It goes much deeper than that.

They've had our number the last couple years. Their quarterback is one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

I still think our guys don't know how bad it is. From what I've heard, unless you're on the ground in New Orleans, you can't comprehend what has happened there.

It's all we have left. We've lost our homes and our city. Now all we have left is our families and football. In that respect, we have all that we need.

I told the team last night this isn't about winning or losing. At the end of the year, our message has to be that we persevered. If we go 11-0 ... if we go 0-11 ... they're not going to know our record. They're going to know we persevered. For the millions of people affected in our environment — the ones who survived — it's going to give them some hope. Because right now there is no hope.

A 2½-hour mental health clinic.