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http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=5275

Conference Calls: Tice, Chavous

By Brian Hosmer

Special to Redskins.com

December 29, 2004

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice and defensive back Corey Chavous spoke with Washington, D.C., reporters on Wednesday:

MIKE TICE

Minnesota Vikings Head Coach

On if he remembers his one season with the Redskins in 1989 during his playing days:

"I was in Washington for one season and one training camp. I was the last player cut the next year. I do remember a lot about it even though I was released. I was very fond of the organization, very fond of the coaching staff, and certainly very fond of Coach Gibbs. I recall my comments to Coach Gibbs when he released me were that I felt that I left there a better player than when I got there. I think that is a significant thing to say when you are 30 years old."

On how good of a season Daunte Culpepper has had this year:

"He has done very well. He has had very few poor decisions. He has made a lot of plays for us. He made a lot of plays when we were trying to battle our way through the Randy Moss injury. He has been a great leader for us and a great warrior for us. At times, he has almost willed us to victory."

On how the defense has not been much better since last year and if it bothers him:

"That is actually not true. As I have told our local writers today, not to take a shot at anybody, unfortunately writers don't get to watch the tape for 46 hours and see all the areas where we have improved. It seems since Antoine Winfield has been injured and we have not been able to hold the fort in the fourth quarter. Before Antoine got hurt, in a five game stretch we only gave up 26 points in the second half. We have improved against the run. We have improved in mental mistake areas. What we have not improved in is giving up the explosive play late in the game in the passing game. We continue to work to get those things fixed. Obviously getting Antoine Winfield back would help us get those things fixed, but we don't have a healthy Antoine Winfield so we have to battle our way through it."

On the running back situation and if it is still up in the air every week:

"I don't think it is up in the air. I think we are going to try to play the players that give us the best opportunity to win. Each week is different."

On wide receiver Randy Moss and if he is close to 100 percent:

"He won't be 100% until the season is over when he gets a chance to rest, but he is doing pretty well. I know he has had some leg fatigue set in over the last couple of weeks and has had some back issues that he has had throughout his career. He seems to get better every week."

On if he is shocked that Joe Gibbs offense is ranked so low in the league:

"He will get it turned around. Sometimes you don't have the players you need to accomplish some of your goals."

COREY CHAVOUS

Minnesota Vikings Safety

On if they are feeling good at 8-7 or if they are disappointed at where they are:

"You always think you could have done better or could have had a better record, but there is no reason to concern ourselves with what has happened. We always look ahead and I think that is what most of the guys around here are doing. I think we have a good attitude. We are just excited about what the future holds."

On if the season has been fun: "We have certainly had some fun moments. We have lost tough games. It is always tough when you lose close games. We have had our share of three point or less losses. Those things can be discouraging but I think we have done a good job of bouncing back. We have had to and we are going to have to do the same thing this again this weekend if we want to get to the playoffs."

On if they are thinking about last year and what happened to keep them out of the playoffs and if they are worried it will happen again:

"Not really, to be honest with you. Mostly what I am thinking about, and it is so encouraging and I even have talked to my teammates about it, is that we had a stretch this year where we have won four games in a row. We have had stretches here where we have won nine games in a row under Coach Tice. I think if you concentrate on those types of things and our ability to win over long stretches, it is just about us getting a winning streak going. Now we have to in order to reach our goal. We get a five game winning streak going and we are the Super Bowl champions. That is all you should be thinking about right now."

On how the offense gets most of the credit in Minnesota and if he feels the defense has held up their end of the bargain:

"We certainly feel like we could have played better in a lot of games. I think there has been some times where we have let them down. We have to be honest with ourselves in terms of that assessment. By no means do we feel like we are incapable of getting it done or having huge games. I think that we need to put it all together right now. There is no reason for us to look at what we have not done. That is a loser's lament, in my opinion. I don't think our team and my teammates feel that way. We feel we have only one way to go and that is up."

On why they wanted Mike Tice to be their coach again next year:

"I think he has done a great job since he has been the coach. There is a lot of pressure when you have a coach like Dennis Green before you, to follow in those footsteps, particularly when you are coming off a 5-11 season where he had to take over the rains in the last game of the season against Baltimore in 2001. He handled it with a lot of class. We lost a lot of close games in his first year here. We very easily could have been a playoff team that year. His ability to be able direct us in a positive light was very much carried out when we won those last three games of that year to prevent from having a downtrodden off season. We went into the off season with a positive attitude and that led to us winning our first six games in 2003. I think we were disappointed last year by not making the playoffs but we certainly can rectify our project on what coach has tried to build here by finishing the season strong and trying to win the Super Bowl, which is our goal."

On Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper:

"Daunte has had one of the greatest seasons ever in NFL history in my opinion. He has done this since I have been here. The 37 touchdown passes and nearly 4,500 yards passing are remarkable. It is something that he will look back in the offseason and say, Wow.' I am just hoping he gets to 40 touchdown passes against one of the best defenses in the league this weekend."

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