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(Opening Statement)- “Good afternoon and happy new year. This will be the last one of these for a while and I’ve had fun this year with these. As we finish the year, I would say we are two days into the next year, in my opinion. I look back on this season and we didn’t win enough games and I realize that. As we move forward, I think what’s important is that we take the things that we did well and we move forward. As I mentioned, we are into the second day of the offseason here and we’ll go through a thorough evaluation process of the players, the coaches, the process, how we do things, how we coach things, plays we’ll run more and ones we’ll never see again. We’ll go through that process. I feel good as we move forward because I like to be able to structure things, and this offseason will now be structured. I think of this as really my first offseason as we prepare for a regular season and I’m looking forward to that.

“I understand that we need to improve. I have a much clearer picture of what this team is, of who my players are, of how our coaches and players interact and I feel good going forward making some of the necessary changes that need to be made. I will say this, you are probably going to have some questions for me that I’m not going to be able to answer at this point, but shoot away. There are some that I can, but as we go through the evaluation process as I project forward, there might be some things that I just can’t quite answer yet. I think that might be the answer as we go forward.

“I think about the fans, as I replay that last game in my mind. The snow was coming down and as we were executing that last drive in the snow, the fans were in it right until the end and I really believed that we were going to win with the last throw and we had a chance. Throughout the year, we’ve talked about the fans and what they expect, and they should expect a team that wins. That’s what we are trying to build here and I’m very confident that we will get that done. All the way up until the end, players, coaches, fans, those of us that are fighting for the Cleveland Browns, were in it all the way until the end. We’ll do what we have to do to change those outcomes for next season.”

(On if Colt McCoy is the starting quarterback going into 2012)- “As we go forward here with Colt, I feel like he has done some really good things. We’ll get him back healthy and get him in an offseason where he has a chance to develop. I would say this, at all positions, other than maybe left tackle with Joe Thomas and one of the corners with Joe Haden, there is going to be some competition. I expect that Colt will improve, just like I expect Seneca (Wallace) will improve and whomever the quarterbacks are here. I think that can be said for all positions. The best quarterback will play when we start the season.”

(On if it is an admission that McCoy is not an elite quarterback if they go into training camp with that mentality)- “I’m not admitting anything yet because I want to see these guys develop. Every player that we have here I expect that they are going to improve, develop and produce. That is what I expect from him. If you produce well enough, you become elite. If you don’t, then you may end up being average and then if you don’t, then you move on.”

(On if he needs to add another quarterback for this competition or if it will be just McCoy and Wallace)- “I don’t think I said competition. What I said was I’m expecting the quarterbacks that are here to develop through the offseason and we are going to play the best one.”

(On if the amount of time already invested in McCoy factors into the situation)- “No. I think we’ve invested in a lot of players, some of whom will be here next year and some that won’t. I think we’ve invested a lot of time in trying to make the Cleveland Browns a winner and I think that’s the way I look at it.”

(On if he still plans to hire an offensive coordinator and if there will be any other staff changes)- “At this point, I don’t plan any staff changes. I am going to hire an offensive coordinator and he may come from the staff or he may come from outside the building. I want to hire the best coordinator that I can and that’s the goal. I went into this season knowing that we were going to do it at this time so that’s the goal. At this point, I don’t really plan any staff changes. Although I will say this, this is the time of year when coaching staffs change. I had some good friends that were just let go in St. Louis and there are other staffs that are looking for coaches. Even though I don’t plan any, there is nothing that says that somebody might make a change in their life and then I’ll fill that position.”

(On if he will still call plays or if that would be open to discussion with offensive coordinator candidates)- “I think it’s important that I get the best coordinator I can for us. I think that’s one of the details that will get worked out as we go through the process.”

(On if there was a point in the season where he felt he had a handle on his football team in terms of personality, character, what they can/can’t do, limitations, etc.)- “I think so. As the year went on, especially around midseason after I watched the guys compete in real games, I got a pretty good feel for what they were as players. You learn about the players all the way up until the meetings I had with them yesterday. I learned some things about guys yesterday as they were exiting for the offseason that I didn’t know about them. I kind of feel that I continued to learn more. In terms of having a feel for this team, the 2011 Browns, I think I had a pretty good feel for what we were.”

