 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay - Post-game Quotes - Green Bay
Regular Season - Packers Win 17-14
HEAD COACH MIKE SHERMAN:
(on the season) "Our goal to start the season was to make the playoffs and that's a disappointment in itself. But what this team has achieved in the face of continuous adversity throughout the season, makes this season very gratifying for me Up in that locker room is, I believe, a special group of men who know what it takes to be a Green Bay Packer. We've won five in a row at Lambeau, hopefully re-establishing it as a tough place to play. We've won two overtime games (this season) against very good opponents. We've won four in a row in December, which is really the time of year when playoff and championship teams are built. So in spite of the fact that we're not going to the playoffs, I will have a very good Christmas.
"I hope it sends a message that things in Green Bay are getting to a point where you'd better have your chin strap buckled when you play the Packers.
"I think we're a playoff-caliber team right now. We stumbled a couple of times this season on a couple of games that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I think we're the type of team right now, we just came up short at the end. Very often a 9-7 team makes it into the playoffs. This just doesn't happen to be one of those years."
(on finding out the Packers didn't make it into the playoffs) "I found out when I walked in the locker room and I asked someone and they told me. My reaction was, 'We'll get them next year.' "
(on running back De'Mond Parker's performance in overtime) "He came in colder than heck and put us in a position. I think he did a tremendous job. He was put in a very pressure-cooker situation and responded. I think that tells you a lot about the young man."
QUARTERBACK BRETT FAVRE:
(on the game) "This whole season has been about guys filling in and overcoming, and today was no different.
"As excited as I was after the game, I also knew how close we were to losing it. But, hey, that's football. We found a way to overcome it."
(on the 2000 season) "The one thing about this team is we haven't made many excuses this year. This team has a lot of people who no one knows who they are. I told Mike Sherman last week, out of my nine years here, this is the best chemistry we've had, the most togetherness we've had.
"We've had some slip-ups this year. But I don't think anyone can question the way we battled this whole year and got back to 9-7. With all the negative things that have happened this year, all the adversity we've had to overcome, I think anyone on this team -- coaches, personnel, players -- can say it's a stepping stone for what we're looking for next year. There's high hopes for this team next year and we're an hour past the season. What better way to finish the season than to go 4-0."
(on running back De'Mond Parker) "He played great. His nickname is 'Pee-Wee', and I said he definintely got rid of that nickname. He played like a big man today."
(on young wide receivers Charles Lee and Donald Driver) "I just said, 'Hey this is an opportunity.' It's unfortunate in some ways and fortunate in others. I know they would have liked to have had better conditions, but overall I think they did a good job."
(on Tampa Bay's defense) "They're real good. They were as good as they were in the first game. The conditions evened things up a little. Against their defense, you take anything you can get."
(on Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp) "Our guys up front played extremely well all season. They played real hard today. You can't keep Warren out all game. At one point he told me he'd be hanging around the pocket, and I told him I won't be."
PUNTER JOSH BIDWELL:
(on his eight punts) "It just felt good to have a decent game and help in
field position, especially in weather like this."
(on preferring to kick more in cold weather) "Not really. If you're hitting
the ball well in any type of weather, you'll get decent punts. Obviously,
if it was warm and I was punting the way I was today, it probably would have
gone 10 yards further. It helps a little bit, but you don't want it to come
down to punting a lot. You want to win."
KICKER RYAN LONGWELL:
(on the satisfaction of hitting the game winner) "Really, for the team. We
had a chance to go 7-3 in our last 10 and win 4 in a row against the
division. We put a lot of effort in this week. We didn't know what would
happen with the playoff picture, but we really wanted this win. So it was
real satisfying to get it."
(on Martin Gramatica) "He's a good guy. Whether you like his antics or not,
he's a really good guy. He hits the ball really good. He hit those first
two really pure and just missed the last one, but like I've said many times,
you can't get away with minor mis-hits in this stadium - they blow wide.
That was close enough where it probably goes through down in a warmer
climate, but it's a tough place to kick. I thought he had a really good day
up until that last one."
DEFENSIVE END VONNIE HOLLIDAY:
(on the team) "It was an emotional game. It's been an emotional ride for
the last four or five weeks. Guys knew coming into this game that we needed
it. We couldn't worry about the outside forces. It was a great thing I
thought that coach didn't put the scores up there on the scoreboard. It was
exciting out there. It came down to the wire. We were just trying to add a
little drama to the situation. It was great to reestablish home field
advantage in Lambeau Field. I'm proud of the guys in this locker room and
the coaching staff. It's amazing that this thing is finally coming together
and that we finally gelled, and it's over. This is a team that's a
playoff-caliber team, and we're peaking at the right time. We let some slip
along the way, and we're not going to go to the playoffs. But in the
postseason, I don't think there's any team out there that wants to face us
right now."
