HEADLINE NEWS - Team Note Book

0 - 1/20/2001

Coach Brian Billick

(On finishing the first week of practice for the Super Bowl)

"We got done what we need to get done this week. Mentally it was important to have the game plan in. Physically next week is when we will address it more vigorously; we're not going to wear them out. We needed the week that we had because we needed to get rested."

(Limitations due to the weather)

"No not really, in fact if anything it helped us a little bit. Anytime you have to focus through some things, the weather, the wetness, forces you to focus that much more which is what we wanted. We wanted to internalize the game plan mentally and have to fight through the cold and anytime you can do that it can actually help you out."

(Status of Kim Herring and Cornell Brown)

"I would be optimistic without putting an official determination on it, that had we have to play this week I think both would be ready to go."

(On the Ravens send-off rally on Monday)

"I went down to the stadium last night for the Ravenszone show, I wanted to get emotionally touched with the what the crowd is going through with it, and based on that crowd it is going to be something special on Monday."

(Rally from the players' standpoint)

"I think the team has a better sense of it, because they've been out and about all week, and I've been in my office for the most part. I think they've been apart of a number of things whether it's been television shows, are the different things around town. It's as much for the people of Baltimore to express them. They didn't have that chance when we came back from Oakland, but also for the players I think it is going to be a great send off for them to recognize what all of this means to the fans."

(On Priest Holmes taking Jamal under his wing)

" It was huge. When you have a young player, a player can impart something on another player that if a coach would just take an infinite amount of time to get that message across. That kind of mentoring both on and off the field was invaluable to Jamal."

(On Baltimore being a confident team)

"Those who been around this week, know that this team has a great deal of respect. Anything that they say comes from an inner-confidence that we belong in the Super Bowl, we've earned the right to be here and we think we can win it. If you don't feel that way, then you have no business playing in this game."

(On the day off tomorrow)

"They will have the day off to be with their families. We are going to be away from our families the next few days. Our timing is a little bit different than the Giants simply because we had that extra game. We needed to approach it differently with the mental preparation. When I said the game was Sunday I didn't want them to get emotionally wound up and extend that energy. They have been even-paced about it. Now we have had our mental work behind us. My biggest concern, and I knew this when I scripted it this way, we have a little time between now and our next workout or meeting. The players will be ok, but as a coach you worry. You want to have all your little hens and chicks around you all the time to make sure you are in control and they are thinking about the game. I don't want them to lose over the next couple days what we've gained over these last three days, so Sunday they will have off. They will have a mandatory lift on Monday. On Tuesday we will have some meetings and we will look over today's film. The will have media day on Tuesday and the night off and then on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we will step up the pace a little bit physically.

(On Jim Fassel)

The Jim Fassel that you are all getting to know, because of the grand declaration, the steely-eyed focus, the determination and the focus, that is the Jim Fassel I know.

(On whether or not they are underdogs)

According to you all and what I have read, we ought to go back and start this whole playoff thing again. No, we both deserve to be there and that tells you how close the game will be. This is probably the closest match up that I can remember in a Super Bowl for a while.