(On what he learned about himself this season and what he could do better next year as a head coach)- “I’ve always believed that your biggest improvement comes between the first time you do something and the second time. The one thing I learned about myself was that I think it’s very important that no matter how you handle things you go right back to the principles you believe in. You have to do a lot of thinking on your feet in this job that I have. You have to be pretty set in your ideals. You have to have rules and then you try to stick by them and then you react to the situations based on the experience you have. I’m thankful for the people that had a hand in getting me to here.”

(On if anything caught him by surprise this season)- “Early on I decided that nothing was going to surprise me. In the first practice when (Head Athletic Trainer) Joe Sheehan came up and said, ‘You just lost your punter,’ after that conversation, I really kind of decided that there was nothing that was going to surprise me.”

(On if there are starters in place anywhere else other than left tackle and corner such as Jabaal Sheard and other players on the defensive line)- “I was making a little joke. It was a joke and my delivery was bad, I apologize. What I was basically saying was that there is going to be competition at a lot of positions. I think that we can sit here and say that some of the guys you just mentioned performed well enough where they are definitely going to be starters as we move forward.”

(On what he wishes he could do over)- “I wish we could win more games, I really do.  I think that’s what we’re in this to do.  I wish as we had moved through the season, you know win.”

(On if there’s any consolation that at least they were competitive in most of the games)- “I think that’s something you sit around and think about maybe a week or two from now.  As we’re developing for next year, I really don’t.  I really don’t take consolation in any form of a loss.  We analyze everything.  We analyze the wins, we analyze the losses and there are always things you could do better.  I think the natural reaction is when you lose a game by a close margin, there are maybe one or two things that might have changed the outcome so that’s kind of how I evaluate that.”

(On if they would consider taking a quarterback with their top draft pick)- “I should probably stay away from talking about future draft picks at this point.”

(On analyzing quarterbacks and how involved he’ll be with Tom Heckert and the scouts leading up to the draft)- “We went through that same process last year.  This week we’ll finish evaluating our players, kind of seeing where we’re at, we’ll embark on getting ready for free agency and then this year’s draft.  We worked closely together last year, not only on the quarterback position, but all positions so we’re just going to repeat that process.  Regardless of whether you think you’re going to draft a player a certain position, we evaluate all the good players because you never know how things are going to turn out so we’re ready to move regardless of what position we intend to draft.”

(On if Tom Heckert has expressed to him what the draft class will be like this year)- “We’ve talked about it, but I think it’s like any year we have to go through, decide what our needs are and then hone in on the players that we like.”

(On only having three players with more than 100 yards rushing or receiving this season and if that means they need an explosive playmaker on offense)- “I think we want explosive players at every position.  Once we evaluate our needs then we’ll approach it in a way where we try to make this team better.  Heck, I’d like to see a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in every game.  I think that would be an indication that you’re doing good things.”

(On if they’ve made a decision on Peyton Hillis)- “I’ll tell you what, Peyton and I had a great conversation yesterday.  He’s an all-star player who was dealing with injury in the middle part of the year and then came back, and I really liked what he did at the end of the season. We had a great conversation yesterday.  That’s one of those questions I really can’t answer at this point.”

(On what was different about being a head coach that he maybe didn’t envision before stepping into the job)- “I think I had a decent idea of what it was going to be like and I kind of knew going into it that every move you make, every word you say is pretty well scrutinized, every facial gesture at the game.  I think I was ready for that, but until you go through it, I think what I’ve learned is that you’re always out front.”

(On if it’s more difficult handling certain game management situations than a first year head coach could imagine)- “I felt like we handled most of those situations in an aggressive way.  I have guys on my staff that keep me aware of situations and then we talk them though.  I think it’s important that you remain aggressive when the situations are right in any game management, clock management situation.  There was a miscommunication, the Baltimore Ravens thing, but I think for the most part I like the way that operated.  People sometimes might question what you do and that’s always open for discussion depending on how the outcome is.”

