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Head Coach Jeff Fisher
(Opening remarks)
“Well, they’re never easy. Just really proud of the way the guys played the whole game, even after the onside kick recovery, which was a great kick by the way. The defense just rallied and was just going to find a way to take that game over against an outstanding quarterback. Really pleased with what they did. I thought (QB) Case (Keenum) did a nice job with the game. Stayed in some plays, made some good throws. Handled the run game really well – the checks and things like that – and then of course we stuck with it. That was our intentions, especially at halftime. Just stick with the run and get (RB) Todd (Gurley) the ball and things could change. Obviously, he took the game over. I thought it was an outstanding effort by the defense. I think, (Lions QB) Matt’s (Stafford) an elite quarterback. He knows where to go with the football and we got good pressure on him. (CB) Trumaine’s (Johnson) play was a big time play, obviously a game-changing play. They bounced back, like we’ve been talking about. We had a rough five weeks, but they came back and played hard, practiced hard, and now we have to shower up and go back to the office.”
(On why RB Todd Gurley was able to break loose in the second half)
“If you give him enough opportunities, he’s going to find a way. I thought, albeit without a tape, particularly (Assistant Head Coach/Offense) Rob (Boras) changed some runs. We made some adjustments at halftime and they were good. They were solid adjustments both times. Most of his runs there were a lot of people on the line of scrimmage.”
(On if this was the best game DL Aaron Donald had played)
“I have to look at the tape, but he was certainly disruptive – the tackles for losses and the sacks and the hurries and things. You take into consideration, there’s nothing against them, but they’ve had 10 days to prepare for Aaron Donald, and that just shows you the type of player he is. They’re double teaming him, he’s breaking double teams. We created some 1-on-1 matchups for him by call design, and when you do that, he usually wins.”
(On CB Trumaine Johnson’s play against Lions WR Calvin Johnson)
“He was a little iffy. He was limited in practice on Wednesday, coming off the quad. We weren’t quite sure, but then by Friday, we felt like he was going to be able to go, and he did. I talked to him last Saturday night about coming back and taking that challenge on with Calvin this week because he was inactive last week. I thought he did a nice job. We did some coverage adjustments at times, which everybody does, no matter when you face Calvin. I thought Trumaine played a really good game. That was a great interception, almost two.”
(On how satisfied he was with Rob Boras’ first game handling offensive coordinator duties)
“He worked really hard, as the staff did and the players. The players supported the staff this week, knowing it would be difficult. That’s what we want to do. We want to run the football and play good defense. I’m sure he’s looking at it right now, wishing he could have a bunch of calls back. As a first time play caller, it’s hard to convince him sometimes when you don’t get a first down on first down, it’s not your fault if you’re playing good defenses. It’s hard just to call things and have success all the time. You set things up, and the most important thing from our perspective, which he did, was adjust. I thought the staff did a good job of adjusting.”
(On if he felt the team took responsibility for the offensive production)
“They’ve been approaching things consistently on a week to week basis. It’s hard when you lose consistently, like we did for the past month, to sense a change in them. But they were themselves all week. They had fun. When we went out to practice every day they had fun. This game was important to them, as Thursday night is, as they all are. It’s important for them to have a chance to win at home here in the final two home games.”
(On how Gurley’s big run affected the game)
“We haven’t been able to benefit from that, but that’s a momentum changer. It certainly is, when you flip the field like that. Again, it comes after we were trying to (return a) punt for a touchdown and it’s called back. Guys were disappointed and no one saw the hold. It was good to be able to do that, and in retrospect, it was a wild drive. You score on the punt, they get the ball back and (Lions QB Matt) Safford has the ball in his hand again. Instead, we’re backed up and we took time off the clock.”
Rams QB Case Keenum
(On what the feeling is like walking off the field and into a winning locker room)
“It’s awesome, man. I told somebody earlier…actually, I think it was a couple years ago, I got a text from John Lackey, who was a pitcher for the Cardinals. He’s an Abilene (Texas) guy. We both grew up there. We were struggling a little bit and he said those heart breakers, those tough ones that we’ve had…we’ve had some tough ones. We were on this streak of not being successful. That’s what makes winning just feel so good. I mean, it may not look pretty at times, but coming in that locker room, any winning locker room is pretty awesome.”
(On RB Todd Gurley’s production lifting the offense)
“I mean, it gives everybody a lift. You saw the fans and how they reacted to that. (No.) 30’s pretty special with the ball in his hands, so we’re going to figure out a lot of ways to get him the football. It was great to watch him again today. He’s continued to get better. It’s pretty scary how good he can be.”
