WR-ANTHONY GONZALEZ (on clicking towards the end of last season and if his production early this season is an extension of that) * *
"I don't know. I didn't think I had a great game against Chicago, so I wouldn't say it's an extension. But hopefully I'm starting to play a little better, starting to figure some things out differently maybe. I don't evaluate holistically, I just kind of look at it day by day and try to improve that way."
WR-ANTHONY GONZALEZ (on him saying he had an 'okay' day after the Minnesota game, when he was 9-137 receiving)
"I still think that. After watching it, I think that even more. It's just little technique things. You can see it on film. Numbers can certainly lie to you if you get fascinated with them. Technique-wise, I thought I did better in the Chicago game than in the Minnesota game. But from a production standpoint, obviously that wasn't the case. I've never been one to look at stats. I don't have statistical goals. I don't do anything like that. I just try to improve technically and hope that if you improve technically, the numbers generally take care of themselves. That's always how I've approached it."
WR-ANTHONY GONZALEZ (on QB-Peyton Manning saying that Gonzalez does a good job of adjusting and reading during a game and cutting off a route if the QB is in trouble)
"I think that might be just like a feel thing more than anything. It's hard to explain, but for some reason, sometimes you can feel when there's pressure, even though I'm way outside. We did that a few times in the Minnesota game, and it worked out. Obviously you want to get to your depths as much as you can, but when the time is right, sometimes you do need to cut things off short."
WR-ANTHONY GONZALEZ (on if he feels more comfortable in his second year)
"I think so. I think last year I played sometimes a little bit robotic, where it was just, 'This is the play, so I'm going to run in a straight line here, and I'm going to run in a straight line there, and this is how it's drawn up on paper.' Whereas opposed to this year I'm trying to use my brain a little bit more and think more conceptually, and maybe it's not exactly what's on the paper, but it works. Rookie year, you spend a lot of time just trying to get those straight-line images in your head, 'This is what the play is,' and then once you're more comfortable with it, you can play faster and you can play quicker."
WR-ANTHONY GONZALEZ (on if he likes alternating inside—slot—and outside receiver)
"I don't mind it too much. I like being out there. I don't really care. I always said that in college. You can put me at center if you want. Inside, outside, it doesn't make a difference to me. I just enjoy being out there."
WR-ANTHONY GONZALEZ (on playing outside at Ohio State)
"I played a little bit out there. Honestly it's kind of rewarding because coming out of college a lot of people said I couldn't play outside…so to do it and kind of prove to myself and I guess maybe in some ways to other people is somewhat rewarding."
WR-ANTHONY GONZALEZ (on if he is his own toughest critic)
"Our coaches do a good job of coaching us up and pointing things out. The only way you know what to look for is if you've been told what to look for. I've kind of taken my cues from (WRs Coach) Clyde (Christensen) and the other receivers and Peyton (Manning) a little bit. That's how I determine what I need to get better at, is feedback from them. Then, I probably go through it. A coach has to evaluate three, four guys on a play, whereas just one person, you can evaluate yourself pretty easily."
WR-ANTHONY GONZALEZ (on being called a 'gamer' and if he feels he steps it up in games)
"You hope to play well in practice, too. I approach practice differently. That's when I try things and see if something will work. And nine times out of 10 it doesn't work. Gamer, that's another term I'm not really sure on. I practice as hard as I play, I think. Obviously when you're in a game and going against other people you're going to be a little bit more intense and a little bit more focused just because the stakes are obviously a lot higher. There are other people in the stands and you say this counts toward your record and all of a sudden people get real serious. I know this much, I'm enjoying the games, I'm having fun in the games. I certainly feel more comfortable and I guess just overall better than I did last year."
