Bill Cowher Last Quotations

We're going to have to deal with the crowd noise. That's something that we dealt with last week, too. So it's going to be no different.

We are going to have to play much better than we played the last time we played them. We are going to have to play much better than we played last week. It is going to take a flawless effort on our part.

Max played some last year. I am not too concerned about Max at all, to be honest with you.

I was happy for him. That was his first live contact since last year's championship game. He's been running well in practice the last couple of weeks. He has been a trooper. He has sat there and been patient. Duce ran really hard against a good football team.

He was a robotic quarterback a year ago. He's been able to pace himself over the course of the year by understanding the length of the season. All these things are why you're seeing the difference from this year to last year.

He will miss approximately five weeks, four games. That is the early diagnosis. Certainly that can be give and take, a week here and there. Really, what we thought initially, that is probably good news based on what we were concerned about the last couple of days.

We're playing the No. 1 seed in the AFC and in many people's eyes the No. 1 team in the National Football League. We're going to have to play so much better than we played the last time we played them, and we're going to have to play better than we played last week. It's going to take a flawless effort on our part. We're going to have to bring everything we have and more.

We've got to run the ball better, there's no question about that. We've played two pretty good defenses and this one's no different, they're ranked fifth against the rush. We have to be able to run the ball more efficiently than we have the last couple weeks. We can't sit there and rely on throwing the football all the time. Not that we don't want to have balance, we do.

He's been looking pretty good the last couple of days. He's not ready to play a whole game and James will certainly spell him at times.

He's been here and he knows our players more than the last couple times I've brought guys in,

We have to be able to run the ball more efficiently than we have the last couple weeks. We can't sit there and rely on throwing the football all the time. Not that we don't want to have balance, we do.

Joey's been looking good the last couple of days. He's not ready to play the whole game. But, based on what I've seen the last few days, he'll start.

Jerome is a great guy. The way he played, the way he was off the field, he brings so much professionalism to our team. I can't be happier for him. He's what's right about the National Football League. He's a very inspiring individual. He knows how to deal with people. He makes you want to work as hard as you can to succeed. If it was his last game, what a great way to go out.

Like I told our guys - this has nothing to do with last year.

I think pressure is everything. When people get in the playoffs, there's pressure to win. It's win or go home. I don't feel any more this week than I did last week or the week before. It's one and done if you don't play well. We're looking at this week no different than last week. We're just trying to win a football game. If we do, we have an opportunity to go on, and if not, our season is done. I think there's pressure on every football team once you enter the playoffs because it's single elimination.

I think he has more wins than I do. He had the last one. The last game was kind of a big game. He was a junior, and I was a senior. We lost, 6-0, on a kickoff return. I was not on the kickoff-coverage team, I do point that out, the only time I was not on the field.

I think he was worn out by the end of last year.

Why was he not in the game in the last series? ... That's a legitimate question ... I wish I would have gotten him in the game in the second half.

We had another third-and-12 against Baltimore last week, we kind of stayed back in a basic defense and that was a touchdown. This was third-and-12 again and I was not going to do it again, so we came with the blitz and we were fortunate it worked out.

We didn't do a very good job of handling the noise element the last time we went there. I would like to think that having been there once, you know what to expect. When we walked out of the RCA Dome, there was no question that it was louder than we anticipated going in. Now we understand what it is going to be like and we have to deal with it.

We'll stick to our normal schedule, a lot like (the) New England (Patriots) did last week. We'll get out there late Saturday, and we'll play Sunday. I don't think it will have much of an effect.

This time, they'll go to the game and enjoy it a little bit more than last time.

This will be our third time playing them. They're explosive. They played well defensively down the stretch. There will be a lot of excitement in that stadium. It's a big challenge for us. We certainly have to play better than the last time we played them and better defensively than how we played today.

We've been playing well the last three weeks on the road, and we've got another fourth game on the road. I don't know if that's superstitious, but that's the way I'm thinking.

