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Bill Belichick Post Game Transcript - 11/16

Belichick: I just can't say enough about the players. Defensively, any time you shut a team out in this league, you've got a lot of guys playing well.

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            **BB:**  Well, I think that game was about what we expected tonight.  Tough, hard fought game.  Real physical game.  I just can't say enough about the players.  Defensively, any time you shut a team out in this league, you've got a lot of guys playing well, the corners had some big plays but I thought the linebackers did a good job on the quarterback and the running game, made some big plays offensively.  Tried to pick up a blitz a couple times early in the game.  The backs ran hard.  Obviously, we hurt ourselves in the second half, a lot of penalties, a lot of big penalties.  But fortunately, we were able to overcome it and make enough plays to be a good football team tonight.  So I give the players a lot of credit.  They played hard.  They played a good football team and they just played a little bit better than Dallas did tonight.  

**Q: Bill, could you just comment on the running game, they weren't kind of big numbers but

BB:** You know, they are tough. It is hard to get numbers against Dallas no matter what you're doing. We tried to punch it in there. I thought the backs ran hard. We had a few plays. They certainly stopped us sometimes, but I think you have got to in order to throw the ball against Dallas, I think you have got to run it.

**Q: In the post game, was that the closest you have been to Bill Parcells in a few years?

BB:** No, I think this spring we were pretty close.

**Q: Can you elaborate on what you guys said at midfield at the end of the game at all?

BB:** Bill congratulated me on the win. I told him I thought he had a good football team and that I wished him well, and I do.

**Q: Coach, can you talk a little bit more about the defense specifically?

BB:** Well, you know, really, I don't know where to start. Romeo [Crennel], the defensive coach, had a great game plan. The players, the defensive line played solidly against the run. [Quincy] Carter is tough to contain, but they staved off him. The linebackers did a good job rerouting the receivers. The linebackers were in coverage a lot. They didn't blitz a lot of times. But getting the receivers and trying to keep them out of the routes was important. Overall, I thought our tackling was pretty good. Secondary, what more could you say. You know, we didn't, one in cut there at the end, the play at the end of the half, which was running out the clock thing. But it just goes right down the board. You can't single anything out. Good time defense, good coaching. The defensive staff did a good job.

**Q: What about having Ted Washington and Ted Johnson back in there tonight?

BB:** Well, it was good to have them back out there, sure. It was good to see them back out. Hopefully, they will be able to work their way back in and as they get a little more game, get back their game conditioning, game timing, all that, hopefully, it will continue to improve. But yes, it was great to see them back out there.

**Q: You had kind of a shoot out game with Tennessee and a game like tonight where it is close to the vest.

BB:** Well, I think this is very similar to the game a couple weeks ago. It was a 9 3, 12 0, those kinds of games. I think this team is just trying to take on the kind of the theme each week of, do what we need to do. And some weeks it is one part of the game or one type of game, but we just find a way to win.

**Q: It looks like you were able to rotate some of the linebackers through the defensive line. Does that help to get the defense on the field some?

BB:** Well, I think in the end it evened out. We were out there a lot in the first half. It was good to be able to rotate Ted Johnson with [Tedy] Bruschi, [Roman] Phifer, [Matt] Chatham, [Mike] Vrabel. [Willie] McGinest took some snaps there. I think all those guys played, you know, Jarvis [Green] and Ty [Law], along with [Bobby] Hamilton, [Ted] Washington, and [Richard] Seymour. I think we got a lot of plays out of a lot people.

**Q: Bill, can you talk about the fact that bottom line here, you get yourself another win. You are eight and two, ten games in. Surely you have got six to play but you're starting to set yourself up for a pretty good position down the road.

BB:** Right. But that doesn't really mean anything. Being in position is good. Doing something, that is something else. So right now it is about Houston. Houston, went in there today and beat Buffalo in Buffalo is a lot more than we can say. So we have just got to go and put our eyes on Houston now. I am not worried about anything other than that game.

**Q: Bill, did you use McGinest as a shadow, almost like a containment guy on Carter?

BB:** No, not really. But for the most part, no. Willie mainly plays on the right side and Quincy Carter scrambles a lot to the defensive left, to his right, the throwing side. So Willie ended up in that situation a number of times. But that is part of keeping the quarterback contained. I think he went out the other side a couple times. But Willie did a good job of that.

**Q: You guys did a good job on Terry Glenn. Anything special there?

BB:** No, nothing special.

**Q: Did Troy Brown work out before the game for you guys? Was he close or was it something

BB:** Yes. Troy practiced during the week, wasn't 100 percent. Obviously, you know, I think it was close today but just didn't, didn't feel like he really I just didn't feel like he had enough.

**Q: Not bad from [David] Givens or [Deion] Branch. I would say in a hard flat game that they were able to come up with some plays for you.

BB:** They sure did. They stepped up there. It looked like they had a chance to make a play at the end of the game but he kind of got knocked down. But I think those guys did a good job of stepping up. You know, the tight ends and the backs got, you know, got more, were on the field more, had more opportunities. And Bethel [Johnson] did a good job, especially on that protection. Thank you

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