| Fourth-year WR Torry Holt sat down to take questions from
the media in New Orleans. Holt led St. Louis receivers this season with 83 receptions,
1,363 yards and scored seven touchdowns. Q: What do you make of the amount of trash
talking that goes on during NFL games?
A: I don’t like to trash talk. The trash talking doesn’t really do you any
good. All it does is get you tired. I think you can prove your point between the white
lines. I have a great deal of respect for (Patriots CB) Otis Smith and for Ty Law. It was
great having the opportunity to go against those guys earlier in the year. They both are
older, veteran guys, and are very savvy. They force you to be very patient in and out of
your routes, so it was great for me as a young football player to go up against guys of
their caliber.
Q: How do you confront the Patriots’ physical man coverage?
A: That’s what we expect to see. Press coverage right off the line of scrimmage.
That’s what Philly did against us this past weekend, and I’m sure we will see
the same type of coverage from the Patriots. They give you quite a few different looks,
but I think what they will try to do is be physical with us, try to slow us down off the
line of scrimmage in hopes of disrupting our timing.
Q: Does this team ever go into a game thinking the offense could get shut down?
A: I always go into the game optimistic. I always go into the game thinking that we are
going to pile up a great deal of yards and put up a lot of points, but it doesn’t
always work out that way. Defenses have been doing a great job of catching up to what we
do. Dome defenses we’ve faced have done an excellent job of taking away some of the
things that we do. But our style is to continue to motor on and do the things that we have
done all year long.
Q: What is your take on your own defense?
A: What can you say about those guys? They are a big reason we are here and they are
definitely the reason we were able to advance to the NFC championship game. They played
lights out against Green Bay. They were just terrific.
Q: What do you think Patriots head coach Bill Belichick might come up with in terms
of a defensive scheme Sunday?
A: I’m sure he’s working on something. This is the biggest game of his life.
I’m sure he is going to try and come up with a great plan to try to slow us down. He
wants to win the Super Bowl just like we want to win the Super Bowl, so I’m sure
he’s working on a plan that will try to take Marshall, myself, Isaac Bruce, Az Hakim,
and Ernie Conwell out of the game. But it is up to us to come back with a great game plan
that puts us in great situations to make plays against these guys.
Q: Can you talk about the play of Patriots S Lawyer Milloy?
A: I have great respect for both Lawyer Milloy and Tebucky Jones. I played against
Tebucky when he was at Syracuse and I was at North Carolina State when we both were in
college. We went up to Syracuse and smacked them around a little bit. I have great respect
for those guys, and I look forward to Sunday’s game.
Q: Does a win Sunday give the Rams a place in NFL history?
A: Not many teams have the chance to play in two Super Bowls in three years, so
I’m pretty proud what this group of guys has accomplished. Hopefully, we can all stay
together, win a few Super Bowls, and keep this thing going.
Q: Were you surprised that New England made it to the Super Bowl?
A: I picked New England to beat Pittsburgh in the AFC championship game. I think people
have it a little bit twisted because the Patriots’ record really didn’t show the
type of football team that they really are. Pittsburgh had been winning a lot of games,
Oakland had been winning a lot of games, and the Patriots were kind of in the background.
I think that might have helped them out in the postseason. I think they are a very hungry
team, they are very focused, very intense team. They went down to Pittsburgh and did what
they had to do. Their defense played well at Pittsburgh as did their offense and special
teams. They made plays. My hat is off to New England because they definitely deserve to be
here. I also picked them to win because of the way they played us in Week 10. They played
us well. They’ve been the most consistent team in the AFC during the entire
postseason.
Q: Can the Rams’ offense be stopped?
A: Our offense is predicated on timing and speed, so if New England is aggressive at
the line of scrimmage, it could slow us down. So it will be up to us to use our technique
and skills to give Kurt an opportunity to get us the ball.
Q: Which Rams wide receiver has the best hands?
A: I’ve got the best hands of all of the wide receivers. I’m sure the other
receivers will say that they have the best hands, but that’s just how I am. Our
receivers are competitive and we all respect each other. We feel as a group we are the
best receivers in the NFL, and that’s what makes us so strong as a group. We have a
great deal of confidence, and we strive for excellence every day. I’m very fortunate
and blessed to be part of a receiving group that features guys like Isaac Bruce, Az Hakim,
Ricky Proehl, and other offensive weapons like Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner. We’ve
got a classy group of guys who can really play this game. |
