We played great defense in the first half.

That's been our Achilles heel. We knew it. It's just a mental thing. We missed opportunities. But to come back to the Final Four, we've had a good season. We lost. It happens.

Just looking at the environment, the breakdown in Iraqi defense system, and the fact that we're in there in that urban area, we're not a good target for the use of chemical weapons even if Saddam could throw them at us, and I think the guess would be he can't at this point,

The offense did just enough and the defense pretty much went into the game saying if [the Cowboys] don't score, they can't win. They can't beat us. It comes down to making plays, and guys winning one-on-one battles. Ultimately, that's what our guys are doing right now.

When we need those plays, both on offense and defense, they're coming through,'' Rams quarterback Marc Bulger said.

We played some good defense, but just got unlucky.