Sunday, February 1
STEELERS QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER
(on the game-winning touchdown pass) “I was going to throw the ball in the flat. They covered it up so I went to Hines (Ward). He was covered, getting held. But all of a sudden, I saw him go to the corner. I threw it and thought it was going to be picked. He made a heck of a catch.”
(on capping the season with a Super Bowl win) “I’ll tell you what, I’m so proud of this group of guy. We hung through some tough times, some adversity. They talk a lot about this offense, and you know what, I’m so proud of the way we responded that last drive. I hope we silenced some critics.”
(on being nervous in his first Super Bowl, compared to now) “I felt a lot better. I didn’t have the jitters. I actually didn’t feel really nervous, but when the planes flew over, that’s when I was the most nervous. I’m just excited for everybody that we got this win.”
(on getting WR Santonio Holmes more into the offense with WR Hines Ward not 100 percent) “Not really, I mean ‘Tone’s (Santonio Holmes) an integral part of our offense as it is. We just saw some things. I saw some stuff with him that I knew he was going to get open. If you get the ball to ‘Tone he’s going to make plays and he did it tonight.”
(on what the winning touchdown play was called) “Drop back, scramble right, scramble left, find someone open.”
(on the defense closing out the game) “We were just hoping that our defense could hold. We had all the confidence that they could do it. They’ve done it all year.”
(on his impressions of Kurt Warner) “I mean, Kurt Warner is Kurt Warner. He is a phenomenal football player. He threw the ball, I don’t know his numbers but I know they had to be good. He is a heck of a competitor and I told him it was an honor for me to play in this game against him because his autobiography was the first one I ever read, so it was really an honor to play against him.”
(on his last touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes) “The first read was the running back in the flat but he wasn’t open. Then I was going to try to bang it to Hines (Ward) real quick, but someone was closing on it and I was a little nervous about it. It wouldn’t have been a touchdown. I looked back, scrambled right a little bit and saw ‘Ton in the corner. I tried to throw it high so he was going to catch it, or no one was, and luckily he made a heck of a play.”
(on going back to his receivers despite their dropped passes) “I’m just letting them know I have confidence in them. He walked by me and said, ‘my bad’ and I said, ‘it doesn’t matter,’ because that’s the type of player he is, that’s the type of confidence I have in him and he came back and made a play.”
(on this Super Bowl compared to last Super Bowl) “I played a little better than I did last time so it feels a lot better, to be able to come back on that last drive, probably a drive that will be remembered for a long time, at least in Steelers history. So, it feels really good, really special.”
(on the game-winning drive and touchdown throw to WR Santonio Holmes)
“I’m really proud of the way these guys played. That was a heck of a drive. We got backed up early on the drive with the penalties and we had to work the ball all the way down the field. On the scoring play that put us ahead the first read wasn’t open, the second read wasn’t open and I kind of felt (Santonio Holmes) at the last minute, so I let it go and thought the corner dropped off but (Holmes) went out and just made a heck of a grab.”
(on how his emotions differed in this Super Bowl compared to the first one he appeared in)
“I felt better. I really wasn’t that nervous. I felt more nervous when the planes flew over.”
(on what he said to his offensive teammates late in the 4th quarter and with the Steelers trailing)
“I just said to guys, ‘It’s now or never guys. You’ll be remembered forever if you do this. All the film study, all the hard work, all the stuff that people talked bad about us, it will be for nothing. We have to go out and do this.’ It was a rotten start on the first play, but we pulled through and found a way.”
(on what the win means to him)
“It’s the Super Bowl (laughing). It’s the ultimate high right now.”
(on the difference between his performance in this Super Bowl as opposed to his earlier experience)
“Winning the Super Bowl is all that matters. That’s what makes me the most happy, and I think I played a little bit better this time.”
(on the roller coaster of emotions he experienced in the fourth quarter and with the Cardinals in possession of the football)
“I thought to myself I might go from the ultimate high to the ultimate low here in a matter of seconds. Our defense came through, just like they have done all year and I am really proud of the way they played. I am really proud of this offense, too, because a lot of people have talked bad about us, but starting with the offensive line, we did something special tonight.”
(on his emotions)
“We’re so happy to be able to do this for the Rooneys. This is also for the fans. We love winning this for the fans and we know right now in Pittsburgh they’re going crazy. There are people in the streets and I am sure there is snow on the ground, but it’s really special to win one for the Rooney’s. They’re very special.”
(on MVP WR Santonio Holmes)
“I just told him to not let it go to his head. He has potential and the sky is the limit for that guy. He can go where no receiver has gone and this will be a big confidence booster for him.”
(on the interception return for a TD by LB James Harrison at the end of the first half)
“We couldn’t see the ball because it was behind the line. But then all of a sudden James (Harrison) started running out and all we were thinking was that he had to score because if he gets tackled, it’s nothing. Those are the types of plays he has been making all year, that’s the reason he was the Defensive Player of the Year.”
(on the significance of the football he was holding onto at the podium)
“That’s the ball I took the knee with at the end of the game and held on to. I gave the ball in the last game to Jerome (Bettis).”
(on the play of opposing QB Kurt Warner)
“Kurt Warner is Kurt Warner. I think he’s a fantastic football player. I don’t know his numbers, but he is a heck of a competitor and I told him it was an honor for me to play in the game against him because his autobiography was one of the first one I ever read, so it was really an honor to play against him.”