(On if he dreams about the day when the fans start chanting his name in the Edward Jones Dome)
“(laughs) No, I’m good with whoever they’re yelling for, as long as they care. That’s what somebody else told me one time, too. It could be that nobody cares but it’s great. It’s great that Todd’s lighting it up and I’m loving it.”
(On what the mood was when WR Tavon Austin’s punt return for a touchdown was called back)
“Obviously, everybody was upset. I thought, ‘Heck, screw it. Let’s go. Let’s go 90 yards or whatever it is.’ The offensive line did a great job of holding their water. We hard counted them and then (WR) Kenny (Britt)…I just kind of threw up a floater. It was a bad enough ball where the defender, I don’t know, he kind of slipped in behind him there and Kenny did a great job. I threw it this time, instead of letting some guys dribble my head on the turf like I did the last time that happened. Then, Todd went off and we ended up making some big plays and scored. You could feel the momentum changing in the huddle.”
(On if the Gurley runs were checks at the line by him)
“It’s hard to say. I mean, I don’t know. Our coaches put us in great situations where we’ll call two or three plays in the huddle and then be able to check to a different play if we don’t get the right look. But, that’s everybody being on the same page and making sure that we get in and out of the huddle on time so we can call what the play is and run it. The offensive line did a great job today. Obviously, pounding the ball how we were, we were able to. Most of the hits and sacks are on me. It’s protection stuff that I didn’t see or missed. I think they did a great job today.”
(On if he has a name for the pass he threw to WR Kenny Britt)
“I’ll let you come up with it. Just have some options for me tomorrow. Yeah, at least three and then we’ll name it.”
(On if he likes the name ‘water balloon’)
“Yeah, maybe the water balloon launcher.”
(On how he plans to get ready for the Buccaneers on Thursday with the quick turnaround)
“I’ve played on Thursday, I guess two years ago. It’s been a while, but it’s fast. Obviously, everybody’s body is going to be beat up tonight and tomorrow, but I think tomorrow is going to be like a Thursday for us. Regular week, so we may not get as many physical reps but the mental reps have got to be there, watching film and being prepared and I like it. You don’t have time to overthink yourself. You go out there and put in a game plan and go play football.”
(On what it was like having Assistant Head Coach/Offense Rob Boras calling the plays this game)
“It’s hard for me to sit there and tell. There’s obviously some differences. I’ll have to go back and watch the film, but for me, it’s kind of been the same as it always is. I’m trying to take it one play at a time, trying to not think too much about what has happened or going to happen. I think he did a great job today.”
(On what it was like for him as a quarterback to see the defense put up seven points)
“You can count on our defense to get turnovers week-in and week-out and to score points, too. I told somebody earlier I’m glad I don’t have to play our defense because they are salty. It’s really nice for me knowing third-and-whatever is maybe we have a chance at a down the field route, but I can check it down and know that we’ve got the best punter in the league, who’s going to pin them, who absolutely played his tail off today. Then, the defense that it’s really hard to gain the yards on, so that gives you confidence as a quarterback knowing that you can be safe with the ball, make smart decisions and not try to force something down field and play a little field position game like we did early on.”
Rams RB Todd Gurley
(On how it felt to break a long run and score a touchdown)
“It felt good. We had lost four in a row, so that’s never a good feeling. I know we got the win today. We want to finish on a strong note. We might not be going to the playoffs, but it’s always good to bring that momentum going into the offseason.”
(On if he felt like today was his best game of the season)
“I don’t know. I’m just out there playing. Those guys did a great job blocking for me up front, the tight ends and everybody. It was just a good day. We got a win.”
(On if the team made some adjustments in the run game at halftime)
“We just got some more opportunities. We didn’t get too many opportunities in the first half. We had a game plan and we wanted to stick to that. We just got a chance to get me the ball a couple times in the second half and things worked out pretty well.”
(On when he decided to leap towards the end zone on his first touchdown)
“I was going to see if I could kind of run over him but I was at the three-yard line so I don’t know if I’m that strong to carry somebody three yards. So I kind of used my instincts and just jumped in the air.”
(On having Jay-Z in the locker room)
“I saw him after the game and he just said, ‘Good job.’ I told him appreciated I him coming. It’s always good for your agent and your agency to come show love and support. The team was happy. We got a win. Everybody was happy to see him.”
Rams DT Aaron Donald
(On how winning today’s game feels)
“It feels real good. We feel blessed, but we’ve still got a lot more football to play.”
(On if he feels like he’s the best pass rusher in the league)
“I’ve still got work to do. I’ve still got a lot more work to do. I’m not satisfied yet, so I’ve got to just keep working.”
