Vince Wilfork

Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork joined The Big Show following practice at Gillette Stadium on Monday afternoon to discuss last Thursday’s second preseason game, his physical condition midway through the preseason schedule, playing defensive line in different schemes, among all other things Patriots related.

Wilfork had no further comment on the allegations that reportedly took place at the University of Miami when he was there.

“I commented a couple of days ago, I am done with that,” he said. “That is all I have to say on it and I am going to move forward from that. I am looking forward to Detroit.”

To hear the entire interview, click here.

Here are the highlights from the interview:

ON LAST THURSDAY’S SECOND PRESEASON GAME: “It looked like peaches and cream, but I think Bill [Belichick] hit it on the head when he said it looked good, but it really wasn’t and then things looked bad and it really wasn’t. You can take the good and the bad out of that game, especially in the first quarter. They had 11 yards rushing, but we still had mental errors, people missed assignments and stuff like that. In preseason you’re going to have that. We went out and wanted to hit the ground running and we did. There were mistakes, but that is why you have the preseason and training camp to work on, look back on film and correct those things. That is what we try to do each week.”

ON THE UPCOMING GAME WITH THE LIONS: “Detroit, last year they gave us a good fight, they are a young and hungry team. I have the upmost respect for them because that is a football team that is going. The draft picks they’ve had the past few years get better and better. They already have one of the most dominating defensive lines in the game, and added the rookie this year,  I know he has been injured, but you can see where they are headed. They are heading in the right direction. It is going to be another chance for us to play a good opponent, for our offense to see a pretty good defense up front and for us to go in and go against good receivers, a good quarterback and good backs. We are going to have our hands full, we’re always up for the challenge. Bill is always challenging us, so he doesn’t expect nothing more but our best.”

ON PHYSICAL CONDITION: “I myself feel pretty good. I am going out there and playing two quarters last week, I really felt pretty good condition. I am not saying I am in tip top shape, but I am in pretty good football shape where I am comfortable where I am at. I am comfortable with Bill saying ‘you’re playing four quarters this week’ and then I am comfortable with Bill saying ‘I am going to sit you this week.’ Either one of those I am comfortable with, but the first night I would like to play, I love football, I want to be on the field with my teammates. I am very comfortable with my conditioning and where I am right now. It is going to get better.”

ON PLAYING 4-3 AND 3-4 AS A DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: “With a Bill Belichick football team he is going to put anything out there on the field, so we can’t sit there and say we’re going to run this scheme, or that scheme. From Bill Belichick he looks at what he has, and from a a defensive line standpoint whatever he feels comfortable doing he is going to try because he has a lot of guys that can play a lot of positions on his football team. Not just on the defensive line, on his football team. Like last year you saw me move around from nose to both defensive end spots. That is what Bill likes, he likes guys that can move around and if we want to throw a wrinkle we can throw a wrinkle and he is OK with that. He is going through the proper steps and feel comfortable putting those people in those situations. So whatever he throws out there we are going to be well prepared.

Just knowing the playbook, you have to know with the calls coming into the game what is your job. Sometimes it is rushing up field, sometimes it is two-gap, but you need to be in the classroom and understand a good defensive linemen and a good football player understands the guys around him and what is their job. At times you have to know that and myself I look at a lot of film, and I play a lot of positions on the defensive line so I have to know that. I take pride in knowing that. … You have to be on your toes at all time because you can get it at anytime with Bill Belichick.”