(on what happened on his game-winning TD throw to WR Santonio Holmes)
“The first read was the running back in the flat, but he wasn’t open. Then I was going to try to bang it to WR Hines (Ward) real quick, but someone was closing on him and I was a little nervous about it, it wouldn’t have been a touchdown. So I just kind of looked left and scrambled right a little bit and saw (Santonio Holmes) in the corner and decided to just throw it high, because either he was going to catch it or no one was going to catch it, and luckily he made a heck of a play.”
lunes, 2 de febrero de 2009
STEEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN
Sunday, February 1
STEEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN
(on his phone conversation with President Obama) “Actually I couldn’t hear him. I heard a congratulations and I thanked him for it, but I didn’t hear much of the conversation.”
(on if he could have imagined himself winning the Super Bowl) “Yes I could. That’s what we all work for. That’s the planning that we put in for it, like 31 other guys. Somebody’s going to be the one, and I’m just thankful that it’s us this year.”
(on the many momentum shifts in the game) “There’s going to be ebb and flow. Let’s face it, Arizona is a great team. I take my hat off to those guys, players and coaches, administrators. This is what the Super Bowl is supposed to be about. It was, and hopefully the fans of football enjoyed it.”
(on his team dealing with the momentum shifts) “I wasn’t surprised in the least bit about that. If you look at our story this football season, that has been our story. We had to win the division in Baltimore under similar circumstances. Our guys don’t blink.”
(on the momentum shifts of the game) “That’s been our story all year. We’ve got a team that doesn’t blink in the face of adversity. It’s never going to be pretty or perfect, if you will, but they’ve got a great deal of belief in one another. They’ve got a great deal of resolve, and it was put on display. Our defense gets a lot of recognition for what they’re capable of, and rightfully so, but what you saw from our quarterback and our offense at the end of that football game is what they’ve provided for us all year. When we’ve needed it the most, they’ve done it and done it big. That’s a rerun for us. We did that in Baltimore to win the division. We’re a team and that’s why there’s no division in our locker room, because those guys know that when the chips are down, number seven and company will ante up and kick in. I’m just so happy and proud of them. If I could win any way, it would be like that. All people being involved and having to deliver for us is truly special. As a coach, it’s special.”
(on the Lombardi trophy) “I actually never even touched it. I see five of them everyday when I do go to work. I know what they look like. I’m just glad that I can do my part in terms of contributing to that trophy case.”
(on Santonio Holmes) “Santonio is a guy that just loves to deliver in big moments and in big games. I think I said it earlier in the week at one of the eight or nine interview sessions I had: what he did tonight was similar to what he did in the month of January in the playoffs to get to this game, and was also similar to what he did for us in Baltimore to win the division. In big moments, we know what we can get from him and we appreciate it.”
(on Ben Roethlisberger’s progress from his last Super Bowl) “He’s not the same guy he was in the last one. He was a young guy in the last one. He’s a franchise quarterback that we have a long-term commitment to. He’s our guy, and he showed why today.”
(on his thought process when Larry Fitzgerald scored late in the game) “I actually was thinking that if they’re going to score, that’s how you want them to score: extremely quickly as opposed to just milking it and just going down the field and then not having enough time to execute a two-minute drive. As soon as we missed the tackle and he was running down the field, I probably was over it by the time he got in the endzone because we’ve just been in those situations so many times. (They’re) never pretty, but (we) never blink either.”
(on what he said at halftime) “We talk about moments. We talk about (the fact that) games are decided in situational football, and we you back up that talk with action in terms of how build our team, how we prepare. We probably practice two-minute, redzone, goal line, short yardage (situations) more than a lot of teams. When you watch highlight shows, that’s the football game. It’s not the first-and-10 plays or the second-and five plays, unless they go 75 yards and hit their head on the goalposts. We embrace those moments; we believe we were built for those moments, and the guys proved it with their play. At halftime, I said the same thing that I said before the game. The things that run through a team’s mind during a game like this—you don’t want to give them too much to think about. I told the guys to honor the men that have come before them in this game with how they play. There’re a lot of people who played the game of professional football, and their personal sacrifice has created an opportunity that this game is what it is today. How we play the game needed to add to that. We wanted to play physical. We wanted to honor those guys with how we played today. Hopefully, we did that.”
(on questionable calls) “I don’t comment on officiating. I haven’t done it all year. I’m not going to start today. Officials don’t determine the outcome of games and truly: coaches don’t determine the outcome of the game, unless they screw it up. Players make plays; players win games.”
STEEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN
(on his phone conversation with President Obama) “Actually I couldn’t hear him. I heard a congratulations and I thanked him for it, but I didn’t hear much of the conversation.”
(on if he could have imagined himself winning the Super Bowl) “Yes I could. That’s what we all work for. That’s the planning that we put in for it, like 31 other guys. Somebody’s going to be the one, and I’m just thankful that it’s us this year.”
(on the many momentum shifts in the game) “There’s going to be ebb and flow. Let’s face it, Arizona is a great team. I take my hat off to those guys, players and coaches, administrators. This is what the Super Bowl is supposed to be about. It was, and hopefully the fans of football enjoyed it.”
(on his team dealing with the momentum shifts) “I wasn’t surprised in the least bit about that. If you look at our story this football season, that has been our story. We had to win the division in Baltimore under similar circumstances. Our guys don’t blink.”
