Ed Thompson: Talk about your impressions from that hard-fought win
over New England.
Jamie Silva: It was exciting to be a part of a game like that, a
rivalry like that. It was truly exciting, especially to come out on the winning
end.
Thompson: You guys jumped out to an early lead, lose ground, battle back a
bit and then they pull away again. Was there ever any point during that game
that you guys weren't sure that you could get out of that hole?
Silva: No. I think the reason we did come back is because everybody believed
that we could win it. At halftime we were down and the coaches were saying,
"We're still in this game. We're going to win this game. Be positive."
That really helped us through it.
Thompson: Jamie, as you were studying the Patriots throughout the week, what
were some of the things that jumped out at you as you watched Tom Brady and
those wide receivers?
Silva: The skills of the wide receivers. Randy Moss is as fast as they come.
He has long arms and uses them well. Brady throws the ball where he needs to
throw it so that defenders can't catch it and his guys can. There were some
balls that he threw to Randy Moss that nobody else could catch--probably 10 feet
up in the air on the opposite side of the defender, which is impossible to
defend. We knew Randy Moss would make some catches. We were hoping he wouldn't
make some of the long ones that he did, but we just kept fighting throughout the
whole game. Wes Walker, everybody knows how quick he is and how he finds ways to
get open no matter who he's playing against. Their tight ends are very good. Ben Watson is a fast, big guy. Out of the backfield, Kevin Faulk is one of the best
receiving running backs in the NFL. So it's a dangerous offense.
Thompson: I think one of the surprises in that game was that Brady didn't
seem to go after your pair of rookie cornerbacks that started. They've certainly
been holding their own really well, but I think everybody expected Brady to go
after those guys. But it looked like he was more content to challenge the
safeties, especially early on.
Silva: Our young corners have been doing great, so it wasn't necessarily a
surprise. I think we were in Cover 2, so they were just trying to go deep. Randy
Moss running down the field against the safety; it's difficult to defend that.
They got that a few times and they completed some passes on it. We made some
adjustments and everything worked out.
Silva is a modern-day throwback player who just loves to play the game.
AP Photo/Michael Conroy |
Thompson: You just proved to yourselves that you can come back from a slow
start against a top-notch team like the Patriots. That has to be a huge
confidence boost, but is there also a little bit of a danger in that the next
time you fall behind you could get a bit complacent and say, "Oh, we'll dig
out of this" and not bring the same level of energy to that effort?
Silva: I don't think so. I think the leaders on our team like Peyton
(Manning), Gary Brackett and Jeff Saturday, they know what it's like to win,
even to win the Super Bowl. They don't let anything go to their head or get
overly confident. I think a game like that is a good thing because it shows the
younger guys to be confident and to play the whole game and not give up.
Hopefully we won't get put in that situation again for the rest of the year--who
knows, it may very well happen. But we know we can climb out of those situations
if we do it the right way.
Thompson: What was the general reaction when you guys realized Bill Belichick
was going for it on a 4th-and-2, fairly deep in his own territory even though
his team had the lead?
Silva: At first, I just thought that they going to try and draw us offsides.
Then they ended up snapping the ball and they didn't make the first down. I know
they're a confident group with a smart coaching staff. They probably just didn't
want to put the ball back in Peyton's hands with two minutes to go and a few
time outs. It was a gutsy call. If they made it, everybody would be saying what
a great call that was because they could have run the clock out.
Thompson: You got married last summer, so dish it out here. What's been the
most interesting part of married life for you and the biggest adjustment?
Silva: My wife is great. She puts up with me and my messiness. She's so easy
to be around and to live with. We have a baby on the way that's due in April. So
I'm growing up pretty quick.
Thompson: Congratulations! You've got some great, great times ahead.
Silva: Thank you. I'm looking forward to it.
Thompson: Is this family life going to put any crimps into any of your
hobbies? I was told that you have a metal detector and that you like to search
for treasure.
Silva: (laughs) Yeah! You know, in Indiana, I haven't found any hot spots. I
think I'll have to hold off until I can hit the beach in the summer time. I took
it to a local high school, but I didn't find anything except a rusty bolt, so I
haven't been too successful yet. I just have to go to the beach and then the
treasures will find me.
Thompson: Why the fascination with the treasure hunting? Where does that stem
from?
Silva: When I was six or seven, I would dig in my backyard. I actually found
some medallions and state championship gold medals. I found several different
things in my backyard. So every since then I've always been into it.
Thompson: And you own two Camaros. That's not a typical family car.
Silva: In the spring I bought a 1987 Camaro. I really liked the rims it was
on. But they are 22-inch rims, which are actually too big because I can't really
turn the car fully or else the wheel well scrapes the tires. So it's like an
automatic braking system (laughs).. That car has been giving me some troubles
over the past few months, so this summer I ended up getting a new Camaro like
the ones in Transformers. It's funny, I got the 2010 Camaro and a week later we
found out we were having a baby. My wife wanted me to sell it at first, but she
let me keep it.
Thompson: What color did you get?
Silva: Black.
Thompson: Nice. Hey, back to football before we wrap this up. You're in your
second season with Indianapolis. Where have you seen the most development in
your skill level since you first came on board with the Colts?
Silva: That's a great question. I'm not really sure which specific area, but
I'd like to be out there more. I feel the way you become better is by going out
there, playing and getting the reps. I practice and go against Peyton Manning
and one of the best offenses in the league every day, so that's definitely
improving my game.
Thompson: You've had the opportunity to handle some punt return duties this
season.
Silva: Yeah, its fun. It's nice that the coaches have the confidence in me to
put me back there. The guys come down a little bit faster and stronger than they
did in college, but it's fun to have the ball in your hands.
Thompson: Has this whole NFL experience been as much fun for you as you
pictured it would be back when you were at Boston College?
Silva: Yeah, it's great. It's hard, hard work and it's a job, but this is
what I've always wanted to do my whole life. Now I'm doing it, so I'm really
enjoying it.
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A member of the Pro Football Writers of America, Ed Thompson's player interviews and NFL features are published across the Scout.com network and at FOXSports.com.