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Ty Law Conf. Call Transcript

Law: I played against them so many times, I know how explosive they are. I'm never surprised about how well they play.

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**Q: What has Rodney Harrison brought to your team?

TL:** Well, he definitely brought an attitude. It was something that Molloy, he brought to the defense all the time he was here and Rodney just brought another aspect to it. He's a physical presence and he's taken a role as the leader of the secondary, making all of the calls and taking Wilson under his wing. He's been a tremendous asset for us.

**Q: How has he gone about fitting in with you guys; you guys have been so cohesive?

TL:** Well, we pretty much knew what type of player he was. And then playing with him over in the Pro Bowl, we hung out a little bit, and that was one of the main reasons he signed with us. He said he wanted the opportunity to play with us on a full time basis because we had such a good time at the Pro Bowl. I definitely knew what he brought to the table and it didn't take long for him to fit in with the rest of the guys.

**Q: Can you talk about trying to defend against the Indianapolis offense when they have so many guys that are contributing right now, as opposed to the first time that you played them?

TL:** Well, they have weapons all over the place. They have the big three. Then you have guys like (Brandon) Stokely and Reggie Wayne, those guys are stepping up. So you just can't concentrate on one aspect of that offense. We just have to go out there and play good, sound team 'D' and not just be able to concentrate on one or two guys. They have too many weapons.

**Q: Do you see a difference from when you saw them the first time?

TL:** I played against them so many times, I know how explosive they are. I'm never surprised about how well they play. They have great talent. They probably have the best wide receiver in the NFL, the best quarterback, he's the co-MVP, along with Steve McNair. And Edgerrin James, he's looking like the old Edgerrin that I know before the knee injury. Those guys are constants and now you have to add in the other factors in Stokely, Reggie Wayne and Marcus Pollard. Pound for pound, they probably are one of the best skilled teams in the league and you have to be aware of that.

**Q: What's been the key to your record this year?

TL:** Well, actually, our heart and sticking together. Given all of the situations that happened from the beginning of the season with the release of Molloy ā€“ that could have been a big blow to us as a team. Week-in and week-out, we had injuries to some of our top guys. We were just able to hang in there and fight hard, and it's just the mentality that we have and I think it shows a lot about the character of our team. It starts from the head coach. He puts together a great game plan, along with his assistants, and we've just got to go out there and run it and we believe in it. We believe in each other and believe in the system and I think that all helps.

**Q: Can you talk about playing for Bill Belichick and Romeo what it's like to play for guys like that?

TL:** You could be a little mind boggled at first because there's so many different things to know -- the terminology, the checks -- it's pretty complicated. You have to be pretty intelligent. But once you buy into it, it's actually pretty easy and allows you to go out there and do your job. It is an adjustment, but they know what type of players they want. They expect you to play hard, and if you buy into it, you can be a winner.

**Q: Is Romeo doing the play calling or does Bill do most of that?

TL:** That would be Romeo. He coordinates all of the meetings. He makes the calls out there on the defense. Of course, any head coach has the power of attorney, you know what I mean? They can step in and do what they want to do. I think Coach Belichick gives the freedom to call the plays and it's his defense. Any head coach has the trump card at all times. I'm not going to sit there and be naive about that. But Rack (Romeo Crennel) is the man as far as the defense is concerned.

**Q: Are they similar in personality, Romeo and Bill?

TL:** They come from the same background, the whole Parcells era. They coached together for a very long time and of course they have some similarities. At the same time, they have their differences. They are different personalities.

**Q: A guy like Romeo, does he take pleasure in matching wits with a guy like Tom Moore?

TL:** I think he does. All of our coaches are like that. They like to go out there and we don't always agree with the calls they call, but it's like a chess match. We are the guys out there, we are the arms and the guinea pigs. Sometimes they just make up stuff. But it's all about having fun for them, too. Sometimes we wish they would simplify things a little bit but they put a lot of long hard work and hours here. So they like to fill out their part of it and they like to match wits with other coaches, so I can't be mad at them for that.

**Q: Could you tell us what it's like for the Patriots defense when Peyton Manning starts going through all of his machinations, with his hand signals and his feet and everything, what are you guys looking at, what down to pay attention to, what did you disregard?

TL:** Well, thirty seconds? I don't know if it's that long. You just have to be patient because you don't know if he's making checks or you don't know if he's just trying to get to you do something to throw you off of your defense so he can know what you're in. So you have to be patient with Peyton Manning. He's a very intelligent quarterback and everyone knows that. He run that offense to perfection. The key is to stay patient and not give away your coverages.

**Q: The Patriots are about to match the record of 14 0 that the Dolphins had in '72. What do you think about that?

TL:** Well, we are really not thinking about that right now. Our whole objective is to win one game and then the next game is the most important. This is the whole year, this is the game to go to the Super Bowl, something that every team starts off in training camp having aspirations to go there. We are close but we have to play a very good football team, a team that had a great run in an undefeated year back in '72, that is irrelevant right now.

**Q: When they talk about Peyton having a perfect game and then what he did against Kansas City, do you look at the perfection part or do you look at the mistakes?