(On if there was too much on Colt McCoy’s plate at the beginning of the season)- “I don’t think so.  I think you always do what you have to do to win games.  I don’t think I put too much on his plate, but as you go through the year you can see how much a guy can handle. I think he improved this year, I think he did some good things.  He’s like a lot of players though, they’ve got to do more good things more of the time, and when you think about some of our players, who are extremely young, they’ll understand that.  Some of the players that I talked with yesterday, I asked them what they thought of their first year as rookies.  Most of them said, ‘Gosh, the season is long and the preparation,’ and they really commented on how you just have to keep playing, keep playing, keep playing and keep sticking to it and I think that’s important for all the guys.”

(On if he’ll interview Brad Childress for the offensive coordinator position)- “I know Brad very well.  He and I worked together for a long time.  I think he’s a terrific coach, but I’m going to keep my list of candidates private.  That’s one of those questions I won’t answer, but information travels quickly, I’m sure.”

(On what the timetable is for filling the coordinator job)- “We’re going to work quickly, but I’m not going to be hasty.  I want to get the right guy and by not hiring a guy this year it’s because I wanted to make sure I got the right one.  That’s a relationship that’s very, very important so I’ll make sure we do it right.”

(On why Childress wasn’t interviewed last year)- “Who says he wasn’t?  I know Brad. Brad and I are very good friends, we’ve worked together, like I said, and I think he’s a terrific coach.”

(On what he is hoping the new coordinator brings to the staff)- “The coordinator role, obviously, it’s like having another decision maker amongst your staff that has the title of being able to say, ‘We’re going to do this or we’re going to do that.’  I think it’s important that I get the right guy and again, his final role, there are a lot of different models as to how that works.  I think, and I might miss it by a team or two, there are eight or nine teams where the head coach calls the plays and they still have a coordinator.  Then, there are other teams that have a different model so I’m trying to find the very best guy.”

(On if somebody upstairs saw something when they challenged the catch by Antonio Brown in the finale against Pittsburgh)- “Yeah, upstairs the timeliness of the replays and things happening, we had some information that we felt like it was worth challenging so we challenged it at that time.”

(On if it the coordinator search could be limited if he decides that he wants to call the plays still)- “I think what’s important is I get the very best guy and like I said earlier, we’ll talk about the details of the role. The offensive coordinator is responsible for the offensive coaches, he’s mainly responsible for putting the plan together, directing the offense and doing a lot of the things that I did as the head coach.  The gameday thing, calling plays, is a fun thing for all of us to do and I want to get the best guy I can. I want to win games so I’m going to get the guys in here that are going to help us do that.”

(On if the coordinator has to have West Coast experience)- “I’m trying to find the best guy so a guy that speaks our language, so to speak, I think might have a little bit of a leg up.”

(On if he, Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert see Colt McCoy the same way)- “In terms of whether we like him or not? I think we see Colt as a guy that’s improved, kind of like I’ve been saying, and a guy that’s really going to benefit from an offseason.”

(On specifically where he saw progress from this football team)- “I saw a lot of our young players get a lot better, that’s some of the progress I saw.  I’m visualizing Phil Taylor yesterday, Jabaal Sheard, Jason Pinkston, Shawn Lauvao, Eric Hagg.  I’m visualizing their faces as they left yesterday, eager to have an offseason and build on a year’s worth of work. I think that’s important.  I was really pleased with some of the leadership of our other guys in the locker room, they took charge when things got a little bit rocky. I think that was good and I see some guys that can be really good players. I think those are areas that we need to build on.  I saw an operation that we were just teaching the guys how to practice and then I saw as we went along, practice got smoother and smoother. We’ve often talked for quarterbacks how the game slows down, as things get smoother and smoother and guys start going faster and faster, then you get better and better.  Those are the types of things I saw.”

(On if he said that he, Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert haven’t decided whether they like Colt McCoy or not)- “No, I was just clarifying what he asked, whether we like him or not.  The answer to that is we’ve seen a guy that’s improved, we’ve seen a guy that’s really going to really benefit from an offseason as he approaches next season.  There’s nothing there I don’t think, we are on the same page.”