(on the momentum shifts of the game) “That’s been our story all year. We’ve got a team that doesn’t blink in the face of adversity. It’s never going to be pretty or perfect, if you will, but they’ve got a great deal of belief in one another. They’ve got a great deal of resolve, and it was put on display. Our defense gets a lot of recognition for what they’re capable of, and rightfully so, but what you saw from our quarterback and our offense at the end of that football game is what they’ve provided for us all year. When we’ve needed it the most, they’ve done it and done it big. That’s a rerun for us. We did that in Baltimore to win the division. We’re a team and that’s why there’s no division in our locker room, because those guys know that when the chips are down, number seven and company will ante up and kick in. I’m just so happy and proud of them. If I could win any way, it would be like that. All people being involved and having to deliver for us is truly special. As a coach, it’s special.”
(on the Lombardi trophy) “I actually never even touched it. I see five of them everyday when I do go to work. I know what they look like. I’m just glad that I can do my part in terms of contributing to that trophy case.”
(on Santonio Holmes) “Santonio is a guy that just loves to deliver in big moments and in big games. I think I said it earlier in the week at one of the eight or nine interview sessions I had: what he did tonight was similar to what he did in the month of January in the playoffs to get to this game, and was also similar to what he did for us in Baltimore to win the division. In big moments, we know what we can get from him and we appreciate it.”
(on Ben Roethlisberger’s progress from his last Super Bowl) “He’s not the same guy he was in the last one. He was a young guy in the last one. He’s a franchise quarterback that we have a long-term commitment to. He’s our guy, and he showed why today.”
(on his thought process when Larry Fitzgerald scored late in the game) “I actually was thinking that if they’re going to score, that’s how you want them to score: extremely quickly as opposed to just milking it and just going down the field and then not having enough time to execute a two-minute drive. As soon as we missed the tackle and he was running down the field, I probably was over it by the time he got in the endzone because we’ve just been in those situations so many times. (They’re) never pretty, but (we) never blink either.”
(on what he said at halftime) “We talk about moments. We talk about (the fact that) games are decided in situational football, and we you back up that talk with action in terms of how build our team, how we prepare. We probably practice two-minute, redzone, goal line, short yardage (situations) more than a lot of teams. When you watch highlight shows, that’s the football game. It’s not the first-and-10 plays or the second-and five plays, unless they go 75 yards and hit their head on the goalposts. We embrace those moments; we believe we were built for those moments, and the guys proved it with their play. At halftime, I said the same thing that I said before the game. The things that run through a team’s mind during a game like this—you don’t want to give them too much to think about. I told the guys to honor the men that have come before them in this game with how they play. There’re a lot of people who played the game of professional football, and their personal sacrifice has created an opportunity that this game is what it is today. How we play the game needed to add to that. We wanted to play physical. We wanted to honor those guys with how we played today. Hopefully, we did that.”
(on questionable calls) “I don’t comment on officiating. I haven’t done it all year. I’m not going to start today. Officials don’t determine the outcome of games and truly: coaches don’t determine the outcome of the game, unless they screw it up. Players make plays; players win games.”
CARDINALS WR LARRY FITZGERALD
Sunday, February 1
CARDINALS WR LARRY FITZGERALD
(on taking a late lead before losing) “It was like getting a chair pulled out from under you. It just hurts to be able to get so close and fall short of your ultimate goal. You’ve got to tip your hats to those guys over there at the Steelers. They’re a courageous group of guys. They fought to the end and made the plays when it counted.”
(on Pittsburgh’s late touchdown) “It hurts so bad to be so close to being a champion and have it snatched away from you. Ben (Roethlisberger) was just being Ben again on that last drive and was able to make some tough throws for his team and you’ve got to tip your hat to them.”
(on watching the screen on his second touchdown) “I was looking to see where the defender was and which way I was going to have to weave. Fortunately I was able to keep a step in front of the guy.”
(on Pittsburgh taking him away early) “They do a lot of different coverages. Dick LeBeau is an outstanding coordinator, if not the best, one of the best in the business. He does a great job of getting his guys in position. They had us going in the first half a little bit. We were able to come in at halftime and make some adjustments.”
(on the adjustments they made) “We just wanted to go to some of our signal packages. They were going to sit in Cover 2 and just try to re-route us the whole game. We were going to be able to have some options at the line of scrimmage. That’s when Kurt’s (Warner) at his best, when he can diagnose what a defense is doing to us and just get us in the right position.”
(on staying focused in the first half) “When I was younger, I would have probably lost my cool and got a little upset. But in a game of this magnitude, I knew we were going to call my number and eventually there were going to be some balls thrown my way. I just wanted to make sure I was in the right mind frame so when I had my opportunity I was going to try to take advantage of it. That’s what I was thinking going into the second half.”
CARDINALS WR LARRY FITZGERALD
(on taking a late lead before losing) “It was like getting a chair pulled out from under you. It just hurts to be able to get so close and fall short of your ultimate goal. You’ve got to tip your hats to those guys over there at the Steelers. They’re a courageous group of guys. They fought to the end and made the plays when it counted.”
(on Pittsburgh’s late touchdown) “It hurts so bad to be so close to being a champion and have it snatched away from you. Ben (Roethlisberger) was just being Ben again on that last drive and was able to make some tough throws for his team and you’ve got to tip your hat to them.”
(on watching the screen on his second touchdown) “I was looking to see where the defender was and which way I was going to have to weave. Fortunately I was able to keep a step in front of the guy.”
(on Pittsburgh taking him away early) “They do a lot of different coverages. Dick LeBeau is an outstanding coordinator, if not the best, one of the best in the business. He does a great job of getting his guys in position. They had us going in the first half a little bit. We were able to come in at halftime and make some adjustments.”
(on the adjustments they made) “We just wanted to go to some of our signal packages. They were going to sit in Cover 2 and just try to re-route us the whole game. We were going to be able to have some options at the line of scrimmage. That’s when Kurt’s (Warner) at his best, when he can diagnose what a defense is doing to us and just get us in the right position.”
