**Q: Are you surprised at all about the hype surrounding the game, especially in reference to the coaching match-up?

TB:** This is the first I have seen you guys. You seem like you are pretty excited about this. They obviously have had a long history together. I don't think that either one of them make the tackles or make the throws. They can only get their teams ready to play and they are 7-2. They have a good team and they have been playing well. I don't think the players care too much about the coaching match-up. I think we care about the players match-up.

**Q: Have you been told not to care about the coaching match-up? Has anyone said anything to you?

TB:** No. I just really don't care.

**Q: You have seen some really tough front sevens this year. Is Dallas' as fast and active as any you have seen?

TB:** Yeah. No doubt they are a pressure defense that has speed. We have played some defenses that are pretty fast. Philly's defense was pretty fast. Miami's was pretty fast. I think they are just a good, challenging defense. Whatever their scheme they do it really well. They obviously put a lot of heat on the QB watching the Bills game, watching the Redskins game. They are bringing it, so I have to get rid of that ball.

**Q: So how to do you combat that now?

TB:** I think one thing you have to do is you have to know the game plan and know who we are trying to block and know who is going to be free. You can't have any real mental errors. You really don't want anyone running free on the quarterback. Then when I do have it picked up you have to make the throws and also get the ball out quick. This isn't one of those days where I will be just camping back there checking things out. I really will have to get that ball out quick.

**Q: Did the bye week come at a good time? Did you guys need that rest or would you have preferred to have it a little later in the season?

TB:** It was really as late as we could have it. I think everyone needed it. Mentally, I think everyone was at a point where we were sick of seeing our coaches and seeing of seeing each other for a while. We needed to get out and do some other things. It was nice.

**Q: How many best defenses in the NFL are there and how is it that you play them every week.

TB:** It seems like it, doesn't it? It is funny, David Patten three weeks ago … it was like the third week in a row where coach started the meeting by coming in and saying we are facing a tough defense that is first in the league in this and David said, 'Man everyone is first in the league when we play them.' Once again these guys have a lot of high rankings. I think we are going to have to do some things and I think we will show up and be ready to play.

**Q: How does it feel that once they are done playing you they aren't number one any more?

TB:** Yeah. I kind of like that fact. I think we have gone out the last five weeks in all of our wins and really played better football. Thinking of some of those losses we had. Those weren't very good and I don't think we played nearly the way we needed to play to reach our goals. I think the last five weeks we have played good defenses and moved the ball. We haven't exactly scored as many points in some of those games as we would have liked, but our offense has been moving the ball. That is even better. Situationally, some of the things haven't been great, but overall it has been better.

**Q: How important is it for you to make the decisions quicker given their speed?

TB:** I think that is real critical. It is critical to make a quick read. The receivers have to run good routes to get open and then make the throws. With a blitzing team, if you are not successful against it early you can bet that it is coming all day. You can bet the more successful they are, the more situations they are going to be pressuring in. Their pressure defense is good and if they start smelling blood, they are really going to be coming after me.

**Q: Do you welcome that or do you prefer playing against a team that will sit back and play more defensive backs?

TB:** Depends on whether they are getting to me or not. If they are coming hard and they are hitting, then obviously you would rather like some time back there to sit back and throw. Either way they are both challenging in different ways. This is obviously a good defense being first in the league. That says something over the course of nine games. They are tough.

**Q: They got to [Drew] Bledsoe in the last game. Did you watch the game and did you feel for your old teammate?

TB:** Yeah. You never like to see that happen. Play after play, they were hitting him and it gets to a point where you don't think you have any time back there. He is a big guy and I'm not nearly as big as he is, so I don't know if I would have held up after a game like that.

**Q: You played with Terry Glenn for a while. He has done a very good job with Dallas. Are you surprised that his career has turned around?

TB:** He always had the talent. There is no question about that. When he was here I really don't think he was on the same page as coach. For one reason or the other he wasn't out there as much as we would have liked. He always had talent. He could catch, run and was a smart player. He said some bad things about this place from what I heard.

**Q: Were his comments on the bulletin board this week?

TB:** I think guys are aware of it and his feelings. That is fine. I'm sure we have feelings for the Cowboys too. Not that we want to go out and spread it all over their bulletin board. I don't think there is a lot of great will to them either.

**Q: Would it be accurate to say that you are the kind of player that could play for Parcells?

TB:** To tell you the truth I have never been around him. I have never seen him. I have heard stories and that stuff doesn't bother me with the discipline. I have never met him.

**Q: From the stories you have heard from the Giants days with Phil Simms. It seems like his method of coaching wouldn't really ruffle your feathers much.

TB:** I don't think I mind a coach harping on me expecting perfection or expecting me always to do the right thing. That is kind of what I expect. I think he demands quite a bit. His expectations are high for his team. I sure there would be shouting matches at some point and always respectful. He obviously has those guys doing the right thing.