(On McCoy and Sam Bradford from last year having their yards per attempt average around 5.9 and if that’s part of the system or if that’s just a young quarterback learning)- “It’s low and I think there are a lot of reasons for average per pass.  I think as you get more completions down the field, as you see things better you might take a downfield throw a little quicker than a check down.  There are reasons for that that go beyond system because you’re looking for, obviously, an average that’s a little bit higher.”

(On Holmgren saying that it takes three years for a player to play fast in this system and if he agrees with that)- “I think it takes more than one, for sure.  I really do.  For a quarterback in any system there’s a learning curve and this was a year without an offseason so you’ve got to speed it up.”

(On where McCoy got better at as the year went on)- “The game starts in the huddle with the play call, just being able to direct things, get guys lined up. I saw him become more efficient on just some of the basic progressions. I saw him make some better plays outside the pocket later in the year than he did earlier in the year. Leadership, being able to get guys lined up properly, all the real things you’re looking for from a quarterback.”

(On if he thinks continuity is vital going forward at the quarterback position)- “I think it’s important that the players that are playing there develop and get to a position where they can play at a consistently high level. I think that’s important.”

(On what he liked from Hillis at the end of the season)- “I thought he ran the ball hard, especially at ground level.  When he hits it up in there, they’re pretty good collisions and I think he’s a very strong physical runner. That was very obvious when he was in there as compared to when he wasn’t.”

(On how important it is in the running game that they challenge the edge)- “I think it’s important you have runs that attack the perimeter, go right up the middle and then really attack off tackle.  I think that’s the typical NFL run game.  Having tendencies is good because you’re good at something and I think that’s an important thing, too.  You have to always factor in what your running backs can do and what they’re good at as you structure your run game.”

(On if they tried to get Steven Jackson to edge a lot when he was in St. Louis)- “We tried to get to the perimeter. I do think this is a division where with the 3-4, there are a lot of guys standing out on the edges. Depending on who you’re playing, you have to decide on how you’re going to attack them. If you just run in one place all the time they can zero in on it pretty well.”

(On if the unspoken plan was to get the defense established)- “Obviously we were making a scheme change, going from a 3-4 to a 4-3. We had to focus on getting some guys that can play defensive line. With (Ahtyba) Rubin, Taylor and Sheard, we think we solidified those three spots pretty well. That’s the starting point. We try to get better at a lot of positions. We knew we were revamping things a little bit that we had to put special attention on those positions.”

(On if hiring an offensive coordinator will help free him up some)- “I might get more sleep (joking). If I appeared tired up here at times I apologize. I think it will. More than anything I think what it will do is allow me to just step back and look down on some things in some areas that I may be able to contribute more. I think that’s a key piece. Keep in mind this, as the head coach of this team I want to direct a team that is winning games. I have a general philosophy of how that works. You tweek it to do what fits best based on those principles to win games. I think that’s just natural that you have an offensive coordinator.”

(On fans having a low tolerance for incremental building and how aware he is of how they feel)- “I’m made aware of the way fans feel and I’m sensitive to that, I get that. I want to win as badly as everyone does. I do think there is some building that needs to happen and you need to win and build at the same time, I get that, in a division that’s very competitive. We watched the last month some real hard fought games that we were very close in. What I’m going to build on in my mind is those two or three or four or five things in those games that can make a difference as we move forward. I told the players this, if we all get this much better, then the results will be that much better. I think that’s what we need to do. I’m not patient either, I get it. I understand what the fans are going through.”

(On how much accountability the special teams coordinator should take for some of the things that led to losses this season and why he would bring him back)- “We’ve had some bad performances on offense, defense and special teams that contributed to losses. We’ve had some good performances that helped us win a couple of games. Actually this year our return average is better than it was last year. Early in the year when you give up a touchdown on a kickoff, you’re never going to be good, average-wise, in terms of your coverage. We need to get better in coverage, I don’t disagree with that, we need to improve. We were having problems with snap, hold, kick and we made some changes. Those are some specific areas that we can talk about. I think as I mentioned in the outset as players and coaches, we all need to improve. I did see some improvements in areas that make me think we’re going to get better.”

