On what the focus is this week facing the Cowboys again in such a short period of time: "I think the main focus has to be execution. When you are playing a team that you see twice a year and you have another opportunity to play them again back to back, it comes down to just execution I think. That's that message we are trying to express to everyone. It's just going through your same regiment, going through a week of practice trying to be perfect, know what you're seeing, and being able to execute and good things will happen for you."
On whether he thinks Dallas has a psychological advantage coming off the win last week: "Not really. I think it could hurt you more than it can help you. I think confidence-wise, if you get overly confident or you come into the game thinking that things will be the same, then you get shocked with the opposing team coming in and being very effective in what their gameplan was. It can affect you but it also can help you. In this situation, what happened last weekend has no bearings on what will happen this week. This is a whole new different ball game and you're in a must-win situation and you win and you go on, you lose you go home, and that has to be the attitude."
On whether he thinks he needs to raise his level of play, and if so, in what areas: "It all starts with me and I have to raise my level of play and everyone has to as well. In playoff play there is no looking back and saying, "I could have, should have, would have," and you have to come in with that attitude and be able to make plays when the plays are there to be made. It's been that way for every year we have been in the playoffs. I think every team comes in with the attitude that you have to bring your A-game and you have to play at a high level each week or it will be over for you."
On him saying after the last game that they "showed their youth" and whether he has felt the need to talk to the younger players this week: "We've communicated as a team after the game, and we're communicating all throughout this week. I think the most important thing for everyone is to not put that pressure on your shoulders now because of what happened, recognize what happened in the game, and be able to know what you're seeing and let's just go out and have fun. It's one game in the season that I don't think you can just put that pressure on your shoulders and try to do things that is out of character, that's just not you. Let's get back to what we were doing in our win streak and just continue on all throughout this playoff round."
On what he meant when he said "we showed our youth" and whether he was blaming players: "No, not at all. What I meant is we have a young team and a lot of things that we were doing just looked very uncharacteristic of what we did all throughout the year. I wasn't blaming it on anyone, by any means. I said that it was my fault on the (fumbled) snap, and I said that I need to elevate my game. I think at times too many people focus on just little things and they aren't focusing on what the whole question or the whole answer is. I've never attempted or even tried or will ever throw anyone under the bus. That's just not me, I don't do that. For these young guys, these young guys are part of the reason why we are in the position that we are. They have made a lot of plays for us all throughout the year and they will continue to make plays for us."
On whether he had to explain himself to the young players: "No, because everyone in this locker room knows what I'm saying. They know I would never do that. Now, for the way people may interpret it on the outside, once again we don't care what may come out on the outside because we know that once we get out on the field everyone is trying to play as one."
On WR DeSean Jackson saying on his radio show last night that he wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that quote and whether DeSean said anything to him today about it: "No."
On what he has learned from watching film from the Dallas game over the past couple of days: "That there were missed opportunities, a lot of miscues, and that our offensive line did a great job. Our offensive line did a wonderful job and we just have to make plays together, collectively as an offense and defense and special teams. We know what we're seeing out there. We have played each other twice a year and now we have another opportunity, so we just have to clean things up and just go out and play football."
On whether he would agree with the assessment that he has struggled on throwing the deep ball recently: "I think we led the league as far big plays, so I don't think I was shortchanged on the deep ball. We missed two opportunities in the past Dallas game but they did a great job as far as trying to eliminate the big play from happening, so I don't know where you would get that assessment from."
On having run the ball well the six games prior to the Dallas game and having thrown the ball more in the Dallas game and whether that needs to be something that is balanced out quickly: "You obviously want to show the defense a little different side, and I think when we got down 17-0 we got into a pass mode to try and bring ourselves back, and even in the pass game there were opportunities that we just missed and we could have easily brought ourselves back. That's part of the whole recognizing it during the film session and being able to communicate all throughout this week and being able to get that corrected."
On whether he means they could have easily brought themselves back if they had stuck to the run game: "Just plays in general, the plays that we called, the pass plays, the run plays, there were opportunities, and we just didn't capitalize on those opportunities. Once again, like I said, this is a different ball game. This game, this is when you have to bring everything out because it's win or go home, or lose and it's over."
On him saying after the game that other guys needed to stop looking at someone else to make the big play and him saying a moment ago that people shouldn't put so much pressure on their own shoulders and whether it's hard to balance those two things: "It's not hard at all because in our six-game win streak guys were making plays, and even all throughout the year guys were making catches and picking up yards after the catch, we were getting big rushing yards, so it wasn't who is going to step up and who is going to make this play. It was guys were excited about those opportunities that they were getting and they were taking advantage of it. I think sometimes you kind of get caught up in the lights a little bit, or whatever it might be, but all you have to do is just bring yourself back and I think it all starts obviously with me being the quarterback and making sure that everybody is on the same page and being able to step up when the time is called."
On whether he thinks that the outcome of this game will impact his future here: "No matter what happens I will be here for a bunch of years. (Jokingly) Does that clean it up? Do I have to answer this question every year?"
On what the Cowboys did defensively to take away DeSean: "Personally, I don't think they are doing that much to take away DeSean. The thing about it is we spread the ball around. Like I've said all throughout the year, one game could be one guy's game where he gets seven, eight catches, or it could be the next guy's game. He and (WR Jeremy) Maclin, I think both finished with four catches, and (TE Brent) Celek had a good game. Who's to say what could happen this game? There were opportunities in that game where I believe those guys could have had more catches and that's something that we will clean up and get the job done. This isn't a drop back and force the ball to anyone. You just read your keys and try to give these guys opportunities to make plays."
On whether he sees Dallas making a concerted effort to try and neutralize DeSean: "Not necessarily, no. They are just playing their defense. I believe (CB) Terence Newman has tracked DeSean at times. They have rolled coverage sometimes but the majority of the time they are just playing their coverage and playing their front. It's credit to them. They have played well. We have to clean up some things and be able to go out and execute."
On how different playing on the road during the playoffs is versus playing on the road during the regular season: "You have to come in with a different mentality in the playoffs. We've won on the road. We've won at home. It's kind of the underdog sort of mentality and attitude that you have to go into a hostile environment in order to take what you want and that's to get a win no matter what, by any means necessary."
On how close he thinks RB Brian Westbrook is to being back: "I think he's worked extremely hard to get himself back. He had a couple of catches for us and some runs for us the last game and in each game I think he's gotten better. I think he's been doing a good job."