(On if he’ll ever be satisfied)
“When I’m done playing probably, but right now I’m still working.”
(On if he feels like he’s elevated his game this year)
“Yes, I feel like I got better – from rushing the passer to stopping the run. I worked my but off during the offseason. Just having more pass rushers to change up with and work with helped me a lot me this season, too. I feel a lot more comfortable, too. It’s just working for me.”
(On if getting in 1-on-1 situations helps the team)
“It means everything. You’re supposed to win 1-on-1s. That’s why they brought me here. When I get (a 1-on-1 opportunity), I’m supposed to win it. I’m just doing my job.”
(On how to build on this win)
“That’s the plan. No matter what your record is, we’re going to keep playing and keep battling. We’ve got to finish strong. That’s what it’s about. That’s what we’re going to do.”
(On how the defense was able to give the team a spark today)
“Anytime you’re making plays through the game, it’s going to bring that spark and keep the crowd into the game and keep your team into the game. We’ve just got to keep doing this and we’ll be fine.”
Rams DT Michael Brockers
(On the last defensive possession)
“We just knew we had to play three downs or four downs of football and we knew we had a victory. We mustered all of the energy we could and played four great downs.”
(On a player like DT Aaron Donald that can get to the quarterback at will)
“It’s difficult. He has great leverage and I think that’s what a lot of guards and centers have trouble with when he’s pass rushing because he’s always in the great leverage position to either power you or run you over. And also he’s quick enough to get around you. Guards and centers struggle against him because they don’t know what he has in his tool belt and he has everything. Really getting them on their toes and making them wonder what you’re doing is a good thing for him.”
(On if today was a total team effort)
“Definitely. Total team effort. You’ve seen little glimpses from special teams, defense and offense today. It just showed how well we prepared this week and we put it all together today.”
(On RB Todd Gurley)
“Ridiculous. That’s why we drafted him, to make runs like that. He fights for every inch, every yard. That’s what I appreciate about him. He doesn’t just go down after one tackle. He tries to fight for everything. Really appreciate his efforts today and it just shows how good he really is.”
Rams CB Trumaine Johnson
(On the key to shutting down Lions WR Calvin Johnson)
“I feel like there is no key. You’ve got to just go out there and compete. I feel like I can compete versus anybody in the league. It was a great match-up, definitely.”
(On if he expected to hold Johnson to only one catch)
“It’s a team effort. I’m glad our defense shut them down. We know coming into this game he was a big target. To hold him to one catch is good.”
(On what statement he’s made to the league with his play in a contract season)
“Just stepping up and being consistent. This is my fourth year. I love my teammates. The chemistry is there on the defense. I’ve been playing with those guys for three or four years. I’m not too worried about that. I’ll worry about that after the season.”
(On when he knew Calvin Johnson was going to be his assignment)
“It was Johnson versus Johnson the whole week. Even in practice I was going with (No.) 81 the whole practice. I knew it was going to be a tough match-up, but I feel like I can match-up with anybody with my big frame, especially with him."
(On the defensive effort with all of the injuries)
“It’s always been next man up philosophy. With me being out the last two weeks and (CB) Marcus (Roberson) stepping up, he held his own today. He did really good. The whole secondary did good. The defense was clicking on all cylinders.”
(On what it was like to give his team a spark)
“We said in the beginning of the game, somebody had to set the tone and I was glad it was me.”
Detroit Head Coach Jim Caldwell
(Opening comments)
“Obviously, this was a disappointing loss for us. It would be a tough game, obviously playing a team that plays defense the way they do. We tried to make it tough for them because we anticipated that, but what we didn’t anticipate was them being able to run the ball as consistently well as they did against us. The first half, where we kind of kept RB Todd Gurley at bay a little bit, the second half he certainly ran the ball well.
What went wrong? We had some situations where our run went great but then we were missing tackles and a good back will make you do that sometimes. We didn’t play that portion particularly well. Protection issues, one of the things you know that you are not going to be able to hold the ball consistently long against these guys because they mix it up, they like to stunt and they like to give you a little pressure. To sum it up, we just weren’t consistent enough to get enough big plays down the field. Some guys played well. WR Golden Taint caught the ball well, and ran with it and made some things happen.
There were miscues there at the end, we still had a chance, we still got back in and scored and got the onside kick and the third-down drop and a miscue on the snap. That gave us some problems and it didn’t give us a chance to finish out the way we wanted to.”
(On the bad snap)
“I have to analyze it and take a look at it and see exactly what happened. It could have been a quick snap. It happened so quickly, you just see the tail end of it.”
