Q: As QB of this team, how difficult is it for you to try to mesh many different things together, like the offensive line, the wide receivers?

MATT CASSEL: “I stay focused on my job. My job is to go out there and execute the offense. Whatever players are out there, whether it’s the offensive line or receivers, you go out there and you try and do your best and try to execute what the coaches give you and you try to take care of what you have to do an individual and hopefully it’ll be good enough for us to win.”

Q: How much extra work can you get in with some of these receivers, and is it before or after practice?

CASSEL: “I think a little of both. You try to get in there and get a little bit of work before practice, you get a little work after, and you try to spend some extra time after practice when the day’s over in a classroom. I think that all helps.”

Q: How much did the break (bye weekend) help you physically?

CASSEL: “The break was great. To get a few days away from here, to re-energize, come back focused, ready to go. We need to start getting on a roll here and hopefully we can start putting some wins together.”

Q: What does WR Chris Chambers offer you guys that you previously didn’t have? What have you seen from him?

CASSEL: “He’s only been here for two days or so, and I know he got in 12 o’clock Tuesday night or whatever it was, but you can already tell that he has great physical skills. He’s been a professional for a long time now, he knows how to work and he’s already showing that out there on the field. Hopefully he can help us and contribute.”

Q: Coach Haley breaks the season down into quarters. For you as a QB, does that help or do you look at it as this is a 1-6 football team right now and we’ve got to move forward for the rest of the season and not just the rest of the second quarter?

CASSEL: “I think as a QB of a football team you have to go one game at a time. The first thing on our list is Jacksonville this week and we’ve got to get better as a football team and hopefully you win one game, then you win another, and then you start stacking them together and that’s what we really have to do. I know that Coach looks at it in quarters and he’s established that in the locker room a little bit, but our number one priority, our number one goal this week is to go down and take care of Jacksonville.”

Q: We’ve seen some new signs around the building, what do you think about those?

CASSEL: “I’m still getting to know them, so please don’t ask me to recite them right now. It’s good. It’s just a reminder to everybody to do certain things and stay on top of your job.”

Q: Does this team need that reminder? What are your thoughts on why they’re there?

CASSEL: “I think you’d have to ask Coach on that. When we came back they were up and I think everybody has taken notice of it.”

Q: Did you guys notice them right away or did Coach say they were up; you get kind of in a routine and might now look at the walls all the time?

CASSEL: “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious when you come in – it’s right there in front of your face. I think it’s just a good reminder for everybody.”

Q: Why do you think they went up?

CASSEL: “I don’t know. Like I said, you’re going to have to ask Coach. He’s the one who put them up, and we’re the ones that get to look at them and read them and hopefully it’ll help.”

Q: How do you get off to a faster start – first downs, first drives, and first quarters?

CASSEL: “I think we just have to get into a rhythm early. I think we’ve struggled a little to get into a rhythm early, whether it be getting in third-and-long situations early in the game and not being able to keep the drive alive, and then all of a sudden we’ll get into a little bit of a rhythm but we need to do it earlier. But I can’t pinpoint one thing for you and say we need to run the ball more or we need to hit more short passes, I think we just need to come together as a unit and make a few first downs and get going early.”

Q: What have you seen from the running backs with RB Larry Johnson’s absence this week?

CASSEL: “They’re doing a great job. They’re all working hard. It’s created a lot of competition there at the RB position, and you’ve seen that all last week and going into this week, and they’re all battling right now and they’re all eager to be out there and show what they can do. I’m sure it’s exciting for them and it’ll be exciting to see how they do this Sunday.”

Q: Is Jacksonville a team that you can run against more, or can you throw against? What challenges does this defense present to you?

CASSEL: “You know it’s interesting because from one week to the next in the NFL there are such drastic changes in what somebody does well and what somebody struggles against. They’re the number three rush defense in the league I think, and last week Tennessee had a good rushing day against them, so you never know what you’re going to get. You never know what kind of changes they’re making this week but hopefully we can run the ball and throw the ball against them. Their front seven is definitely something we’re going to have to deal with – they’re a big, physical group. Their LBs are active and we’re going to have to get a hat on a hat in order to get the ball up the field.”

Q: You talk about getting re-energized, but can you mentally get away?

CASSEL: “You can for a little bit. You’re always thinking about what we can do better, how can we improve this team, how can I improve but at the same time you have to take it when you get the opportunity in that bye week to take a few days and relax and get away and spend some time with my wife and my family, and it was nice to do that.”

Q: Did you stay here?

CASSEL: “I stayed here. This is home, come on, Kansas City.”

Q: Was there couch time?

CASSEL: “There was a little bit of couch time, there’s no doubt. And just spent some good quality time with my wife.”