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Fisher, Cook clear air on 'we got outcoached' comments
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_164e4dba-ab37-5819-847e-27a0d7cc8ccb.html
It’s not all that unusual for an NFL coach to say, “I need to coach better” or “we need to coach better” after a tough defeat.
But for a player to say, “We got out-coached”? Well, you don’t hear that too often.
So it fell into the category of the expected when coach Jeff Fisher said Friday that he met with tight end Jared Cook to discuss remarks made after Thursday’s 12-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
“We got outplayed, we got outcoached, and we just put a bad display out there,” a dejected Cook said after the game.
At the time, Cook was surrounded by maybe a dozen reporters at his locker stall, and that comment got everyone’s attention. When asked if he cared to elaborate on the “outcoached” part of his response, Cook replied:
“Not really. It’s pretty self-explanatory. We got outplayed and outcoached. All we put up was six points and didn’t get in the (end zone) not once tonight. That’s a pretty unsuccessful night if you ask me.”
So what was Cook talking about?
“I know exactly what he was talking about,” Fisher said. “We discussed it, and I think if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t have gone there from the ‘outcoached’ standpoint.
“It’s not really what he meant as far as our discussion, communication this morning. It was kind of a one-fell-swoop: ‘Hey, we just got beat’ and included it all. He wasn’t being critical of coaching.”
So Fisher didn’t take Cook’s comments personally?
“We discussed it, and we’re fine,” Fisher said.
That wasn’t the only out-of-the-ordinary situation Fisher faced on the topic of postgame comments.
Namely, Arizona coach Bruce Arians took a couple of jabs at Fisher’s won-loss record, as well as the Rams’ defense while basking in the thrill of victory.
“Everybody wanted to say how great their defense is, but I think they saw a good defense tonight, and it was in red and white,” Arians said after the game. “I am very proud of our guys.”
Arians also said: “I love it when nobody says that you will have a chance to win. There is an 11-3 team, and a team that is always 8-8. You figure it out.”
Arizona was the underdog entering the game even though the Cardinals had an 10-3 record at the time, compared to the Rams’ 6-7. As for the 8-8 reference, well, Fisher had five squads finish 8-8 during his long tenure as head coach of the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans.
Fisher said he was aware of Arians’ comments.
“When the game was over, I went over and congratulated him on the win,” Fisher said, referring to the customary postgame handshake on the field. “I told him that I hoped his quarterback was going to be OK.”
Drew Stanton suffered a third-quarter knee injury, and his status is uncertain for the remainder of the regular season.
“The last thing I said to him was, ‘Why don’t you go win a couple playoff games for the division? Good luck,’” Fisher said. “That’s all I said to him. I have no comments on his comments.”
Arians’ thoughts notwithstanding, Fisher liked the play of the Rams’ defense Thursday night.
He would’ve liked coordinator Gregg Williams’ unit to have come up with a turnover or two — and it came close on several occasions. And the run defense certainly could’ve been better.
But as Fisher pointed out: “We’ve gone 12 quarters without giving up a touchdown now. In particular, the sudden change after the unfortunate turnover, the defense went out there and held them to 3. That’s the mark of a good defense early in the game.”
Fisher was referring to the lost fumble by running back Tre Mason on the Rams’ second possession of the game. Arizona took over at the Rams’ 27 but managed only a field goal.
The Rams lost the turnover battle 2-0 Thursday night, although the second came on a desperation heave by Shaun Hill that was intercepted by Arizona on the final play of the game.
It marked the first time the Rams were in the minus category in takeaway-giveaway differential in a game since the first Arizona contest Nov. 9. It marked the first time the Rams went without a takeaway in a game since their 28-26 victory over Seattle on Oct. 19 in Game 6.
The Rams had three good-to-excellent chances for a takeaway Thursday, all involving cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
In the second quarter, Jenkins leaped in front of a short sideline pass from Stanton intended for Michael Floyd and had both hands on the ball but couldn’t hang on. That one possibly could have been returned for a touchdown had Jenkins come up with the interception.
On a third-quarter pass thrown over the middle by Stanton replacement Ryan Lindley, Jenkins originally was credited with an interception on a diving play. All turnovers are subject to replay review, and the initial call of interception was changed to incomplete after the review because the ball squirted out.
In the fourth quarter, Jenkins forced a fumble on a 1-yard run by Kerwynn Williams, but Jenkins couldn’t grab the loose football. Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer got there first.
“The difference in this game was a play here or there,” Fisher said. “One of those takeaways, or a big pass. ... That’s what it came down to.”