(On the multiple snap issues)
“There was only one on the ground. Sometimes in a noisy stadium you are going to have some miscues in terms of the noise and that type of stuff. As far as the far end , there was one where the guy caught him early when we were going in to score and he was able to handle that one, but this one he didn’t handle.”
(On getting WR Calvin Johnson involved)
“Every game is different. Golden caught nine balls, Theo Riddick caught seven balls and Calvin had five targets. Every game is different.
You can always look at it and see, and try to analyze that part of it, but in our game and
the way that we play and how we work, that ball gets spread around. It is not going to happen every game, it’s not realistic. We’re not going to catch nine balls every single time that we’re out. That’s the way it happens sometimes.”
(On testing teams down the field)
“We took a couple of shots down the field and didn’t quite connect where we wanted to. I don’t know if you say test teams, you act like it happens every game, which would be inaccurate. In this particular ball game we just didn’t connect.”
(On how Rams DT Aaron Donald disrupted the offense)
“Quite a bit, he was an issue. He made a lot of plays for them quick. Just the type of things you anticipate from him. He did a nice job.”
(On talking to the officials about the chop block penalty)
“I just wanted to get a good explanation of exactly what they saw and what they thought.”
(On the official’s explanation of the penalty)
I am not Earl Weaver when it comes to the rules, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what the rules are and I just wanted to make sure I got a clear explanation of what they saw.”
(On if he believed the play was a chop block)
“No, but that doesn’t count.”
(On Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew’s knee injury and how badly he was hurt)
“I am not sure. He didn’t come back in so you know it wasn’t a Charlie horse or just a cramp. We will see.”
(On how the team will perform now that they are out of playoff contention)
“We have a job to do. This is what we get paid to do. We get paid to work, we get paid to prepare and we get paid to play. I don’t think our guys will have any problem with that.”
(On the team’s play against RB Todd Gurley)
“Obviously, they blocked us decently, too. He ran through a lot of tackles and made some nice runs. He’s got vision. He’s got power and he has speed and we didn’t tackle him very well. A couple of our run fits may have been off as well.”
(On why Calvin Johnson was not effective)
“Everyone has creative coverage’s to work on him and we saw some today.”
Lions QB Matthew Stafford
(On the fumbled shotgun snap on the Lions’ final possession)
“We’ll have to take a look at it. It was a little bit earlier than I expected. I make those catches if I’m ready for it. I’ve just got to get my eyes down there. We’ve got to communicate a little bit better.”
(On his interception for touchdown to Rams CB Trumaine Johnson)
“The guy just squatted on it. It’s a route where (WR) Calvin (Johnson) is supposed to run a skinny post across his face and that guy…Calvin looked to be doing everything he could to try and cross the guy’s face, but he was just squatting on it and that guy made a good play. I’m not upset at my decision or where the throw went. He guessed and he guessed right.”
(On being eliminated from playoff contention)
“It’s difficult but at the same time we’ve got a few more games to play. I love playing football, I love playing here. No matter what’s on the line I’m going to give everything I’ve got.”
(On a called chop block penalty)
“I don’t know. I’ll have to look at it on film. I was throwing it, looking away. Consensus on our sideline was to keep doing what you’re doing.”
(On the Rams defense)
“It’s a good defense. They have a really good front four. They got after us in the passing game pretty well. They have a good secondary, too. It’s a talented defense and when they’re playing well they can play extremely well and they were today. They kind of got us in a spot where…they like being up two scores, and it makes it difficult. Obviously losing (Lions TE Brandon) Pettigrew for the rest of the game when we lost him was really tough. He’s a big part of our game plan week in and week out. He’s a really good player and losing him, we’re just thin in some spots and had to change the game plan quite a bit. It’s on me. I can’t give them momentum early with the pick. Those things are going to happen but you’ve got to find a way to win those.”
(On the Lions final offensive play)
“I saw (TE Eric) Ebron out of the corner…(WR) TJ (Jones) was streaking down the field, I know I couldn’t get it there. I was just trying to find somebody in our colored jersey and I was trying to throw it to Ebron. I’m not sure where that ball landed or if he even had a chance at it. I’m not 100% sure. It seemed like he was kind of getting pulled down when it got close to him. It’s just a tough way to end it, especially with our special teams doing such a great job getting the ball back for us with the onside kick.”
(On the Rams covering Calvin Johnson and if there were penalties that weren’t called)
“Yeah, I mean it’s football. There’s going to be plays where you feel like guys are getting bumped and they were definitely paying a lot of attention to him, trying to roll over the top, covering more than teams have recently. I’ve got to find a way to get him the ball, be more aggressive to him and get him some shots. I obviously missed him when we were backed up. We ended up converting the first down but I missed him when were backed up. He ran a good route, the safety was streaming over the top so I couldn’t throw a high arc, but I missed him on a good route. It’s just on me to make sure he gets a little more involved earlier on.”