DEFENSIVE END JOHN THIERRY:
(on the game) "I'm pumped up. This definitely was a big game for us. We
wanted to go out with a bang no matter what happened with other teams. It's
kind of sad. You're not supposed to be sad if you win a game, but we wanted
to get in the playoffs. It didn't work out, but we'll be ready next year."
LINEBACKER NA'IL DIGGS:
(on the low-scoring game) "We knew it was going to be a defensive game. One
of our missions was to stop Warrick (Dunn), and I felt we pretty much did
that. In the fourth quarter, they had a lot of big plays on us, drove down
the field and scored. We had a couple missed coverages on that drive, and
it cost us. But it was a great game. We fought our butts off."
LINEBACKER BERNARDO HARRIS:
(on not making the playoffs) "We didn't get enough wins early on when we had
a chance at the beginning of the season. We found ourselves too late, but
we're pretty happy with how things turned out as far as coming together as a
team and winning the last four games in December."
"We're happy how we finished the season and showed character and showed
chemistry and showed a lot of pride with the men in this locker room."
SAFETY DARREN SHARPER:
(on the season) "Oh, man. This year's been up and down, just unbelievable.
Every game was decided within five points or less. It was just one of those
seasons where, if you don't have a good heart, it's going to be rough on
you. We ended the season well, so we have some positives going into next
year."
"We sustained our defense well the first part of the game. Then they came
out and ran a little no huddle, kind of threw us off guard a little bit and
were able to get some yards and make some plays. We busted a coverage and
gave them a touchdown, and then they also scored later on kicking field
goals. But we thought we held them in check pretty much. That's a tough
team to hold in the fourth quarter because of their offensive threats."
SAFETY LEROY BUTLER:
(on Antonio Freeman's inactive status) "So many guys are hungry, so many
guys are waiting to play, so many guys that know it's a big ball game for
us, they just continue to play. I had 22 guys come to me and say, 'Hey man,
what's going on?' I said what's going on is that we have to beat Tampa. So
we handle it as leaders, and we handle it as the head man here (Mike
Sherman) thought what was best. But Free is still a part of this team,
obviously."
(on Mike Sherman) "Our head coach taught us to continue to fight, continue
to be aggressive this year, and it really gelled for us. We feel like in
December we play just as good as anybody. He just kept plugging that away.
He kept this team together. We had a lot of adversity this year - injuries,
on-the-field and off-the-field stuff - but continued to put people out there
making plays. I think that's what it's all about."
RUNNING BACK De'MOND PARKER:
(on coming in late in the game) "The offensive line made some big blocks,
and I just ran through the big holes and did my thing. Ahman went down, and
so it was up to me to step up. That's what I did, just made my plays and
stepped up."
"It was kind of tough. But today's my birthday. I just went out and made
plays, pretty much."
(on his third-down catch in overtime) "I ran my route, the inside guy fell
down, and Brett threw it right on the money. I caught it, fell down and
got popped. But I caught the ball. That was the most important thing."
(on his 21-yard run) "My main thing was just try to hold on to the ball,
don't fumble it. The line made great blocks, and I just ran through the big
hole."
OFFENSIVE TACKLE MARK TAUSCHER:
(on not making the playoffs) "The win was very big for us. Things just
didn't fall the way we wanted them to."
(on the play this season of the offensive line) "It was really just getting
used to each other. It's just like anything else. If you can get a feel
for what the other guy's thinking, you can be a lot more productive, and
that's what we did. We did come together very well, and I hope we can just
build off that."
(on taking advantage of playing opportunities) "I think everybody needs a
chance to break into the lineup. Brett (Favre got his with (Don) Majkowski.
This year, unfortunately, there were many more opportunities for young guys
to play, and I think, for the most part, we came to play every week. That's
a lot to build on for next year."
WIDE RECEIVER DONALD DRIVER:
(on when he learned he would start) "By the time we got to the meetings last
night, they were saying that I was going to be starting at flanker receiver,
so that's when I knew."
"I knew I had to step up and make plays. Me, Billy (Schroeder) and Charles
Lee, we had to step up because we didn't have any more receivers, and so I
felt like this was my opportunity to make plays for the team, and that's
what I did today.
(on whether he was nervous) "There's not time for nerves. Sometimes you
just have to go out there and just play. You know you have the opportunity
to go out there and make plays, and that's what I tried to do out there
today. I tried to get the nerves out early, but I didn't throw up or
anything."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
