Brian Billick Quotations | Page 3

Ours, given our circumstance, has been a little bit of a reversal. We have to have more productivity in the passing game to take it to another level. I'm sure their mantra is they have to take that next step defensively to get to that next level. In that regard, we are very similar.

Some people like what he does, some people don't. We were being very aggressive about taking the next step for this team to win a Super Bowl, by recognizing what we were going to have to deal with in what was arguably the best player in free agency. Rewards are usually proportional to the risk you take. Yeah, this is a risk.

Anthony Wright is the starter for an undetermined period right now due to injury. Kyle Boller is our starting quarterback. If I left it open to interpretation, if I left that in a way that led to speculation that we did not have the faith in Kyle, that our faith is wavering, that was not my intent.

Anthony Wright is our starting quarterback and he will be our starting quarterback until circumstances change, ... That's the only approach we can take. It's not fruitful to tell a guy, 'You're the guy part-time,' or telling the other guy, 'You're out for the year.' You just don't do that.

Anthony Wright is our starting quarterback, and he will be our starting quarterback until circumstances change. That's the only approach we can take. Kyle's going to be in his boot watching the game this weekend. That's as far forward as we're going to go with it.

an offensive lineman that just flat whiffed a guy.

Any player you bring in, you have to be concerned about team chemistry. It's not necessarily the guy may or may not be a bad apple. It's just in terms of demeanor and work ethic. We have very good team chemistry. This team has been together for a while and has developed a certain camaraderie. You don't want to disrupt that.

That's why I would be concerned with Cutler. He's a good, young man who is intelligent. But he's not really been under the spotlight on a consistent basis.

That one is as heated and as deep as we've got, which is great, ... Everybody is making plays, or not. It is happening across the board. It's fun to watch.

Alan has not been healthy, in my opinion, ... Alan is just now, with this bye week, ought to be fully healthy. That will be an asset we'll have to utilize.

You saw a more physical style or approach in hitting the hole, ... You saw those good tough runs, taking a couple of guys, always getting positive yards, and that is Jamal's game. We expect to build on that with every week. I liked what I saw in terms of the temperament via particularly what we talked about all last week with Jamal.

You never pass up dynamic talent. Is he all you need? No. But I'll take it.

You might look at certain positions and say you weight it more than another. But there's exceptions to the rule you find all the time. It just depends on the total puzzle and what you're looking for.

You need to get into football shape, and that has to be done in a certain environment, ... So we'll deal with whatever the system says he has to do, but it's our hope that they understand that there are certain circumstances that in order for him to go forward and do his job, there's some certain things that he needs to do.

This bye didn't look to be in a particularly good spot when it first came out. But obviously right now, it's what we need because we have a great deal of work these next two weeks.

They stepped up to stop the run. They were going to do it and they did brilliantly.

They put him in a cast, so that accelerates it. That's not an indication that it's any more serious.

They pulled clips from our last win here, and after the Denver game. We were excited to win those. Give us that. But anybody who listened to me all week long has heard me say nothing tasteless, nothing classless, and nothing disrespectful of the Titans. I didn't do it.

They have a right to be disappointed in me and the way we've played, but I'm betting that our fans when we line up against the Jets are going to be rocking and rolling. We better give them something to be upbeat about. If we can deliver, I think we'll be off and running.

You don't want to put a player at risk. He feels good. We just have to make sure everyone else signs off on it.

You can't make mistakes like that in the first half. I'm happy with how he responded, and we grew. He grew individually, and we grew as a team.

There isn't a person in this organization that doesn't enjoy having Deion Sanders here and doesn't think he isn't a valued part of what we are trying to do. It's been a joy to have him here. Deion can still play, there's no question. But what he brings to the team, from a veteran perspective and an emotional standpoint, is of great value to us.

They're going to try to play-action and make vertical plays down the field. We've got a great deal of faith in Chad. He has knowledge of the defense, he knows what he's supposed to be doing. He's been solid for us in every phase we've put him in.