(on staying focused in the first half) “When I was younger, I would have probably lost my cool and got a little upset. But in a game of this magnitude, I knew we were going to call my number and eventually there were going to be some balls thrown my way. I just wanted to make sure I was in the right mind frame so when I had my opportunity I was going to try to take advantage of it. That’s what I was thinking going into the second half.”
CARDINALS WR ANQUAN BOLDIN
Sunday, February 1
CARDINALS WR ANQUAN BOLDIN
(on the Cardinals offensive comeback) “Yeah, I thought we made plays at times, but unfortunately we fell short and we didn’t get the job accomplished that we came here to do. We played against a good team, they played well. You can’t take anything from them. That’s that.”
(on making adjustments in the second half) “We just felt there were some things we could do, as far as going no-huddle offense. We felt like there were some zones we could exploit. I think you guys saw, in the second half, we were able to move the ball up and down the field.”
(on what those specific adjustments were) “We just went to our no-huddle package – combination packages, letting Kurt [Warner] come up to the line and see what defense they were in and go from there.”
(on the play that James Harrison intercepted) “It was a route where we should have had a pick on it. I think Kurt saw blitz zero, but they ended up dropping James Harrison out at the last second.”
(on what he was feeling during Harrison’s pick and return) “I mean, it’s tough. We felt like we gave them points right at the end of the half. That put us down ten (instead of at least tying the game). They played well. You can’t take anything away from them. There’s a reason why they’re here.”
(on if there is any satisfaction in having come close) “The only satisfaction you get is winning a football game. There is no consolation prize. We came here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to win a football game, and we didn’t get that accomplished.”
(on his big catch in the first half to set up the touchdown) “It was something we saw on film. It was actually a post, me running a crossing route and sticking my foot in the ground and coming back out the backside. We felt like the corner was going to play over top, which they did and I came out open.”
(on his injury in the second quarter) “Just a shoulder sprain, nothing serious, nothing to keep me out of the game.”
(on what he takes from this experience) “There’s a lot we can take from it. Like I said, there’s no consolation prize. We came here to win a football game, and become World Champions. We fell short of that goal but I would like to say that I’m proud of every guy in our locker room. Through all of the adversity that we had this year, guys fought, stuck together and believed in one another and I think that’s the reason we got to this point.”
(on what he thought after Larry Fitzgerald’s touchdown) “I just felt like we were supposed to become a World Champ. We made some plays, but unfortunately, we didn’t make enough to win the game. They are a good team. There is a reason they are here.”
(on having to watch the Steelers take the lead) “It’s tough, especially when you are not on the field in the last seconds of the game. Like I always say, I feel more comfortable with us (offense) being on the field at the end of the game as opposed to being on the sideline watching.”
(on if Kurt Warner said anything to keep guys calm and focused) “It was just everybody on the team, knowing that we had been in that situation before – down – and in the past we’ve been able to come back and make plays. We did that today. We (just) didn’t make enough plays, but we never got down on ourselves.”
(on if coming so close to winning the Super Bowl makes him want to return to Arizona) “I’m not even thinking about that. That’s not a relevant question at this point.”
(on the great punt and the safety) “We just felt like things were starting to go our way, and we were starting to gain momentum and we were starting to play good football. We felt like we were on a roll at that point and we knew that we could move the ball up and down the field.”
(on staying patient after a slow first half of offense) “We felt like we just had to stick to our game plan. I don’t think that at any point we panicked or got impatient. I think the main thing for us was just to stick to what we did well, and I think we came out in the second half and did that.”
CARDINALS WR ANQUAN BOLDIN
(on the Cardinals offensive comeback) “Yeah, I thought we made plays at times, but unfortunately we fell short and we didn’t get the job accomplished that we came here to do. We played against a good team, they played well. You can’t take anything from them. That’s that.”
(on making adjustments in the second half) “We just felt there were some things we could do, as far as going no-huddle offense. We felt like there were some zones we could exploit. I think you guys saw, in the second half, we were able to move the ball up and down the field.”
(on what those specific adjustments were) “We just went to our no-huddle package – combination packages, letting Kurt [Warner] come up to the line and see what defense they were in and go from there.”
(on the play that James Harrison intercepted) “It was a route where we should have had a pick on it. I think Kurt saw blitz zero, but they ended up dropping James Harrison out at the last second.”
(on what he was feeling during Harrison’s pick and return) “I mean, it’s tough. We felt like we gave them points right at the end of the half. That put us down ten (instead of at least tying the game). They played well. You can’t take anything away from them. There’s a reason why they’re here.”
(on if there is any satisfaction in having come close) “The only satisfaction you get is winning a football game. There is no consolation prize. We came here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to win a football game, and we didn’t get that accomplished.”
(on his big catch in the first half to set up the touchdown) “It was something we saw on film. It was actually a post, me running a crossing route and sticking my foot in the ground and coming back out the backside. We felt like the corner was going to play over top, which they did and I came out open.”
(on his injury in the second quarter) “Just a shoulder sprain, nothing serious, nothing to keep me out of the game.”
(on what he takes from this experience) “There’s a lot we can take from it. Like I said, there’s no consolation prize. We came here to win a football game, and become World Champions. We fell short of that goal but I would like to say that I’m proud of every guy in our locker room. Through all of the adversity that we had this year, guys fought, stuck together and believed in one another and I think that’s the reason we got to this point.”
