VS.

POSTGAME QUOTES
NOVEMBER 4, 2007

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Q: On Chad Johnson Injury:
"He has movement in his body; arms, fingers, legs. We're going to undergo an x-ray here as a precaution, because he was having some pain in the neck. They did obviously immobilize him and he's going to have an x-ray done here quickly. He never lost consciousness or anything."

Q: General Game Comments:
"We had an opportunity to win the football game. The Bills made more plays and they came up with the big plays. They were able to drive down the field and score on third down (Lynch pass). It's disappointing we let the run out the back door at the end of the game, because we still had an opportunity there."

"We did some good things, but not enough. We have to figure out how to win a football game rather than lose the game."

Q: On 2-6 Record:
"That's what we are, we're 2-6. I'm not happy about it and there's nothing I can change about it. It's disappointing, but we've got to make football plays. We didn't make enough plays again today. We only got 14 points offensively, so we've got to score more points."

Q: On Third Downs:
"They were able to keep a couple drives alive converting third-and-long situations, and I don't think we converted -- maybe one or two today."

Q: On Running Game:
"I think that was a big part of the football game, but I can't tell you why we struggled. But obviously that played a significant part of the football game. We got off to a good start running, but it just seemed like we didn't get enough blocks; some guys slipped off blocks and made plays."

Q: On the frustration of losing:
We're not a very good football team, it's frustrating. There's nothing more you can say about it, it's just frustrating.

Q: On the ability to hold the lead:
You want to lead at any point in the game, first, second, third and fourth quarter. We just couldn't hold on to it.

Q: On third down conversions:
It's frustrating when you have to punt the ball. We got some manageable and makeable third down situations that we didn't take advantage of, and put our defense in tough positions.

Q: More on third down conversions:
There's no way we can't do a better job, we need to find a way to convert and keep our offense on the field.

Q: On Buffalo's defense:
We struggled, they played a lot of two high, and we had a number of situations where we tried to run the ball, and (Buffalo) did a good job defensively.

Q: On the collective frustration of the team:
I'm not even going to try to explain it, it's frustrating. I don't have words for the way we feel in this locker room about this game, and this season. It's just frustrating.

Q: On losing today:
It's tough, we've said it six times now, but we've got to start thinking about the next one. We think of the opportunities that we didn't take advantage of, didn't make plays in situations where we could have. It's really about finding a way to get a victory, and we just didn't do it.

Q: On Buffalo's offense:
They did a good job getting four yards here, four yards there, and then a first down. They really controlled the clock and did a good job offensively.

Q: On Chad Johnson's injury:
It looked like he was moving his body, but he was in a lot of pain. All we can do is pray for him, and hope that it's nothing serious.

Q: On the kickoff return for a touchdown:
The guys did good on the kickoff return. They blocked real good and I just stretched it and saw a hole open and I hit it.

Q: On being touched on the kickoff return:
Not even touched and I made a move on the kicker at the end.

Q: On diving into the endzone at the end of the run:
It was in celebration. The bad thing about it was Dhani Jones jumped and hit my helmet at the end and hit my facemask and I lost two of my front teeth.

Q: On Buffalo having the best kickoff coverage in the league:
These guys are good. Like I was saying all week they come down and they hit real good down there. Again, my teammates did real good out there on the kickoff return to help me get a 99-yard or a 100-yard touchdown.

Q: On Chad Johnson's injury:
I was already in the locker room when it happened. When I saw him in the x-ray room I just talked to him and he seemed fine and moving everything. Just a little sore neck.

Q: On Lee Evans having a big game:
I think we had a real good game plan and had some really great calls out there as far as coach Chuck (Bresnahan). We just have to make the plays. I think we're in position and now we just have to finish it.

Q: On spending a lot of time worrying about J.P Losman running the ball:
I mean we were, but at the same time we kind of knew he was a mobile quarterback and he can get outside of the pocket every once in a while. We just have to latch on to a receiver and hold him down.

Q: On the possibility of still making the playoffs:
There's a lot of football to play. It's an uphill battle right now. We just have to keep trucking as they say and get this next win against a good Baltimore team at Baltimore.

Q: On Chad Johnson getting injured:
Any time a fan favorite goes down like that or anybody you want to show your support and hope that everything is okay.

Q: On speaking with Chad Johnson about the injury:
I wasn't one of the guys that was down there with him that close, but from the understanding that I got everything is okay.