(On if he feels comfortable with Montario Hardesty if Hillis doesn’t return or if they will have to get a running back in the draft)- “I think we’re going to try to look at all options at running back. Again, I’m not going to comment on the Peyton thing as I mentioned as we move forward here. We’re going to try to get as good as we can get at all positions. I want to see a Montario Hardesty that’s healthy. I think he’s hopefully finally getting back. This will be one of the first offseasons he hasn’t had been dealing with an injury. That will really help him develop.”

(On his conversation with Hillis yesterday)- “We had a chance to sit down and really talk about what happened during the year. We had an all-star player, that we had high hopes for, that got injured. I watched him fight back from injury. I watched him compete well at the end of the season. We talked about those things and how a season can be a mini-journey. As we move forward, we’re just hopeful it works out for everybody.”

(On if he could tell how Hillis feels about the Browns and if he wants to here)- “More of our conversation was talking about this past year. That would probably be a better question for him.”

(On how crucial the McCoy decision is in terms of the future)- “We need to develop all of the players with him included. We’ll do what we have to do put the best quarterback on the field for our franchise. It’s critical that he gets better, I think he would tell you the same thing. We’ll move forward with that in mind.”

(On if McCoy throws well enough to be the long term answer here)- “I don’t have a problem with the way Colt throws the ball. I think he throws the ball well enough. There’s so much more that goes into playing quarterback than just pure arm strength. I think you’ve seen through the years, examples of guys that, number one, have had extremely strong arms and couldn’t succeed. On the other side, guys that have been very efficient and not had very strong arms and won lots of games.”

(On if McCoy threw the ball accurately enough this year)- “I would say that’s one of the things that improved as the year went along. There are a lot of components to accuracy; getting used to the receivers that are in there, being comfortable with the progressions and the timing of the throws. A lot of that comes with practice. It really does. It didn’t surprise me that as time went along and we continued to run 72 X Shallow Cross that he became more efficient executing it. That just confirmed for me to just keep practicing.”

(On how valuable Joshua Cribbs is to the team)- “I really like Josh. He’s tough, he’s competitive and he finds a way to get things done. He tackles guys covering kicks and then he runs back kicks. A lot of times it doesn’t look real flashy, but he gets things done. He finds a way to make plays in big games. I have a strong appreciation for what he is. He’ll be back next year. I think that’s good.”

(On if Cribbs as a wide receiver is still somewhat of an unknown)- “I think Josh improved as a receiver. His workload on special teams is large. He finds a way a way to get production on the snaps that he is in there and he showed up. There were games where he’d catch a couple of balls and like we saw the other night, he had a huge impact on the game. I think he made improvements just playing receiver, for sure.”

(On if there were guys that they had to play this year to find out what they had in certain players)- “We played the very best guys at all positions throughout the year. That’s what this organization and this city deserves. If we don’t do that than we are selling ourselves short. We didn’t just play guys to see what they can do, that didn’t really factor into it.”

(On if he watched the Stanford-Oklahoma State game last night)- “I did, well parts of it. I was dozing in and out.”

(On what impact Eric Steinbach would bring if he is back)- “The first thing is, he’s got to come back and get himself healthy. I liked what I saw from him in the preseason. I don’t know much about him since he’s been dealing with his back injury. We had a good conversation yesterday. I talked to a lot of guys, maybe that’s why I was dozing off last night (joking). There was some optimism yesterday amongst the players. I can’t put my finger on it. The ones I talked to were talking about how close we are, if we all get better. I heard a lot of guys, and I haven’t always heard this, I heard a lot of guys walking out of the building looking forward to the offseason and improving. I think that’s good and that’s the challenge. There’s going to be a lot going on and we are day two into this offseason. We have a Browns evaluation week this week then we will get ready for the Senior Bowl, free agency, the combine, the draft, the offseason program, OTAs. I have it scheduled down to the day until the middle of June. That’s reassuring to me because there’s a certain amount of work that needs to get done and we are prepared to do it with a staff that I have a feel for now, and a team that I know. I am looking forward to that process.”

(On if he has a working relationship with Mike Sherman)- “I know Mike very well. I haven’t worked with him before but I know him.”