(on what he thought after Larry Fitzgerald’s touchdown) “I just felt like we were supposed to become a World Champ. We made some plays, but unfortunately, we didn’t make enough to win the game. They are a good team. There is a reason they are here.”
(on having to watch the Steelers take the lead) “It’s tough, especially when you are not on the field in the last seconds of the game. Like I always say, I feel more comfortable with us (offense) being on the field at the end of the game as opposed to being on the sideline watching.”
(on if Kurt Warner said anything to keep guys calm and focused) “It was just everybody on the team, knowing that we had been in that situation before – down – and in the past we’ve been able to come back and make plays. We did that today. We (just) didn’t make enough plays, but we never got down on ourselves.”
(on if coming so close to winning the Super Bowl makes him want to return to Arizona) “I’m not even thinking about that. That’s not a relevant question at this point.”
(on the great punt and the safety) “We just felt like things were starting to go our way, and we were starting to gain momentum and we were starting to play good football. We felt like we were on a roll at that point and we knew that we could move the ball up and down the field.”
(on staying patient after a slow first half of offense) “We felt like we just had to stick to our game plan. I don’t think that at any point we panicked or got impatient. I think the main thing for us was just to stick to what we did well, and I think we came out in the second half and did that.”
Cardinals CB Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie
Sunday, February 1
Cardinals CB Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie
(on the Steelers throwing in his direction early in the game) “You have to give it to them. Their game plan worked. They know I play off the line. They got me early on with a lot of short routes.”
(on the feeling in the locker room) “Everybody is down. You can’t even describe the feeling of hurt and the pain that you see in the players’ eyes.”
(on what happened on the game-winning touchdown pass) “It was a Cover Eight. We were in zone (coverage). When Ben Roethlisberger got to scrambling, my eyes were bad and I got taken out of my zone.”
(on playing in the Super Bowl) “I understand that it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I’ve had a long journey to get here and then the hype surrounding it and the fans were into it and the crowd. It’s a great experience.”
(on how tough the loss was) “It was very tough. I had all of my family and friends. We were bringing everybody out here and them wanting you to do well and you come up short. It’s just going to be hard to go back home and smile.”
(on if he thought Pittsburgh WR Santonio Holmes caught the pass in the end zone) “I was right there. I knew he caught the ball. I wanted to drop my head but you know that that is not in me.”
(on the game winning catch from his perspective) “That was an awesome catch, pitch and throw. The ball was delivered right there and he compensated and got his feet in.”
(on the Steelers attacking him with short routes) “I would say that I played into my advantage. That’s how I play ball. I’m an off-corner. I don’t press a lot. So that was just their game plan. They realized that and attacked that early.”
(on the technique for Cover Eight coverage on that play) “You let the man run to you. I was just out of position just a little bit.”
(on his thoughts immediately after the game) “In my mind I’m thinking that you can’t believe that’s happening. All of your dreams, a lot of things happened good to be here. That one play shatters all of that.”
(on if the Steelers ran the same play to the other side the play before the game-winning touchdown play) “They ran that same play, the same thing. My eyes were bad. That’s one of the things I feel that I need to work on this summer, just being disciplined in the zone.”
(on if he thought the Cardinals would win when they took the lead 23-20) “I didn’t think that. The whole game they were having success. I knew it was going to be a fight to the end.”
(on what he will take from the game) “It was a play that was played down to the wire, hard fought by both teams. It is a great game. It’s a great learning game for me.”
(on what he thinks people will think about the game) “I think after this game, a lot of people are going to say that they told you so, that we really shouldn’t have lost. I believe you truly can’t. The cause is the whole team. We came out there and we gave it all we got and we had a chance to win. It came down to the last minute.”
(on what Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt said to the team after the game) “Coach said that he was very proud of us for the success that we had as a team.”
Cardinals CB Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie
(on the Steelers throwing in his direction early in the game) “You have to give it to them. Their game plan worked. They know I play off the line. They got me early on with a lot of short routes.”
(on the feeling in the locker room) “Everybody is down. You can’t even describe the feeling of hurt and the pain that you see in the players’ eyes.”
(on what happened on the game-winning touchdown pass) “It was a Cover Eight. We were in zone (coverage). When Ben Roethlisberger got to scrambling, my eyes were bad and I got taken out of my zone.”
(on playing in the Super Bowl) “I understand that it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I’ve had a long journey to get here and then the hype surrounding it and the fans were into it and the crowd. It’s a great experience.”
(on how tough the loss was) “It was very tough. I had all of my family and friends. We were bringing everybody out here and them wanting you to do well and you come up short. It’s just going to be hard to go back home and smile.”
(on if he thought Pittsburgh WR Santonio Holmes caught the pass in the end zone) “I was right there. I knew he caught the ball. I wanted to drop my head but you know that that is not in me.”
(on the game winning catch from his perspective) “That was an awesome catch, pitch and throw. The ball was delivered right there and he compensated and got his feet in.”
(on the Steelers attacking him with short routes) “I would say that I played into my advantage. That’s how I play ball. I’m an off-corner. I don’t press a lot. So that was just their game plan. They realized that and attacked that early.”
(on the technique for Cover Eight coverage on that play) “You let the man run to you. I was just out of position just a little bit.”
(on his thoughts immediately after the game) “In my mind I’m thinking that you can’t believe that’s happening. All of your dreams, a lot of things happened good to be here. That one play shatters all of that.”
(on if the Steelers ran the same play to the other side the play before the game-winning touchdown play) “They ran that same play, the same thing. My eyes were bad. That’s one of the things I feel that I need to work on this summer, just being disciplined in the zone.”