(On if he started focusing on Rams DT Aaron Donald)
“No matter what happens on the play you just go to the next one. That’s all you can do at this position. If you start thinking about that kind of stuff you’re not thinking about the right stuff. I was trying to slide the line if I could but they do a good job of showing blitz so I’ve got to respect the fact that they might bring blitz and pick them up, and they may have to be one-on-one. They’ve got a great front four, especially 99 (Donald). 98 (Rams DT Nick Fairley) played good today, so they’re good up front.”
(On the Rams defense)
“Quite a bit. We understood that coming into the game. The combination of being able to rush four or five guys and play zone coverage - which they did today quite a bit and do it well – is a huge step. But we can still execute better, I can throw it better, and we can make more plays.”
Lions S Glover Quin
(On what was different about Todd Gurley in the second half)
“I don’t know. You have to watch the film to see exactly what was going on. It looked like he broke a couple of tackles and made a couple of good runs. He’s a good back and anytime they’re feeding him that many times, he’s eventually going to break one. You hope to keep him contained, but he broke a few and then sat down.”
(On how tough it is for the Lions to keep grinding)
“We still have games and in this profession it’s our job to go out and play each and every week. So, we have to go to work. We officially have a losing season now. All we can finish is 7-9. But 7-9 is a whole lot better than 4-12. So we have to come back to work, get it fixed and get ready for New Orleans.”
(On if the Lions can correct their execution problems)
“Oh yeah. I mean, just stopping the run. I’ve got to watch the film and see what happened, but obviously you know when runs are breaking out you’re probably not fitting right or some gap stuff, I don’t know really know. But, like I said, I missed a tackle and anytime you do that they’re going to break some runs on you.”
(On summarizing the Lions play overall)
“You obviously have to look at your execution. And in this game when you go on the road, you have to be able to create your own energy and go out and play. I have to watch the film and see what happened. I thought we played a pretty good game in the first half and a couple of runs got us in the second half and that was the difference.”
Lions WR Calvin Johnson
(On what’s next for the Lions)
“You have to keep on playing. Every time you play, you put out a little resume of yourself so you can’t stop playing hard and putting up good film.”
(On why the Lions offense struggled)
“I don’t know. We didn’t have our rhythm today, it’s as simple as that. We got the ball moving a little bit. At some point we had the no huddle and moved the ball a little bit, but we just have to be more consistent.”
(On if he realized he didn’t have a catch late in the game)
“Yeah, I mean I dropped one of them earlier. But, you have top take advantage of what you get.”
(Opening remarks)
“Well, they’re never easy. Just really proud of the way the guys played the whole game, even after the onside kick recovery, which was a great kick by the way. The defense just rallied and was just going to find a way to take that game over against an outstanding quarterback. Really pleased with what they did. I thought (QB) Case (Keenum) did a nice job with the game. Stayed in some plays, made some good throws. Handled the run game really well – the checks and things like that – and then of course we stuck with it. That was our intentions, especially at halftime. Just stick with the run and get (RB) Todd (Gurley) the ball and things could change. Obviously, he took the game over. I thought it was an outstanding effort by the defense. I think, (Lions QB) Matt’s (Stafford) an elite quarterback. He knows where to go with the football and we got good pressure on him. (CB) Trumaine’s (Johnson) play was a big time play, obviously a game-changing play. They bounced back, like we’ve been talking about. We had a rough five weeks, but they came back and played hard, practiced hard, and now we have to shower up and go back to the office.”
(On why RB Todd Gurley was able to break loose in the second half)
“If you give him enough opportunities, he’s going to find a way. I thought, albeit without a tape, particularly (Assistant Head Coach/Offense) Rob (Boras) changed some runs. We made some adjustments at halftime and they were good. They were solid adjustments both times. Most of his runs there were a lot of people on the line of scrimmage.”
(On if this was the best game DL Aaron Donald had played)
“I have to look at the tape, but he was certainly disruptive – the tackles for losses and the sacks and the hurries and things. You take into consideration, there’s nothing against them, but they’ve had 10 days to prepare for Aaron Donald, and that just shows you the type of player he is. They’re double teaming him, he’s breaking double teams. We created some 1-on-1 matchups for him by call design, and when you do that, he usually wins.”
