Parcells press conference 12/27/06

Wow, in a fast-moving and fast-talking press conference Bill Parcells did the only thing he thought he could do; basically avoid talking about the Philly game and put a positive spin on everything. Coach was very animated and spent a lot of time putting questions back to the reporters or accusing them of only seeing the negative. I'll try to convey the feeling and the context of Parcells answers, but things were moving so fast it was hard to keep up.

We're listing Reeve as questionable; he will try to practice today. Jay Ratliff is questionable, not sure he can do much today, but maybe later in the week. It's a shoulder injury but the MRI looked good. No damage to his rotator cuff.

Any statement on T.O.'s performance and post-game comments? Across the board the team wasn't what I hoped. I look at things for what they are. The first 25 minutes of the game, we had 14 offensive plays; some were short yardage, some goal line, some regular runs. Look at what it really is, we had 6 to 7 [passing] plays to get everyone involved, and that's difficult. We fumbled the ball after their TD.

Post-game frustration happens quite a bit. I don't have anything more to say about it, I'm tired of talking about it already.

Are you worried about a fractured locker room? Absolutely not. I know where we are, when we left Oxnard if someone said we'd be in the playoffs, all of you would've said OK.

But you had a chance to be in a better spot? Everybody has had a chance to be in a better spot, except maybe Chicago. I'm just trying to get ready for Detroit and the tournament.

What about Terry Glenn's comments after the game? I know Glenn a lot better than you, we'll just leave it at that.

Terence Newman said this team has too many talkers not enough doers? I attribute that to post-game frustration.

But he said it again today? What do you want me to say?

We just got to get back to playing better, we did it for 10 or 11 games, we can do it again.

Problems with the pass rush? The pass rush didn't do very well. But I'm looking forward to this week, regardless of how determined you are to stay on something else, I understand it's your job and it's a natural thing, but I'm thinking about something else, not something negative but something positive.

Last week you said we were pretty good against Atlanta, it`s either the outhouse or the castle, but I'm not in that trap you are in.

Nothing is decided, you guys don't know who will win the NFC. If I put out a poll on who will win the NFC, there would be one vote for every team and as soon as the 6th team got in, someone would vote for them.

The team has struggled over the past month: We've played better from time to time, but there were some good spots over the last month. I'm not ready to put the flowers in the hearse. If we do play like we did Monday, then we have no chance. But I don't think they will. I've seen it before and I know what we got, I got good kids, they can respond to competition or we wouldn't have won five games on the road. So going on the road doesn't bother me.

What do you talk to the team about with respect to the Lions? I tell them the team with the best record in the conference played the team with the worst, but if you didn't know which was which, you couldn't tell. The Lions were in that game until the last play, a receiver had both hands on a ball to win it with a TD. That`s what I'm trying to say to everyone, no one knows what will happen in this conference.

Aren't you concerned about the team's play? I'm concerned, but I'm not coming out here like 100 miles of bad road. I just know we can play better, if we do we'll be a factor.

Does Romo need to play better? We all have to play better, I'm not singling anybody out, except maybe Jason Ferguson, he had 9 tackles in that [Philly] game, he played pretty damn good. ed note - I had Ferguson as the defensive MVP of the game, here.

I'm not worried about the past, I'm disregarding it, and once it's over I'm moving on.

I talked to Tony today, he maybe understands what I want from him a little more clearly now. It was a personal conversation.

What do you do if Ratliff can't play? I think Stephen Bowen will get some turns. This team's [the Lions] offense is only 31% run for the season, so you have to be concerned with their receivers, which might necessitate some adjustments that will be obvious when you watch the game.

Anthony Henry's play/knee? Henry did alright the other night. He was better than the week before, the trainers said he came out of the game better.

More on Ratliff's possible absence:? We'll put a different combination of players out there, it's not a "who" but a combination of players. I might dress more defensive lineman for this game.

Pat Watkins? Watkins started cautiously but got better as the game went on.

On the Philly game: They outplayed us and they deserved the win, I know what happens in these games, I'm pretty adamant about knowing my team, I've had them for 19 games so far, I know the players on my team. We're capable of doing better, that being said, I look forward to the opportunity.

Next week could be another short-week and you don't know you playoff opponent yet? I will know the opponent, we've played them all recently, and we play Seattle so many times lately they seem like a division team. I know their QB well.

I would have to look at those games [recent games for Seattle], and I know they've been struggling, but the rest of the teams, #3 through 6, are recent competition. I don't know who #6 is, but we know Atlanta, Carolina, the Giants, not much will change.

On the general struggles of NFC contenders: I wasn't being negative about the Bears, it was just if you didn't know the uniforms, you wouldn't have known which was which. That's why I won't let the negativism that permeates this town stay in place. If I'm negative, the players will be. We won't be judged by the New Orleans game, or the Atlanta game, or the road games we won earlier in the year.

Why are you so positive? If I don't have hope, who will? You sure as hell don't have it.

When did you become so Pollyanna? I'm not Pollyanna. What is the objective of the season? (reporters - win the Super Bowl) Do we have that opportunity? (yes) What about the other 20 teams that don't? Thank you.

Troubles with 3rd down defense? It's a combination of things, I will admit we have trouble pressuring the QB, I'm going to change some things this week in an effort to help that out.

When you were younger, you sometimes took a negative reaction to the your team's play? That's when I knew we were going to win all the time, right now I don't know that, you don't know it, nobody does. You start out the year to get the opportunity. Is everything perfect? No. Is everything perfect in Seattle? How about the Giants? The team that is doing good is Philly, but everyone had them in the mortuary a month ago.