Q: What are your thoughts on Buffalo in general?
TB: I think that it is a tough place to play. We found that out last year the hard way. I think we are expecting the same type of challenge. I think out of all the places we play, it is certainly loud. It is an excellent defense that we are going to face. They play with a lot of emotion and energy. We have quite a challenge.
Q: This is your third game facing Lawyer Milloy. Has that novelty kind of worn off by now?
TB: In terms of having a Pro Bowl safety on the other side of the field. You don't like to play against those guys too often. We know what he brings to the table. He brings a lot of heart, a lot of energy and a lot of emotion. He is a tremendous player. He has a great attitude. I think he adds a lot to that defense. I'm sure they are glad to have him. He is a tough guy to play against. Every time I play him, I'm sure it is going to be the same way.
Q: Will sharpness be an issue, and what are the things you want to see that indicate that you guys are sharp offensively?
TB: I think it is something that we are continuing to work on. Last week we made some improvement on offense, but I think it is a season-long process and we would like to be as consistent as we could be going into the third game of the year. I think we are still trying to work out some of the kinks in the offense. Like I said last week, everyone is finding a role on this team. The faster we can get to the stuff we want to do, I think the more successful we are going to be. I think going into this week, we are playing a defense that pretty much shuts down everything. We are going to try our best stuff and hopefully some of it works.
Q: What is the difference that Corey Dillon has brought to your offense?
TB: I think everyone sees that Corey can run the ball. Any time that you can run it, it helps the passing game and vice versa. Corey has done a great job.
Q: Is there anything that you have to guard against coming off the bye week?
TB: Being that it is only the third game of the year, I really don't know what this team is all about. How we play, I'm not really sure. Hopefully we used last week to our advantage and got a little rest. Hopefully guys come back a little healthier and a little more fresh. I will probably know more on Sunday how we react to it. Hopefully we react well.
Q: Has the 17-game win streak entered your mind going into Sunday?
TB: Not the slightest bit. When I say that, I say that with all honesty. This team is 2-0 and we are trying to get to 3-0. A few years ago we were 0-2 like they are and we had the Colts coming in to our stadium and they were 2-0, and we beat them 44-7. 2-0 doesn't mean anything. 0-2 doesn't mean anything, especially for a team that barely lost the last two games. Two plays and they could be 2-0. It really makes no difference. We know if we don't play well, we will get our butts kicked. Obviously that is not what we intend to happen. We are going out and will try to play well against a very good Buffalo team.
Q: When was the last time you were on a team that went undefeated for a whole year?
TB: I don't think I have been on a team that won every game. That is tough challenge to win every game, but I haven't been so lucky.
Q: You said that 2-0 doesn't mean anything, but what does 18-0 mean?
TB: You have to ask the Miami Dolphins who went 17-0. They had a great season. This team is 2-0 and a far cry from 18-0. We are trying to get to 3-0. That is all I care about. Hopefully we win one more game.
Q: If it is not the same season, it doesn't count for you?
TB: Not really. It is a totally different team. It is a completely different team with a different attitude and different camaraderie. We are 2-0 looking to get to 3-0 and that is all that is important. We have to win one game, and those are the expectations for this team. I don't think coach puts it any other way. I don't think the players look at it any other way. We are playing a Buffalo team that handed us the worst defeat since I have been here, 31-0. We got embarrassed on that field. We go into the same environment under different circumstances, but with the same feelings that we had last time. Hopefully we are more prepared than we were last year, and hopefully we go out and play better than we did last year. If we don't then it could be the same outcome. I don't think any of us felt very good after that game. I think a lot of the guys in the locker room still remember that game very well. Every time you see a tape you cringe. We are trying to beat Buffalo. That is all I care about.
Q: In your mind does Drew Bledsoe still have what it takes to be a successful NFL quarterback?
TB: I think he is a very capable player. I think he has all the talent, ability and the mental attitude. He is as tough as anyone I have been around. He is extremely competitive. He works his butt off, and I think he is tremendous player. Anyone who says he can't do it, tell them to turn on the tape and watch how he plays. He can still play. Our defense is going to have a tough challenge this week because he can make any throw on the field. They have a running back that is one of the best in the league. Drew can still play.
