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NFL Conference Championship


Arizona Cardinals Conference Championship Transcripts
01/15/2009

Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles Thursday after Practice Quotes 1/15/09


Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt

On if there are certain characteristics that he looks for in the draft and free-agency when putting a team together:

“Yeah, we were looking for the right kind of players on the standpoint of character. You do as much research on them as you can about what they are like; team-type mentality. Guys that work and study the game. We have had very good fortune getting some high character guys in here. I think that has been a big reason that we have had some success.”


On how WR Anquan Boldin looked today:

“He looked better. The biggest thing with Anquan is just seeing how he can continue doing that on a day-to-day basis. It looks to me like it is improving and he is doing better. Hopefully that will be the case tomorrow. That will be another critical day for us.”


On if QB Matt Leinart pushed QB Kurt Warner for the starting job in training camp:

“Absolutely, I think that they pushed each other. When we came out the backside, I think they were both better because of it. It made Kurt work a lot more on some of the little things that we had been stressing; his footwork, his fundamentals, those kinds of things. I think that really made Matt work at a higher standard because he had a former MVP pushing him for the job. We said this from the very start that competition is a great thing. I believe that was a great benefit to our team.”


On if WR Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in the league:

“He has been there, in my eyes, for awhile now. We see him do things on the practice field everyday that a lot of people don’t see. Those catches that he has been making the past couple of weeks, we have seen a number of times. I think that we are very lucky that we have two of the best receivers in the game on our football team. We have some young ones who have stepped up this year.”


On if Larry Fitzgerald still has room to improve and get better:

“I think that is why Larry has become such a good player. He believes that he has a lot of room to improve. He has been willing to take coaching. He is self-motivated from the standpoint of working on little things. He never feels like he has arrived. He is out here working on catching the ball. This is a guy with great hands and he’s working on catching the ball. His route-running, his run after the catch, all of the things that he has continued to work on, I think is a very good sign of him continuing to even be better.”


On his communication and relationship with RB Edgerrin James:

“I think Edgerrin and I have always communicated. He obviously was not happy because he felt he could still play at a (high) level in this league. I think he has proven that these past few weeks. I don’t know if there was ever any real tension between Edgerrin and me. I know a lot of times he wasn’t happy because he wasn’t playing, and that’s what you want. You want players like that. He has been respectful. We have had a number of communications. I have a great deal of respect for him and what he has done for our team, especially in the latter part after going through a hard time.”


On what factors contributed to benching James in the first place:

“There are a lot of things that go into that. Part of it was the fact that we had a young running back that we wanted to see do some things that we were excited about. And we are still excited about Tim Hightower. I think Edgerrin has always been a good player. We said from the very start that we thought we were going to need Edgerrin later in the season. At a time when we were going into the playoffs, we had a guy who had that experience, who has been successful in the playoffs. It has been a big part of what we have done successfully. It is a tribute to him that he has continued to work and be prepared and done well.”


On if he was ever concerned that by not playing James, he would lose him mentally:

“No. I did not think that at all. I felt like at times, if the games hadn’t gone the ways they had gone late in the season where we were behind, I felt like he would have played more than he did. I think that was just a function of us not playing well as a team. I never got that feeling in the situation.”


On if the public talk between the front office and James’ agent had any affect on James or the team’s approach:

“No. It never affected anything. Edgerrin said he didn’t want to be a distraction. He wanted to play football, and he was true to his word. He came out here and he worked and he did what he felt he needed to do. When it was his time, he showed that. To me, that is what being a professional in this league is all about.”


On if James looked faster or stronger when he came back as a starter:

“His legs were fresh. He hadn’t taken the toll that he was taking earlier in the season with the hits and the carries. He did look fresher. That is a good thing for us.”


On the theory that the Cardinals as a team struggle when they get down early in a game:

“That is something that we have worked on since we first got here. I think that it was something we went through a little bit in the first season, and we thought we had done a much better job in being able to come back. Obviously, in some of the games this year, we didn’t play well early. We were not as affective. We believed in what we were doing in this last game. We knew there was going to be chance that something like that could happen, and I felt this was us responding to that. The key to becoming a good, consistent football team is to be able to respond to that. That is what good teams do. To me, that was probably the thing I was the proudest of. In a tough environment, to go down like that, with their crowd into it, we were able to respond.”


On how tough the decision to bench a superstar like Edgerrin was compared to benching a lesser known player:

“It was tough, but I think it held true with what our belief was and that was putting the players in that we felt gave us the best chance to win. That is what it really was about. We were excited about Tim (Hightower). We had seen him do some things earlier in the season that led us to believe he might be able to perform for us. That was the reason for the change. Not that anybody knew it would come back to Edgerrin the way it has or that he would perform the way he has. Again, that is a credit to him and the way he has worked.”


On how working with Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau may have prepared him to face Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson:

“In this league, you see those schemes at different weeks during the year. We saw it this year back-to-back when we played the (NY) Giants and then we played Philly. I know what it has done for us, and I know it has done for me as a former offensive coordinator and also having Russ (Grimm) with us, it has taught the ability to adapt to different defenses and to adapt to their pressures. I wouldn’t say it has given us a library of knowledge, but it has given us a background in how we have to adjust. And that has been the focus of what Russ has done with our offensive line. The reason we have had success protecting Kurt this year is because of that. Because we have had to go against that. Our defense did a great job of that this year in training camp, giving us a bunch of different blitzes from different packages. When you do that on a competitive basis, it helps. Hopefully that is a benefit of both going against our defense, we have some pretty good players there, and from our knowledge of going against Dick LeBeau.”


On the type challenges the Eagles pass-first offense presents after facing two running offenses in the first two rounds:

“Well they have a quarterback who is playing at a high level right now, moving in the pocket and extending the play. Obviously, their running back is an outstanding football player; he is a game changer. They have some good young receivers that the quarterback has gotten confident with. It is a difficult challenge because their offensive line does a good job in protection. Just when you think you have them covered, the quarterback will make a play to one of their backs out of the backfield or he will run with the football. I think it really comes back to being disciplined and heightened defensively. You have to change it up and you have to be willing to give them some short gains so you don’t give up the big play. They present a number of challenges because they have a lot of weapons.”


On if he has treated this week any differently than other weeks:

“I think that one of the benefits of not having been here before is that we are just working. Everybody understands the magnitude of this game as far as it being one game away from going to the Super Bowl. We have kind of been a team that nobody gave a chance to. We have just been working and getting ready for our first two games, and that has carried over to this game, so hopefully that will help us.”


Cardinals S Antrel Rolle


On how this defense has become so aggressive recently:

“I think we’re aware of the fact that it’s either win or go home. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I think everyone has grasped that concept. We’re all buying into the same program. We’re all on the same page, and that’s been a key part of our defense having success.”


On if it’s tougher to defend against Donovan McNabb or Brian Westbrook:

“One is a quarterback and one is a running back. You can’t put them in the same category. They’re both key playmakers. They’re both dangerous. They’re both a double threat. McNabb can hurt you with his arm or with his legs, and Westbrook can hurt you running the ball or catching the ball out of the backfield. So it’s something you definitely have to game plan around, and you have to keep your eye on them at all times.”


On what he saw from Kurt Warner back in training camp:

“Kurt has always looked good to me. For the most part, Kurt’s been pretty consistent. He’s played great ball. He’s stepped up and been a leader when we needed him most. Matt [Leinart] has done the same. I don’t think Kurt would have been as good as he was if it wasn’t for Matt Leinart pushing him. I think they made each other better. It could have gone either way. Matt’s a young guy. He still has a lot to learn. Kurt has been here before, and I just think that the coaches felt a little more comfortable with Kurt, being that this is our time to win. I’m not saying Matt can’t help us win, because I think that he could, but Kurt just has that experience. Like I said, it could have gone either way. They’re both great quarterbacks.”


On how comfortable he is at safety now:

“I’m still adjusting. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to be the kind of player that I want to be back there. I just try to be around the ball as much as I can, and I try to use my teammates around me. I just study the game a lot. I’ve studied more than I ever have before, and it’s helped me out in a lot of key situations.”


On what he and the other defensive backs have done to help Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie:

“He’s a young guy, he’s willing to learn and he listens. That’s the main thing about him, he listens. He’s not scared to take a risk and make that play, and eight times out of 10, he’s going to end up with that play. That’s the thing with a cornerback; you’ve got to have great instincts. His ability is phenomenal. You have to have that confidence and awareness to make that play, and he does it for us.”


On the challenges the Eagles’ offense presents:

“It’s a challenge all the way around, anyway you look at it. They have many ways they can attack you. We just have to play our game and play within the system. That’s all we’ve been doing for the past two weeks. We haven’t done anything special. We haven’t done anything out of the ordinary. I think it’s just guys buying into the system together, and everyone is on the same page at the same time. Communication is a key. That’s exactly what it’s going to take. It’s going to take hustle. This is going to be a hustle game. I just tell them to make sure they’re hydrated and get their fluids, because you’re going to be running around a lot.”


On Ralph Brown playing in nickel situations while he stays at safety:

“It’s been good. There have been times where I go in nickel. We just base it off their slot guy and whoever has the best match-up. Ralph has been great for us. He’s a veteran of the game. He studies a lot. I actually learned a lot of my study habits from Ralph. I come in early and he teaches me how to break things down. It helps a lot to have him on the field, just because he’s so smart and his route-recognition is so great. He can call out routes and put everyone on the same page at the same time.”


Cardinals G Reggie Wells


On what it says about the league that two nine-win teams are in the NFC Title Game:

“Anything is possible once you get in the tournament. It’s a long season, one way or another. We started out fast, and we obviously had some bumps along the way, but we’ve just got to keep staying the course and keep fighting. We were able to do that, we were able to get in the playoffs, and our defense started playing tremendous. We kept putting up some numbers too, so anything is possible.”


On what it’s like when Kurt Warner and the offense gets in a rhythm:

“That’s how we expect Kurt to perform. He’s been doing it pretty much all season. We had a few games where we didn’t put up the numbers that we wanted to, but it’s not like a surprise whenever we have success out there. We feel like we have the ability and we have the playmakers to do that, so that’s what we’ve been able to do.”


