Patriots Locker Room Quotes 12/18

Just the improvement is motivating. I'll be out there one day, seeing how it feels, then I'm in to rest it, making sure that it doesn't flare up. Then, you try to do a little bit more the next day. It's just a process and I'm feeling better each time. (Fred Taylor, on his recovery from injury)

Fred Taylor, Running back
(On his recovery from injury)
"Just the improvement is motivating. I'll be out there one day, seeing how it feels, then I'm in to rest it, making sure that it doesn't flare up. Then, you try to do a little bit more the next day. It's just a process and I'm feeling better each time."

(On when the right time to come back is)
"The thing is that we have four perfectly healthy backs. The team and the coaches are going to put us in the best situation ... It's not like it was when I was the man and there was a greater sense of urgency to get back. Personally, I want to be back more than anyone. What's the smart thing to do? The smart thing is to make sure that I'm healthy enough that when I do get out there that I'm ready to go and I stay back there."

(On not being placed on IR)
"I'm gracious for it, for not being on the IR and giving me that opportunity. My window of opportunity isn't getting bigger at this point in my career; it's shrinking. So for coach to on a week-to-week basis, possibly being able to use another body, but to have enough patience to wait on me, I'm gracious."

Laurence Maroney, Running Back
(On the conditions in Buffalo)
"The cold isn't anything I like, but you've got to do your job and you've got to do your job no matter what it is. I personally don't like the cold or the snow, but you've got to do what you've got to do."

(On whether this weekend's game will resemble last year's game at Buffalo)
"You know any running back would like a game where you know that you're running the ball and getting the ball all the time, but the reality of it is that you really don't want that because then people are going to stack the box. Me, personally, as a running back, I like the balanced offense because if you keep them off their feet, then they won't know if you're going to pass or to run. If they know that you're going to run the ball every play, then you know it's a real physical game that you're getting yourself into. Any time I get the ball, or anybody gets the ball, they like it. But - like I said - I'm just a worker, so whatever the game plan is for this game, or whatever it's going to be depending on the weather down there, I'm going to be prepared for it."

(On improving the running game)
"You're always supposed to be making it better. You can never say you're just good enough to not practice, or get better. As a running back, I'm always looking to get better. You know around this time when it gets cold and there's bad weather, that's what you look for as a running back. These are the games you look for because you know in those games the coaches are going to look for you and for the running game to be the premier thing and hold the team down. You know that this can be a potential long and physical running game. We knew we had to understand everything about their defense."

(On running with authority)
"You know that's one thing that in the last six, seven games that I've been focusing on, that's just running hard, just running physical whether it's a two-yard gain, you make it a physical two-yard run."

Logan Mankins, Guard
(On Laurence Maroney's running style)
"He's been running hard. You see how he's been finishing runs. He's getting his pads down, trying to run people over and run through them. But he's playing very well right now."

(On the changes in Buffalo's defense since Week One)
"From the last time, it's changed. They have a new head coach, they've got some new linebackers playing for them. You know, the thing is that we have a lot of respect for their front seven. We watch the way they play, as hard as they play, and they're a tenacious group that plays with a lot of pride. That's where you've got to be fighting to work as hard as they are because they'll outwork you if you let them."

(On the Bills defensive line)
"They've got good rushers. Kyle Williams, he's a good inside defensive tackle. He's a pain in the butt in there. He's always doing something to get by you and make a play. He's not the biggest guy or the strongest, but he's always around the ball."

(On whether they'll have to 'grind out' a win on Sunday)
"We can do it if we have to, I guess. I'm sure we'll get in a game here sooner or later that we're going to find out if we can really do it. I'd like to think that we can do it."

(On searching for an identity on offense)
"The biggest thing that we preach around here is to take advantage of what the other team is giving you and that's what we try to do every week. If they're going to let us run it and we feel we can take advantage of that, we're going to try it. If we think that we can throw it all over the place on them, we're going to try to do that, too. And the weather plays a factor in what you can do also."