For the offense to lose Plaxico Burress and still throw and move the ball?

We felt very confident with the guys we had out there, and I think that just comes from training camp.  We didn’t have Plaxico, and Hixon was the starting X most of the time.  In the season, we have been doing a lot of four wide receiver formations and moving guys around.  When they had the one on one coverage or they were the one who was supposed to get open based on the defensive alignment, they did a good job of making plays and getting open.  We just felt, honestly, it would be good to have Plaxico back, but the guys we had out there, we could rotate them in.  Even when Hixon got hurt, we felt very confident with Sinorace, who got a lot of playing time in the preseason and made plays.  We feel like we have a lot of weapons and just because one guy is out, it’s not going to change our philosophy, change the plays, or change the offense.  We are still going to go through our same plays and guys did a good job of stepping up when their name was called, and when the ball’s going their way, they’re making plays.

What kind of feeling is that, when you are in rhythm and the offense keeps scoring?

It was fun.  Our offensive line played tremendous, in every aspect.  We ran the ball, we were getting chunks of yardage, and even when we weren’t running fifteen, twenty yards, we were getting six yards a pop.  We just had great rhythm.  You don’t get stuck in third and longs, you don’t have to search for a play, you can just call whatever and we were making it work, whether it was pass or run.  That’s when it’s fun.  That’s when you feel in rhythm.  Guys are doing the right things.  They’re doing it in a timely fashion and making plays.  That was good to come out fast and get a good start coming off the bye week.  We had a lot of conversations about not playing well after a bye week.  To end that and it was a fun game to play.

With Cleveland on Monday night, what do you do to stay focused, to not get over confident?

I think we’ll stay focused.  I think we know what’s at hand.  Preseason doesn’t mean a whole lot, a lot of teams don’t show very much.  They didn’t do very much, they were very basic in preseason.  I’ve seen them a little bit, just watching football.   I haven’t seen any game film this year, but from what I’ve heard they do have a good and extensive blitz package.  We’re going to have to prepare for that.  Teams are going to be looking at what we’ve been doing and try to have an answer to stop us.  We just have to make adjustments and play physical football and just keep playing smart football.  I think that’s what we’re doing best, which is the most important.  We’re not having bad plays.  We’re not having penalties and false starts and many holding calls.  Even if it’s not a successful play, we’re still getting three or four yards.  We don’t get stuck in third and twelve, third and eight.  Most of our third downs today, I think, were under three or four yards.  That’s when you can do a lot of stuff, you can mix it up.  That’s when we’re at our best, when we’re mixing up the run, the play action, the misdirection and all of that seems to be working.

Would you say this is the most complete offense you’ve had since you’ve been here?

Yeah, I think so.  Just the way that we ran the ball with Brandon [Jacobs], and then Ahmad [Bradshaw] and Derrick [Ward]. We have the three running backs.  Receivers, we are rotating guys in and out.  We’re moving around and all of them are doing a good job.  When we’re checking the plays, everybody is getting the right check, everybody is executing.  When we’re just getting up there and running plays, they know what they’re doing.  We don’t have a whole lot of confusion.  Whatever the defense is throwing at us, we’re making adjustments and we’re doing it on the fly.  Sometimes you have to come to the sideline and make some adjustments now.  The defense is doing some new things, but we’re solving it.  We’re seeing things and doing everything the way it should be done.  It’s not affecting us and slowing us down.  It’s fun to go out there.  I think it’s just the guys have great confidence in what they’re doing.  They’re running full speed, they don’t have any doubts or worries.  I think it’s just a matter of being in the same offense for the last five years and having a lot of those guys being here the whole time.

You mentioned the word ”physical.” Are you happy the team has carried that trademark?

Yeah.  It starts up front with the offensive line and the tight end and the blocking and the running game and the passing game, with being physical.  Then with our backs.  Brandon comes in with that hard nose and Derrick did the same thing.  He runs very hard, breaks some tackles.  Receivers are blocking.  We’re going to try and come in and run the ball and start the game that way and be physical.  Then we’ll get into the play action, making plays in the passing game, but it all starts up front with those guys.

Do you wonder what you and Dominick [Hixon] could have done if he didn’t have to come out?

He played well, he had to come out, but other guys stepped up and played really well also.  Sinorice [Moss] had a couple of touchdown catches and a couple big catches in the game, on some curl routes and different things.  It’s fun for guys to step up and they know their name’s going to be called.  We don’t have favorites.  We don’t force it to one guy.  It just all depends on the coverage and I’m working on that, through my progression.  For the most part, guys who are my first read are getting open.

Is it almost rare now when you’re rushed?  It seems like you’re back there protected.

That’s the goal, to be protected.  The offensive line, backs, they did bring pressure and the backs stepped up and made some blocks.  I tried to buy a little time on a few, to get the ball out.  The guys are doing well.  We’re not holding the ball for real long back there, we’re trying to get it out in a timely fashion and being it timed with the routes being run.  The guys are doing well and know the timing of the play.