On if it’s fun to be run blocking more:

“Yes. You never want to get one-dimensional. We’ve obviously put up numbers this year. We’ve had a pretty solid offense, but there was a point where we maybe were having too many passes called. It’s good to be able to control some clock. It helps our defense as well as our receivers and Kurt too. We knew we could do it. It was just a matter of getting those runs called, and we’ve been doing it.”


On how Levi Brown has handled the pressure of being a high draft pick and being compared to Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson:

“I don’t think he views it as pressure, any more than any of us view anything as pressure. Whatever the Adrian Peterson situation is, Levi is coming to play week in and week out. That’s really just a non-factor with him.”


On if those comparisons to Peterson are unfair:

“There’s really no point to it. He got drafted where he was drafted because he earned it. We felt that we needed another lineman to come in here and play, and Levi has done that.”


On if the years of losing make him appreciate this more:

“I don’t think you need to go through losing seasons to appreciate winning so much. We felt that we’ve been building something here for a few years, so it’s just a matter of making plays when we had to. We’ve done that this season. You don’t have to look back at what we’ve done in years past to have an appreciation of what we’re doing this year.”


On if they will be better prepared for the Eagles’ defense having seen them once already this season:

“I think so. They’re a fast unit. Obviously we’re not as familiar with them as a divisional opponent. They came out and got some turnovers early, and they were able to sustain their offensive drives, just really control the whole game. We have to be able to come out fast, really just play our type of game and get things done early, as opposed to being behind the 8-ball again.”


On the offensive line not having any big-name guys:

“It’s just the thing that’s been going on for awhile around here. We don’t really feel that we need big names. We know what kind of players we have. We know that we can go out and play with anybody. All the big names and stuff, that comes with winning, and we’ve been winning. The negativity and things like that from years past is perhaps why some guys don’t get the recognition that they deserve.”



Cardinals Players



Cardinals CB Rod Hood

On rooting for the Eagles against the Giants:

“Whenever I don’t play against (the Eagles), I always root for them, no matter what. I know those rivals – Giants and Eagles can go either way. I just feel like, it (was) a home game for Philly, because we played there so much when I was there. It’s a home game and there’s no home field advantage when you go up to the Meadowlands. When (the Giants) come into Philly, there’s no home field advantage either.”


On the fan support:

“The fans come out and support us – like they did at the Falcons game. I think the city is behind us and we just need to do what we do and they’ll continue to come out.”


Cardinals G Deuce Lutui

On how difficult it has been for second-year OT, and former first-round pick, Levi Brown to step in:

“It is good to silence his critics. I think he is only getting better. I could tell throughout the year, there were articles breaking him down about moving to the right side, it is good to see him come up from that and just play his role that we need him to do. With the help of Russ Grimm and this offensive coaching staff, it has really shaped in another way.”


On if the expectations and criticism of Levi Brown is fair:

“For someone who was drafted so high, we knew that (position) was a huge need. So he was coming into something we were rebuilding. It was kind of unfair what he got, thrown in with the sharks and seeing what he would do with that. He has really stepped forward.”


On Levi Brown:

“He is great. He is optimistic about this season. It is an honor to play right next to him because of how athletic he is, he can make up for some of my mistakes. He is a really good guy.”


On how hard it is to play offensive line in the NFL:

“It is so hard. It is so hard to block. It is rewarding when you do your job, and seeing Kurt (Warner) throw for however many yards, and Edgerrin (James) and (Tim) Hightower run for however many yards; it is a plus for us.”


On how former USC and current teammate Matt Leinart is adapting to not having his usual spotlight:

“I just think it is a perfect learning stage for him right now, taking notes and stuff that he needs to do. He is always constantly working. He is not regressing; he is just behind a two-time MVP. He is very educated in this scheme and things. This is a great learning time for him as much as his name is not thrown out there in the spotlight. It is definitely a learning opportunity for him to just gather what he could learn for this time. When we need him, he will be ready.”


On the worry of losing a starting job:

“I think we all go through that. I have been in that situation where my spot was in jeopardy. I think coach Ken Whisenhunt, whether you may like it or not, is a great coach and how he gets you to be a better player. He has definitely done that for me personally, where I was kind of behind the back burner. He has allowed me to step up my game. Through his technique and his teaching tools, it has really helped me develop into the player I am now and maintain my spot.”


On how different the two teams are from Thanksgiving when they first played:

“Thanksgiving Day, turkey, gobble, gobble. It is a big turkey day. Now it is to a point where there are no second chances. You hardly get second chances in this league, so it is a good opportunity for us to maximize our opportunities to play this Sunday.”


On if the team is still building off the media’s negativity towards them:

“I think it really helped us, pushed our backs up against the wall, as far as appreciation of our team and coaching staff. A big credit to the guys in the locker room. Our faith, our 53-man faith, has allowed us to get this far. I think everybody here understand that our journey is not through yet. There is a gig game this Sunday. I think we have tunnel-vision to that. It is hard not to think about the big Super Bowl. If we win, we are in. I can’t tell you and say that… it’s hard not to think about it. I think everybody in here throughout the week has focused and tuned into what is going on this weekend. Basically, I have never heard anybody say ‘oh man, if we do this, we are in.’ It is this weekend that this team is optimistic for, and we will be ready.”


Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles Wednesday After Practice Quotes 1/15/09



Cardinals Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley


On if the Eagles, Giants and Vikings played Larry Fitzgerald similarly given their defensive coordinators are from the same coaching tree:

“All those defenses have some definite similar traits in how they try to cover and play coverage. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that some of those lesser games, now you’re not putting it all on Larry, there are a lot of reasons that things happened the way they happened, but that’s the way it’s gone, so it’s something that we obviously have to focus on trying to get better at.”


On the importance of having a veteran like Kurt Warner in this game:

“Enough can’t be said about Kurt, in general. You get this late in January and to have a guy that’s been there and done it – really just a calming force for everybody, even myself as a fairly emotional person – it’s good. I don’t think enough can be said about having a guy like him in the huddle with you on a daily basis.”


On Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt’s decision to have him calling plays this season:

“Yes. Coach has been great. It makes me feel good that he’s put his trust in me, starting last year at whatever point that he started to turn it over to me. I can’t say enough thank-yous, or just the feeling of pride. The fact that he had enough trust in me to do it, first of all, and to kind of let me go through some of the ups and downs and get my feet under me. I’d like to think that I’ve excelled, or at least risen to the challenge, but it wouldn’t be possible without him having the trust in me. So I’m very grateful for that.”


On Edgerrin James:

“Edge is another guy I’ve always thought of as a class, true professional. He’s a historian of the game. He recognizes and is very aware of the running backs that have come before him in this league. You always appreciate that as a coach, when a guy has an understanding of some of the history of the league, because not all players do. He’s a very prideful individual that has a belief and confidence in himself and his abilities. When something is taken away from you and you think that you can still do it or that you’re not what’s being said about you, it’s hard to bite your tongue and handle it the way he’s handled it. For Edge to sit back, keep his cool and never lose faith in his abilities is a tough thing in this world and in this league, especially, to do. You see a lot of guys fail at it, handling that situation or that adversity. Edge has just been terrific. He waited and he continued to work. I’ve got to give credit to Mo (Maurice) Carthon for keeping him in the mix in practice and never losing Edge. Then it came back around, like it usually does, and I’m just really happy for Edge personally, that he was able to get the opportunity to show what his abilities are. I think he’s excited to have another game and obviously it’s worked to our advantage also.”


On how to approach the Eagles’ defense:

“Coach [Jim] Johnson has always been a pain. Coming from Dallas and even going back to me being in Chicago when they beat us in the playoffs, even though I was just a receivers coach, they’ve always been a difficult defense to get ready for. They’re well-coached. They’re smart. They’re always ready to play on Sunday, a very aggressive, physical team. So you’ve got to do your homework. You know that you’ve got to execute and you can’t be turning the ball over, doing some of the things that his defense creates a lot of, which is turnovers. It’s a true challenge.”


On how much better Larry Fitzgerald can get:

“I think a true test of a player is how he responds in big games and Larry’s two biggest games of his career, high school, college and now the NFL, have been the last two weeks and I think it’s a pretty good sign of how he’s responded. I think that there is great potential with Larry. I’ve said early and throughout the times that people have asked, don’t be a one-trick pony. I joke with him about it because it’s obvious if you throw the ball up to him outside the numbers, he’s going to make the play. Larry’s challenge has been that this year we’ve moved him around much more. We’ve put him in the slot or on the front side of formations, which are all new for Larry. It’s a new ballgame in there because you’ve got coverages coming from two different directions. He’s done a great job. He’s gotten better every week, so, to me, Larry has so much potential to continue to just get better. He has a couple traits that are impossible to teach and one of those is that ability to jump on the run and catch the ball at the high point, which at his size and with his hands, he’s hard to deal with.”


On what he’s done to work on ball security with Kurt Warner:

“It’s a lot of work. He’s hard-headed. We’ve just tried to be creative in drills. Going way back to training camp and even the off-season, when last year ended, you have your year-end talk with players, and I said to Kurt, ‘you can still be a great quarterback in this league. You don’t show any of the signs of some aging quarterbacks of what they get, whether it’s afraid to pull the trigger, and some of those things.’ So he didn’t show any signs of the older quarterback, but the thing that was holding Kurt back was ball security. That’s what I told him, and I said, ‘if you can take care of the football, you can play.’ So just getting him to recognize that and Coach Whisenhunt kind of dangled that carrot out there that the guy leading this team is not going to turn it over, he’s not going to fumble it, he’s not going to be careless with the football; that was made clear from the very first day with all of us, and those guys knew it. That’s a great incentive for guys, so we’ve just tried to be creative with drills, keep on it, not let it go and he’s had some bad games at it, but he’s been so much better.”


