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Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher
(Opening remarks)
“You all just left the locker room. It’s pretty quiet in there. I’ll get them back. Obviously, very disappointing. It’s kind of a broken record thing here with the offense. We have to get the offense fixed. Three first downs at halftime, I think we had six to start the fourth quarter; it doesn’t give yourself the chance to be productive or win games. Defensively, on the field way too much. Way too much. Against that kind of offense, they’re going to score points. We had some momentum. They had seven and then, if (WR) Brian (Quick) makes the catch right before half, then in all likelihood they don’t put out a two-minute drive. So it’s not 10, it’s seven. And then we got some momentum with (WR) Tavon’s (Austin) return and then we just couldn’t get anything going. So, we have some work to do. Injury wise, we have two players who will go into concussion protocol. That will be ‘Jenks’ (CB Janoris Jenkins) and (TE) Lance (Kendricks). They’re both OK, according to the doctors now, but we have to put them into protocol immediately. (DT Michael) Brockers came back on the field, he was fine. We’ll go ahead this coming week and (QB) Case (Keenum) will be our starter. Not blaming this on (QB) Nick (Foles), but I don’t have the philosophy where a player is going to lose their job just because of injury. As I mentioned to you, Case did not get reps on Wednesday and Thursday and that’s the reason why he did not start today. So he’ll be our starter next week.”
(On if QB Case Keenum told him he was OK to play today)
“Yes, he was good enough to be a two, he just didn’t have the reps. That’s all. I’d rather have Case at the two, because of the understanding and experience, than (QB) Sean (Mannion). That doesn’t mean to say that Sean’s not going get an opportunity to play down the stretch, but I’d rather have Case as a two. So we’ll go back and he’ll be our starter.”
(On if K Zach Hocker hurt his leg)
“We had an issue during pre-game warm-ups with him. He strained a quad, and I found out right before kickoff. So I went through the locker room and I was just asking guys if they had ever kicked before and I had two yes’s. One from (DE Matt) Longacre and one from (WR) Wes Welker. Fortunately, we didn’t have to get to that point. What we did do, however, is we kept him warm. We had a real good feel for his distance and such for field goals and extra points. It didn’t make enough sense for him to kickoff. So that’s why we had “Hekk” (P Johnny Hekker) do the kickoff.
(On how to increase offensive production)
“Coach is almost out of answers. My responsibility is to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to get this thing fixed.’ I mean we’re not efficient on offense. We have too many good players. We’ve got guys that can produce. We have an outstanding running back and we have a dynamic receiver. We’re starting to get a little bit better on the offensive line and so we’ll keep working. But it has to get better. It’s not good.”
(On if he will try something completely different with the offense late in the season)
“There’s change weekly. The coaches are game planning and there’s change weekly. Now granted, this was a good defensive team. But still, we have to get more production. We made some plays late, but not enough early. As you game plan on offense, you install things and you try to attack your opponent, and it’s just not working right now.”
WR Tavon Austin
(On if frustration is building)
“It’s always frustrating when you lose. Nobody likes to lose. You just have to keep on pushing and go from there.”
(On sensing frustration from the fans)
“It’s difficult but at the same time, you’ve just got to stay focused. That’s how this game goes. You’re winning, everybody loves you; when you lose, nobody’s out there with you. You’ve just got to become winners.”
(On how disappointing it is for the team to be held to three points)
“It’s real disappointing just because of the talent we have over here, the things we can do on offense. We’ve just got to keep on pushing and hopefully something will happen for us.”
RB Todd Gurley
(On if he feels frustrated)
“Everybody's definitely frustrated, embarrassed - there's no reason. We work hard every week and come to the game and it won't show up.”
(On his role in the offense)
“I'm just doing my job running and trying to stay on track and be able to do what I'm supposed to do.”
(On his mindset)
“It's disappointing, everyone's disappointed, frustrated, embarrassed, like I said we go out there and we practice hard, but it just hasn't been paying off.”
(On how he approaches things going forward)
“Just stay positive. At the end of the day things could be a lot worse. We have a job and this is the game we love, so at the end of the day, whether we make the playoffs or not, we do this for a living. It's our job. We love this game we we're going to keep going.”
(On what’s been different the last five weeks)
“It's definitely different from five weeks ago. Just keep working hard and preparing hard and try to get something turned around.”
(On hearing frustration from the fans)
“It is what it is. We know we have to get our stuff together. We don't need anyone to tell us that. We're just as frustrated as the fans. We're just as frustrated as them.”
Rams QB Nick Foles
(On the frustration of the game)
“Yeah, I mean, it’s there. You just have to keep working. We’ll be back in the office tomorrow. We’ll keep working and got to get a spark going.”
(On how embarrassing it is to not put points on the board)
“It’s not good. It’s not good.”
(On what he thinks the way out is at this point)
“To keep working. We have to stay positive because we also know that everybody else is going to have their own personal thoughts. At the end of the day, until you’ve been in our locker room and played the game with your brothers and gone through something like this, it’s hard to really know what goes on. I know that you all are going to look for answers, but this is where we’ll stick together and keep working. Can’t point fingers because it’s all of us. We’re all in this together. We’re a team. We wear St. Louis across our chests and it’s a team sport. I have to play better. We all have to play better. It’s the little details. We said it and it’s every week you have to look in the mirror and you just have to keep working. You have to look at yourself and say what can I do better? It’s not always fundamentals. It’s making sure you’re getting enough sleep, stuff like that. It’s the little things. We just have to stick together through this time.”