We've been kind of a high-profile team the last two years. That experience of going through the playoffs has been important.

We certainly have to play better than the last time we played them. It's going to be a challenge for us.

You give the ball to Jerome Bettis, and a fumble is the last thing you're thinking about.

We didn't lose after the bye last year. But that's all right. I get enough losses around here, so I just try to make sure I get credit for some of the wins.

At that point, the last thing I thought we would do is fumble with Jerome Bettis.

There was a little apprehension. But he came in excellent shape with his weight down. He was a little bit better in the last game than the first game and I think he's getting better each day.

There's a fine line between going in there and being emotional and allowing it to have an adverse effect, which I think happened to us last week. We settled down more in the second half of that game, but we lost our composure at times. I don't want us to lose our emotion, but we can't lose our composure. There's a fine line and at times we kind of crossed that, but we have to play with that same emotion, that same level of desperation or else we are not going to move on.

There's going to be a lot of excitement in their stadium. We're certainly going to have to play better than the last time we faced them.

They are all very unselfish guys and that certainly will make my job easier (in choosing who plays). While it's a tough decision to make, they have recognized it, and, that position has epitomized the unselfishness on this team the last couple of years.

They're playing at a high level. They're explosive. ... We certainly have to play better than the last time we played them, and better defensively than how we played today.

It's a legitimate question, ... As the second half unfolded, unfortunately we did not have Jerome in the game. I wish I would have gotten him in. He was not in the game in the last series of overtime because he had not been in the game in the second half. That's a decision that I am responsible for.

It's been an inspiration to our team, no question. We talked about it. The fact that we're able to play this last game in Detroit, we're getting him back there. Now what we have to do is make sure this is a positive. That's the message now and the driving force for that team, really.

That's probably good news based on what we were concerned about the last couple of days.

That last win at Indy probably helped us more than anything else because it allowed us to prepare for the noise we had to deal with on the road in the playoffs.

(The) biggest thing is hydrating and making sure you get enough fluid in your body. But we'll stick to our normal schedule a lot like New England did last week. And we'll go out there late on Saturday and play on Sunday. I don't think it'll have much of an effect.

They certainly will look at his last few games where he probably didn't play as well as he did earlier,

I'm not sure we were the best team last year. I think we played the best at the right time of year.

If you look at us two years ago, we were 6-10 and probably a lot like Tennessee, where the year before we were in the playoffs. Tennessee is coming off a tough year last year. As I told the team, two years ago they were 12-4 and came up here and whipped our tails pretty good in this stadium.

I haven't seen him this morning. We'll have him out there today and see how he runs. He was feeling pretty good about it last night. I think he'll be fine by Sunday.

I put a lot of thought into it. What exactly I'll say, I'm not exactly sure right now. It's kind of a last-minute thing. The biggest thing right now is not to make this game out bigger than it is. ... There's been a sense of urgency and a desperate state we've played in the last seven weeks and I don't think Sunday will be any different.

But it is a competitive advantage. I said last week, if I were coaching in Houston and I had a team from the North coming down, I would -- with all due respect to the fans -- have the roof open, make them wear black and talk about it enough to have it work in their minds.

Hopefully we'll improve from last week to this game. It's a big challenge, but I'd like to think we can play better.

He's rested, physically and mentally. He was a worn-out guy last year.

I don't know if we had a better plan (in dealing with the noise), I just don't think we had a very good plan the last time we were here.

He brings so much class and professionalism to our team. If it is his last game, what a great way to go out.

You watch that game last week, there were a number of third-and-9s, third-and-10s that they converted in the first couple of drives, ... It can get demoralizing for a defense. And you keep giving them snaps with the playmakers they have, and a defense will eventually break down and they will make a big play.

The difference between Ben last year and this year is night and day.

The last time we played here, I think we were probably too determined to run the ball. We're at our best when we have balance.