(On CB Trumaine Johnson’s play against Lions WR Calvin Johnson)
“He was a little iffy. He was limited in practice on Wednesday, coming off the quad. We weren’t quite sure, but then by Friday, we felt like he was going to be able to go, and he did. I talked to him last Saturday night about coming back and taking that challenge on with Calvin this week because he was inactive last week. I thought he did a nice job. We did some coverage adjustments at times, which everybody does, no matter when you face Calvin. I thought Trumaine played a really good game. That was a great interception, almost two.”
(On how satisfied he was with Rob Boras’ first game handling offensive coordinator duties)
“He worked really hard, as the staff did and the players. The players supported the staff this week, knowing it would be difficult. That’s what we want to do. We want to run the football and play good defense. I’m sure he’s looking at it right now, wishing he could have a bunch of calls back. As a first time play caller, it’s hard to convince him sometimes when you don’t get a first down on first down, it’s not your fault if you’re playing good defenses. It’s hard just to call things and have success all the time. You set things up, and the most important thing from our perspective, which he did, was adjust. I thought the staff did a good job of adjusting.”
(On if he felt the team took responsibility for the offensive production)
“They’ve been approaching things consistently on a week to week basis. It’s hard when you lose consistently, like we did for the past month, to sense a change in them. But they were themselves all week. They had fun. When we went out to practice every day they had fun. This game was important to them, as Thursday night is, as they all are. It’s important for them to have a chance to win at home here in the final two home games.”
(On how Gurley’s big run affected the game)
“We haven’t been able to benefit from that, but that’s a momentum changer. It certainly is, when you flip the field like that. Again, it comes after we were trying to (return a) punt for a touchdown and it’s called back. Guys were disappointed and no one saw the hold. It was good to be able to do that, and in retrospect, it was a wild drive. You score on the punt, they get the ball back and (Lions QB Matt) Safford has the ball in his hand again. Instead, we’re backed up and we took time off the clock.”
Rams QB Case Keenum
(On what the feeling is like walking off the field and into a winning locker room)
“It’s awesome, man. I told somebody earlier…actually, I think it was a couple years ago, I got a text from John Lackey, who was a pitcher for the Cardinals. He’s an Abilene (Texas) guy. We both grew up there. We were struggling a little bit and he said those heart breakers, those tough ones that we’ve had…we’ve had some tough ones. We were on this streak of not being successful. That’s what makes winning just feel so good. I mean, it may not look pretty at times, but coming in that locker room, any winning locker room is pretty awesome.”
(On RB Todd Gurley’s production lifting the offense)
“I mean, it gives everybody a lift. You saw the fans and how they reacted to that. (No.) 30’s pretty special with the ball in his hands, so we’re going to figure out a lot of ways to get him the football. It was great to watch him again today. He’s continued to get better. It’s pretty scary how good he can be.”
(On if he dreams about the day when the fans start chanting his name in the Edward Jones Dome)
“(laughs) No, I’m good with whoever they’re yelling for, as long as they care. That’s what somebody else told me one time, too. It could be that nobody cares but it’s great. It’s great that Todd’s lighting it up and I’m loving it.”
(On what the mood was when WR Tavon Austin’s punt return for a touchdown was called back)
“Obviously, everybody was upset. I thought, ‘Heck, screw it. Let’s go. Let’s go 90 yards or whatever it is.’ The offensive line did a great job of holding their water. We hard counted them and then (WR) Kenny (Britt)…I just kind of threw up a floater. It was a bad enough ball where the defender, I don’t know, he kind of slipped in behind him there and Kenny did a great job. I threw it this time, instead of letting some guys dribble my head on the turf like I did the last time that happened. Then, Todd went off and we ended up making some big plays and scored. You could feel the momentum changing in the huddle.”
(On if the Gurley runs were checks at the line by him)
“It’s hard to say. I mean, I don’t know. Our coaches put us in great situations where we’ll call two or three plays in the huddle and then be able to check to a different play if we don’t get the right look. But, that’s everybody being on the same page and making sure that we get in and out of the huddle on time so we can call what the play is and run it. The offensive line did a great job today. Obviously, pounding the ball how we were, we were able to. Most of the hits and sacks are on me. It’s protection stuff that I didn’t see or missed. I think they did a great job today.”
(On if he has a name for the pass he threw to WR Kenny Britt)
“I’ll let you come up with it. Just have some options for me tomorrow. Yeah, at least three and then we’ll name it.”
(On if he likes the name ‘water balloon’)
“Yeah, maybe the water balloon launcher.”
(On how he plans to get ready for the Buccaneers on Thursday with the quick turnaround)
“I’ve played on Thursday, I guess two years ago. It’s been a while, but it’s fast. Obviously, everybody’s body is going to be beat up tonight and tomorrow, but I think tomorrow is going to be like a Thursday for us. Regular week, so we may not get as many physical reps but the mental reps have got to be there, watching film and being prepared and I like it. You don’t have time to overthink yourself. You go out there and put in a game plan and go play football.”