(On if he’s ever gone through a stretch like this)
“No, I haven’t.”
(On how he feels he performed today)
“Not good. I mean, have to complete the balls. I just have to keep working. Got to keep working. That’s all I can say. That’s my answer: keep working.”
(On if it’s hard for him to stay focused with the quarterback situation and switching between him and QB Case Keenum week to week)
“No. No, it doesn’t. We’ve played the game a long time. If you’re out there, you’re preparing during the week. You have to be able to play. That has nothing to do with this. We just have to make sure we stick together as a team throughout this. The great thing about it, tomorrow the sun will come up, hopefully. That’s the plan. That’s what I’m planning on. So, I’ll get up. I’ll be positive. I’ll leave here. I’ll spend time with my wife. My mom’s in town, so I’ll spend time with her. It goes back to this is difficult. I sat at my locker for probably 15 after and you just sit there. You just always wish you could’ve done more. But, at the end of the day through things like this, you’ll get through it. The blessings in your life…I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful wife, a family and that’s where you really look at that. What we do, we’re fortunate to do what we do. I get to go to work tomorrow, God-willing, get to go to work these guys. That’s what keeps me going. It’s easy to put your head down and just give up right now. That’s what most people would do, but I know that’s not what I’m going to do and that’s not what these guys in this locker room are going to do.”
(On if he’s okay with Head Coach Jeff Fisher’s decision to start Keenum next week)
“Hey, I respect Coach Fisher and I love Case Keenum. I want to be out there. But, at the same time, I respect Coach Fisher and I’m going to do everything I can to help Case along and help him succeed out there and help this team succeed. Because the most important thing is, like I said, that’s St. Louis across our chests and who we play for. Whatever I can do to help Case with, I’m going to do, just like he’s always done for me. I think he’s a heck of a player and I know he’s a heck of a person and a great leader. I’m going to do everything I can to help him.”
DE Chris Long
(On how he rallies the troops with four games to go)
“You go out there on Sunday and play your (butt) off. Anytime you’re out there in uniform, no matter what’s on the line, you should play your (butt) off. That’s what it is. We put in too much work to fold. But, we’ve got to be better. It’s just not good enough.”
(On the defense not being happy)
“No, you’ve got to worry about what you can control. We’ve got to improve. They ran the ball too much today. Completed too many deep shots. Twenty-seven points isn’t going to do it. We needed to be a lot better.”
(On if everything is weighing on him)
“It’s not important what’s going on in my head. It’s important what’s going on in everybody’s head. It doesn’t matter if I’ve been here eight years, it hurts the same for everybody. That’s losing in embarrassing fashion five games in a row. The guys in here are not happy, I can guarantee that. That doesn’t make it OK. That doesn’t make it OK at all.”
(On what happened after the midpoint of the season)
“I have no idea. We’re trying to figure that out.”
Rams P Johnny Hekker
(On what the emotion is like in the locker room)
“You never go into a game expecting to lose. You never prepare all throughout the week to lose. That’s why you see a lot of heads down. We’ve got guys that work hard and apparently we can work harder. We’re just going to get back on Monday and do everything we can as a team to stop this losing skid and really prove that we can be a winning football team. We’ve got a lot of guys in this locker room that aren’t losers. We’re kind of sick of it, but we’ve got to get that taste out of our mouth with hard work and a win come next Sunday.”
(On how they stop a skid like this)
“Just a little bit extra. Watching film, doing everything you can. I don’t know. We’ve got great coaches that we trust in. We’re just going to continue to work and something will change. I can’t really tell you what that is. I’m not a magician, but we’re going to get things right.”
(On what happened after being 4-3)
“Nothing changed. It’s just been tough breaks. We haven’t been playing to our full potential. We haven’t been producing as we need to, to win football games. We play in a quality conference and it’s only going to get tougher from here on out. We’ve just got to work hard. Come to work on Monday and do a little bit extra that we haven’t done. Maybe just challenge each other and don’t take anything for granted. In a blink of an eye, it can all be taken away. We have a teammate who’s a living example of that right now. So, we’ve just got to not hang our heads. We’re too blessed to be in the NFL where we are to pout. We’re hard-working guys. We’ve gut a team full of guys who are blue collar workers and we’re going to continue to grind and do what we can and put our best foot forward come next Sunday.”
(On when he realized he’d be doing kickoffs)
“Right before the game. We came in as a team and they told me that (K) Zach (Hocker) had a little tweak in his quad, so they came to me and (Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher and (Special Teams Coordinator) Coach (John) Fassel grabbed me and (WR) Wes (Welker) and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to need you guys to kick some balls and see where we’re at.’ Haven’t kicked off since high school, so that was fun for me.”
Cardinals Head Coach Bruce Arians
(On the game)
“I am very very pleased with the team effort. I thought it was a complete team effort during this ball game. The first half was one of those where we moved up and down the field and had to go too far and we kept shooting ourselves in the foot. Once we got into field goal range we kept getting sacks and screwing it up. In the second half we finished the drives, we had great defensive effort and it was another outstanding special teams’ effort. Offensively, obviously we ran the ball well because we blocked better. Our receivers again did a heck of the job of blocking a very good front. They obviously a couple of injuries at corner, and it is hard to play without your corners out there and we were able to get some completions and protect a little bit better. Again, I am very, very pleased. The tenth win is always the hardest one to get and this sets a nice tempo for the rest of this week. Obviously, we will be in a very short week to get ready for Minnesota and the challenge that they bring. I thought our defensive line and our linebackers did a great job stopping the run. They gave one run but we got out of a gap. Other than that it was a really really good day. Nine first downs is a great job defensively. Other than that I can’t be pleased enough.”
