'm just really glad to be even getting the time that I am getting. I'm not in a position to complain about anything. I am excited about the time they've been giving me to go out there and get a chance to perform and showcase my talent. It's been a good thing.
Q: You were used to it anyway, right? You shared time in college.
LM: Yeah. I'm definitely used to it. I feel like it's better for both of us because it takes the wear and tear off of both our bodies.
Q: What did the running game do against Cincinnati that it hasn't been able to do the last few weeks? Have they been stacking the box more?
LM: We all know that everybody is going to stack the box. We aren't making any excuses for that. We just need to go out there and prepare better and probably just go out there and execute our plays better.
Q: Is it difficult that a lot of times you've been hit behind the line?
LM: Some plays like that are going to happen. You just have to let that play get behind you and look towards the next one. There are going to be a lot of times I break one and there are going to be a lot of times I might get hit in the backfield, but you have to take it with a grain of salt and just keep playing.
Q: I think you had said that you would like to be Rookie of the Year? Do you think that's a realistic goal?
LM: I'm not going to say I would like to. If I get it, I do. If I don't, I don't. It means a lot, but it doesn't really mean anything for real. You're the rookie of the year. Okay, you still have to come out next year and get better.