(On what it was like having Assistant Head Coach/Offense Rob Boras calling the plays this game)
“It’s hard for me to sit there and tell. There’s obviously some differences. I’ll have to go back and watch the film, but for me, it’s kind of been the same as it always is. I’m trying to take it one play at a time, trying to not think too much about what has happened or going to happen. I think he did a great job today.”
(On what it was like for him as a quarterback to see the defense put up seven points)
“You can count on our defense to get turnovers week-in and week-out and to score points, too. I told somebody earlier I’m glad I don’t have to play our defense because they are salty. It’s really nice for me knowing third-and-whatever is maybe we have a chance at a down the field route, but I can check it down and know that we’ve got the best punter in the league, who’s going to pin them, who absolutely played his tail off today. Then, the defense that it’s really hard to gain the yards on, so that gives you confidence as a quarterback knowing that you can be safe with the ball, make smart decisions and not try to force something down field and play a little field position game like we did early on.”
Rams RB Todd Gurley
(On how it felt to break a long run and score a touchdown)
“It felt good. We had lost four in a row, so that’s never a good feeling. I know we got the win today. We want to finish on a strong note. We might not be going to the playoffs, but it’s always good to bring that momentum going into the offseason.”
(On if he felt like today was his best game of the season)
“I don’t know. I’m just out there playing. Those guys did a great job blocking for me up front, the tight ends and everybody. It was just a good day. We got a win.”
(On if the team made some adjustments in the run game at halftime)
“We just got some more opportunities. We didn’t get too many opportunities in the first half. We had a game plan and we wanted to stick to that. We just got a chance to get me the ball a couple times in the second half and things worked out pretty well.”
(On when he decided to leap towards the end zone on his first touchdown)
“I was going to see if I could kind of run over him but I was at the three-yard line so I don’t know if I’m that strong to carry somebody three yards. So I kind of used my instincts and just jumped in the air.”
(On having Jay-Z in the locker room)
“I saw him after the game and he just said, ‘Good job.’ I told him appreciated I him coming. It’s always good for your agent and your agency to come show love and support. The team was happy. We got a win. Everybody was happy to see him.”
Rams DT Aaron Donald
(On how winning today’s game feels)
“It feels real good. We feel blessed, but we’ve still got a lot more football to play.”
(On if he feels like he’s the best pass rusher in the league)
“I’ve still got work to do. I’ve still got a lot more work to do. I’m not satisfied yet, so I’ve got to just keep working.”
(On if he’ll ever be satisfied)
“When I’m done playing probably, but right now I’m still working.”
(On if he feels like he’s elevated his game this year)
“Yes, I feel like I got better – from rushing the passer to stopping the run. I worked my but off during the offseason. Just having more pass rushers to change up with and work with helped me a lot me this season, too. I feel a lot more comfortable, too. It’s just working for me.”
(On if getting in 1-on-1 situations helps the team)
“It means everything. You’re supposed to win 1-on-1s. That’s why they brought me here. When I get (a 1-on-1 opportunity), I’m supposed to win it. I’m just doing my job.”
(On how to build on this win)
“That’s the plan. No matter what your record is, we’re going to keep playing and keep battling. We’ve got to finish strong. That’s what it’s about. That’s what we’re going to do.”
(On how the defense was able to give the team a spark today)
“Anytime you’re making plays through the game, it’s going to bring that spark and keep the crowd into the game and keep your team into the game. We’ve just got to keep doing this and we’ll be fine.”
Rams DT Michael Brockers
(On the last defensive possession)
“We just knew we had to play three downs or four downs of football and we knew we had a victory. We mustered all of the energy we could and played four great downs.”
(On a player like DT Aaron Donald that can get to the quarterback at will)
“It’s difficult. He has great leverage and I think that’s what a lot of guards and centers have trouble with when he’s pass rushing because he’s always in the great leverage position to either power you or run you over. And also he’s quick enough to get around you. Guards and centers struggle against him because they don’t know what he has in his tool belt and he has everything. Really getting them on their toes and making them wonder what you’re doing is a good thing for him.”
(On if today was a total team effort)
“Definitely. Total team effort. You’ve seen little glimpses from special teams, defense and offense today. It just showed how well we prepared this week and we put it all together today.”
(On RB Todd Gurley)
“Ridiculous. That’s why we drafted him, to make runs like that. He fights for every inch, every yard. That’s what I appreciate about him. He doesn’t just go down after one tackle. He tries to fight for everything. Really appreciate his efforts today and it just shows how good he really is.”