(On RB David Johnson)
“David did a great job in blitz pickup, and he should at his size. He was challenged, (Rams S) T.J. MCDonald is a good blitzer, but he did a fantastic job running, receiving and that is what he brings. He brings a heavy down back that is very similar to the likes of a young Edgerrin James.”
(On the motivation behind using a power run scheme)
“It works well against the Rams and it is pretty much the same thing we have been doing. RB Kerwynn Williams obviously gave us a big lift, and I knew he would, he is the December killer. Those fresh legs showed up, but I have to get him in shape because he cramped up on me. He scared me, I thought he got hurt.”
(On injuries)
“(TE) Jermaine Gresham, we will find out about his knee. (RB) Stepfan Taylor’s shoulder, right there at the end, so we will wait to see about those guys.”
(On frustrations with the young running backs and fumbles)
“It is just part of being a young back and Dave loves a half back pass and almost got it he pulled it up to throw it, then tucked it and then relaxed and you can’t do that. He will learn from it. Larry and Jerry did a great job of going in and coming out with the football.”
(On if RB Todd Gurley was contained the offense could be handled)
“There is no doubt. (WR) Tavon Austin with the reverses and the speed sweeps, we were ready for that and keeping Todd (Gurley) contained we felt like we had good matchups in the passing game. CB Justin Bethel came through big, he was tested quite often and only gave up one.”
(On how Johnson held up at the end of the game)
“We gave him a long break after the third. We probably wouldn’t have put him back in had Stepfan (Taylor) not gotten hurt and then Kerwynn (Williams) cramped, that is the only reason he went back into the game.”
(On WR Larry Fitzgerald reaching 1,000 catches and 1,000 yards)
“We have a lot of games left, he is going to get that. We made sure he got the one (record). Oh, he got both; I didn’t know he got the yardage. That is fantastic.”
(On CB Justin Bethel being tested)
“I think he did a great job. He gave up the one deep ball, an underthrow. But he was in great coverage, he just couldn’t find it. Down the stretch in the end zone he did a heck of a job.”
(On being able to enjoy double digit wins for the second year in a row)
“Not really, because we are still looking to improve. I still have to find reasons to holler at them and to make sure that we are improving each week. There is time to look back on the journey and enjoy it, but this isn’t it, especially on Thursday night week.”
(More on the game)
“This was a big game. A big, big game. We had to have this to even it back up, this kind of makes up for losing the one at home. To be able to win all of the road games in our division is huge for us.”
QB Carson Palmer
(On if the 98-yard scoring drive in the third quarter is what Head Coach Bruce Arians challenged the team to put together)
“Yeah, we had moved the ball and then stalled every time we got right around field goal range and just didn’t execute a number of opportunities. We just stuck with it. We knew we would. We talked about the adjustments we needed to make. We made them and pushed through there at the end.”
(On Cardinals RB David Johnson’s performance)
“Exactly what I expected. For a young guy and a rookie, he doesn’t act like a rookie, he doesn’t look like a rookie, he doesn’t prepare like a rookie. I think it was really good for him to get this opportunity at this point in the season. It might have been a little different for him early on being from a smaller division, smaller school coming into the NFL. I think everybody on that sideline was just excited to finally see him get his opportunity. Obviously, when you lose a guy like (Cardinals RB) Chris (Johnson) who means so much to this offense and has been such a great player, and you realize it as you’re preparing for this team as you’re watching Chris run the way he did that Week 4 game. He’ll be back and we’re excited to get him back eventually, but for Dave (Johnson) to come in and do what he did and for the offensive line to step up. The way they played was phenomenal and the run game. We moved the line of scrimmage, we dominated the line of scrimmage. We gave Dave plenty of opportunities to make cuts and Dave did what we expected him to do which is just be explosive, physical. There was very rarely one guy tackling him. It seemed like every single time it was a gang tackle effort because he was running so strong.”
(On his perspective of his passing touchdown to RB David Johnson)
“He just did a great job sitting in the zone. I really had two options there to throw it. I put it right on his big body and those guys run into each other, and he just bounced right through them and got in the end zone.”
(On why his expectations for RB David Johnson were so high)
“You just see it in practice. You see the way he prepares. You see the way he picks up protections. That first drive, they brought a safety blitz. He’s got as tough a job as you could possibly have coming around. He had to get out of my way, come back. He took the hit off me, which was huge. I ended up getting the ball to ‘Smokey’ (Cardinals WR John Brown) on the sideline, but that’s a tough pressure. It’s a tough pickup for a rookie. It’s a tough pickup for any running back, and for him to go across the line of scrimmage to find the guy he had to get after he read out his protection, just a big time play. I just said, ‘Man, I knew you were ready for this,’ right after that. He did a great job.”
(On if pass protection was the one test Johnson had to pass)
“No. It’s the thing he had to prove in a live situation. He hadn’t had that many opportunities up until now, but we had complete confidence in him. We met as a group on Friday and talked through some stuff, talked through all the pressures that we were going to see because we knew they were going to bring it. He answered the questions right. He was right on and he stepped up and made the plays today.”
(On what it’s like to have a defense that continues to force punts for the opposing offense)
“They were lights out. Again, totally expected. I think everybody on our sideline expected us to shut them out. They had one good play, I think, really the one 30- or 40-yard run. Other than that, we just played lights out defensively.”