They're going to be very focused on a Jamal Lewis when he's in the game, and their defensive calls will be dictated by that to a certain degree, based on what they think we're going to do or the style of runner that Jamal is, compared to Chester Taylor.

They're optimistic that he could be fine game time. Certainly, if the doctors say he can't go, he can't go. But he has not been healthy, and you have to be healthy to play this game and this position.

There's a wide variety of things we could do. The most operative question is, who would that be? We could target a lot of guys.

There's always the potential via the rehab if it flares up again. That potential always exists.

It's finally nice to have a game where everything goes your way. It was one of those nights where everything was going to work for us.

It's a sad scenario you see over and over again. The kid is going to be here, make no mistake. In no uncertain terms, it's hurting this football team. Anybody who wants to justify it the other way is mistaken.

It wasn't for lack of shots, ... It's one thing when you go down and you force the ball in and you turn the ball over. We've done that. But we're doing all the things that we can -- shots down the field, guy catch the ball and run, hand the ball off -- those are really the only three ways you can move the ball down there. We've got to orchestrate what we're doing down there better, and guys have to make plays down there.

It really is about how you play, how you interact with one another, the things you overcome. The final score is always important. These are competitive guys. But is it the most important thing? Quite frankly, no.

I told the team before the game they didn't quite seem to have the passion and intensity you need to have every time you step on the field. That's something this team is usually good at. That concerns me a little bit.

It's one of those questions I can't answer specifically because I don't have the facts,

It's the logical choice. Kordell was great for us last year. A great team member, understands the role. Hopefully there's enough carry-over for him, verbiagewise, that he can adjust quickly. It's a nice comfort zone having him back.

It's always more severe than it sounds. We'll have to see on the toe.

It's another game, another set of data to draw from. This one is obviously very positive; that's why it's important he follows it up with another one.

It's huge, but you gain some things when you lose a player of that caliber. There are people that have to step up; we did it in 2002, we have this year. We'd prefer not to go through it, but we'll focus on the things we've been able to do with Ray Lewis and the people we have out there, and we'll get a much better idea of what their abilities are.

It's our intention to live up to the contract.

You tell them it's all about the team, and what we can do together,

The observation of this team being soft is conjecture. I know our training regimen has been sound.

That's that hook I'm talking about. Why would you not hold on to the potential for that for as long as you possibly can? ... These guys, the way they played last night, tells me they're holding onto that.

It's likely that a 10-6 season is needed to make the playoffs,

Nothing rocks a team more than the loss of a starting quarterback.

Take No. 21 and No. 23, add them together and cut it in half. Anything beyond that, it's hard to understand.

Sure, but just from the intensity of this game. Not taking advantage of the momentum the way we have done the last month or so.

It's important because those points are going to be at a premium. To have a guy that's been in those conditions is good.

It was like Babe Ruth pointing to the fence before the home run.

I've got to get back to being a head coach. That involves the relationship with your players, albeit understanding the relationship between player and head coach is well-defined. That doesn't mean you can't pull yourself back into that environment more effectively. I have to be more responsive and helpful to my assistant coaches, to give them the platform and the resources they need to be successful.

I've got to be responsive to the needs and the passions in the way my players feel like they need to play the game but also make sure there is a very clear line of demarcation as to what is acceptable and what is not.

I've got a quarterback that's had a year off, ... I wanted to get as many viable snaps, game snaps, with Anthony Wright going into the Tennessee game that I could.

Oh, it's huge, it's huge. But you gain some things when you lose a player of that caliber, because other people have to step up.

Nothing is over yet. We don't control anything yet. What we've done is put ourselves in position to be in the position to control the division. Nothing more.

Not good enough. You've got to make plays if you're going to keep up with an outstanding team like that. They (Indianapolis) give up a lot of yards, they give up a lot of 10-play drives, but they're one of the best teams in the league about keeping you out of the end zone once you get down there. They play to that strength and wait for their offense to get a lead, and that formula worked tonight.