Q: On the Bills throwing a lot of balls to Joseph's side:
(Lee Evans) caught a couple balls early. Going into the game you know he's going to catch balls here and there. You just have to keep fighting until the end.

Q: On what makes Evans difficult to cover:
It really wasn't one particular thing.

Q: On Evans being elusive:
I guess if you really want to call it that. He's a good receiver, but there is not one particular thing that jumps out.

Q: On the game:
That was a terrific win for our football team. Studying the tape I thought they were very talented, and we got some breaks today, but we made some plays. The thing we talked about in the running game showed up, and we had a number of really good runs, 12 yards, 8, 10, 6, 3, 2, and then of course the big one is what makes it though. It's what makes the run game and we really ripped off a big run though and it was at a critical time. We threw the ball well, I mean obviously we put up the 33 points and we haven't come close to that all year. It was a terrific win for us. The kick off return they made we have to tip our hat to them, although it was disappointing obviously because we take pride in our teams. They play so hard that that play particularly, when it occurred, I thought that our guys really took a shot and came back strong, which probably says a good deal about them they do have a lot of character. All in all it was just an outstanding day, and an outstanding win just for us to get to .500 at the half way point is quite an achievement I think they deserve a tip of our hat and a pat on their back.

Q: On the go ahead touchdown trick play:
Well you know we didn't think about necessarily tricking them where it is a good play, because we have a good running back and we are running the ball pretty successfully. It's certainly not a new play in the league but it generally works if you're running the ball effectively and you have someone that they fear in the run game who can throw it, and he throws it pretty well.

Q: On J.P. Losman :
You can't argue with the outcome and that's the main thing you know to get the W. Kind of like we said all along we really feel good about our young quarterbacks and now JP put one up on the board today. It was just a huge win and he came through for us and Lee was tremendous. I thought he made some really tough catches you know some in-traffic catches which was great to see and then down field too.

Q: You attacked downfield:
Not any more or less that it has been. We knew we would take shots, and we took some shots down the field, but I wouldn't say any more or less than had been before. One thing that was unbelievable today was our protection. It was expected maybe a little more pressure from them. I had felt that they pressured a good deal on tape and thought they would come after us more than they did, but our offensive line and our tight ends and our running back protected well. Notice he had a good deal of time back there and he made some good decisions except for the one throw.

Q: Would it be hard to take J.P. out after today:
I don't know. We are kind of just enjoying this win and as usual we will wait for any personnel decisions until Wednesday and certainly until I have had a chance to talk with the players.

Q: On Edwards Injury:
He's not real close really. What Bud thinks is that it will come along faster now since the swelling has gone down and he thinks he will make big progress, but we will just have to wait and see.

Q: On how you held them to 21 points:
It's unbelievable. Well again I think Perry and the defensive staff had a terrific game plan and we change up enough I think to make you a little bit uneasy on that side. Our tackling from the sideline, their so explosive as an offensive team that you're constantly worried, the screen play in the first quarter on the first drive was a good example of what they can do and seem to do a lot in the past. After that we seemed to regroup and catch our stride because we only gave up that one touchdown in that half the other one was the return. Good plan but execution was the deal our guys just play hard.

Q: On the Injuries:
Roscoe was a quad contusion and John DiGiorgio we are calling a concussion, although I don't know how severe.

Q: On what happened to Chad Johnson :
It was a scary moment. It was good to see he was moving. I think it was pretty clear at least from where I was on the field I could see his legs moving the whole time. So that was good and you immediately feel a lot better, but I did ask the official what it was because I couldn't see it and he told me it was a neck injury and you know that's always scary. They stabilized him and got him out, but he did have movement and informed, I believe, that he did have movement by the Bengals medical staff.

Q: Now that you're .500 how does the rest of the season look?
I have never been through a first half of a season like this for all the reasons that you're aware of, all the injuries particularly Kevin's situation. It's nothing new for you to hear, but I really like these guys and they way they respond how they kind of pulled together. They are just a really good team and where it goes we don't know we just keep playing we have to play it out. They deserve a lot of credit because they really have been through a good deal but the good news is they have all gone through it kind of together and have stayed together. They just kept believing that they had a chance and could win. It's been really different but especially since Kevin's doing well it's been a pretty good journey to this point. So we will see what happens.