On if Larry Fitzgerald is the type of player who craves playing in big games:

“I think you saw that the last two weeks. I think all great players want center stage. They may not want it on a full-time basis, like some guys in this day and age that want to be on TV and want everybody talking about them, but when the game is on, whether it’s in the parking lot or whether it’s in the championship game or the Super Bowl, they want to be the guy, and they want the ball in their hands. I think Larry is a classic case of that. If it’s going to come down to it, he wants the team on his back, to make the play that gets us the win. I think that’s always the sign of a great player, whatever sport, whatever situation.


On how much he feels they will need to run the ball against the Eagles:

“I don’t think it’s about how much. I think it’s about doing it successfully and having success when you run the football. I think that’s the key. You’ve got to be able to successfully run the ball when the defense is playing pass and there are times when you’re going to have to successfully run the ball when the defense is playing run, like we did in the Carolina game in the whole fourth quarter. They knew we were going to run it, we were able to have success running and that’s a great confidence boost for us. I don’t ever think about it as how much, because you can have 20 carries for zero yards and you’re probably not going to win the game. You have to control the line of scrimmage and you have to have success running the football. That’s always a key.”



Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald


On flying under the radar:

“I like it. You guys know that, the people here locally know that and this is part of the obligation. I don’t want to get fined anymore, so I’m going to do what I’m told to do.”


On not liking the media attention:

“I’ve never been about that kind of stuff. I just love to play and I just want to go out there and compete and win – that’s what’s fun to me.”


On whether he wants to be the best:

“Definitely. If you’re playing this game and you don’t want to be the best, then I don’t understand what your motivation is. Anytime you step out onto the field, you want to be dominant and you want to be the best player on the field. I don’t think anybody in our locker room doesn’t feel that they want to do that every time they step onto the field.”


On whether he is a dominant player yet:

“I still have a lot of work to do. I’m not complete yet. There’s a lot of things I have to continue to work on and I’m going to keep pushing.”


On the first game against Philadelphia:

“We just came out flat. We ran into a team that was extremely hungry and had their backs against the wall. They were playing at home in a big game and we came out flat and they jumped on us. That happens sometimes in this league, if you don’t come out ready to play, sometimes teams jump on you like that. But this is a different game, we’re playing at home, we’re well rested and we’re ready to go. We just expect to come out there and start off fast.”


On whether the team is surprised by its success:

“Nobody in this locker room is surprised by anything. This was our goal. When we started off in minicamp, this was our goal; to be in the position we’re in now. Nobody is surprised. Everyone outside of this locker room and outside of this building might be surprised, but none of us in here are. This is what we worked so hard for in the summertime. We’re not finished – this is not where we want to be. We don’t just want to go to the NFC Championship Game, we want to continue playing and that’s what we’re motivated by.”


On getting the ball:

“When you have a veteran quarterback like Kurt (Warner), I kind of feel like when you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re getting the right leverage and getting the right look, you’re going to get the ball. That’s just what Kurt has been taught to do and that’s what he’s done consistently over his career. So as receivers we know if we beat our man that’s covering us and it’s the right coverage, we’re going to get the football and that’s the way everyone is thinking.”


On whether he expects to see double or triple coverage on him:

“You never know what to expect with Philly. Their defensive coordinator is probably the best in the business and whenever you’re playing against them you have to have your head on a swivel and know exactly what’s going on, because they’re flying all over the place.”


On the possibility of having Anquan Boldin back:

“Having ‘Q’ back is going to be great. He just adds another dimension to what we’re trying to do. He does so many things well in terms of the running game, the passing game, quick screens and he’s so interchangeable – he can play any position. So when you get a player like that back in your lineup, it just opens your playbook up so much more and makes the defense pay attention.”


On Kurt Warner:

“It’s great having Kurt. We all see the pictures – we’ve all seen Kurt holding that Vince Lombardi trophy over his head on that podium and thanking the fans. He’s been there – he’s been to where we’re all trying to go right now. So when he talks in the locker room, when he talks to me, you definitely pay attention to what he’s saying because he knows what it takes to get to that position. He’s the leader of this team.”


On the relationship between Edgerrin James and the coaching staff:

“I don’t think it has changed much. Edge is a consummate professional. When he was demoted a couple weeks ago, nothing changed about Edge. He came to work, he practiced hard and he was finishing his runs like he always does. When you’re a Hall of Famer like Edge, he just does his things the right way in terms of what he does in the meeting rooms and how he prepares and takes his notes and does it the professional way. We’ve seen that paying off here in the postseason for us.”


On being more emotional during the playoffs:

“I just get a little excited every once in a while. I try to control it and keep a calm demeanor, but sometimes it gets the best of me. When you know what we’re playing for, the implications, the magnitude of these games, sometimes your emotions will get the better of you.”


On Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie:

“Dominique is a phenomenal talent. He’s gotten better week-in and week-out and I’m really happy to have him here, because he’s going to make me elevate my game to the next level. He’s going to push all the receivers in here to be the best because he’s going to challenge you that way. I think he’s one of the better guys I’ve already faced in the league and it’s just his first year. He still doesn’t know everything – he still doesn’t know splits and there are a lot of things he still needs to learn. But as he continues to improve on that, his athleticism is off the charts. It reminds me of Randy Moss when I was a young kid in terms of nobody being able to duplicate some of the things he was able to do.”


On what he’s learned from Cris Carter:

“Cris is probably the best mentor I’ve had growing up. He was always there for me, whenever I would call him he’d pick up my calls and he just tells me to stay in the moment. ‘Don’t worry about Sunday – make sure that Thursday you’re the best Thursday. When Friday rolls around, make sure you’re the best on Friday. Saturday walkthrough, make sure your assignments are proper. And when Sunday comes, you can just free yourself and go out and play ball because you’ve covered all your bases.’ Just good things like that, that he’s given me throughout this week.”


On Carter saying he isn’t the best receiver in the NFL and if he said who was:

“No – he didn’t tell me who is. But that’s not really that important to me, I just need to go out there and make sure I focus on what I need to do to help this team get to the next level.”


On spending time with Coach Whisenhunt during his contract talks:

“I think we definitely did bond during that time going back and forth about the business aspects of the game and I really saw a different side of him. I saw a man I really believed in and a man I really could go out and play for, someone who went out and fought for me to come back. That’s one of the main reasons I re-signed, because I knew he was going to be here and knew he was going to be getting this program turned around in the right direction. I’m really happy to have him as my coach and hopefully we can get him a new contract soon.”


On Coach Whisenhunt pushing the organization to get him a new deal:

“I know he was in here pushing, pushing and pushing to get me to re-sign. But he also asked me, ‘Fitz, you’ve got to be aware that this is a team. There is a salary cap and we’re trying to compensate you happily for what you’re worth, but we also have other guys who need to be taken care of.’ And I really understood that and this is not about me, or about him, it’s about building this team and going in the right direction.”


On Philadelphia fans hoping he’d play for the Eagles:

“I have no idea. I know I was an Arizona Cardinal and I was happy to be an Arizona Cardinal and I’m just happy I’m going to be an Arizona Cardinal for a couple more years.”


On the East Coast teams just now realizing the type of player he is:

“I have no idea about it. I could really care less. I just want to be the best player I can be and help this team go as far as we can and that’s pretty much my only focus.”


On Jim Johnson protégés holding him to more modest games:

“I think one of the bigger issues we had this year was we weren’t that familiar. When you’re playing against the Rams, the Seahawks or San Francisco, you have an idea of what’s going to happen. You play against them two times a year, every single year. But we haven’t played the Eagles since 2005 – the first time I played them. You don’t have that good familiarity with them and you watch the tape, but you don’t know the personnel that well. They do so much, they give you looks and at the last second they rotate. They do a good job of using techniques at the cornerback position and they just do a really good job of trying to disguise their coverages. When you’re not used to playing against them, I think they can throw you a curve ball.”


On similarities between the Giants and the Eagles:

“They do a lot of things to disrupt you at the line of scrimmage to try and take the timing away from you. You definitely see a lot of similarities from any of those teams.”


On the 2004 draft class:

“I remember talking to a bunch of guys at the rookie symposium that year – we wanted to be the best class ever. You look at some of the players in that class: Steven Jackson, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, the late Sean Taylor and you can go on and on down the line. I think that class – we felt like we could take it to the next level. We had to carry the torch and especially with four guys: Antonio (Smith), myself, (Darnell) Dockett and Karlos (Dansby), I figured we had something really special. I felt like we were one of the key pieces of the foundation here that got us turning around and I’m just happy to be a part of that and I’m just happy those guys are still here.”


On not letting the pressure affect the team:

“I think us never being in this position is helping us, because maybe we don’t understand the magnitude of this game. We’re just going to stay in our regular practice routine, we’re going to stay doing the things we’ve been doing throughout the season and we’re not going to change anything. We’re going to continue to be the same guys that we’ve been and nothing is going to change. We’re going to go out there and play hard, play fast and hopefully come out with a win.”


On how much better he can get:

“I have to continue to get better. I think Coach (Todd) Haley talked about this a couple of weeks ago – now is not the time to reflect. When we’re sitting around in March or when you’re retired and my son is older and he’s playing in high school and saying, ‘dad, I’m making better catches than you,’ – that’s when I’m going to show him the tape. That’s the time to reflect, not in your fifth year playing for the NFC Championship. It’s not time to look at this or that or where I need to go. I just know I need to be on at my best on Sunday to help this team win.”


On him contrasting the more boisterous players in the league:

“A lot of the better players at my position are kind of vocal guys, but I’m just different. I don’t really look to be in the spotlight. I’m comfortable in my own skin, under the radar and that’s perfectly fine with me.”


Cardinals RB Edgerrin James


On what the last few weeks have felt like for him:

“It’s different. You focus on right now and look past everything that has happened and you focus on where we’re at right now. I wouldn’t trade this position for any other position right now.”


On adjusting to the sideline:

“It’s kind of boring. You get bored just standing around – and you learn sideline etiquette. You know when to get up, when to move, where to stand and it’s a new world, but it’s just part of it.”


On never reaching a Super Bowl with the Colts, but being one win away in Arizona:

“You’re happy to be here – but being that I’ve been in this position before, you look at it a different way. Before you had all types of distractions and you would kind of look forward to the next weekend, but now you just take everything day-by-day and not focus on what could happen and knowing that outsiders bring that into your world, you just focus on what we’ve got to do to play this game. So you focus on everything right now versus thinking about the things that can happen.”