(on if he thought the Cardinals would win when they took the lead 23-20) “I didn’t think that. The whole game they were having success. I knew it was going to be a fight to the end.”
(on what he will take from the game) “It was a play that was played down to the wire, hard fought by both teams. It is a great game. It’s a great learning game for me.”
(on what he thinks people will think about the game) “I think after this game, a lot of people are going to say that they told you so, that we really shouldn’t have lost. I believe you truly can’t. The cause is the whole team. We came out there and we gave it all we got and we had a chance to win. It came down to the last minute.”
(on what Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt said to the team after the game) “Coach said that he was very proud of us for the success that we had as a team.”
CARDINALS QB KURT WARNER
Sunday, February 1
CARDINALS QB KURT WARNER
(on the interception at the end of the first half) “They showed an all-out blitz and LB James [Harrison] did an excellent job of holding in towards the line of scrimmage and then popping out. I couldn’t see him around our linemen and the pressure. I thought I had Anquan [Boldin] for a second, but he jumped out there and made a play. The unfortunate thing is that we couldn’t bring him down.”
(on the disappointment after having the lead late in the game) “It is always disappointing losing your last game, especially when it is the Super Bowl. It is always disappointing when there is a chance at the end and you are leading late in the game. We got the fourtunes to change and gave ourselves a chance. I have to give credit to the Steelers and their tremendous drive at the end. That is what championship teams are all about. We made the plays to put ourselves ahead and they turned around and came back and did the same to win the game. That is what a championship game should be about. That is what championship teams are all about. I tip my hat to them for playing the way they did.”
(on the rollercoaster of emotions during the game) “It is tough when you are in a game like this. You have the lead late, but you know everything rides on the balance of this game. Your emotions are so high with two minutes left in the game when you have the lead. You know that you are two minutes away from being World Champions. On the flip-side, they come down and make a big play to win the game and the emotions flip. Either way, I am proud of this football team. I am so proud to be a part of this football team. I think that is one of the reasons why it doesn’t hurt as bad as it could. These guys have exceeded expectations. I am proud. We gave ourselves a chance to win a world championship, but that other team went out and won it. I give them a whole bunch of credit, but I am glad to be on this sideline and this Cardinal team and organization.”
(on the penalties during the game and how much they hurt the team) “They hurt. We have overcome a lot this year. It is tough to continue to overcome those things against a great football team. We didn’t play our best football game. So in that regard, the penalties hurt us. In the end, we still gave ourselves a chance to win a world championship.”
(on where this game will rank in Super Bowl history and how it ranks amongst his three) “That is what is neat about this game. When you come to this game, you want to be a part of the greatest game. I have been fortunate enough to be a part of three great Super Bowl games. I am definitely proud of it. Would I have liked to win more than one? Of course, but I am proud that I have been able to come to these games and be a part of some of the greatest Super Bowls ever.”
(on returning next season) “I don’t know. There are a lot of emotions that go into a decision like that. There are things that make you want to come back and there are things that I am ready to have a break from. I really don’t know at this point. I don’t want to make any emotional decisions.”
(on what it was like in the huddle at the end of the game) “When you play the position I play, guys are always going to look to you for leadership. The one good thing is, I think they have a lot of confidence in me when we spread it out. We have done it very well this year. I think when we got in that mode, there was no doubt that we would make plays and get back in the game. So even though we were down, guys were confident that we were going to go out and make plays.”
(on what was going through his head when his defense was on the field at the end of the game) “Stop them. Tip a pass. Fumble, just make a mistake. You just want the other team to make a mistake. That is the bottom line. You don’t want them to drive down the field and score like they did. You are just hoping that they make a mistake. They either have to make a mistake or one of your guys has to make a great play. It is always hard to sit on the sideline and not have the ball in your hand.”
(on the fumble at the end of the game and it not being reviewed) “I was surprised that they didn’t. I really felt like my arm was moving forward. I felt like I almost got the ball off. It was very surprising, especially in that situation. I would have thought they would have at least taken a look at it. I was on the sideline waiting for them to review it, but I looked up and they were taking a knee. I think we all assumed that they would review it.”
(on the play of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger) “I think Ben played great. He made some huge plays. He did a tremendous job of moving around and buying more time. I thought he did a tremendous job. He made a lot of plays like he always does.”
(on making it to the Super Bowl, but falling short) “We made it to a place that no one thought we would be. No one expected us to be here. It doesn’t get any better than this. I mean obviously, you want to win, but we took the best in the league down to the wire. They had to make some great plays to win. I am proud of this team. I would have liked to win, but I am proud of where we got. I am proud of the way we fought and battled back. I am proud of the fact that we gave ourselves a chance to win.”
(on how people view him as a player and his Hall of Fame status) “I want to be great every time I touch the ball. I want to be great when I go home to my wife and kids.”
(on performance of the offense) “I think that is more of a question for the coaches. I thought we could be successful. We were able to move the ball, but we put ourselves in bad situations with penalties that set us back on a number of drives. I think we had a number of opportunities to give ourselves a chance to win.”
CARDINALS QB KURT WARNER
(on the interception at the end of the first half) “They showed an all-out blitz and LB James [Harrison] did an excellent job of holding in towards the line of scrimmage and then popping out. I couldn’t see him around our linemen and the pressure. I thought I had Anquan [Boldin] for a second, but he jumped out there and made a play. The unfortunate thing is that we couldn’t bring him down.”