Not good enough tonight. You've got to make plays if you're going to keep up with an outstanding team like that.

It was a great day to be a part of, to watch history, to watch that young man do what he did. We put it on his shoulders all week.

It was just a real solid win for us. Under those circumstances, all you can really ask a group to do is step up to the challenges it has and play a team that is shooting for the playoffs, and I'm very proud to be a part of a group like this.

The turnovers and penalties are going to get you beat every time, every single time.

They are two class individuals and I know they have a great affection for the people in Tennessee, for that organization, as they should, ... There is nothing like going home and being in a competitive atmosphere.

It's really not my concern right now, ... I like the group that I have.

That's all about getting him in his optimum shape for the opener,

As a coach, there are a lot of things, personally, I may or may not like or would not personally do - not necessarily may be my style, ... But you have to be very careful about inhibiting the passion for this game in an arbitrary way. I've got a very diverse group of players economically, socially, racially, geographically, with a number of different upbringings.

Their defensive calls will be dictated, to a certain degree, by a Jamal Lewis in the game, based on what they think we're going to do, or the style of runner that Jamal might be, versus a Chester Taylor, ... Now, will they have to alter that thinking a little bit with Chester Taylor? Maybe.

I'm going to have to bite my tongue on this one. We'll continue to deal with the process that he has to deal with. It seems to be ever-changing at times.

I'm going to have to bite my tongue on this one.

I'm excited, excited about the way this team responded and proud of the way they handled the pressure all week long, the attitude they brought into the stadium, ... They responded just the way you wanted them to.

I'm excited about the way Jamal ran, ... Jamal clearly had a rhythm and got stronger as he went.

I just basically talked to him about what we're doing and made sure he wanted to still be around for this stage of rebuilding. We just talked football. Just cleared the decks. I wanted to tell him what's going on and make sure he was comfortable with it all. We didn't even begin to talk numbers, but there was no hesitation on his part.

I'm accountable. I'm responsible. Make no mistake. We recognize what we did, and don't feel good about it.

I'm sure it does to a degree for the players, ... I know it does for me, but you don't start camp with that mentality. We've spent an entire offseason addressing and looking very candidly at why that happened and addressing the reason for it. This team needs to move forward very aggressively. We're very proud of the legacy we have here, but this team's going to have a new identity, it really is. It's different than any team we've had.

I'm proud of the way they handled the pressure all week long. They responded just the way you wanted them to. This is a day for the players, so I'll let you talk to the players.

If Kyle is or is not a good quarterback, it won't because of a lack of those two things, ... Hopefully, we're going to answer some other questions over the next five games.

I have no doubt that Chester can be an every-down back. That is not part of my thought process right now.

I had a quarterback that had a year off. He needed those snaps. I wanted to get as many viable snaps with Anthony Wright - going into the Tennessee game - as I could. Clearly the game was out of reach, but it was a tactical decision to get Anthony the reps.

I had a quarterback that had a year off. He needed those snaps, ... I wanted to get as many viable snaps with Anthony Wright ? going into the Tennessee game ? as I could. Clearly the game was out of reach, but it was a tactical decision to get Anthony the reps.

I'm told that it's not serious and it's typical.

If you can do it, if you can come out of it whole at the other end, then you have a confidence about you. You've already faced the worst of it, and that confidence just grows, and by the end of the year you're a factor.

If you look at the playoff picture right now, I don't think a lot of people really thought Miami was going to beat Indianapolis, because Indianapolis has the big offense,

I just sensed that we didn't have that same intensity that it takes to win, ... That concerns me a little bit because, compared to last week, where there certainly were errors, I thought we played with a great deal of intensity and passion. I don't know that we did tonight.

