Jon Gruden Bowl Quotations

It's hard to get there, hard to win it. You'd like to have three bye weeks and just be anointed Super Bowl champions. You've got a tough road. I don't care where you go or what you're schedule is. But we understand the implications of the game.

I respect where I came from. There's some sensitivity and there's some emotion to see Oakland play in the Super Bowl ... it would be an honor to play them.

I think every year there are dark horses that jump onto the scene. It's just facts. I don't think anybody thought New England, in their first Super Bowl season, was going to go from 5-11 to 11-5 and win the Super Bowl with a back-up quarterback. I don't believe anybody thought we were going to do it either. That's just this game.

It's not the greatest day of my life, winning eight games. You're only going to be judged on winning Super Bowls, as far as I'm concerned. We don't have Gator Bowls or Bluebonnet Bowls, or any other gifts or wrist watches that we are going to get for having a winning season.

We're pleased with the progress we're making. We're not saying we're ready for Canton (the Pro Football Hall of Fame) yet or Super Bowl XL or whatever it is. (But) there is an attitude there that is very good. It's what we want, the toughness, effort, the technique, the fundamentals are getting better. We are very physical.