Q: So you're back as the starter.
A: We haven't actually talked about it, but for me it's a temporary thing. It's temporary and I think that people are making a little bit too much out of it. We know what Ahmad brings to this football team: character, heart, hard work, and he knows that as well. You ask me, it's just temporary and I don't know what the reason for the whole thing is or what they're trying to prove. It's temporary, and I'm just going to do what they ask me to do. That's the main thing.
Q: Do you think it was necessary to do it to calm Ahmad down?
A: Like I said, I don't know the reason why they do it, but he knows that I'm here and I support him 100 percent on everything. I know he does the same. Like I said, I'm just here doing what I'm supposed to do and making sure him and I both stay on the right track.
Q: Does it make it awkward for you because you're both such good friends?
A: Knowing the way things are in this business, it doesn't make things awkward because him and I both know what this business is like. I wish he didn't feel awkward when things happened with me and him in the beginning of the year. We just know how it is. I know he's going to still be there and I know he's going to be a big part of us winning. If we want to win, we're going to have to give him the ball. That's basically all I have to say. If we want to win, give it to him and he's going to get it done.
Q: You needed to get used to not having the starting role. Have you talked to him about getting used to that situation again?
A: Once you go through it, it's kind of there. It's easy for you to fall back into it and get going. The only thing different about it is when he goes in and comes out after two series, he's going to ask me "what are they doing?" so on and so forth, and now I have to figure that out myself. It's nothing hard to go back to doing. It's something I've been doing for three years already, and I'm used to it.
Q: Do you feel like you want to show that you have still got something to prove?
A: I know myself and in my heart that I know that I have that. I know once I get my opportunity, no matter if it's starting, second, or third, I'm going to go out and show people that I am still willing to have it on this football team. I can help my team win.
Q: Are you sharper or fresher than you would be typically when you started?
A: Yeah, I'm much healthier at this point. This is game 11, and I'm much healthier at this point because of the switch around that they had. He's also fresher and feels good physically because he doesn't exactly have all the carries. We both feel good at this point. Right now, we just want to win and get all these mistakes we've been making straightened out and stop handing these games to other teams because that's what's happening. I don't think there is anyone on our schedule that can really beat us if we don't give them the game.
Q: It could be your starting job going forward though if you do well, couldn't it?
A: It's temporary. Even though I'm going to rush for 200 yards each of these games I'm in, it's temporary. He's that much of an explosive runner and I want to see him in there myself other than anybody else. I want to see him in and I want to see him do well. It's only going to be temporary, and that's what I believe in my heart that it's that way. I can keep playing and doing the best I can to help this team win as long as I'm in this locker room, no matter what role I have. We just want to win games.
Q: You've been told that this is just for this week or something?
A: No one has told me anything. I'm just here and I received news just like you guys probably did. I just want to win. I'm tired of coming into this locker room with droopy faces. We used to have fun in this locker room and fun in practice, and I'm just sick and tired of not being able to do that because we're beating ourselves. If we just stay on the right track and get rolling towards the end of the season, it's getting cold, and we know that we have a chance to punish some people and that's what I want to do. All the other stuff going on, I'm not really for it and I don't really care, I just want to win games and that's it. That is it. This is my sixth year in the league and it's to the point where I just want to win.
Q: Your team won a lot of games over a few year span with you as the primary back and then him as the changeup, do you think that's what this is about?
A: I have no idea what this whole thing is about, I don't know. I just want to go in there, get my team up, get the stadium up on their feet and get some momentum going. Not that he didn't do that, he did that because every time he went into the game - when I'm on the sidelines and I ask Jerald "What's the play?" and he's about to get the ball, I'm excited because I know he's going to do something with it. I want to be able to give that back to him. I want to be able to go out there and set our team off, set the stadium off, and have a good mixture going to the game that nobody can stop us. That's really how it's supposed to be. Teams should not be able to stop us from running the football. I don't give a damn who they are.
Q: What does it say about you that when you had the starting role taken away from you that you still average five yards a carry and have been that guy on the team?
A: I'm playing for my teammates, my backs, and my running backs coach. I want to stay around and do the best I can to help this team win. I don't care how. Six hundred yards in the air, 500 on the ground, I really have to get it done, let's just win. That's where I'm at in my career now. I want to contribute to my team to win. I want to go out there and be able to help my team, that's all I'm worried about right now.
Q: Do you have any idea how they'll split the carries up? Coach said he wants D.J. Ware in the mix also:
A: I have no idea. Whenever they call my number, I'll be there and ready. So are the other two, they'll be ready. I know them like the back of my hand, and they'll be ready whenever their number is called.
Q: How important is it to get the run game going with the wide receivers all banged up?
A: It's very important. It's very important to get the running game going when you have all your receivers healthy. I think if you're running the ball well, when it comes to throwing the ball, you'll have a chance to make some big plays in the passing game because you're running the ball so well.