TL:** It's a combination of everything. Yeah, he took advantage of every opportunity, and, yes, he had a perfect game. But there were also some things that you can see that maybe Kansas City could have done. I know each and every game, we all find things that we would like to take back a couple of plays here and there. Unfortunately, you don't get a chance to do that. That's why you have to put out your best effort when you're out there and of course there are going to be mistakes made, if you can capitalize on them. If we play our football and play as a team and stick together regardless because of what happens because we know he's going to make plays. It's Peyton Manning, for goodness sake. For crying out loud, the guy is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He has the best receiver in the league, you know what I mean? He's going to make plays. But if we stick together and play hard, it's going to be about who plays hardest the longest.

**Q: Did you have a big problem with the Molloy thing and did you patch it up with your Coach Belichick? How did that go?

TL:** Of course, I think everyone had an opinion in the beginning. But it wasn't about patching up anything. That's something that I don't have anything to do with. That's a decision that they made within the organization and I'm just a player. So it can happen to any of us. Who is to say that it won't happen to me or I'm not far behind? I don't know. But like I said, everybody on this team I'm sure had an opinion about Molloy and the whole situation of how it went down. But at the same time, if you've been around long enough, you have to understand that this is a business. Yes, I was upset, but as far as patching stuff up with Coach Belichick, it wasn't up to me to patch anything up because they made a decision. I'm a player.

**Q: You guys have won one Super Bowl and now have a chance to win another. Is there a window of opportunity that you guys need to take advantage of these opportunities when you have them knowing that they may not come along again?

TL:** Exactly. You have to take advantage of the opportunities but that means going out there and playing well. It's one thing to talk about it but you have to go out there, and when the whistle blows, play hard and give it everything you've got because there's no turning back because you never know when the opportunity is going to happen again. Yes, some of us have got a World Championship, we can call ourselves champions. That was then, this is now. So I think the guys that have been there are eager to do it again and the guy that is have never been there before want to get that experience. So we are all just playing hard, playing together and hopefully we can have another opportunity to succeed and play in another Championship Game. But first we have to get past a football team. This is not just a good football team -- this is a great football team.

**Q: What impresses you most about Tom Brady?

TL:** It's his leadership skills. The guy, he never quits. He doesn't not have the outrageous stats like some guys, like Peyton Manning or maybe even a Steve McNair. But with all due respect to those guys, I wouldn't want to play with anybody but Tom Brady because he knows how to win. It isn't about statistics. He still finds ways to win. What's most impressive is he knows how to go out there and win and I think that's pretty impressive.

**Q: The key against Manning with all of the audibles, giving him multiple looks, when he comes to the line, are you able to switch it around?

TL:** I can't tell what you we're going to do. I can't comment on that one. We've just going to the out there and play good team football and see what happens.

**Q: Can you talk about the impact that Richard Seymour has had this year and how you've seen him grow as a leader in his couple of years here?

TL:** Oh, man, the sky is the limit for him. He has not reached his full potential. That's the scary part. The guy plays inside, he plays outside and he's almost impossible to block one on one. You really can't imagine him getting any bigger or stronger, he's still playing on raw talent. He's still learning. He's going to be the new breed of defensive tackles.

**Q: Do you think people consider you an underdog

TL:** I don't know. I don't really pay attention to what people are saying or reading in the papers and everything like that. Everybody is going to have an opinion. It's about going out there and believing in yourselves. Some people might have us the favorite and some people won't, but who could you blame either way? Most of the people with opinions are not out there on the field. We just have to go out there and play. We've been in that position so many times ā€“ we look past it.

**Q: How much confidence do you take from the past success of your coach and your earlier games here?

TL:** Well, I don't think we can be too overly confident about our past success because it doesn't mean anything. They almost beat us. It came down to a goal line stand in the first game and the games prior to it, it's not like they have never beaten us before because they have. I think if we were to think that, we would be fools. We lost to Buffalo and look what happened the next time we played them. Denver beat them pretty convincingly, too, before they faced each other again their Wild Card game. I'm sure they are just as confident that they can do the same thing to us. We are not taking anything for granted looking at the history of our game. They are a new team and we are a new team. We both have to be pretty good football teams at this point. So may the best team win.

**Q: What's the best thing for you about having been down this road once before to a Super Bowl?

TL:** I know it's not the end of the road. I know the joy of it. I think experiencing that, I can cherish the moment because I know this opportunity doesn't always come around. I've also been on the other end of the ballgame where I got all the way to the Super Bowl and lost, and that's a feeling that I definitely don't want to experience again. Right now, it's about taking advantage of the opportunities, letting the other guys know, don't take for granted some of the young guys that are on this team, helping us win right now. You have to go out there and play hard and take advantage because you never know what's going to happen. You can just talk to some of the great players, like Dan Marino; he's been there his second year and never saw the Super Bowl again. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and if we go out there and play well, it's something that you really can't explain. You just have to go out there and experience it for yourself and I want that experience again. But, at the same time, we have a game to play and you have to take one step at a time.

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