(On if Sherman is a candidate for the offensive coordinator spot)- “I am going to keep all of those candidates private. That’s important for the process of course.”

(On if Brad McCoy’s remarks will have any impact on Colt McCoy’s future with the team)- “Absolutely none. I addressed that the first day, I understand why. We had a conversation after it and I am sure Colt has talked to his dad. That has nothing to do with Colt as we move forward.”

(On how much teaching goes on in the offseason program compared to training camp)- “There is quite a bit of teaching that goes on. Of course the rules have changed through the years and it’s much more structured, what you can teach. What you would like to be able to do is through the OTAs and the minicamps, be able to really install everything and teach everything in detail that you are then going to do again in training camp. So then training camp isn’t the first time that they see it, it’s the second time that they see it. For the guys that are either new or going through it for the second or third time, you can build. I think it’s a very important time of year. For me, it’s going to be my first offseason and I am looking forward to getting as much out of it as we can.”

(On if he said earlier that he had planned on hiring an offensive coordinator in his second year)- “When I didn’t find the guy I wanted a year ago, I made the decision that the first year that I was going to do both. Part of that is because I feel like I have a strong offensive staff that can overlap on some of those responsibilities and I think they did a very fine job of that. Once the decision was made to not have one last year, I knew definitively I was going to get one this year.”

(On if he didn’t have the time to find the right guy last year)- “We interviewed some guys, but I think it’s important to find the right guy. That’s a very important person and a very important position much like your defensive coordinator and special teams.”

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(Opening statement)- “A couple comments about some of the things that have happened, as you saw in the release, Josh Cribbs was nominated by the Browns for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his excellence one the field and in the community. We all know what he means to the community, we all know what he can do on the field and we’re proud to make him our nominee. We can talk in length as to what Josh has done for this organization. Also, I’d like to congratulate Joe Thomas who was selected as the starter in the Pro Bowl along with D’Qwell (Jackson) who was chosen as an alternate as well as Josh Cribbs, who was chosen as an alternate. That’s a high honor to be recognized by the coaches and the players in the league as well as the fans so my congratulations go to them. They’ve done a nice job. In terms of injuries, Colt McCoy has not been medically cleared to play yet. When he is, at that time we’ll talk about his availability for Sunday and his role. At this point there’s nothing more to say. Jordan Norwood is the same, he hasn’t been cleared to play. Tony Pashos will miss practice today, he was sick yesterday, we anticipate he’ll be back tomorrow. We hope to have Quinton Spears back tomorrow at practice as well and then the others guys that you may have questions about are limited and will be in-and-out of practice today so that’s what I have. Preparation this far has been good, good walk-through and then we’ll get ready to go out and practice and get ready for the Steelers.”

(On what McCoy is suffering from)- “He’s rehabbing from his concussion. There’s nothing really more to add. He needs to be medically cleared before he can practice and play and that hasn’t happened.”

(On what parts of the concussion test McCoy is not passing)- “He’s not passing it so until it’s passed he can’t play and that’s pretty cut and dry. It’s been that way with all our guys coming back.”

(On if McCoy has increased his physical activities)- “He’s much better and he feels a lot better and he’s doing more, but until he’s cleared to play he can’t.”

(On how often McCoy takes the test)- “They go through the process daily.”

(On what the upside is of looking at Seneca Wallace for one more game)- “I think Seneca has done some good things the last couple weeks. He’s like the rest of the players, we just all have to step up our game enough to get a victory.”

(On who else he would have liked to have seen get in the Pro Bowl)- “I’ll keep that private. I think that the Pro Bowl selection process is something that happens behind the scenes and then the candidates are released. As coaches we all have strong feelings for our players and I don’t want to turn it into something more public than it is. I think it’s a private voting thing and I’m just happy for our guys that have made it.”

(On if Wallace is likely to start)- “It will probably be just like last week. He’s taking all the reps and the longer it goes in the week, there’s a pretty darn good shot he’ll be the starter.”

(On if he’s spoken to the team about not retaliating against James Harrison)- “I coach and we coach our players to play fast and physical between the snap and the whistle. We teach our guys to play by the rules and, quite frequently, if you do things outside the rules you get penalized. That’s what we try and teach our guys to do, play fast and physical and do it from the snap to the whistle. Beyond that, I think it detracts from what we’re trying to get done.”

