August 22, 2005
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if there is a hangover in preseason coming off a loss) Training Camp
"No, in the preseason you're really worried about how you're playing and individual techniques and a lot of things going on. And obviously the games don't count in the standings, so it doesn't take quite as long to get over them. Usually, we have a day off. We have Sunday off, and you're through all of that and you're coming in on Monday ready to go. And I thought we were that way today."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on his response to handling losses in the preseason) Training Camp
"My response is that it is the preseason, but you never want to be satisfied with football that's not at your best. And that's what we addressed with the team. The wins will come, the scores will come, if we do what we're supposed to do. And we can't take the approach that, 'Oh, everything's fine,' because it's not fine. We also can't take the approach that we're 0-3 or 0-4 in the regular season because we aren't. We have to get ourselves better, start doing the things in the games that we're capable of doing. The only way I know how to do that is practice better, and I think we'll do that."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on being concerned about how the team has gotten to 0-3, not concerned about being 0-3) Training Camp
"We just have not played as consistently as we need to. Now, there are a lot of positive things that we can take from it. I think our defense has been better than at any preseason since I've been here. We're making big plays, we're causing turnovers, we haven't given up long passes. We're doing a lot of good things that way."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on the improvement of the secondary) Training Camp
"I think our speed is showing up, and that's been the encouraging thing. We had two kind of blown coverages in the game, and Waine Bacon knocked one down and Joseph (Jefferson) knocked another one down. We're making sure tackles in the secondary and haven't given up the long passes. So, it's really been good to see. And Joseph is really settling in pretty well (at safety)."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY(on what DB-Donald Strickland brings to the defense when healthy) Training Camp
"He's a very physical guy. He's a lot like (Kelvin) Hayden and (Marlin) Jackson in that standpoint. He's a very smart guy. He can play inside in the nickel, and he can play outside. He's a good tackler. So, all of the things we look for, I think all three of those guys have. So, we'll get Donald back and see how he's doing. But he can be a very good player for us when he's healthy."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on DT-Darrell Reid showing a lot so far) Training Camp
"He has. It's funny how systems just seem to be made for guys to show what they can do. But from day one out here in summer school, he was really impressive playing inside at tackle, which I don't know that he's ever played in there. But he's just continued to come on and probably been our most consistent defensive lineman during the preseason. And it's been good to see. He's gotten the chance to start the last two ballgames because of injuries, and he really looks right at home out there."
