Q: So are you ready?
A: Sunday we'll be ready. We are preparing to be ready though. I like the guys' attitude. I like the way they're going about our business, and I think this defense will be ready.
Q: Obviously you look at Carolina last year, and they gassed you pretty good as far the run. What do you see this year that makes you feel that won't happen?
A: Obviously they're a talented offensive running football team, and that's what our focus is. The two backs (Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams) can make you miss. They can run through tackles. So what I see from our guys right now is just their focus, their attention to detail, how they're going about the practice and the meetings, the questions that they're asking. It's been some detailed information so it gives me belief that they're getting their mind right.
Q: Now that the preseason is over, roughly what percentage of your defensive playbook do you think we've seen and given that it's probably a small number, how confident will you be that the guys will have it down against Carolina?
A: You probably saw 10 percent, maybe 20 percent in the preseason, maybe, if that. How confident am I that our guys will have our package down? I'm very confident. They had good retention. They had good questions when we went in and presented on Monday as well as Wednesday. So I feel very confident they will have the information down that we need.
Q: Carolina is going to probably have their first plays scripted. How do you defend against that, and do you script your plays defensively? Or do you have to wait and see what they're bringing out on the field?
A: I have a plan of attack that I want to try and dictate what they will see. So I'm not going to be defensive. I'm going to be offensive, and I'm going to try and dictate what they will see.
Q: Have you seen enough of your team turnover-wise that you're comfortable they're going to fulfill your expectations as far as that area goes?
A: I think that can always be better. The goal is one per half, two or more per game. So I think that always can be better, and we're striving to get better in that realm. No doubt.
Q: How much are you expecting from Kenny Phillips the first week or the first couple weeks?
A: Kenny's been practicing so as Kenny goes, we'll go. It's really up to Kenny. Kenny is a good football player. I like the way he's prepared. He's had his hands on some balls in practice this week. He's had to be coached this week because he's been gone a long time, and so he's trying to knock the rust off, too. I think as coaches we have to be cognizant of that and make sure that we do right by Kenny so that he can play the game the way Kenny can play the game and not play it fatigued.
Q: Are you expecting him to play a significant amount this week?
A: Again, that's up to Kenny. That's on Kenny. That's why I'm saying as far as coaches, if we see him fatigued and what have you, it's up to us to (say), ‘Yeah we're going to need to get another guy so that he can catch his breath.' He only played 21 plays, I think it was in the last ball game. He played about 12-to-15 in the game before that so when you have to play a 40, 50, 60 or 70-play ballgame, that's a significant amount of reps.
Q: Aaron Ross' injury. How does that affect what you do at the cornerback?
A: It won't.
Q: Because he's a guy who can play inside. Do you move Terrell (Thomas) inside?
A: Yeah. We'll move Terrell inside. Ross has been playing for us inside in the preseason, but it won't affect what we do with the corners.
Q: Keith Bulluck gets the helmet with the speaker in it?
A: No.
Q: Who gets it?
A: (Jonathan) Goff. Goff will be the man.