Q: Are you sleeping at all?
A: Oh, yeah.
Q: We hear it's the greatest show on grass.
A: They're pretty good. They're a very potent offense. A lot of different weapons - good speed... You can't say enough about how they're playing. They're playing at a championship level right now.
Q: What were you thinking when you were watching the game on Monday night?
A: Actually, I was working, so I didn't. But I did watch the video and I just thought, Wow, they're clicking on all cylinders, we have to play our best football, you can't go out and have a mental lapse, you've got to play until the whistle is blown. That old adage, you've got to play 60 minutes of football with these guys is very true because they play full speed and they play 60 minutes of football and they play fast.
Q: How do you balance trying to get to Vick and also contain him. Aren't those almost opposite goals there?
A: They're very conflicting. You kind of pick your poison. Sometimes you have to try to contain him and keep him from running, sometimes you have to go take a shot at him, but he's a guy that no matter what you do structurally, defensively, he can break down that structure and that's the most exciting thing about him and that's why everybody likes to see him play, because he knows how to break down that structure.
Q: What do you mean?
A: If you've got all the lanes filled up, he's going to find a little seam. If you're in coverage and everybody is plastered in coverage, he's going to find that little seam to run or if you're playing whatever coverage, he's just going to throw the ball up and he's throwing the ball so accurately right now. He's pinpointing the football from 30 and 40 yards deep, so he has been breaking down defenses in the games that we've been looking at that he's played.
Q: How much more effective does he become when you give him that much more time?
A: Well, there's a time clock that goes off in his head, so it's not like he's just standing back there waiting, waiting, waiting. The tape that we've been watching, some people when they give him time, that's when he takes off. Sometimes when people pressure him, he throws the ball up quick and he hits it accurate, so there's not a rhyme or reason for what he does or why he does it. I wish I could sit here and tell you that if we do this, he's going to do that. He defies all odds. He breaks the mold.
Q: Is there anything about the matchup that you like?
A: Yeah. I think it's the best offense. I think they're ranked number one in the league statistically - I think they're ranked number one offensively and I think we're ranked number one defensively and I like what we bring to the table versus what they bring to the table. I think we have to come ready to play solid, fundamental football and if we do that, I like our chances.
Q: Can you give me specifics?
A: I will say that we have a good plan in place for them and that I like our defense against their offense.
Q: What's your theory on using a spy?
A: Sometimes it's necessary. Can the spy catch him? I've seen people spy the guy and they haven't been able to touch him, so that goes back to how he defies the structure, but I think sometimes it's necessary, sure.
Q: Can you lose something in coverage with that though?
A: Oh, yeah. There are different things you can do to spy him and you can play coverage also. There are some things you can do. Depends on how many people you want to rush at him when you do that though. That's the Catch 22 when you're trying to play a guy like this.
Q: Do you have to scheme for Michael Vick or for the Eagles offense?
A: I think you approach the Eagles, because you can get enamored with watching him because he's so dynamic, but the pieces around him are very good too. It's kind of like basketball - Vick is good, but he makes everybody around him better. Not that they're not good players, but they're playing better because he's making them better, so I just use that analogy.
Q: So do you just want to attack him?
A: I'd say we have a good plan in place and I like our chances.
Q: Did the Cowboys' max protection give you more problems than you thought last week?
A: I thought they did some things to get the ball out quick. I thought they did some things from protection that nullified some of the things we wanted to do, so I would say yes, that's a fair statement.
Q: The Eagles do that too. What do you want to see when that happens?
A: I would say that we have a good plan for that.
Q: Do you see that and attack it or come off of it?
A: I say we've got a good plan for that.
Q: You seem pretty hyped up.
A: Oh, I am. I like the way our guys prepared today for what they do. I think our guys are excited about what we have. Again, we have to come and play 60 minutes of football. Hey, we're going down to win a football game. That's the only reason we're going down there. We're taking that crew down and we're going to go down and win a football game.
Q: Most coordinators would be scared.
A: I like our defense.
Q: How much have you seen of Vick in the past?
A: I played him when he was in Atlanta several times - two or three maybe.
Q: Is there a difference?
A: Yeah. Oh yeah. He's much better. He goes through his read progression much more than he used to, he throws the ball much more accurately than he used to. He just looks like he's a more polished quarterback than he used to be.
Q: People used to say that if he could improve that part of his game that he'd be downright scary.
A: Yeah - and he is.
Q: Do you think he's more of a quarterback than an athlete now?
A: He's both! He's an athletic quarterback! No doubt.
Q: Could we be seeing a three safety package this weekend?
A: We've got a good plan.
Q: What is the unique challenge to your middle linebacker against this offense?
A: I'm not sure, because they do so many things that they can have you going right, left, up the middle or what have you. I think that for us, our linebacker has to be able to control the call, get the call out to our defensive people and be able to make sure that we communicate effectively so that we're in the right coverages, the right defenses to attack this offense.
Q: Why is Goff your pleasant surprise?
A: He's got the mental capacity to take care of all of those little adjustments and getting all the people lined up in the right spots that we need to have them lined up in.