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_164e4dba-ab37-5819-847e-27a0d7cc8ccb.html
It’s not all that unusual for an NFL coach to say, “I need to coach better” or “we need to coach better” after a tough defeat.
But for a player to say, “We got out-coached”? Well, you don’t hear that too often.
So it fell into the category of the expected when coach Jeff Fisher said Friday that he met with tight end Jared Cook to discuss remarks made after Thursday’s 12-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
“We got outplayed, we got outcoached, and we just put a bad display out there,” a dejected Cook said after the game.
At the time, Cook was surrounded by maybe a dozen reporters at his locker stall, and that comment got everyone’s attention. When asked if he cared to elaborate on the “outcoached” part of his response, Cook replied:
“Not really. It’s pretty self-explanatory. We got outplayed and outcoached. All we put up was six points and didn’t get in the (end zone) not once tonight. That’s a pretty unsuccessful night if you ask me.”
So what was Cook talking about?
“I know exactly what he was talking about,” Fisher said. “We discussed it, and I think if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t have gone there from the ‘outcoached’ standpoint.
“It’s not really what he meant as far as our discussion, communication this morning. It was kind of a one-fell-swoop: ‘Hey, we just got beat’ and included it all. He wasn’t being critical of coaching.”
So Fisher didn’t take Cook’s comments personally?
“We discussed it, and we’re fine,” Fisher said.
That wasn’t the only out-of-the-ordinary situation Fisher faced on the topic of postgame comments.
Namely, Arizona coach Bruce Arians took a couple of jabs at Fisher’s won-loss record, as well as the Rams’ defense while basking in the thrill of victory.
“Everybody wanted to say how great their defense is, but I think they saw a good defense tonight, and it was in red and white,” Arians said after the game. “I am very proud of our guys.”
Arians also said: “I love it when nobody says that you will have a chance to win. There is an 11-3 team, and a team that is always 8-8. You figure it out.”
Arizona was the underdog entering the game even though the Cardinals had an 10-3 record at the time, compared to the Rams’ 6-7. As for the 8-8 reference, well, Fisher had five squads finish 8-8 during his long tenure as head coach of the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans.
Fisher said he was aware of Arians’ comments.
“When the game was over, I went over and congratulated him on the win,” Fisher said, referring to the customary postgame handshake on the field. “I told him that I hoped his quarterback was going to be OK.”
Drew Stanton suffered a third-quarter knee injury, and his status is uncertain for the remainder of the regular season.
“The last thing I said to him was, ‘Why don’t you go win a couple playoff games for the division? Good luck,’” Fisher said. “That’s all I said to him. I have no comments on his comments.”
Arians’ thoughts notwithstanding, Fisher liked the play of the Rams’ defense Thursday night.
He would’ve liked coordinator Gregg Williams’ unit to have come up with a turnover or two — and it came close on several occasions. And the run defense certainly could’ve been better.
But as Fisher pointed out: “We’ve gone 12 quarters without giving up a touchdown now. In particular, the sudden change after the unfortunate turnover, the defense went out there and held them to 3. That’s the mark of a good defense early in the game.”
Fisher was referring to the lost fumble by running back Tre Mason on the Rams’ second possession of the game. Arizona took over at the Rams’ 27 but managed only a field goal.
The Rams lost the turnover battle 2-0 Thursday night, although the second came on a desperation heave by Shaun Hill that was intercepted by Arizona on the final play of the game.
It marked the first time the Rams were in the minus category in takeaway-giveaway differential in a game since the first Arizona contest Nov. 9. It marked the first time the Rams went without a takeaway in a game since their 28-26 victory over Seattle on Oct. 19 in Game 6.
The Rams had three good-to-excellent chances for a takeaway Thursday, all involving cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
In the second quarter, Jenkins leaped in front of a short sideline pass from Stanton intended for Michael Floyd and had both hands on the ball but couldn’t hang on. That one possibly could have been returned for a touchdown had Jenkins come up with the interception.
On a third-quarter pass thrown over the middle by Stanton replacement Ryan Lindley, Jenkins originally was credited with an interception on a diving play. All turnovers are subject to replay review, and the initial call of interception was changed to incomplete after the review because the ball squirted out.
In the fourth quarter, Jenkins forced a fumble on a 1-yard run by Kerwynn Williams, but Jenkins couldn’t grab the loose football. Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer got there first.
“The difference in this game was a play here or there,” Fisher said. “One of those takeaways, or a big pass. ... That’s what it came down to.”