(On if McCoy will be around today)- “Colt’s around, he’s here. He was in all the meetings.”

(On if McCoy is allowed on the practice field)- “He was not at the walk-through. No, until he’s cleared to practice he can’t be out there. But, he’s in the building, he was in the meetings and he’s participating in what he can.”

(On if the media is still not allowed to speak with McCoy)- “Until he’s cleared, that’s the rule.”

(On if McCoy does any physical activity he should be able to speak to the media)- “He hasn’t been cleared to practice. I don’t know if we’re splitting hairs there, but until he’s cleared to practice.”

(On what McCoy’s been doing)- “Physical activity, he’s exercising, doing rehab, taking care of what he needs to do to get back healthy.”

(On if McCoy is lifting and running)- “I would assume so, yeah. Physical activity.”

(On if McCoy has expressed a desire that he wants to be back on Sunday)- “He’s trying to get back as quickly as he can and he’s expressed that. He wants to get out there and get competing. He’s expressed that, sure.”

(On if he and the medical staff have been surprised by how long it has taken McCoy to get back)- “Nothing surprises me. Injuries are all different and the length of time it takes players to come back is all different so I’m not surprised. I know there’s a process you go through and we’re taking him through that process just like we would anybody else that’s injured.”

(On if he was anticipating a shorter timetable for McCoy’s return)- “Like I said, I’m going to medical school this offseason so that’s a better question for the spring (joking).”

(On the league office saying that if a player has been cleared to lift weights and run that they are allowed to talk to the media)- “I don’t know anything about that. We’ll have to get that cleared up. I’m not trying to keep him from anybody, but he’s not cleared to practice. He’s not cleared to do anything with the team and that’s where it’s at. Listen, as you know, you’ve got access to our players within the rules as we know them.”

(On how confident he is that the communication will be better between Wallace and him)- “We’re talking about what, the last play before the half? Is that what we’re talking about? I’m confident that we’ll be communicating perfectly.”

(On what he has learned about division rivalries here)- “It’s a very physical style that gets played in this division. Everything in the NFL is physical, but just the nature of it. Most of these teams are defense driven. They’re teams that can play well on offense, but there’s a lot of good defense played in our division. That makes for physical style. That also makes for good special teams. The rivalries are deep seeded. I think that’s something you can feel when we play the games. As you go through it, you gain more of an appreciation for it.”

(On if that changes the way he calls plays)- “No, I don’t think so. I think you always try to do what you can to do what you do best and attack the defense, and hit them in their weakest spot.”

(On preparing for and playing against Charlie Batch and Ben Roethlisberger)- “Obviously when you play against Ben, you can get home on him and not knock him down and he can make a play. Charlie is obviously a very veteran guy that executes very well, but he doesn’t have those physical traits that Ben has. They both execute their offense well. They’ve got playmakers at a lot of positions. I’m sure Charlie, if he’s playing, will do a good job at distributing the football, which makes him very effective.”

(On if he expects the team to play better the second time around against Pittsburgh)- “Yeah, we’re expecting that. We’re expecting them to play better. Each time you play them again and each week I think we’ve made some progress in a lot of areas. I expect to see it this week as well.”

(On if performing well in the last game can boost the team’s confidence leading into next August)- “I don’t know about next August, but I do know this, we all live life day-to-day. We all want to put an outstanding performance on the field and we’re fighting to win the game. That’s what we will remember the most as we move through the preparation for next season. I think that’s important. Anytime you do something well you build on it, I think also that’s important.”

(On if he has been worried that the team will lose some of its heart with the playoffs out of the picture)- “Not this team. I mentioned earlier in the week these guys are prideful and we’ve all commented on how hard they play. We need to play hard. We need to play smart and we’ve got to do it throughout the game. I don’t question that one bit from our guys. They’re going to play their fannies off from the first snap to the last. When somebody says the season is over then we’ll move on to the next thing.”