(on the disappointment after having the lead late in the game) “It is always disappointing losing your last game, especially when it is the Super Bowl. It is always disappointing when there is a chance at the end and you are leading late in the game. We got the fourtunes to change and gave ourselves a chance. I have to give credit to the Steelers and their tremendous drive at the end. That is what championship teams are all about. We made the plays to put ourselves ahead and they turned around and came back and did the same to win the game. That is what a championship game should be about. That is what championship teams are all about. I tip my hat to them for playing the way they did.”
(on the rollercoaster of emotions during the game) “It is tough when you are in a game like this. You have the lead late, but you know everything rides on the balance of this game. Your emotions are so high with two minutes left in the game when you have the lead. You know that you are two minutes away from being World Champions. On the flip-side, they come down and make a big play to win the game and the emotions flip. Either way, I am proud of this football team. I am so proud to be a part of this football team. I think that is one of the reasons why it doesn’t hurt as bad as it could. These guys have exceeded expectations. I am proud. We gave ourselves a chance to win a world championship, but that other team went out and won it. I give them a whole bunch of credit, but I am glad to be on this sideline and this Cardinal team and organization.”
(on the penalties during the game and how much they hurt the team) “They hurt. We have overcome a lot this year. It is tough to continue to overcome those things against a great football team. We didn’t play our best football game. So in that regard, the penalties hurt us. In the end, we still gave ourselves a chance to win a world championship.”
(on where this game will rank in Super Bowl history and how it ranks amongst his three) “That is what is neat about this game. When you come to this game, you want to be a part of the greatest game. I have been fortunate enough to be a part of three great Super Bowl games. I am definitely proud of it. Would I have liked to win more than one? Of course, but I am proud that I have been able to come to these games and be a part of some of the greatest Super Bowls ever.”
(on returning next season) “I don’t know. There are a lot of emotions that go into a decision like that. There are things that make you want to come back and there are things that I am ready to have a break from. I really don’t know at this point. I don’t want to make any emotional decisions.”
(on what it was like in the huddle at the end of the game) “When you play the position I play, guys are always going to look to you for leadership. The one good thing is, I think they have a lot of confidence in me when we spread it out. We have done it very well this year. I think when we got in that mode, there was no doubt that we would make plays and get back in the game. So even though we were down, guys were confident that we were going to go out and make plays.”
(on what was going through his head when his defense was on the field at the end of the game) “Stop them. Tip a pass. Fumble, just make a mistake. You just want the other team to make a mistake. That is the bottom line. You don’t want them to drive down the field and score like they did. You are just hoping that they make a mistake. They either have to make a mistake or one of your guys has to make a great play. It is always hard to sit on the sideline and not have the ball in your hand.”
(on the fumble at the end of the game and it not being reviewed) “I was surprised that they didn’t. I really felt like my arm was moving forward. I felt like I almost got the ball off. It was very surprising, especially in that situation. I would have thought they would have at least taken a look at it. I was on the sideline waiting for them to review it, but I looked up and they were taking a knee. I think we all assumed that they would review it.”
(on the play of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger) “I think Ben played great. He made some huge plays. He did a tremendous job of moving around and buying more time. I thought he did a tremendous job. He made a lot of plays like he always does.”
(on making it to the Super Bowl, but falling short) “We made it to a place that no one thought we would be. No one expected us to be here. It doesn’t get any better than this. I mean obviously, you want to win, but we took the best in the league down to the wire. They had to make some great plays to win. I am proud of this team. I would have liked to win, but I am proud of where we got. I am proud of the way we fought and battled back. I am proud of the fact that we gave ourselves a chance to win.”
(on how people view him as a player and his Hall of Fame status) “I want to be great every time I touch the ball. I want to be great when I go home to my wife and kids.”
(on performance of the offense) “I think that is more of a question for the coaches. I thought we could be successful. We were able to move the ball, but we put ourselves in bad situations with penalties that set us back on a number of drives. I think we had a number of opportunities to give ourselves a chance to win.”
Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt
Sunday, February 1
Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt
(on what he saw on Steelers WR Santonio Holmes touchdown) “It was a touchdown; he got his feet in. It was a good play. They made the plays at the end of the game and that’s what good teams do.”
(on what play he thinks this game came down to for him) “Well, obviously the turnover right before the half hurt. That was seven points there that we gave them or we’re going to get points, but I think we fought back and overcame that. And obviously the penalties were things that we allowed to extend their drives, things that hurt us, so it was unfortunate that there were that many penalties called.”
(on what was going through his head when WR Larry Fitzgerald scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter) “I think there was too much time on the clock. That’s something that you’re always worried about, but I felt that maybe we could at least hold them to a field goal and have a chance to go to overtime, but they made the play.”
(on what goes through his mind right now as he watches his colleagues celebrate) “It’s nothing about my colleagues. I’m disappointed for our team. This is a group of men that I’m really proud of. They played very hard in circumstances where nobody believed in them, but themselves. I think it’s a great message that if you believe together as a group you can accomplish things and be successful. We learned a lot about our team and it’s unfortunate that it had to come out this way.”
(on what he said to the team after the game) “That I was proud of them, definitely. We’ve done something that is incredible - this run that we’ve been on, and a lot of people didn’t think we’d be successful. We hung together as a group. I’m proud of the way they played. There’s not much you can say at this time that is going to make it feel any better. But, we stayed together as a group, unfortunately we came up short.”
(on if he thought the last play of the game needed to be reviewed) “I was hoping it would be. I knew that it was inside two minutes, so it was obviously upstairs in the booth at that time. But, obviously I would have liked to have seen it replayed because it looked like it to me that Kurt (Warner) was throwing the ball.”
