Q: Is there something to adapting to the changing situations in a game?
TB: Well, I think we found some things that we liked, so we kind of stuck with it, but, it's a different part of the offense that we didn't really use much last year.
Q: It's only one game, but how happy are you, and do you hope it carries over to the rest of the season?
TB: Yea, you hope it does, it's a nice thing to build on, last year we started out 1-3 and the year before we were 0-4, so to be off to a good start, coach [Belichick] has been harping on that for the last six weeks so, it's been a big point of emphasis.
Q: How much do you remember about the first half when you played the Jets last year?
TB: They put it to us that first half, I think they were far more physical than us. Charlie [Weis] came in and gave us a half-time speech that challenged us, I think there were more swear words coming out of his mouth that day than I've ever heard, but he got us going and we played a great second half. It's a completely different team than last year, they got six new players on defense, and we got a whole bunch of new guys too.
Q: (on the Jets defense)
TB: They get a lot of pressure with their front core, they got a great defensive line, they got three pretty fast linebackers, so that's really a big part of their defense, making sure that the front seven is involved. Just like last week, we have to make sure we're protected.
Q: How much of a challenge is it with that tough defensive front?
TB: It's extremely important. Once you realize where the pressure's coming from, you got to make the read and throw to the open guy, and it's the defense that plays a little more zone coverage than last week. Last week was a little more man to man coverage, but preparing like we did last week, we have to prepare completely differently because they're probably as far away from the Steeler defense as you could be is the Jet defense. So we need a good week of preparation, and it started this morning, actually it started last night, and we're looking to go out and win a tough one on the road.
Q: Talk about building on to what you started Monday night.
TB: This is a long season, it's a marathon as we always say, and it's our first road game, and it's against probably our arch rival, so we've got to go out and . . . I think they probably feel like they had us last year down at their place, they're going to put together as a good a performance . . . they haven't lost a game yet, so it's going to be tough game.
Q: It's kind of strange because you have so many ex-Jets.
TB: Yea, it's like an intersquad Jet scrimmage you know, I think we got half the lockeroom are all Jets, including our coaches, so I don't think there's a lot of love lost between these two teams and it's such a rivalry in the cities too you know, so it's going to be another test for us.
Q: How important was that game last year, especially the way you played in the second half?
TB: Yea it did, I think our record was 6-5 at the time, and we were going in at half-time, getting our butt kicked at the half, and then we put together a great second half and that really propelled us into the rest of the year. It's tough to play down there, that stadium's tough, it's loud, and we're going to have to work on our communication this week too.
Q: How about looking back, how long ago does it seem like you were put into that jets game after Drew Bledsoe got hurt?
TB: It's been a long year, it seems like it's gone pretty quick, but a lot of things have happened. I'm thinking about today, and the symbolism today, it's crazy how fast things can go, it feels like that happened a couple months ago. With all that going on, to reflect on a day like this, it's probably good for us to be in here practicing so we don't have to sit back and watch TV like everyone else.
Q: What do you remember about coming into that situation fro the first Jets game?
TB: I think we were down seven, and we had a chance to go in there and tie it up. We made a few plays to get down the field but we didn't finish the drive. It would have been nice to get that one, but we really built on it from there, and like you said kind of the start of realizing that, 'hey, eventhough we were down in a game we could still come back.'
Q: Any anxiety on your side at all?
TB: I don't think I was too . . . I think you caught up in the game, and your adrenaline goes.
Q: (On the tight ends)
TB: They did a great job, and Cam [Cleeland] was in there on that no huddle pass series, part of that 25 pass play series, I mean he had a bunch of them. Christian [Fauria] had a touchdown catch, and Dan Graham did some good things, it's really a position of strength. It's a lot of guys who are doing a lot of good things and everyone's finding their role at this point and those guys have done a great job of putting themselves in a position where, you know, Charlie [Weis] will throw them a bunch of balls.
Q: How difficult do you think this division can be?
TB: Watching Buffalo and the Jets play, those are two excellent teams, and the Dolphins won big so, it's going to be tough, every game's a battle, and when you get in these division games, coach always says they count twice as much, you know it's in the division, so it's going to be tough, this is always a tough game, especially playing down there.
Q: How much do you hate that J-E-T-S JETS, JETS, JETS?
TB: That fire marshall or fireman, whatever he is leading those cheers; they do a pretty good job of getting those guys riled up.