Q: On having confidence on the field:
Personally yes you have to have that confidence going into a game. A mistake there in the first half, I got a little greedy I think trying to take a shot there with Lee. The ball slipped out a little bit regardless I probably should have checked it down. But other than that, as the game went on I felt that I was getting into a grove and getting used to throwing hot reads and sights and adjustment routes, getting through your progression. As the game went on, I felt I was getting more and more comfortable having not been in there in a while.

Q: On the option touchdown pass from Marshawn Lynch:
We had run the ball pretty well and they were coming up pretty hard and so we knew we had a great shot. Going into the huddle, I just kind of [tried to] smooth things out a little bit. I didn't want Marshawn to get to feel like a lot of pressure was on him. I just kind of went in there and said, "Let's play some street ball with this play." It's one of those types of plays that when you go into the huddle you want the guy that's throwing the ball who's not used to it to be comfortable so I kind of said a little joke. It worked out so I guess it was the right thing to do.

Q: On what he told Marshawn in the huddle:
I coached him up a little bit and I told him to make sure the index finger is the last on the ball.

Q: On not having control over the quarterback decision and if he felt he has gotten some support from his teammates:
I hope so. The feedback with the players has always been strong. But having not played in a while, when you do get a chance to go in there it's a constant proving to your teammates that you deserve to be in there. And they feel the same way about themselves. In that case as a player you want to help your teammates. These are my friends, these are comrades, I've been out there with these guys for a couple of years so I wanted to come through for them and they wanted to come through for me. That's kind of how it goes. In preparation whether I was playing or not I kept reminding myself that there's a lot of guys counting on me. You take that with you in your preparation.

Q: On the touchdown pass to Lee Evans and connecting with him early on:
It was just some throws. I don't know how to explain them. We had the calls. We called it I believe on first down, the touchdown pass, and so it kind of got them off guard. I think they went cover zero so we just had one-on-one to Lee and I just put it up there in the corner. That's what we practiced all week, putting it in the corner and he has to get there. It's kind of like a five step and hitch, put it in the corner and it's on him to get there and so he did. He got his feet down, which is a big play."

Q: On thoughts of touchdown play called:
It's high school, pitch and catch with Robert Royal just make sure I get that tight spot around the ball.

Q: On practicing the option play:
We practiced it in practice so I got a couple reps during the week, so I just want to execute on that play.

Q: Mentality when told to run that play:
If he's covered at that point in time I'm a running back so get that ball down hill. But if he's open put that ball on him.

Q: On other players responding to J.P. Losman:
Well like I said before I don't mind who's under the center taking the snaps I'm going out and play 100% no matter who we got back there JP or Trent. It's good we rallied around JP and made some good plays today.

Q: On whether or not he knew if he got his foot down:
I knew I got my foot down. So, I ran to the camera man. I was a little hurt (by the call). I said something to the referee and I thought we were going to challenge it anyway.

Q: On the importance of three game win streak:
It's real big. It's big for everybody in this locker room. Right now we're getting our timing down. The mistakes we made early in the season we're not making now. We just have to keep it rolling.

Q: On starting to be more productive:
Well as a receiver, I think making plays down the field takes a while to come. We struggled early in the season. Now me and the other receivers are starting to get in a rhythm.

Q: On low rushing yards by Cincinnati and locking down receivers:
First off, we wanted to take away the run we know that they have two outstanding receivers on the outside. We knew that they wanted to give those guys the ball, those guys are going to make plays. Against the run, they had 28 yards rushing, or something like that and we wanted to take that away and make it one dimensional which we did and we came out victorious.

Q: On ball dropped by Chad Johnson that could have been a big play:
That first one right there actually I saw Chad looking at me he wasn't looking at the football that's probably why he dropped the ball and took a bad angle on that and luckily he dropped it. We had words after that play he told me 'I'm going to get that' I said 'ok, next time you come across there I got something for you.' So that's what we said on that and that's what happened. I didn't try to hurt him or anything it was clean legal hit so I think other teams will see that and see how physical we play now they're going to be looking. So were going to continue to play physical. I hope he's alright they said he had movement in all his parts so that's good I hope he's healthy and able to play next week or the following week.

Q: On the incentive from Chad Johnson's attitude:
It is, guys like that, that are great players you rarely get a great hit on them because they're going see you out of the corner of their eye and they're going to get down and they're going to do something. So when you get a chance to hit a guy that talks so much and everybody I had this week please hit Chad Johnson, please hit Chad Johnson and that's how everybody feels especially when you have a good player that talks so much.