I'll say it again: It's the Indianapolis Colts that are coming into our stadium with a mentality that our quarterback is going to run his offense at the line 80 percent of the time, ... I can't imagine what that means to Baltimoreans to see that Colts helmet in this stadium and them thinking they can run their offense on the line. Fans, the challenge is there. Keep up the noise because we can wear them out.

I'll throw my mantra out there again. I'm calling on the fans to step to another level,

In the pocket he's been pretty sound. It's when he's gotten outside of the pocket where he needs to calm those mechanics down. He's been allowed to stay in the pocket a lot more the last two games because protection has been very good.

Clearly with as much eight-man fronts as we've seen, we have to have somebody mobile who can make the throws outside when we get those one-on-ones. Can Chris do that? That's what we have to see.

Clearly what happened out there was giving into the emotion of the situation. Passion, emotion and intensity are good, but they've always got to be under control and we clearly didn't have it today.

Clearly, Kyle's ability to lead as a quarterback eventually will stem from his productivity. Like any leader, that's what he'll be held accountable to. What we have to make sure is we're holding him accountable for those things he can control and holding others accountable for what is going on around him.

Clarence Moore had an outstanding offseason, and it's going to take a lot to displace Clarence from that position, ... It's certainly not going to happen from somebody who's not even here.

Clarence has been outstanding in camp. He's heavier. He's faster. He's stronger and he's more confident all across the board. He carries himself in a totally different way than he did one year ago.

Being 0-2 is not acceptable, but it's where we're at.

Chris will do whatever he wants this weekend. He and I will reconvene early next week and go from there. We've got a game to play this weekend, and I have a team to orchestrate. Chris will make his plans accordingly and be back to Baltimore on Monday.

Chris will do whatever he wants this weekend, ... He and I will reconvene early next week and go from there. We've got a game to play this weekend, and I have a team to orchestrate. Chris will make his plans accordingly and be back to Baltimore on Monday.

I don't perceive this is as much of a problem, but if it became one then we'll deal with it. If Elvis and Jim wanted to use this situation as leverage to be pushed out onto the market, they could. But I have no reason to think that they want that. Is there the potential for them to do something else? Yes. But we've been given no indication that it's heading in a direction they're not comfortable with.

Chad's very solid for us. Since the day he's gotten here, he just does what he's supposed to be doing, when he's supposed to be doing it, how he's supposed to be doing it.

channel (its) passion and intensity in a positive way.

Hopefully he'll get in quickly, ... With a quick, short, aggressive camp, this is like the summer school class you took where you condense eight weeks into four. If you miss one of those classes, you've missed a lot. If you miss one of these workouts, you've missed a lot.

He told his team that he didn't mind if they were 0-3, just bring a big stick, ... They need to bring a bigger stick next time.

He thrives off that kind of challenge. Ray Lewis is too intelligent to let his self-worth be dictated by someone else. Yeah, there's always somebody who thinks you can do it better. And he's 30. But he has a number of dominant years left.

He's like no other quarterback in the league. That's what makes him so dynamic, ... There's so much they do at the line. They don't do a lot personnel-wise. They don't do a lot formationally. Everything he does, he calls the entire offense from the line basically.

He's a huge addition for us, particularly on special teams. Obviously at this time of the season, to have depth at running back is pivotal, so it's a great pickup for us in that regard.

If I'm a fan, I'm not going to miss that game. I'm not going to miss the chance to watch one of the great players of all time come out and compete live. I don't know if it will be his last game, but if it is, and you have a ticket and didn't go, you have no one to blame but yourself. You'll lie about it and say, 'Oh, I went. I saw Brett.' But you'll be a lying dog.

I defy anybody to show me one frame of film that doesn't show us playing as hard as we could. This group of guys had a lot of circumstances working against them, but they almost beat one of the best teams in the league.

I certainly wouldn't begin to speak for Tony. But when you become a head coach, it's amazing how quickly your mindset changes and you don't think of yourself as an offensive or defensive guy. You can't.