(On what he said to Cardinals RB Kerwynn Williams after he fumbled the kickoff out of bounds)
“I don’t remember exactly what I said, just positive. I was very positive with him. You’ve got to be positive with the young guys. He hadn’t had many opportunities. A tough play, it can go either way. I think I just said something like, ‘We’re going to count on you to make plays for us later in the game. Shake this one off.’ There was no doubt in his eyes. There was no ‘aw, shucks’. I looked right at him, I could tell he was very focused. He knew he made a bad play and he made up for it a number of times.”
(On if the play with TEs Jermaine Gresham and Darren Fells pulling and leading the run was something they’ve run at all this year)
“We’ve had it in the game plan. I don’t think we’ve run it more than a couple times all year, but just a great game plan. It’s a great adjustment we had made from a coaching situation, and then we went out and executed up front.”
(On what it meant to go win on the road)
“Like I said earlier in the week to you guys, this is a game we’ve been waiting for since Week 4. Like I said, if Coach doesn’t like them, we don’t like them. We went out and really exploded in the second half and put them away.”
(On if his confidence is as high as it’s been, being able to fit some balls into tight windows today)
“No. I’ve always, even in the midst of struggling seasons and things that don’t go your way, I’ve always tried to stay very positive and very focused, very confident. I don’t know if I’m any more confident than I have been before, I’m just extremely confident in our guys.”
(On how long they’ll enjoy the win with a short week coming up with a game on Thursday)
“If we played Sunday, it’d be a little different, but I’m going to watch Minnesota on the way home. We’ve got a three hour flight, whatever it is. I’ll get a good jump on them tonight, but there is no celebration. We did what we expected to do. We’ve got to move on.”
Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald
(On what it means to him to have 1,000 career catches)
“It’s nice, it’s nice, but it’s even better to have had three consecutive seasons with 10 wins. Coming here in 2004, I mean it’s something really special to be here that long and see a complete transformation. It makes you feel proud and special to be a part of it. It was a great day.”
(On what it means to him to go over 1000 yards receiving on the season)
“I mean, the personal stuff is all good, but I’ve done all of that personal stuff. It’s great but when your team is having success, the only thing I really need personally for me to feel my career is fulfilled is a championship. Each win gets us a step closer and that’s what it’s all about.”
(On if he was getting frustrated in the first half when they couldn’t score)
“Yeah, the same thing happened to us in the first game, but we have a lot of resolve and we bounced back. RB David (Johnson) really had some good runs and RB Kerwynn (Williams) came in and gave us a spark and WR Mike (Floyd) and WR Smoke (John Brown) made some big plays for us as well, so it was a great team effort. You know, guys contributed in different times of the game. The defense was outstanding. Those guys really shut their run game down and made it very tough for them to pass the ball. They got pressure on the quarterback and had him rolling out a lot of times so I was really proud they came out and fought for us.”
(On how it feels to be the youngest player to reach 1,000 catches)
“I came in at 20 years old so it’s like, look at Kobe Bryant. I think he’s 35 years old and he still seems young, but when you start playing at 17 years old, it’s different. I came in pretty early and had a head start. Jerry (Rice) went to school for four years at Mississippi Valley State and didn’t have his first season until he was 23 or 22 and I’d already had two full seasons by that time. I just got a quick jump on him.”
(On how aware he was of the possible milestones coming in to the game)
“You know what’s going on. I think it was the third quarter and Coach Arians said that we were going to get those two for me. I think it makes you work hard for your teammates. The things they say to you, makes it really special for you and that’s what it’s about and the camaraderie you have with your guys and doing it in a victorious fashion like today.”
(On if he was counting in his head as he got closer to the milestone)
“No. I was just in the flow of the game. I’ve got a lot of things to think about. I’m asked to do a lot of things, so I’ve got to stay focused in the moment.”
(On if he remembers the first catch of his career)
“Oh yeah. Every time I see Aeneas (Williams) I always tease him about it. It was a flea-flicker from Josh McCown down the middle. I remember it with the baby dreads.”
(On what RB David Johnson added to the team)
“We miss Chris (Johnson). His explosiveness and his veteran leadership in the locker room, but David brings a lot of explosiveness. He’s a guy who’s much, much faster than you think he is. When you see him running, you don’t think he’s running that fast, but guys just can’t catch him and he’s extremely powerful. He finishes runs and he’s always falling forward. He’s got great hands out of the backfield. That catch he made on that last touchdown he made, I mean guys were converging on him but he was able to focus in and make that tough catch. He’s very versatile with what he can do. He’s a dynamic player and he’s only going to continue to get better.”
(On how much he talked to David Johnson during the game)
“A little bit, but he’s a rookie. You don’t want to mess with his mind too much. Just let him focus on what he needs to focus on, but he’s a real good kid. He’s humble. He’s hard-working. He’s eager to get better every day and he’s coached by an outstanding coach with great experience in Stump Mitchell. You know,I knew he was going to be ready with Stump’s preparation.”
(On how David Johnson handled preparing this week knowing he would have a larger role in the offense)
“He’s always the same. He’s got an even-keeled demeanor. You can never tell if he’s excited or sad. He’s pretty much always the same. It’s a great temperament to have in this business. He works hard every day. He asks a lot of questions to his coaches and tries to make sure he does everything the right way. You don’t have that many rookies that are as diligent in terms of preparation as he is, so I knew he’d have success.”