(On if McCoy sees a doctor and a trainer every day for testing)- “I know there are tests he has to pass. The actual administration of them, I don’t want to misquote the details. He goes through a process each day to try to get medically cleared.”

(On some sacks this season coming from the right side of the offensive line and Tony Pashos’ pass protection)- “Tony has fought through this season. He’s had some injuries he’s fought through. I think Tony has battled hard this year and we played each week against some guys that are pretty fine pass rushers. I wouldn’t say we’re getting more pressure at the right tackle spot than we are other places. There’s times our right side or their left side gets the sack, but it could be because there was pressure someplace else. I appreciate Tony. He’s very tough. He has to miss some time during the week so we can keep him going. When he plays on Sunday, he’s a very tough and a very physical guy. He’s fighting.”

(On if late season victories can carry over into next season)- “We were talking about that a little earlier, I think anything you do late in the season is what you remember last. I think it’s important to play well at the end of the year. It’s important to play well and win. That’s one of the things you want to do if you’re going to be a playoff team. You have to play well and win at the end. You’ve got to stay healthy, you’ve got to be able to play defense, you’ve got to be able to score points and all those things. At this point because the playoffs are not something that are on our horizon this year, it’s about winning that next game. Then you move on to the offseason, I think that’s where it’s at.”

(On how he compares his team to other AFC north teams)- “I like our team. I think we match up. I go into every game thinking we can win. We’ve just got to go out and do it. We’ve got a team that can battle with anybody in this division.”

(On what makes Joe Thomas a Pro Bowl left tackle)- “I think he’s done a good job playing left tackle in this league. You don’t hear much from the guys that are playing against him and that’s what you want. He’s a pro, that’s probably the 15th time I’ve said that. I appreciate what he is behind the scenes. He’s in control, not only doing his job, but he exerts himself in a way that helps this team move forward. He’s very talented and he works hard. For all those reasons, I think that’s why he performs well. For all those reasons because he performs well, he’s been recognized for the fifth straight year. I think that’s an important thing.”

(On if Thomas is the most technically sound left tackle he’s seen)- “He’s very technically sound in terms of pass protection. He takes good sets, he uses his hands well. He’s very sound technically.”

(On if the players are intimidated by James Harrison)- “I don’t think our guys are intimidated by any team and really any player. That’s a better question for maybe a specific player. But, I don’t see it and I don’t sense it. We’ve got competitive tough guys. They’re going to go out there and sell out against whoever they’re playing. I think that’s what we have.”

(On if parts of Carlton Mitchell’s game have taken long to develop than expected)- “I don’t know. He’s a player I’m getting to know a lot better. He had an injury during training camp and missed some very valuable time because he would’ve gotten a lot of snaps in the preseason. That’s where a guy that’s a role player trying to make the team gets a lot of work. I think if you ask him he’d probably say that maybe set him back a little bit. Through the practices, he runs fast, he’s a big target and he had an opportunity to play last week. He caught two and dropped one.”

(On Montario Hardesty being active and not playing for the second week in a row)- “Peyton (Hillis) was going real well and we spelled him a little bit with Chris Ogbonnaya. There’s nothing to that.”

(On if Hardesty’s calf is keeping him from playing)- “He’s still coming back. He’s not 100 percent, but if we put him in the game I’m sure he’ll do well.”

(On if he would like to see his team retaliate to guys like James Harrison)- “Do you mean start a fight? A bench clearing brawl? No, what I want my guys to do is play fast and physical from the snap until the whistle. That’s what I want my guys to do. We’ve seen around the league and we know that when you do stuff that’s beyond the whistle and you do things that get outside yourself, you end up hurting the team. I don’t think we want that. Take care of your business between the snap and the whistle.”

(On if there is a way to retaliate legally)- “You get after them based on how you play the game, based on the rules of the game. If you’re assigned to block a certain player, you block that player. If you’re assigned to tackle a certain player, you tackle him. If you’re designed to defeat a block, you defeat the block and go get the ball carrier. If you’re designed to cover somebody, you cover that guy. If the ball goes your way you either pick it off or break it up. That’s what we do. I think that’s how you handle it. I think I understand where you guys are going with this, but I think it’s very important you play fast and physical within the rules.”