On what it means to the team to have a balanced offense:

“It gives us a chance to make defenses pick their poison. If you want to stop the run, we can pass and if you want to stop the pass, then we can run. That’s what you want – you don’t want it where you’re one-dimensional and teams can just come at you. That’s the beauty of being able to run the ball.”


On not being in a run-heavy offense:

“As a running back, you don’t want someone playing downhill. You don’t want someone knowing you’re going to get it and they’re just coming downhill. You want someone to pause – even if they have to think a little bit, that gives you so much time. You want someone to have to think about what’s going on instead of just going downhill and making the play. That’s what happens when you’re one-dimensional – everyone is going to play downhill and that gives them an advantage. But when you have someone sitting back and figuring out if we’re going to run or pass – I know teams would rather you run than pass, because passing gives up big chunks. So I think a team would prefer you to run the ball on them and try to get a turnover or get a stop.”


On how he has kept a positive outlook after sitting for weeks:

“Because it’s football. For me, I’ve been playing this game a long time and football doesn’t change. The only thing that changes is it turns more into entertainment, but outside of that it’s just football and going out and doing the thing I’ve been doing my whole life.”


On whether he believed Coach Whisenhunt saying they would need him later:

“I never knew. I just sat there and waited. I didn’t know when I was getting in the game, I just made sure I went out and continued to practice and do what I’ve always done and not let whatever is going on take you from the type of player or person you are. I continued to practice and do the things that I’ve always done all my career and all of a sudden we’re back to doing what’s best for the team.”


On whether the playoff run changes his outlook on his future with the Cardinals:

“I’m not really worried about the future. I’m just living day-by-day and just trying to take this week and put everything into this week and go from there. I think anybody that is thinking about next week or the weeks ahead – they’re doing this team a disservice.”


On his relationship with Coach Whisenhunt:

“It’s the same as any other player. You come in here and you go to work. That’s my coach and I’m going to come out and play hard for my coach.”


On how much better the offensive line has gotten:

“They’ve always gotten better – it’s just when you ask an offensive lineman to (pass) block 50 times, that’s going to take a toll. Offensive linemen prefer to run the ball and now we’re in the position where we’re doing both, so I think they’re happy. The thing about it is we know we have to make it work. We can’t just get up there and think we’re going to run the ball and not get any yards.”


On Larry Fitzgerald:

“He’s a good player and he’s going to be one of the greatest to ever play. The thing about Larry is you come out here and you watch him work and that’s the sign of the good player – they continue to work hard every day regardless of how much success they’re having. He continues to work and he’s going to have more success than he’s having right now.”


On Philadelphia’s defense:

“The first game I was on the sidelines. They’re a good football team and you can’t take anything away from the Eagles and the type of football team they are. But in these type of games I really try not to focus on the other team – you focus on what you can do and try to make sure you’re not making mistakes and trying to make sure you’re doing what you can do. They’re going to do what they do and we’re going to do what we do and at the end of the day it’s going to boil down to who does what they do the best.”


On sideline etiquette:

“It’s according to who’s coming to the heater. If Fitz is coming to the heater, you have to move over. Some guys have to move since I’ve got a little seniority.”


On if he’s the same runner he always has been:

“My game doesn’t change. I have a game that’s really simple: north and south, try not to lose yards and keep going forward. I’ve led the league in rushing and my longest run was 30 yards and all of a sudden I don’t have big runs and I can’t run the same. But if you look at the way I’ve always run – it’s the same way and the way I train in the offseason, it’s the same way. I’m not really worried about what someone else says because if you go out and have a big day, that’ll change their thoughts instantly.”


On whether if he never wins a Super Bowl he’ll feel it’s missing from his career:

“I wouldn’t really look at it as something I missed out on, since I’ve done everything I could. I’ve always been a team player, I’ve always come out and worked hard and I did everything I could possibly do. I’m not really worried about whether I get it or not. Thanks to (Former Indianapolis Colts) Coach (Tony) Dungy and (Colts Owner) Mr. Irsay, I got a ring. That’s something that I’m really not worried about. Now if I went out and said I didn’t work hard or I didn’t try to put myself in a position to get there, I’d be disappointed, but anyone who knows me knows I’ve always worked hard and I’ve always done everything you’re supposed to do and I try to do everything the right way. If it happens, that’ll be good, but if it doesn’t, I won’t be down on myself because I did everything I could do.”


On whether he ever pinches himself because he can’t believe he’s here with Arizona:

“I pinch myself on the sideline – I couldn’t believe I was on the bench.”


On whether he feels any fresher since he hasn’t played as much this season:

“No – I’ve always trained to make sure I’m in tip-top condition. As the season goes, you cut back on the reps to make sure you’re not wearing yourself out. Everyone is going to have their takes on this or that, but the difference is you’re getting the opportunities and you’re playing. Usually when someone doesn’t do something for a while, you usually come out and pull a hamstring or have some kind of injury. That’s not the case with me and that’s not something I agree with, but everyone has their own opinion.”


On whether not taking as many hits has left him in better shape:

“I’ve played football a long time. Every year I’ve played I’ve always carried the ball a lot and I’ve gotten up. That’s the reason you train in the offseason, to prepare yourself to take those hits.”


Cardinals DE Bertrand Berry


On what it means to be part of this team:

“It’s been unbelievable. When you think about where we were five years ago, to not really feel like we had a chance to win, to be in this point, a game away from the Super Bowl, it’s unbelievable. Everybody is relishing this moment. I’m definitely relishing the moment. It’s something that I always thought could happen, but we had to actually go out and make it happen. That’s the thing that is most gratifying about this, is we’re actually going out and making it happen.”


On if the Cardinals and Eagles being in this game shows that anything is possible in the playoffs:

“It just shows that’s why you play the game. Every time people talk about this match-up should go a certain way, that match-up should go a certain way, if it did, it would just be a sitcom. There would be no reason to play it. We’re in a good position now. We’ve earned our way to this point. Despite what everybody else has thought about us, we’re here and we’re not going anywhere. The game is here, it’s in our home, we’ve earned that right as well, so we don’t make any apologies to anybody. If you don’t want to watch us, you don’t have to turn on the TV. We’re going to play the game whether people watch it or not and whether they like it or not. That’s how we feel about it. We don’t really care what anybody else thinks.”


On if he saw a playoff run like this coming:

“We were capable. I saw this in camp. I really felt like we had a good football team. We had a lot of talent on the field at each position. That’s one thing that Coach [Ken] Whisenhunt has really done a great job of, is creating depth and competition at each position. With everybody hungry to get reps, you always saw a high level of play. We didn’t always play well, but that didn’t mean that we didn’t play at a high level. That didn’t mean that we weren’t trying. Even though we had some stinker games, I felt we were a really good football team that would be tough to beat for anybody. We had a tough end to the season, but I think the Seattle game was really key to us getting our momentum built back up heading into the playoffs. Having that game at home, the first (playoff) game at home, was really a big advantage for us because we didn’t have to go on the road and deal with distractions on the road. Everything has really fallen into place for us thus far. Now we’re in the position that we’ve never been as an organization, and we’re going to try to take advantage of it.”


On Brian Westbrook being hurt:

“Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it. They said that the last time, and he came out and had a pretty good game against us, so you really can’t put too much stock in injury reports and stuff like that. I think Coach [Bill] Belichick has done a masterful job of manipulating that over the years, so I’m not one to look at injury reports and things of that nature. They’re going to have all of their weapons come Sunday, and we’re going to have all of ours, so game on.”


On if Donovan McNabb is still as mobile as he was in the past:

“I believe he is. He’s really found his stride. Obviously being healthy is always a big part of being successful in this league, and he’s had some tough years, as I have. It’s good to see him out there doing his thing; I just hope he doesn’t do it too well against us.”


On if he expects Anquan Boldin to play on Sunday based on what he has seen in practice:

“I believe he does. He definitely has a strong desire. One thing about [Anquan] is he’s a strong-willed guy by nature, and when he’s determined to do something, it pretty much gets done. In my time knowing him, I have no reason to doubt what he says. He says he’s going to play, so I’m going to take him at his word.”


Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles Wednesday after practice quotes 1/14/09

Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt


On how WR Anquan Boldin looked today:

“He looked much better than last week. He got some limited work, so we’ll see how it progresses as the week goes. Obviously, we have to see him do some work this week in practice. Like we said last week, if Q is ready to go, even in a limited role, we would like to have him. If he continues to progress like we think he is, then I have no doubts that he’ll play.”


On how much he thinks QB Kurt Warner appreciates where he is right now:

“I think he understands what is involved with this game. But I think there have been times where he thought he may not get this opportunity again. So, I think it is special for him. I’m happy for Kurt because he started and played well for us this year, which a lot of people didn’t think he could do. He has taken some shots and has worked hard on some things that we have asked him to do. He has been a good leader for us. I’m excited that Kurt is playing too because he has been playing well for us.”


On what Warner has worked out throughout the season:

“Just little things like moving in the pocket and protecting the ball. Maybe being a little bit more conservative on his reads. I think we found a happy median between things that he likes and things that we are asking him to do. I think it is a great credit to Kurt, and it is really why he has been successful in this league, because he is competitive, wants to win, and is willing to do things that hopefully put him in that position.”


On if having WR Larry Fitzgerald makes it tempting for Warner to “cheat” by throwing the ball into coverage:

“I think the hardest thing for Kurt with Larry is that Kurt is very good at making his reads and making quick decisions. What happens a lot of times is that it almost seems that even if there are two guys around him, if you put the ball in there, he’ll make the play. And sometimes with a quarterback who has performed as efficiently as Kurt, it’s not natural to put the ball up when he does not see the guy is not open to go to his next read. I think that’s what he has done a great job of, especially in the playoff games. There have been two big plays, one against Atlanta and one against Carolina, where he has trusted Larry to make the play. That has been huge for us. That is part of learning about this team and working together. It has been big for us.”