(On what the first big game does for a rookie)
“It’ll give him more confidence. I mean, he’s powerful. He’s got the whole package. If we get our blocks do
(Opening remarks)
“You all just left the locker room. It’s pretty quiet in there. I’ll get them back. Obviously, very disappointing. It’s kind of a broken record thing here with the offense. We have to get the offense fixed. Three first downs at halftime, I think we had six to start the fourth quarter; it doesn’t give yourself the chance to be productive or win games. Defensively, on the field way too much. Way too much. Against that kind of offense, they’re going to score points. We had some momentum. They had seven and then, if (WR) Brian (Quick) makes the catch right before half, then in all likelihood they don’t put out a two-minute drive. So it’s not 10, it’s seven. And then we got some momentum with (WR) Tavon’s (Austin) return and then we just couldn’t get anything going. So, we have some work to do. Injury wise, we have two players who will go into concussion protocol. That will be ‘Jenks’ (CB Janoris Jenkins) and (TE) Lance (Kendricks). They’re both OK, according to the doctors now, but we have to put them into protocol immediately. (DT Michael) Brockers came back on the field, he was fine. We’ll go ahead this coming week and (QB) Case (Keenum) will be our starter. Not blaming this on (QB) Nick (Foles), but I don’t have the philosophy where a player is going to lose their job just because of injury. As I mentioned to you, Case did not get reps on Wednesday and Thursday and that’s the reason why he did not start today. So he’ll be our starter next week.”
(On if QB Case Keenum told him he was OK to play today)
“Yes, he was good enough to be a two, he just didn’t have the reps. That’s all. I’d rather have Case at the two, because of the understanding and experience, than (QB) Sean (Mannion). That doesn’t mean to say that Sean’s not going get an opportunity to play down the stretch, but I’d rather have Case as a two. So we’ll go back and he’ll be our starter.”
(On if K Zach Hocker hurt his leg)
“We had an issue during pre-game warm-ups with him. He strained a quad, and I found out right before kickoff. So I went through the locker room and I was just asking guys if they had ever kicked before and I had two yes’s. One from (DE Matt) Longacre and one from (WR) Wes Welker. Fortunately, we didn’t have to get to that point. What we did do, however, is we kept him warm. We had a real good feel for his distance and such for field goals and extra points. It didn’t make enough sense for him to kickoff. So that’s why we had “Hekk” (P Johnny Hekker) do the kickoff.
(On how to increase offensive production)
“Coach is almost out of answers. My responsibility is to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to get this thing fixed.’ I mean we’re not efficient on offense. We have too many good players. We’ve got guys that can produce. We have an outstanding running back and we have a dynamic receiver. We’re starting to get a little bit better on the offensive line and so we’ll keep working. But it has to get better. It’s not good.”
(On if he will try something completely different with the offense late in the season)
“There’s change weekly. The coaches are game planning and there’s change weekly. Now granted, this was a good defensive team. But still, we have to get more production. We made some plays late, but not enough early. As you game plan on offense, you install things and you try to attack your opponent, and it’s just not working right now.”
WR Tavon Austin
(On if frustration is building)
“It’s always frustrating when you lose. Nobody likes to lose. You just have to keep on pushing and go from there.”
(On sensing frustration from the fans)
“It’s difficult but at the same time, you’ve just got to stay focused. That’s how this game goes. You’re winning, everybody loves you; when you lose, nobody’s out there with you. You’ve just got to become winners.”
(On how disappointing it is for the team to be held to three points)
“It’s real disappointing just because of the talent we have over here, the things we can do on offense. We’ve just got to keep on pushing and hopefully something will happen for us.”
RB Todd Gurley
(On if he feels frustrated)
“Everybody's definitely frustrated, embarrassed - there's no reason. We work hard every week and come to the game and it won't show up.”
(On his role in the offense)
“I'm just doing my job running and trying to stay on track and be able to do what I'm supposed to do.”
(On his mindset)
“It's disappointing, everyone's disappointed, frustrated, embarrassed, like I said we go out there and we practice hard, but it just hasn't been paying off.”
(On how he approaches things going forward)
“Just stay positive. At the end of the day things could be a lot worse. We have a job and this is the game we love, so at the end of the day, whether we make the playoffs or not, we do this for a living. It's our job. We love this game we we're going to keep going.”
(On what’s been different the last five weeks)
“It's definitely different from five weeks ago. Just keep working hard and preparing hard and try to get something turned around.”
(On hearing frustration from the fans)
“It is what it is. We know we have to get our stuff together. We don't need anyone to tell us that. We're just as frustrated as the fans. We're just as frustrated as them.”
Rams QB Nick Foles
(On the frustration of the game)
“Yeah, I mean, it’s there. You just have to keep working. We’ll be back in the office tomorrow. We’ll keep working and got to get a spark going.”
(On how embarrassing it is to not put points on the board)
“It’s not good. It’s not good.”
(On what he thinks the way out is at this point)
“To keep working. We have to stay positive because we also know that everybody else is going to have their own personal thoughts. At the end of the day, until you’ve been in our locker room and played the game with your brothers and gone through something like this, it’s hard to really know what goes on. I know that you all are going to look for answers, but this is where we’ll stick together and keep working. Can’t point fingers because it’s all of us. We’re all in this together. We’re a team. We wear St. Louis across our chests and it’s a team sport. I have to play better. We all have to play better. It’s the little details. We said it and it’s every week you have to look in the mirror and you just have to keep working. You have to look at yourself and say what can I do better? It’s not always fundamentals. It’s making sure you’re getting enough sleep, stuff like that. It’s the little things. We just have to stick together through this time.”