(on what happened at halftime that helped the team get back into the game and regroup) “Well, I mean it was tough because we didn’t do a whole lot in the third quarter, and then we got going in a rhythm in the fourth quarter. I think that one of the proudest things that I am of the football team is the way we responded, especially with that situation because in the past when we’ve had that kind of swing of momentum, especially before the half, it would have done the team in. But, we fought back and we believed in what we were doing, and that’s a credit to the progress that we’ve made.”
(on if he thought Steelers WR Santonio Holmes was down on the last touchdown) “Well, it was close. It was a close call. It looked initially like it was down from the replay, but once again it was close enough that you can’t really be sure.”
(on what coach said to the team) “Well, I told them that I was proud of our football team. We had a situation where not a lot of people in this country had seen this team play and I think in the last month we have shown what a good group of men we have. If you believe in something and you believe as a group, together you can accomplish things and never to forget about that, and really that’s it. There’s nothing really that you can say to your team at that time that’s going to make them feel better. You just have to say how proud you are of what they did.”
(on the offense) “Yeah, I think it was a struggle the whole game because that’s a very good defense that we were playing. We had some opportunities in the game, but we missed some passes and we lost the ball.”
(on the Steelers defense) They have a good pass rush on both sides of the ball. We knew it was going to be a challenge coming in. It was just unfortunate that we had that many penalties.”
(on what changed in the second half) “I think we had a good second half. We were trying to do some things to move the football and give us a better chance to get down the field.”
(on his the emotions after the game) “It’s difficult. Especially when you come out of a game that you’ve fought so hard to get back into this game and then take the lead right there at the end. Then they go down and score a touchdown. Then, you’re in a position at the end of the game where you think you have a chance to get in the endzone, but something happens.”
(on the amount of penalties) “It just seemed like there were a lot of penalties that were called on us tonight and it was very difficult to watch.”
(on how QB Kurt Warner played) “I thought Kurt played well. He did a good job of managing the game and I’m just really disappointed for him that we didn’t get this win.”
Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt
(on what he saw on Steelers WR Santonio Holmes touchdown) “It was a touchdown; he got his feet in. It was a good play. They made the plays at the end of the game and that’s what good teams do.”
(on what play he thinks this game came down to for him) “Well, obviously the turnover right before the half hurt. That was seven points there that we gave them or we’re going to get points, but I think we fought back and overcame that. And obviously the penalties were things that we allowed to extend their drives, things that hurt us, so it was unfortunate that there were that many penalties called.”
(on what was going through his head when WR Larry Fitzgerald scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter) “I think there was too much time on the clock. That’s something that you’re always worried about, but I felt that maybe we could at least hold them to a field goal and have a chance to go to overtime, but they made the play.”
(on what goes through his mind right now as he watches his colleagues celebrate) “It’s nothing about my colleagues. I’m disappointed for our team. This is a group of men that I’m really proud of. They played very hard in circumstances where nobody believed in them, but themselves. I think it’s a great message that if you believe together as a group you can accomplish things and be successful. We learned a lot about our team and it’s unfortunate that it had to come out this way.”
(on what he said to the team after the game) “That I was proud of them, definitely. We’ve done something that is incredible - this run that we’ve been on, and a lot of people didn’t think we’d be successful. We hung together as a group. I’m proud of the way they played. There’s not much you can say at this time that is going to make it feel any better. But, we stayed together as a group, unfortunately we came up short.”
(on if he thought the last play of the game needed to be reviewed) “I was hoping it would be. I knew that it was inside two minutes, so it was obviously upstairs in the booth at that time. But, obviously I would have liked to have seen it replayed because it looked like it to me that Kurt (Warner) was throwing the ball.”
(on what happened at halftime that helped the team get back into the game and regroup) “Well, I mean it was tough because we didn’t do a whole lot in the third quarter, and then we got going in a rhythm in the fourth quarter. I think that one of the proudest things that I am of the football team is the way we responded, especially with that situation because in the past when we’ve had that kind of swing of momentum, especially before the half, it would have done the team in. But, we fought back and we believed in what we were doing, and that’s a credit to the progress that we’ve made.”
(on if he thought Steelers WR Santonio Holmes was down on the last touchdown) “Well, it was close. It was a close call. It looked initially like it was down from the replay, but once again it was close enough that you can’t really be sure.”
(on what coach said to the team) “Well, I told them that I was proud of our football team. We had a situation where not a lot of people in this country had seen this team play and I think in the last month we have shown what a good group of men we have. If you believe in something and you believe as a group, together you can accomplish things and never to forget about that, and really that’s it. There’s nothing really that you can say to your team at that time that’s going to make them feel better. You just have to say how proud you are of what they did.”
(on the offense) “Yeah, I think it was a struggle the whole game because that’s a very good defense that we were playing. We had some opportunities in the game, but we missed some passes and we lost the ball.”
(on the Steelers defense) They have a good pass rush on both sides of the ball. We knew it was going to be a challenge coming in. It was just unfortunate that we had that many penalties.”
(on what changed in the second half) “I think we had a good second half. We were trying to do some things to move the football and give us a better chance to get down the field.”
(on his the emotions after the game) “It’s difficult. Especially when you come out of a game that you’ve fought so hard to get back into this game and then take the lead right there at the end. Then they go down and score a touchdown. Then, you’re in a position at the end of the game where you think you have a chance to get in the endzone, but something happens.”
(on the amount of penalties) “It just seemed like there were a lot of penalties that were called on us tonight and it was very difficult to watch.”
(on how QB Kurt Warner played) “I thought Kurt played well. He did a good job of managing the game and I’m just really disappointed for him that we didn’t get this win.”
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