Here are few excerpts from my interviews with several members of the New England Patriots after last night’s 19-14 loss to the New York Giants.
Scott: After a month pre-season games, how much are you looking forward to getting all your regular starters out there at the same time next Sunday?
Bill Belichick: Well, I think you always look forward to the regular season, but we’ve got a lot of work to do between now and then. We have a lot of decisions to make and we have to start getting ready for Kansas City, a game plan, practice and all that. I’m sure when that game comes we’ll wish we had a little more time, but in the meantime we’ll try and use what we have and make it as productive as possible. You know I think everyone’s looking forward to the start of the regular season, that’s always how it is. We’ve had a lot of practices, four practice games and now we’re getting ready to play the regular season schedule so we’re excited about that.
Scott: With the season this team had last year, how much are you looking forward to getting out there and help them try and repeat it?
John Lynch, S: I think around here one thing I’ve been very impressed with is they don’t deal with the past and they don’t deal with the future, they deal with the now, which is kind of has always been my perspective on things. There will be a time to reflect on it, but I think that’s when you’re done playing that you sit back and reflect on things. We are very excited to get going with the year. It’s time for us to get ready.
Scott: What are your expectations for yourself and the team this season?
LaMont Jordan, RB: For me, my expectations are to just be the best that I can be, when I get my opportunity to just go out there and help my team out. That’s pretty much it. As far as the team’s, I think it’s not so much as what I expect, it’s more so the expectations that were already in place when I got here. It’s up to me to meet those expectations and you know I just want to go out there and be the best player I can and try and help this team win.
Scott: What are your expectations for yourself and the team this season?
Matt Cassel, QB: Our expectations are just taking it one day at a time and improve individually and collectively. There’s plenty of room to work in those areas so we keep just trying to put one foot in front of the other and try to be more consistent on a daily basis.
Scott: What are your expectations for yourself and the team this season?
Matthew Slater, WR: First thing for me is to obviously make the team. I still want to be around here come this time next week. From there, I know that I’m going to be a guy that’s going to be asked to do a lot of things. I’m going to have to be flexible and just continue to be a student of the game and continue to get better, never be satisfied for where I’m at. So for me I just want to learn the game of football at this level, continue to improve and just continue to work hard.
Scott: Do you view this as a job interview, just as I would go on, only yours is a lot cooler?
Slater: Oh, definitely. Nobody wants to come out here and work this hard and not be on the team. That’s everybody’s goal, every man in this locker room. With my faith in God, where it is, I just feel I have a piece of mind that a lot of people don’t think I should be here and he blessed me tremendously to be in this position. Either way it goes, I know he has a plan and it’s going to work out the way it’s supposed to.
Scott: Do you feel prepared for the regular season after your first pre-season?
Kevin O’Connell, QB: I feel like I have a lot of work to do. I feel like I have a lot of football to watch film wise of us and other defenses just to prepare me as I go along here. I’m going to treat each week of this season like an opportunity to get better. If it means running the scout team and progressing that way and learning to do stuff on that side of the ball that’s what it means. If it means holding the clipboard all year, that’s what I’m ready to do to progress and help this team.
For audio from some of these players, visit the official “Cheap Seats” show site over at ScottStanchak.com.
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