(On if he’s ever gone through a stretch like this)
“No, I haven’t.”
(On how he feels he performed today)
“Not good. I mean, have to complete the balls. I just have to keep working. Got to keep working. That’s all I can say. That’s my answer: keep working.”
(On if it’s hard for him to stay focused with the quarterback situation and switching between him and QB Case Keenum week to week)
“No. No, it doesn’t. We’ve played the game a long time. If you’re out there, you’re preparing during the week. You have to be able to play. That has nothing to do with this. We just have to make sure we stick together as a team throughout this. The great thing about it, tomorrow the sun will come up, hopefully. That’s the plan. That’s what I’m planning on. So, I’ll get up. I’ll be positive. I’ll leave here. I’ll spend time with my wife. My mom’s in town, so I’ll spend time with her. It goes back to this is difficult. I sat at my locker for probably 15 after and you just sit there. You just always wish you could’ve done more. But, at the end of the day through things like this, you’ll get through it. The blessings in your life…I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful wife, a family and that’s where you really look at that. What we do, we’re fortunate to do what we do. I get to go to work tomorrow, God-willing, get to go to work these guys. That’s what keeps me going. It’s easy to put your head down and just give up right now. That’s what most people would do, but I know that’s not what I’m going to do and that’s not what these guys in this locker room are going to do.”
(On if he’s okay with Head Coach Jeff Fisher’s decision to start Keenum next week)
“Hey, I respect Coach Fisher and I love Case Keenum. I want to be out there. But, at the same time, I respect Coach Fisher and I’m going to do everything I can to help Case along and help him succeed out there and help this team succeed. Because the most important thing is, like I said, that’s St. Louis across our chests and who we play for. Whatever I can do to help Case with, I’m going to do, just like he’s always done for me. I think he’s a heck of a player and I know he’s a heck of a person and a great leader. I’m going to do everything I can to help him.”
DE Chris Long
(On how he rallies the troops with four games to go)
“You go out there on Sunday and play your (butt) off. Anytime you’re out there in uniform, no matter what’s on the line, you should play your (butt) off. That’s what it is. We put in too much work to fold. But, we’ve got to be better. It’s just not good enough.”
(On the defense not being happy)
“No, you’ve got to worry about what you can control. We’ve got to improve. They ran the ball too much today. Completed too many deep shots. Twenty-seven points isn’t going to do it. We needed to be a lot better.”
(On if everything is weighing on him)
“It’s not important what’s going on in my head. It’s important what’s going on in everybody’s head. It doesn’t matter if I’ve been here eight years, it hurts the same for everybody. That’s losing in embarrassing fashion five games in a row. The guys in here are not happy, I can guarantee that. That doesn’t make it OK. That doesn’t make it OK at all.”
(On what happened after the midpoint of the season)
“I have no idea. We’re trying to figure that out.”
Rams P Johnny Hekker
(On what the emotion is like in the locker room)
“You never go into a game expecting to lose. You never prepare all throughout the week to lose. That’s why you see a lot of heads down. We’ve got guys that work hard and apparently we can work harder. We’re just going to get back on Monday and do everything we can as a team to stop this losing skid and really prove that we can be a winning football team. We’ve got a lot of guys in this locker room that aren’t losers. We’re kind of sick of it, but we’ve got to get that taste out of our mouth with hard work and a win come next Sunday.”
(On how they stop a skid like this)
“Just a little bit extra. Watching film, doing everything you can. I don’t know. We’ve got great coaches that we trust in. We’re just going to continue to work and something will change. I can’t really tell you what that is. I’m not a magician, but we’re going to get things right.”
(On what happened after being 4-3)
“Nothing changed. It’s just been tough breaks. We haven’t been playing to our full potential. We haven’t been producing as we need to, to win football games. We play in a quality conference and it’s only going to get tougher from here on out. We’ve just got to work hard. Come to work on Monday and do a little bit extra that we haven’t done. Maybe just challenge each other and don’t take anything for granted. In a blink of an eye, it can all be taken away. We have a teammate who’s a living example of that right now. So, we’ve just got to not hang our heads. We’re too blessed to be in the NFL where we are to pout. We’re hard-working guys. We’ve gut a team full of guys who are blue collar workers and we’re going to continue to grind and do what we can and put our best foot forward come next Sunday.”
(On when he realized he’d be doing kickoffs)
“Right before the game. We came in as a team and they told me that (K) Zach (Hocker) had a little tweak in his quad, so they came to me and (Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher and (Special Teams Coordinator) Coach (John) Fassel grabbed me and (WR) Wes (Welker) and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to need you guys to kick some balls and see where we’re at.’ Haven’t kicked off since high school, so that was fun for me.”
Cardinals Head Coach Bruce Arians
(On the game)
“I am very very pleased with the team effort. I thought it was a complete team effort during this ball game. The first half was one of those where we moved up and down the field and had to go too far and we kept shooting ourselves in the foot. Once we got into field goal range we kept getting sacks and screwing it up. In the second half we finished the drives, we had great defensive effort and it was another outstanding special teams’ effort. Offensively, obviously we ran the ball well because we blocked better. Our receivers again did a heck of the job of blocking a very good front. They obviously a couple of injuries at corner, and it is hard to play without your corners out there and we were able to get some completions and protect a little bit better. Again, I am very, very pleased. The tenth win is always the hardest one to get and this sets a nice tempo for the rest of this week. Obviously, we will be in a very short week to get ready for Minnesota and the challenge that they bring. I thought our defensive line and our linebackers did a great job stopping the run. They gave one run but we got out of a gap. Other than that it was a really really good day. Nine first downs is a great job defensively. Other than that I can’t be pleased enough.”