Q: Last week Drew Bledsoe responded to some of the criticism he received in the media and he was very passionate about it. What kind of emotions to you expect him to come out with this week?
TB: I'm sure every time he plays New England he wants to play really well. He is so competitive. Every week is the same thing. He wants to go out and play well every week. Whether he plays us, which I'm sure there is a little added emotion, but at the same time he wants to play well every week. This is one game on his schedule just like this is one game on our schedule. We have to go out and play well this week. He wants to do the same. Hopefully our defense makes it tough for him. There is no doubt that he can still play. Anyone who is playing quarterback in the NFL can play. Anyone who is on a roster. He can certainly do it
Q: How about the importance since it is a divisional game?
TB: That is critical because it is worth two games. Hopefully you win these [games]. You play teams like the Jets, Miami and Buffalo two times a year and being 2-0 is much better than being 1-1. We are trying to get to 1-0 against those guys because it just creates a significant advantage when you are talking about standings at the end of the year. It is a big game for us in that sense, but in another sense it is another chance for us to go out and try to play better than we did the last two weeks.
Q: What are the differences in attitude from this year compared to last year?
TB: The attitude last year was over the course of all the games we played. This team has only been together for seven weeks. It is only our third real game. No one knows what this team is about in terms of overcoming adversity. We have been challenged in some senses but not in the ways we were last year. Whether this team can deal with adversity or play from behind or play with the lead, that all remains to be seen. I don't think anyone here jumps to any judgments about what this team can accomplish. We are focusing on today. We have a big practice today, and we are going to go out and prepare for a team that beat us 31-0 last year. If that is not a big enough challenge for this team then nothing is. You can make predictions and say we are 2-0 and they are 0-2 and they are playing at home. It doesn't matter. At this point in the season it is about trying to play as best we can. That is what we are going to try to do.
Q: How do you look back at the season-opening lost to Buffalo last year?
TB: I don't think that there were many good plays out there. From the quarterback position, I threw four picks. We couldn't get in on any goal line situations. We didn't score a point. We were shutout for the first time 10 or 12 years. It was just embarrassing. We played terribly. I played terribly and I still remember that game. Those type of games, when you are anxious to start a year and you are 0-0 and you say that you are going to get off to a great start and you go 0-1 and you throw four picks, your confidence takes a big hit. You say, 'God what happened? Am I any good anymore?' Hopefully you try to build it back up. There are bad memories from that game. There is a bad taste in our mouth from that game. We want to go out and try to play certainly much better then we did last year, but even better then we did the last two weeks.
Q: You guys don't like to look back at the positives, but you don't seem to have a problem looking back at the negatives.
TB: From a competitive standpoint you try to make corrections on the things that aren't good, because the more bad things you do the easier it is to get beat. You are right. Not a lot of times you give yourself a lot of credit because you also realize, that some of those games you win there are one or two things that could have gone the other way and you lose. So you are always trying to correct the bad things. That is part of the reason why the team has been successful, because we are always trying to get better, even if you win a game. We won two games the last two weeks, but we haven't played very well. If we play the way we did last week against the Cardinals then we will get beat by Buffalo. The outcomes are not what we are looking at as how the game unfolded and the types of things we were pressed to do. We have to throw the ball better. We have to commit less penalties. We have to turn the ball over less. Turnovers have been a big part of the reason why we haven't played very well. Buffalo is a team that feeds on turnovers. We are going to have to correct a lot of things if we want to go out and play well.
Q: What are your challenges against the Buffalo defense?
TB: It is one of the best defenses in the league. They have Nate Clements who is a tremendous corner. Troy Vincent has been one of the best corners for 12 years. They have one of the best middle linebackers. London Fletcher has 900 tackles in the last five years, almost 180 tackles a year. He is as emotional and energetic as anyone on that field. Lawyer Milloy is a Pro Bowl safety. They have two big guys that make it hard to run the ball inside. They are as big as anyone. They make it tough for everyone to run the ball. [Aaron] Schobel had 12.5 sacks last year. They can rush the passer. Takeo Spikes is just like Fletcher. This is one of the best groups of linebackers we will face all year, and one of the best secondaries we will face all year. We have plenty of challenges for everybody up and down the board. We are going to be in for a long day.