On how Fitzgerald has succeeded in the playoffs despite having everybody focusing on him:

“I think that Larry is a very gifted receiver who has the ability to catch anything. I think we have a quarterback who has a lot of trust in him. We have moved him around a little bit, put him in motion. That always helps because when you’re trying to take him out of the game or try to double him, those are things that are a little bit more difficult when you put him in different spots. He has worked very hard on a lot of the little things. Whether it is his release or his route-running, whether it is run after the catch, we are seeing all of those things pay off. I think that is why he has been successful.”


On if he wants Warner to be conservative or utilize Fitzgerald as much as possible:

“Obviously, we don’t want him throwing the ball to Larry every time, whether he is covered or not. But there are specific plays where you talk about ‘this is the opportunity where you can put the ball up.’ I think that those have been a couple of things that have happened in the other games. I mean, there are going to be times when Larry’s not open, where (Kurt) is going to go through his reads and get it to the next receiver like Anquan or (WR) Steve Breaston. He has been very good with that this year. There are certain plays where we are anticipating those are high percentage chances to do that, and that is what Kurt has done.”


On the team’s ‘Prove It’ T-shirts:

“I think they are pretty self-explanatory. I think it all goes back to the fact that not a lot of people thought we would get this far. It’s just the mindset that we have to prove it to everybody, and there is nothing wrong with that. I think that has helped us play at a higher level.”


On who thought of the T-shirt idea:

“Anthony Edwards. He thought of it and put the shirts together.”


On what it must mean to the Bidwill family to get to this stage:

“I am excited for Michael and Mr. B because it has been a tough road here in Arizona for this football team. Playing all those years at Sun Devil Stadium in those conditions is very difficult. I think it is a credit to Michael and all the work he has put in to get the stadium built. This is a part of the result of that. We have been able to be competitive and I’m excited that a lot of things they said that if we could get this done, it would help us put a competitive team on the field, it seems to be happening and I think it is gratifying.”


On why he chose to come to Arizona over some other coaching opportunities:

“I looked at this team and I thought there were some elements here that would allow you to be successful. But I think it really comes down to the support from ownership. In my talks with Michael, Mr. B, Rod Graves, and even the players, I felt that there was a chance we could get it done. They did support some of the things that needed to get done. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that we have arrived, by any stretch of the imagination because that’s only something that time will tell. But I think that we have a bunch of players who believe in what we are doing. We have a lot of people in the organization who are excited about the steps we have made. Hopefully we can continue to continue to play the way we have been playing.”


On what he has learned about Anquan Boldin’s toughness:

“I don’t think that has ever been questioned. He has shown up time and time again. He had a great year after a horrific injury earlier in the season and came back and played at a very high level. He has done that consistently and that’s why he has the respect of not just players, but people in this league.”

On if drawing up the long third-and-one play for Larry Fitzgerald the night before the game is a new experience for him:

“I have had this experience before. We had a number of those this year. Sometimes they work, but sometimes they don’t. This one worked because Larry made a good play for us, good catch for us. I think what happens is that when you are playing an opponent, on Monday and Tuesday there is such a crunch of study that you are trying to catch up. As you process all of that information later in the week and you are looking at that tape again, there are things that come up. I will never forget in that championship game in 2005 against Denver, we (Pittsburgh) were watching some red-zone tape on Thursday night and a play came up out of the blue. It involved (WR Antwaan) Randle El being in protection in a slant-and-go. We put it in that next day and it actually worked during the game. Those kinds of things happen, but I think it is a product more of getting a feel for your plan, getting a feel for the other team as you see more and more study during the week.”


On if the playoffs lend themselves more towards those last-minute plays:

“This week, for instance, I had an extra day. You get a little bit more time. Maybe the focus, maybe because you know that everything is riding on this game, is a little bit more in-depth at times.”


On if he expected to be here at this point in his career:

“I was asked this yesterday. Yes, I expected to be here. That’s the plan, isn’t it? That is what you work for. To be honest, I have seen elements of this team this year that led me to believe that we could be a pretty good football team. We played at a high level against some pretty good football teams at times. I think winning the division was something that was a big step for us. It was obviously difficult at the end of the year when we didn’t play great, but we did snap out of it and did get back to playing the type of football I thought we could. Once you get into the playoffs, especially when you have a home game to start it, I think that is critical. I hoped that we could get here.”


On what doubts he had about getting the job done when he took the position:

“Well, just if you would be able to institute your plan of what I wanted to do because of what I learned from Coach (Bill) Cowher, because I what I learned from Coach (Joe) Gibbs. How organizationally you wanted to do things because of the success I had with the Rooneys and the Steelers. The doubts that you have are ‘are you going to be able to institute those things and how long is that going to take.’ I think everybody has enthusiasm when you come in that they are going to get it done right away, but a lot of times things don’t happen as quickly as you would like. Sometimes you get out of some of those things, you know, because they are not happening quickly enough. I think that I have been very fortunate to have a very fortunate staff that has been very helpful and having a plan that we thought would work.”


On if anybody advised him not to take the Cardinals job because it wasn’t a good situation:

“I had a lot of people say that it was a very good job to take. To be honest, there were a few that said ‘you have to be careful with that job.’ I think that my conversations with Michael, my conversations with Rod Graves, and even talking with the players, I felt that there was a chance.”


On what went into the decision to go from QB Matt Leinart back to Warner at quarterback:

“It was a lot of things. It started obviously last year when Matt got hurt and Kurt played for us and played at a high level at the end of the season. Matt had done some good things for us also, so going into the off-season, we thought it was only fair that Matt have that opportunity. But, because of what Kurt had done for us, we thought it was fair that he had an opportunity to compete for it. It was a tight competition right until the end. I think what really, finally made the decision was thinking that Kurt would give us the chance to start quick. It is really what it was. Obviously, it has worked out. Once again, I think it made Matt a better quarterback. It made Kurt a better quarterback. We as a team reaped the benefits of that.”


On how mad he was after the Patriots game:

“I am still a little angry about that New England thing. I think anytime you lose a game like that, it is hard to let it go. I think there was always something else ahead of us. Early in the season, there was a reason, because that was a tough week on the East Coast. We had an injury there, we didn’t play well. Some of the other games, you could point to reasons why. But, to be in a situation where we clinched the division and wanting to try to play well, to go in there and play that badly, that was just unacceptable. That was the one, because we knew that the playoff game was coming up, that resonated the worst. Playing like that in a game as close to the playoffs as we were is not a good sign.”


On if the preparation for this game is going to be any different than that of the first meeting between the two teams:

It is obviously easier for us because we don’t have to travel. We have the advantage of playing in our stadium. A lot of the things that you have to prepare for on the road in a hostel environment, we don’t have to worry about. It makes it easier. The downside is you are playing an excellent football team. It is going to be tough, but we are excited.”


On if CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie calls him ‘Sir’ and what makes him so special:

“He does call me sir. He is a very respectful young man. We were very fortunate to be able to bring him along the right way. We did that with a couple of players and it has paid dividends for us. He wasn’t forced into a position where he had to start. He could learn and work on things, and when it was time to make that step, he was ready to do that. He is obviously a physically gifted young man, but there is a lot more that goes into that position than physical gifts. There is study. There is finish. Some of the things we really had to get on him earlier in the year was finishing in practice, doing those kinds of things. It is easier when you are not worried about his psyche as a starter. I think that was a big part of it.”


On if film study helped Rodgers-Cromartie improve the most:

“That helps, and I think being around some guys that are leaders like Adrian (Wilson), Antrel (Rolle), and Rod Hood, and some of those guys certainly puts off a little bit more pressure. Especially a Ralph Brown who is a very good leader and a veteran player can make you understand what you have to do to be successful.”


On Pro Bowl Special Teams player Sean Morey:

“He is a big part of what we have been trying to get done. He was one of the first guys I wanted to bring with me when I got the job here because of his work ethic, how he studies, and his leadership. That is such an important part of what you are trying to get done, his contributions on special teams. We have been very excited and I can’t tell you how pleased I am that he was recognized this year as a Pro Bowler because I feel like he has played at that level for a number of years.”


On if he was aware of how good Morrey could be:

“Well, we were in Pittsburgh together for four or five years. He drove me crazy there and he drives me crazy here. He is certainly a very good football player.”


On how TE Ben Patrick’s injury looked today:

“Much better than last week. He did a lot more. We will have to see how it reacts tomorrow from today.”


On why he feels the need to thank the fans, do victory laps, and talk to them while they were waiting in line for tickets:

“It is great to see this city excited about this team. But the Sundays that we have played over there in University of Phoenix Stadium have been very good, and I appreciate the fact that our home crowd has made it an environment where we could be successful. We have been successful at home, and that is one of things that has been so great about that. I am very appreciative of our fans, and I have been very vocal about that, and how much their support means to us. To be able to interact with them on any level is important. I could never underestimate how much that means to our football team. It energizes our team and I am excited with the level of excitement. It is exploding.”


Cardinals SS Adrian Wilson


On what making this game means:

“It’s great.”


On how great it is:

“Super great.”


On what kept him going over the losing years:

“Pride and stubbornness – there are a lot of words I could say, but overall I think it was just a great sense of pride and not leaving a job undone. Just wanting to stick it out and just try to get things turned around. It’s a very hard process, but once the process is completed, it makes you feel a lot better.”


On the team’s desire to earn respect:

“I think this team is a lot different than teams in the past. Just because I think we actually do want to get the organization turned around and not always have a sense of disrespect. Whenever you go out on the field, people always have that same old thing in the back of their mind, that we’re just the Cardinals and you have to get that turned around and have teams come in and respect you. I think for us, that’s what we want to do – just get more respect.”


On the lack of respect:

“Nobody wants us to be here – we’re still underdogs and we’ve been underdogs the whole playoffs – so we still have to prove it.”


On if there was anything in particular that changed the culture of the team:

“Just the attitude. You have to have the right group of guys at the right time and I think we have that now. I think ever since Anquan (Boldin) and all those guys got drafted – Darnell (Dockett) and Karlos (Dansby) – once that group came in, I think that changed the talent level of the team and kind of changed the outlook of the whole team.”