(On RB David Johnson)
“David did a great job in blitz pickup, and he should at his size. He was challenged, (Rams S) T.J. MCDonald is a good blitzer, but he did a fantastic job running, receiving and that is what he brings. He brings a heavy down back that is very similar to the likes of a young Edgerrin James.”
(On the motivation behind using a power run scheme)
“It works well against the Rams and it is pretty much the same thing we have been doing. RB Kerwynn Williams obviously gave us a big lift, and I knew he would, he is the December killer. Those fresh legs showed up, but I have to get him in shape because he cramped up on me. He scared me, I thought he got hurt.”
(On injuries)
“(TE) Jermaine Gresham, we will find out about his knee. (RB) Stepfan Taylor’s shoulder, right there at the end, so we will wait to see about those guys.”
(On frustrations with the young running backs and fumbles)
“It is just part of being a young back and Dave loves a half back pass and almost got it he pulled it up to throw it, then tucked it and then relaxed and you can’t do that. He will learn from it. Larry and Jerry did a great job of going in and coming out with the football.”
(On if RB Todd Gurley was contained the offense could be handled)
“There is no doubt. (WR) Tavon Austin with the reverses and the speed sweeps, we were ready for that and keeping Todd (Gurley) contained we felt like we had good matchups in the passing game. CB Justin Bethel came through big, he was tested quite often and only gave up one.”
(On how Johnson held up at the end of the game)
“We gave him a long break after the third. We probably wouldn’t have put him back in had Stepfan (Taylor) not gotten hurt and then Kerwynn (Williams) cramped, that is the only reason he went back into the game.”
(On WR Larry Fitzgerald reaching 1,000 catches and 1,000 yards)
“We have a lot of games left, he is going to get that. We made sure he got the one (record). Oh, he got both; I didn’t know he got the yardage. That is fantastic.”
(On CB Justin Bethel being tested)
“I think he did a great job. He gave up the one deep ball, an underthrow. But he was in great coverage, he just couldn’t find it. Down the stretch in the end zone he did a heck of a job.”
(On being able to enjoy double digit wins for the second year in a row)
“Not really, because we are still looking to improve. I still have to find reasons to holler at them and to make sure that we are improving each week. There is time to look back on the journey and enjoy it, but this isn’t it, especially on Thursday night week.”
(More on the game)
“This was a big game. A big, big game. We had to have this to even it back up, this kind of makes up for losing the one at home. To be able to win all of the road games in our division is huge for us.”
QB Carson Palmer
(On if the 98-yard scoring drive in the third quarter is what Head Coach Bruce Arians challenged the team to put together)
“Yeah, we had moved the ball and then stalled every time we got right around field goal range and just didn’t execute a number of opportunities. We just stuck with it. We knew we would. We talked about the adjustments we needed to make. We made them and pushed through there at the end.”
(On Cardinals RB David Johnson’s performance)
“Exactly what I expected. For a young guy and a rookie, he doesn’t act like a rookie, he doesn’t look like a rookie, he doesn’t prepare like a rookie. I think it was really good for him to get this opportunity at this point in the season. It might have been a little different for him early on being from a smaller division, smaller school coming into the NFL. I think everybody on that sideline was just excited to finally see him get his opportunity. Obviously, when you lose a guy like (Cardinals RB) Chris (Johnson) who means so much to this offense and has been such a great player, and you realize it as you’re preparing for this team as you’re watching Chris run the way he did that Week 4 game. He’ll be back and we’re excited to get him back eventually, but for Dave (Johnson) to come in and do what he did and for the offensive line to step up. The way they played was phenomenal and the run game. We moved the line of scrimmage, we dominated the line of scrimmage. We gave Dave plenty of opportunities to make cuts and Dave did what we expected him to do which is just be explosive, physical. There was very rarely one guy tackling him. It seemed like every single time it was a gang tackle effort because he was running so strong.”
(On his perspective of his passing touchdown to RB David Johnson)
“He just did a great job sitting in the zone. I really had two options there to throw it. I put it right on his big body and those guys run into each other, and he just bounced right through them and got in the end zone.”
(On why his expectations for RB David Johnson were so high)
“You just see it in practice. You see the way he prepares. You see the way he picks up protections. That first drive, they brought a safety blitz. He’s got as tough a job as you could possibly have coming around. He had to get out of my way, come back. He took the hit off me, which was huge. I ended up getting the ball to ‘Smokey’ (Cardinals WR John Brown) on the sideline, but that’s a tough pressure. It’s a tough pickup for a rookie. It’s a tough pickup for any running back, and for him to go across the line of scrimmage to find the guy he had to get after he read out his protection, just a big time play. I just said, ‘Man, I knew you were ready for this,’ right after that. He did a great job.”
(On if pass protection was the one test Johnson had to pass)
“No. It’s the thing he had to prove in a live situation. He hadn’t had that many opportunities up until now, but we had complete confidence in him. We met as a group on Friday and talked through some stuff, talked through all the pressures that we were going to see because we knew they were going to bring it. He answered the questions right. He was right on and he stepped up and made the plays today.”
(On what it’s like to have a defense that continues to force punts for the opposing offense)
“They were lights out. Again, totally expected. I think everybody on our sideline expected us to shut them out. They had one good play, I think, really the one 30- or 40-yard run. Other than that, we just played lights out defensively.”
(On what he said to Cardinals RB Kerwynn Williams after he fumbled the kickoff out of bounds)
“I don’t remember exactly what I said, just positive. I was very positive with him. You’ve got to be positive with the young guys. He hadn’t had many opportunities. A tough play, it can go either way. I think I just said something like, ‘We’re going to count on you to make plays for us later in the game. Shake this one off.’ There was no doubt in his eyes. There was no ‘aw, shucks’. I looked right at him, I could tell he was very focused. He knew he made a bad play and he made up for it a number of times.”
(On if the play with TEs Jermaine Gresham and Darren Fells pulling and leading the run was something they’ve run at all this year)
“We’ve had it in the game plan. I don’t think we’ve run it more than a couple times all year, but just a great game plan. It’s a great adjustment we had made from a coaching situation, and then we went out and executed up front.”
(On what it meant to go win on the road)
“Like I said earlier in the week to you guys, this is a game we’ve been waiting for since Week 4. Like I said, if Coach doesn’t like them, we don’t like them. We went out and really exploded in the second half and put them away.”
(On if his confidence is as high as it’s been, being able to fit some balls into tight windows today)
“No. I’ve always, even in the midst of struggling seasons and things that don’t go your way, I’ve always tried to stay very positive and very focused, very confident. I don’t know if I’m any more confident than I have been before, I’m just extremely confident in our guys.”
(On how long they’ll enjoy the win with a short week coming up with a game on Thursday)
“If we played Sunday, it’d be a little different, but I’m going to watch Minnesota on the way home. We’ve got a three hour flight, whatever it is. I’ll get a good jump on them tonight, but there is no celebration. We did what we expected to do. We’ve got to move on.”
Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald
(On what it means to him to have 1,000 career catches)
“It’s nice, it’s nice, but it’s even better to have had three consecutive seasons with 10 wins. Coming here in 2004, I mean it’s something really special to be here that long and see a complete transformation. It makes you feel proud and special to be a part of it. It was a great day.”
(On what it means to him to go over 1000 yards receiving on the season)
“I mean, the personal stuff is all good, but I’ve done all of that personal stuff. It’s great but when your team is having success, the only thing I really need personally for me to feel my career is fulfilled is a championship. Each win gets us a step closer and that’s what it’s all about.”
(On if he was getting frustrated in the first half when they couldn’t score)
“Yeah, the same thing happened to us in the first game, but we have a lot of resolve and we bounced back. RB David (Johnson) really had some good runs and RB Kerwynn (Williams) came in and gave us a spark and WR Mike (Floyd) and WR Smoke (John Brown) made some big plays for us as well, so it was a great team effort. You know, guys contributed in different times of the game. The defense was outstanding. Those guys really shut their run game down and made it very tough for them to pass the ball. They got pressure on the quarterback and had him rolling out a lot of times so I was really proud they came out and fought for us.”
(On how it feels to be the youngest player to reach 1,000 catches)
“I came in at 20 years old so it’s like, look at Kobe Bryant. I think he’s 35 years old and he still seems young, but when you start playing at 17 years old, it’s different. I came in pretty early and had a head start. Jerry (Rice) went to school for four years at Mississippi Valley State and didn’t have his first season until he was 23 or 22 and I’d already had two full seasons by that time. I just got a quick jump on him.”
(On how aware he was of the possible milestones coming in to the game)
“You know what’s going on. I think it was the third quarter and Coach Arians said that we were going to get those two for me. I think it makes you work hard for your teammates. The things they say to you, makes it really special for you and that’s what it’s about and the camaraderie you have with your guys and doing it in a victorious fashion like today.”
(On if he was counting in his head as he got closer to the milestone)
“No. I was just in the flow of the game. I’ve got a lot of things to think about. I’m asked to do a lot of things, so I’ve got to stay focused in the moment.”
(On if he remembers the first catch of his career)
“Oh yeah. Every time I see Aeneas (Williams) I always tease him about it. It was a flea-flicker from Josh McCown down the middle. I remember it with the baby dreads.”
(On what RB David Johnson added to the team)
“We miss Chris (Johnson). His explosiveness and his veteran leadership in the locker room, but David brings a lot of explosiveness. He’s a guy who’s much, much faster than you think he is. When you see him running, you don’t think he’s running that fast, but guys just can’t catch him and he’s extremely powerful. He finishes runs and he’s always falling forward. He’s got great hands out of the backfield. That catch he made on that last touchdown he made, I mean guys were converging on him but he was able to focus in and make that tough catch. He’s very versatile with what he can do. He’s a dynamic player and he’s only going to continue to get better.”
(On how much he talked to David Johnson during the game)
“A little bit, but he’s a rookie. You don’t want to mess with his mind too much. Just let him focus on what he needs to focus on, but he’s a real good kid. He’s humble. He’s hard-working. He’s eager to get better every day and he’s coached by an outstanding coach with great experience in Stump Mitchell. You know,I knew he was going to be ready with Stump’s preparation.”
(On how David Johnson handled preparing this week knowing he would have a larger role in the offense)
“He’s always the same. He’s got an even-keeled demeanor. You can never tell if he’s excited or sad. He’s pretty much always the same. It’s a great temperament to have in this business. He works hard every day. He asks a lot of questions to his coaches and tries to make sure he does everything the right way. You don’t have that many rookies that are as diligent in terms of preparation as he is, so I knew he’d have success.”
(On what the first big game does for a rookie)
“It’ll give him more confidence. I mean, he’s powerful. He’s got the whole package. If we get our blocks do