On having a big fan base:

“It’s great. You want to kind of savor every moment of it and we haven’t really had this happen – for me personally – since high school. Just having people excited – even though they were students at the time in high school, but to actually have fans excited about us going to a championship game and seeing us turn that corner. It has been so long and they deserve it just as much as we do. They’ve been through a lot, the players have been through a lot, the players’ families, the coach’s families and everyone’s family has been through a lot. So to see us turn that corner, it’s great.”


On Eagles Safety Brian Dawkins:

“It’s hard to really pattern your game around one player. The passion that he plays with, the intensity and the overall commitment to the game and his commitment to being the leader of the team defensively, he does a great job of having those guys ready to play. The emotion that he plays with – to me, I think he’s the best safety in football.”


On Dawkins’ longevity:

“He’s been there for quite a long time and to be playing at a level that he’s playing at, it’s great to see. It gives me hope that I could still be playing at that level if I get that far down in my career, still playing here and still playing at a high level.”


On whether he’s getting recognized around town more:

“I haven’t been out of the house in a couple of days. I like to try and keep things on the DL (down low) – just go out there and play and try to let my play speak for itself.”


On whether there was a time he didn’t want to be recognized as a Cardinal:

“No. I’m proud to be a Cardinal. I’m a very proud person and when things start getting successful, you want to keep your head down and keep working hard and not letting things get to you or the emotion of everybody else get you kind of big-headed. That’s the thing you have to guard against, because my kids don’t care and my wife – she’s great – I think she’s more excited than I am. She’s been feeling really, really nauseous and I didn’t know if it’s because she’s pregnant or if it’s because we’re in the NFC Championship.”


On Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie:

“I’m not surprised at all. He’s a very talented kid. He listens well and I remember when I was a rookie, I had Kwame Lassiter, Corey Chavous, Ronald McKinnon and Rob Fredrickson – so I had a lot of veteran guys who had been here for a long time kind of leading me to the right way to do things. So now to have veteran guys in the secondary for him, I think it has been a great benefit for him. He’s grown every game in the playoffs because every game is big and if you look at it, every game he’s been on their No. 1 receiver.”


On still advising Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie:

“That’s what you’ve got to do. Either halfway through the season or 10 games into the year, he hit that rookie wall and it was hard for him to come out and practice at the level we needed him to. Just the small things – having to keep him on key – some of the smaller details, I think we had to get on him for that. But he’s responded well and he’s played well.”


On the defense:

“We didn’t do anything differently. Those kinds of things come in bunches. We’ve just been playing sound football and trying to limit our mistakes and I think that’s the key – just limiting your mistakes and playing sound and fundamental football and not beating yourself. I think that’s what we’ve been doing the past few weeks.”


On the turnovers against Carolina:

“We were in the right place. We didn’t beat ourselves and there’s a lot of, ‘what ifs’ out there – but we wanted to play well, we wanted to play sound. Nobody gave us a chance and nobody is giving us a chance again, so once again we have to go out there and prove it.”


On whether he thinks the Eagles will be unable to not refer back to their first match up:

“It’s human nature in the back of your mind to think about a game that you already played or something you did to somebody in the past. It’s human nature to think about that. I’m pretty sure it’s in the back of their minds that, ‘we gave these guys a pretty good butt-whipping.’ So, for us, it’s going out there and playing sound football and just trying to keep up with them.”


On whether having it in the back of their minds is good or bad:

“For them it’s confidence. We were on the losing end. It’s not good for us – we want to try and redeem ourselves. We had a tough week that week. It wasn’t our best game and to be honest with you, it wasn’t our worst game. We’ve gotten beat worse than that. So you have to take the good with the bad and clean up our mistakes.”


On how often Rodgers-Cromartie asks questions:

“He’s very reserved. He’s a quiet kid. I think he takes in a lot as far as listening to people – which is good. He’s a good listener and there’s a difference between listening and hearing. I heard that a long time ago. Coach told me that a long time ago, ‘are you listening or are you hearing me?’ So it’s two different things – you can hear somebody or you can actually listen. I think he does a great job of listening, he takes it in and he tries to apply it to the practice field and he tries to take it from the practice field to the game.”


On his shirt that said “Prove It”:

“I don’t know – it was in everyone’s locker and we put them on. But it’s a great slogan and obviously we have to prove a lot to a lot of people and that’s fine with us. It’s fine with 53 guys in this locker room. I think that’s the only people when we’ve played who have given us a chance. We just try to get motivation from that. Its been good for us, these past few weeks, just to have all this media attention – you can finally see some of the characters we have in the locker room, some of the players we have – because we have really good players. We’re very fortunate to be in this situation.”


On his remembering Rodgers-Cromartie from the Atlanta game above all else:

“I don’t care about myself. I know I’m going to show up. It’s about young guys stepping up with that type of scene. And for me, I’m almost like a father looking at him as a son in his first big game and he played well. That was huge for me and that almost brought tears to my eyes – the kid practiced hard all week and went out there and played on their No. 1 receiver and did a heck of a job. Just to see that and just to see him grow from his first game to not playing a lot to being a kind of third or fourth guy to actually being the No. 1 guy now, it’s quite a transformation.”


On the years before the team had success:

“I kind of forgot those times, for good reason. But there was a time – we were in the NFC East when I first came into the league – a very tough and rugged division. We didn’t have the talent to match up. For me, we went through a couple of 4-12 and 5-11 seasons before we got a draft class in that really turned things around. Like I said, Karlos Dansby, Darnell Dockett and Anquan Boldin – that kind of class kind of shifted the talent to the talent that we have now and it shows. Those guys have stuck around and those guys have changed the talent level on our team and it’s a great credit to the organization for getting those types of guys in here. Doing great scouting and getting those types of players in – but its been a long time for us and those guys have really stuck it out and it’s a great credit to the organization for finding guys like that.”


On what he expects University of Phoenix Stadium to be like:

“There’s going to be 70,000 plus and it’s going to be a good crowd and I think everyone is going to enjoy it.”


Cardinals Players


CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

On how much better he is as a player now compared to the first couple weeks this season:

“I would say a whole lot better. Coming in, to be honest, I thought I could just rely on athleticism. I could just physically go out there and just be better than anybody, but that wasn’t the case. I had to grow as a player. I was willing to put the time in, accept coaching from the players and the coaches, and they were a big help.”


On if he has heard from friends back home that can’t believe where he is at right now:

“Yes sir. That’s one thing I do. I keep up with all my friends. They played a real big part in it. My real friends, the ones that keep me grounded, I just try to reach back to them whenever I can. Whenever I have some off time, I make sure I call somebody and just talk to them.”


On matching up with Carolina WR Steve Smith last week:

“I’m going to be honest, when I first heard I had Steve Smith, you talk about butterflies; I had them. As I watch film on this man I see him turn a screen into a touchdown, or fighting for deep balls and jumping over guys that are 6-2 or 6-3. I didn’t know if I was ready. I just prepared hard and I studied hard, and on Saturday, a good feeling just came over me. I just said, ‘look, I’m going out here to do what I do. I play ball. I’m just going to go out there and play, and let the chips fall where they fall.’”


On his interception:

“I baited him. On film, they got me watching myself on film and what I do, and usually if anything comes out there, I go and I jump it real quick. So I know they watched that too, and they set it up, they put somebody in front of me and somebody behind me, and he was rolling out my way. I was leaning up and just waiting for him. As soon as he cocked back, I just took off that way, knowing that he was going to throw it back there.”


WR Steve Breaston

On the importance of the home field advantage against Atlanta:

“It was very important. Having that game in front of your home crowd. The crowd was very into it. You see all the white flags flying around and you feed off that energy. You make plays, and it gets their offense out of their routine. You need that type of energy in the stadium.”


On what he expects from the crowd on Sunday:

“Even crazier. That was Round One. This is a big game, the biggest game of our season right now. Everybody will be focused on that, and I expect the crowd to be great.”


On if he has allowed himself to envision what it would be like to reach the Super Bowl:

“It would be amazing. You just prepare like you did the whole year, do the things that got you here. We just want to prepare well and carry it on the field come Sunday.”


DT Darnell Dockett

On if he ever thought this team was cursed when he was going through the difficult times in the past:

“No. This team has been through a lot. Last year was a new beginning for everybody. We started 0-0 when Coach [Ken Whisenhunt] and the whole coaching staff came in. I looked at it as like I’m starting my whole career over again.”


LB Gerald Hayes

On what it means to be where this team is at now:

“It means a lot. All that hard work, all the offseason workout programs, camp, it all paid off. To be here in this position right now, where we pretty much have a hold on our own destiny, it feels good.”


QB Matt Leinart

On the decision to start Kurt Warner this season:

“That was out of my hands. I just really focused on doing what I had to do to get the job done. Apparently it wasn’t good enough, but I did get better. It is what it is. I haven’t complained about it. I’ve learned a lot this year, but I can only control what I can control.”


TE Jerame Tuman

On how big of a role the tight ends will play in a game like this:

“In a game like this, I think every position is important. Every position out there has got an important role. Obviously, the tight end is the same way. We all have to step up and pick up for the guys that are out and play better.”


S Matt Ware

On the team playing with a chip on their shoulders:

“I think that when you have the feeling that your back is against the wall, the only thing you can do is respond. We felt like people were kind of overlooking us and we knew that we could play well. So we got together and started studying our opponents more and trying to see tendencies and keys and it has just been working out.”


On his time in Philadelphia:

“I was a spoiled rookie. That’s what they all called me because you come into the league and you go 13-3 in the regular season, I was like, ‘oh this is how it’s supposed to be.’ It wasn’t a question of if we were going to win – it was by how much. That was a great feeling and we worked hard and had a lot of veteran guys who had leadership – Brian Dawkins, Jeremiah Trotter and Donovan (McNabb) – we just had a loaded team.”


On going from the success with the Eagles to Arizona:

“It was different. It was definitely different. But it has been cool to be a part of the building process. To see us go from 5-11 the year I got here, to 8-8 and to where we are now.”


Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles Wednesday After Practice Quotes 1/14/09


Cardinals QB Kurt Warner


On what turned around the culture of this team:

“I think it’s just been a process. We’re taking step after step in that process. The bottom line is we’re not there yet, but that’s what you want to be as a football team; one that just keeps moving, keeps going forward, keeps ascending. I think that’s what we’ve done. Throughout the year, we’ve made different strides to take it a little farther and a little farther. We just want to try to keep moving on that course and keep taking some more steps.”


On how satisfying it is for him to be in this position now compared to when he was with the Rams:

“I think they’ve all been pretty satisfying. It’s fun, because this is why you play the game. I think it’s satisfying just from that fact that it’s been awhile. I appreciate that part of it. I’m enjoying it. I think the other part that’s gratifying is that we’ve never been here before. I think that’s one of the things I pride myself on in regards to my career. With the Rams, when I got there, they were the losingest team in the 90’s, and now here, there has been a culture of losing, and people have looked at us that way, so now to be at this point, those are the things that I think are most gratifying to me in both situations.”


On what he saw from Anquan Boldin today:

“Just being on the field is encouraging. I don’t know his status. I don’t know how he’s feeling. I just go in with the idea that he’s going to play. Just having him back out on the field and doing some things is obviously an encouragement to us.”

On if he gets personal satisfaction from proving this season that he can still be a starter in the NFL:

“I don’t know if I get any personal satisfaction from that. I feel like I’ve always been able to do this. Given the opportunity, I felt like I would do it again. I don’t know if there is satisfaction. There’s not any I-told-you-so or whatever. I think it’s more appreciation for this organization and the coaching staff to give me that opportunity again. All I wanted was that opportunity, and I try to work as hard as I could to let them know how I much I appreciate it.”


On if his prediction that Donovan McNabb would bounce back after his benching was based on his own experiences:

“I don’t know if it was so much based on my situation as much as based on what I know of Donovan McNabb. I think he’s a quarterback that probably very seldom has gotten the credit he deserves for how well he’s played this game for such a long period of time. He’s a great character guy and a great quarterback. That’s what you realize about great quarterbacks, and maybe this relates to my situation a little bit, is that you don’t just go from one week to the next and forget how to play this game. If you’re a good quarterback, you’re a good quarterback. We all go through slumps and we all have hard games, but I think the good ones are good until maybe they just get to that point where they lose it and just go down. I never felt Donovan was at that point. He might have had some struggles, but he’s too good of a quarterback to think that he’s not going to bounce back, fight through that or come back and play great football. I think that’s more what I based everything on. Knowing him as a person, and as a player, he’s just a great quarterback, so the struggles weren’t going to last very long.”


On if he feels he is a better quarterback now than he was in St. Louis:

“Yes. I’m smarter. I understand the game better. I see things more than I did early in my career. I think I’m very similar physically. I don’t feel like I’ve lost much physically. I’m not very talented physically, so there probably wasn’t much to lose anyway, but I just feel like, mentally, I’ve become a better quarterback.”


On if he could have imagined this season would turn out as well as it did for himself:

“I don’t know so much me as this team. I really can’t say what my expectations were, although I go in every year hoping to go to the Super Bowl and preparing that way. I still like that we’ve done a lot of things, especially with the different ways this season has transpired, we’ve accomplished a lot of things this year. It’s probably exceeded my expectations as well, but it’s fun and I’m glad to be here. It’s funny because even though we’ve exceeded expectations, now that we’re here, I’m not satisfied. It is what it is. It’s fun to be here, but now we want to do more and don’t want it to end here.”


On if he envisioned the team could get to this point when he came to Arizona:

“I just think that was the hope when I came here. I was hoping that I could help make a change here and do something to create a different kind of atmosphere. You always want it to be overnight. You always want it to happen in a day, but what you realize in this business is that it is always a process. It always takes time to get to where you want to go, and that’s part of the gratification of it. Where we were when I got here, and where we’re sitting right now, we’ve made a lot of strides. It’s fun as a player to be in those situations where you’re part of the building process. You’re able to, unfortunately, go through the trials and struggles, but that makes it so much more gratifying when you know how far you’ve come and you’re part of watching that change.”


On how Larry Fitzgerald has been able to continue producing despite being the focus of other teams’ defensive strategies:

“I think the big thing is the coaches have done a great job of game planning and setting some things up, where even though initially they may be trying to double-team Larry, or at least having a safety over the top, with us being able to run the football, run some play-actions, design some plays to put guys in some binds, a lot of times with Larry all it takes is a slight hesitation by a safety or a corner, that gives you an advantage. As we’ve seen the last couple weeks, he gets a step or two in a certain direction, then you’re able to put the ball up, and the advantage goes to you when he’s got a step on somebody. So I give a lot of credit to the coaches for designing a lot of plays, and credit to our running game, because they have to respect that. I think that has been a big part of how Larry has been able to be so successful the last couple of games.”



On the team getting a lack of respect:

“The way I look at lack of respect is when you haven’t done anything to earn respect, then there is always going to be a lack of respect. It doesn’t matter what situation you’re in, as an individual or as a team like this. I laugh at it just from the fact of, why wouldn’t we get a lack of respect when we haven’t done anything to prove otherwise? That’s the process; you’re trying to earn respect as an organization and as a team. That’s what we’re trying to do. Hopefully we’ve made some steps in that direction, but it takes year-in, year-out consistency to earn that kind of respect, so I don’t think anything of it. I think it’s part of the process, and I’m happy to go out and try to earn that respect from this point forward.”


Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin


On whether he will play Sunday:

“I’ll be out there.”


On what it was like to sit out the Carolina game:

“It wasn’t fun at all. If I could have been out there, I would have been.”


On the last Eagles game:

“I didn’t think it was my best game at all. It’s rare that you get a second chance at anything, so I’ll make the most of it on Sunday.”


On how effective he thinks he will be:

“Real effective. I don’t see me having any problems or hindrances. I just see myself resuming to my regular role.”


On whether today was the first time he really tested his hamstring:

“I tested it out before the game on Saturday and it wouldn’t let me go. I did a couple of things – treatment and I went and saw a chiropractor out in Dallas and loosened everything up. Everything seems to be fine at this point.”


On how close he felt he was to playing Saturday:

“If they would have let me, I would’ve been out there. Was it the smartest thing in the world? No. But that’s just me wanting to be on the field.”


On whether it’s better for his injury to be playing at home versus in New York:

“It’s no secret we play well at home and that’s what we wanted, to be here hosting the NFC Championship game. Myself, it will be a plus not going into the cold weather with the hamstring. It’ll be easy to warm up and stay warm.”


On how much he’s practicing:

“As much as they’ll allow me to. I don’t want to go into a game not getting enough reps in practice. Like I said, as much as they’ll allow me to, I’ll be out there in practice.”


On whether the team is convinced he’ll play Sunday:

“I’m not sure. You’ll probably have to ask them that.”


On whether it turned out to be better that he sat out the Carolina game:

“Looking at the outcome – yeah.”


On what it means to him to be in this game:

“It means a lot. It’s rare you get this opportunity in any organization and with the struggles we’ve been through in the last six years, it means a lot to us.”


On what he thinks it means to Kurt Warner:

“I think it means a lot for him. He had a lot of success early in his career and was able to get to two Super Bowls. I think ever since he’s been chasing that on every team he’s been on. To finally get back to that game – back to the pinnacle – I think it means a lot for him.”


On whether the last time they played the Eagles leads him to believe they can have success:

“Most definitely. We feel like as an offense, we can move the ball on anyone. As long as we eliminate turnovers, penalties and mistakes, we feel like we can move the ball up and down the field and win.”

On the fan response:

“I think the entire community is excited. We saw that coming back from Carolina the other night – we had fans waiting at the airport and out at the facility and it was 4:30 a.m. Whatever I’m a fan of, I won’t be out there at 4:30 a.m. I’ll let them know some other way – but I think everyone is excited and it’s good for the community.”


On what the most important factor in the offense will be:

“The biggest thing for us is for us to take care of ourselves. Yes they have a good defense and they’ve been playing well, especially as of late, but I think the main thing is for us to focus on ourselves and not turn the ball over and make mistakes.”


On if he has any relationship with Florida natives Brian Dawkins or Asante Samuel:

“No.”


On what a chiropractor does for a hamstring injury:

“My hamstring stemmed from an injury I had last year. During the Baltimore game I fractured a hip, tore a labrum and the muscle shut off and the muscles around it were working extra hard. It just became a point where the muscles around it said, ‘we can’t do it anymore.’ So correcting that and getting everything flowing the way it’s supposed to helps it out a lot.”


On whether it will be a lingering injury:

“No, he told me once they set it straight it would be fine.”


On whether he knew what the injury was as he went down the sideline:

“No – I thought it was just a hamstring. But the way my body was responding let me know it was something different.”


On what the injury was:

“It is a strained hamstring, but it was caused by the injury I had last year.”


On how Larry Fitzgerald was able to still dominate despite his absence:

“Him and Kurt were on the same page and we had a great game plan going into the game. I guess they didn’t watch the film from the first game, because we were able to move the ball up and down the field, we just had two turnovers that killed us. We went for it once in their red zone, about to kick the field goal, but did a fake and lost three points there. There was no doubt in our minds that we could move the ball down the field.”

On how Fitzgerald was so open:

“The thing was – (Carolina) did what they do. They didn’t alter their game plan because I was out and that allowed us to do some of the things that we wanted to do.”


On whether he thinks he’ll be 100 percent by Sunday:

“We’re just playing it by ear right now and I’m just going to be smart about it, because the ultimate goal is to play on Sunday.”


On whether he’s thankful to be here after the injury during the Jets game:

“I’m thankful every day I step out onto the field. I’ve had a number of injuries that probably could have been career ending, but I’ve been given a second chance. So every time I step out there, I’m thankful.”


On practice today:

“I practiced today, but it was in different spurts. I tried to keep everything short today and didn’t want to do anything to irritate it on the first day.”


On whether it’ll be possible for him to play in a limited capacity:

“If I’m out there, I’m out there.”


LB Karlos Dansby


On the difficulty of his past years with the Cardinals:

“It was very hard, playing at Sun Devil Stadium when the Sun Devils had already played the Saturday before. The field was all tore up, so you’re trying to watch for divots. It’s just rough; 100 degree weather. Now it’s totally different, and it feels good to finally win and have a taste of success.”


On the fans support:

“It feels good to give the fans something to cheer about. We’re finally on the winning side and the fans are rallying around us. We’re proud of them and they’re proud of us.”


On what has made the defense so effective in the playoffs:

“I’d say the preparation. Our preparation has been above anything I’ve ever seen before. A lot of guys rallying around each other, pulling for each other and making sure everybody is on the same page, so it’s been very good.”


On the defense’s ability to force turnovers:

“We just try to be opportunistic every chance we get on the field. Right now, we’re really on the same page. Everybody is flying around, having fun and making plays.”


On the defense using the “lack of respect” card:

“We’re using it well. That’s the biggest motivator for us right now, trying to be the best defense. Nobody gave us respect, so we just have to earn it and take it.”


On Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie:

“He’s stepped up his game. He’s a veteran now. All that rookie stuff is over. He’s really taken his game to another level. He’s becoming a student of the game and we love him for it. He gives us an opportunity to blitz and send the heat and he’s holding his own out there.”


On if the defense has changed people’s opinions with their recent play:

“We hope so. We’re just trying to be great. Every chance we get to be on the field we’re trying to be great. We’re trying to be the best defense and do what it takes to help our team win.”


On what makes the Eagles’ running game different than their previous two opponents:

“They’ve got a good scheme. It’s kind of similar to what we run here. We’ve got to be on point in order to stop their running game. They got a great running back in [Brian] Westbrook and they’ve got a real good offensive line.”


On Brian Westbrook:

“He’s the definition of an NFL player; a straight-up professional. He gets the job done day-in and day-out. You can’t relax on him. He’s a playmaker so you’ve got to account for him.”


On Donovan McNabb:

“He reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger. He’s a big, strong guy with stature. It’s hard to bring him down with an arm tackle. He’s just like a running back. You really have to wrap him up in order to get him down.”

On if he ever thought a day like this would come with this team:

“We knew we had an opportunity to change it around. We had a lot of potential. Right now, we’re just reaping the fruit from all the seeds that we’ve planted.”


On Rod Hood getting to play his former team:

“He’s definitely excited. The last one, on Thanksgiving, he missed because he was hurt. He’s motivated to get out there and play well against his former team. Right now, he’s leading all the meetings because he’s been there before. We’re rallying behind him because he had experience in this situation before.”


Cardinals CB Rod Hood


On what the game means to him:

“It’s a big game for us. To get to the NFC Championship – no matter who it’s against, it’s a big game. For it to come against a team I played for, for years with, it’s a great opportunity for our organization and I’m looking forward to it.”


On his experience of championship games with the Eagles:

“They’ve been there before, so they’ve experienced it and they know the magnitude of the game. But at the end of the day, experience probably plays a factor, but it’s also about what this game holds. I think when you’re hungry – when you have a bunch of hungry guys who are willing to win and can taste it – it makes you even more hungry.”


On the fan reaction to the team’s success:

“Once you win you have people who support you. This community and town have been great. That 12th man is big as far as momentum and going out there and knowing you’ll have support. I think they’ve been doing a great job – the city and the fans as well.”


On the fans when the team was losing:

“It was tough. It’s tough personally when you’re losing and people who want you to win – they’re tough on you too. But I think it’s hard love. It was the same thing in Philadelphia when I was there. The fans were tough on you when you lose, but they were all behind you when you win and I think that’s how you create your fan base – through winning.”


On the Thanksgiving game:

“It was a tough night. You think about the things Donovan (McNabb) had been doing and people getting on him – he had a lot of fire behind him. They could have played anyone – the momentum and the drive they had – the guys rallied behind him and they were tough to beat that night. They played a perfect ballgame and they pretty much didn’t miss anything on the field. They were pretty much almost perfect. It was a pretty tough ballgame. But, like I said, this is a whole new ballgame and a whole new season.”


On Brian Westbrook’s injuries:

“Westbrook is the type of guy that when those lights get turned on – and I played with him – he doesn’t have to practice the whole week. Once those lights get turned on, he’s one of the best backs in the NFL, if not the best.”


On whether he’s received a lot of calls from Philadelphia lately:

“I’ve been talking to a lot of the guys – I keep in touch with them anyways. They’re like family and a lot of friends. Guys call me during the season and I know I’m going to get a lot of phone calls.”


On who he was closest with on the Eagles:

“It’s tough – me and (Brian) Westbrook were really tight, (Correll) Buckhalter and Donovan (McNabb) – we still keep in touch. Then Sheldon (Brown) and Lito (Sheppard) – the secondary was always close.”


On whether he’s surprised the Eagles made it this far:

“Teams have their ups and downs, so for them to bounce back (isn’t surprising). Philly never had a problem with talent or scheme wise. They had their ups and downs and I think they went through a down period there, but now they’re playing their best games.”


On Kurt Warner:

“Kurt is awesome. Hands down he’s a Hall of Famer. The things he does on and off the field, just lets you know the type of person he is and the plays he makes. For us, he’s brought this team a long way and we rally behind him.”


On similarities between Warner and McNabb:

“They’re winners. They’re definitely winners. Kurt is a little bit different – Donovan has a strong and powerful arm and Kurt is more accurate and more seasoned. Both of them are great in their own respects.”


On whether it will be weird playing against McNabb:

“I went against him every day in practice in training camp, so I think with the lights turned on it’ll be a little more intense – but I look forward to it.”


On the Jim Johnson defense:

“When they bring guys in, they bring guys who run to the football. And his scheme – he has one of the best schemes in football. He understands the flow of the game. When the momentum is hot, he’ll blitz and he feels that when the momentum is on their side, they’ll blitz and when they need to play coverage, they’ll play coverage. His thing is always trying to rile the quarterback and get the quarterback uncomfortable.”


On Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s success:

“Dominique is an awesome player. He has a lot of great natural ability – ball skills and he’s a great athlete. Now he’s getting the opportunity to show it. I think it was just a matter of time for him to get in and get the opportunity to play ball. Like I said, he’s a great athlete and I think people are seeing it now.”


On getting motivated as a defense:

“We’re motivated anyways. To be in this position, we’re motivated. I think we’re inspired within because we know what we can do as a defense. People are talking about why we weren’t playing well, but we just go out there and work hard and didn’t even get concerned – just believed we were tough.”


On whether he was rooting for a rematch against the Eagles:

“I definitely wanted to play – it was unfortunate I wasn’t able to play (the first time) I had broken ribs. But to turn around and get this magnitude of a game against them – it’s a great honor.”


On what it was like to play on the Eagles’ defense:

“It was great. It was one of those types where the corners pretty much play man-to-man a lot and they got to the quarterback, put on pressure so you had opportunities to pick balls off and make plays. It was a great opportunity.”


On how he has felt about Lito Sheppard’s tough year:

“I just tell him to keep his head up. He’s a great football player and he’s going to have opportunities. There are 31 more teams that would love to have him if he doesn’t turn it around with the Eagles. He’s a great cornerback and I just tell him to keep his head up and keep working hard and things will work out for him.”


On similarities between him leaving for Arizona and Sheppard’s situation:

“Yeah – Lito is a two-time Pro Bowler and I just think he’s just having his downs. You’re going to have that as a player and you just have to keep pushing and keep plugging away and things will turn out alright.”


On Clancy Pendergasts’ defense:

“I think he’s having fun with the defense. I think he’s seeing where we made our mistakes in the regular season and he’s changing that and then he’s just going forward. He’s letting guys make plays and just play relentless. Not being afraid to pressure the quarterback, he’s just letting it all hang out.”


On the defense coming together:

“I think guys are just on the same page as him and he’s on the same page as us and we just have a good mix now.”


On whether playing four-or five-man fronts has helped the defense:

“We get pressure on the quarterback and you can play seven or eight men in the box to stop the run and we can play good coverage – that helps any defense.”


Cardinals WR Sean Morey


On Kurt Warner’s leadership of this team:

“I think what Kurt does is he leads by example. He’s a consummate professional. He approaches his role and his job in a manner that other guys take notice of. They see that he’s prepared and understands the opponents, and obviously he helps us as receivers, understand the concepts we’re trying to execute and also the defenses of our opponents.”


On the importance the fan support has been through this run:

“They’ve been fantastic. They’ve really stepped up and provided us with a lot of excitement. It’s exciting to play at home, to play in front of fans that really care. I think they’ve done an exceptional job.”


On his workout regimen:

“There is a lot that all players do. There is a certain routine, a regimen, that you find that works for you and I just don’t deviate from it. I never want something that I didn’t do to be the reason why I failed or didn’t do my job to the best of my ability. I just try to take care of my body and do the things that you’re supposed to do as a pro to prepare yourself each week.”


On where his hard-working approach came from:

“I think everybody that’s made it to this league, to this point in their career, has a certain work ethic that appreciates the grind every day. I’ve always understood the importance of work ethic, but as a professional football player, we come out here, compete and have fun with your teammates. It makes practice fun and you never work a day in your life. You’re just enjoying playing the game.”


On if he doesn’t like the perception that he’s just a special teams player:

“I think you have to be able to know your role, accept your role and be a pro, and know that your role can change from week to week. I approach my job as if I’m going to be a starting receiver every week. If anybody gets hurt, if anything happens, I’ve got to be able to step in and we can’t miss a beat. We can’t afford to, so I just prepare as much as I can so I know what’s going on, so I can step in and do the job.”


On how he would judge whether a player can still be effective into his later 30s, given Kurt Warner’s success this season:

“In my eyes, I’ve always seen players as, can they play? If you can play, if you can do the job, you’re going to do the job. I probably would be a pretty bad GM, but if you can play, you step out there, you approach your job in a professional manner and you get the job done, then why shouldn’t you be able to play?”



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