Rams CB Trumaine Johnson
(On the key to shutting down Lions WR Calvin Johnson)
“I feel like there is no key. You’ve got to just go out there and compete. I feel like I can compete versus anybody in the league. It was a great match-up, definitely.”
(On if he expected to hold Johnson to only one catch)
“It’s a team effort. I’m glad our defense shut them down. We know coming into this game he was a big target. To hold him to one catch is good.”
(On what statement he’s made to the league with his play in a contract season)
“Just stepping up and being consistent. This is my fourth year. I love my teammates. The chemistry is there on the defense. I’ve been playing with those guys for three or four years. I’m not too worried about that. I’ll worry about that after the season.”
(On when he knew Calvin Johnson was going to be his assignment)
“It was Johnson versus Johnson the whole week. Even in practice I was going with (No.) 81 the whole practice. I knew it was going to be a tough match-up, but I feel like I can match-up with anybody with my big frame, especially with him."
(On the defensive effort with all of the injuries)
“It’s always been next man up philosophy. With me being out the last two weeks and (CB) Marcus (Roberson) stepping up, he held his own today. He did really good. The whole secondary did good. The defense was clicking on all cylinders.”
(On what it was like to give his team a spark)
“We said in the beginning of the game, somebody had to set the tone and I was glad it was me.”
Detroit Head Coach Jim Caldwell
(Opening comments)
“Obviously, this was a disappointing loss for us. It would be a tough game, obviously playing a team that plays defense the way they do. We tried to make it tough for them because we anticipated that, but what we didn’t anticipate was them being able to run the ball as consistently well as they did against us. The first half, where we kind of kept RB Todd Gurley at bay a little bit, the second half he certainly ran the ball well.
What went wrong? We had some situations where our run went great but then we were missing tackles and a good back will make you do that sometimes. We didn’t play that portion particularly well. Protection issues, one of the things you know that you are not going to be able to hold the ball consistently long against these guys because they mix it up, they like to stunt and they like to give you a little pressure. To sum it up, we just weren’t consistent enough to get enough big plays down the field. Some guys played well. WR Golden Taint caught the ball well, and ran with it and made some things happen.
There were miscues there at the end, we still had a chance, we still got back in and scored and got the onside kick and the third-down drop and a miscue on the snap. That gave us some problems and it didn’t give us a chance to finish out the way we wanted to.”
(On the bad snap)
“I have to analyze it and take a look at it and see exactly what happened. It could have been a quick snap. It happened so quickly, you just see the tail end of it.”
(On the multiple snap issues)
“There was only one on the ground. Sometimes in a noisy stadium you are going to have some miscues in terms of the noise and that type of stuff. As far as the far end , there was one where the guy caught him early when we were going in to score and he was able to handle that one, but this one he didn’t handle.”
(On getting WR Calvin Johnson involved)
“Every game is different. Golden caught nine balls, Theo Riddick caught seven balls and Calvin had five targets. Every game is different.
You can always look at it and see, and try to analyze that part of it, but in our game and
the way that we play and how we work, that ball gets spread around. It is not going to happen every game, it’s not realistic. We’re not going to catch nine balls every single time that we’re out. That’s the way it happens sometimes.”
(On testing teams down the field)
“We took a couple of shots down the field and didn’t quite connect where we wanted to. I don’t know if you say test teams, you act like it happens every game, which would be inaccurate. In this particular ball game we just didn’t connect.”
(On how Rams DT Aaron Donald disrupted the offense)
“Quite a bit, he was an issue. He made a lot of plays for them quick. Just the type of things you anticipate from him. He did a nice job.”
(On talking to the officials about the chop block penalty)
“I just wanted to get a good explanation of exactly what they saw and what they thought.”
(On the official’s explanation of the penalty)
I am not Earl Weaver when it comes to the rules, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what the rules are and I just wanted to make sure I got a clear explanation of what they saw.”
(On if he believed the play was a chop block)
“No, but that doesn’t count.”
(On Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew’s knee injury and how badly he was hurt)
“I am not sure. He didn’t come back in so you know it wasn’t a Charlie horse or just a cramp. We will see.”
(On how the team will perform now that they are out of playoff contention)
“We have a job to do. This is what we get paid to do. We get paid to work, we get paid to prepare and we get paid to play. I don’t think our guys will have any problem with that.”
(On the team’s play against RB Todd Gurley)
“Obviously, they blocked us decently, too. He ran through a lot of tackles and made some nice runs. He’s got vision. He’s got power and he has speed and we didn’t tackle him very well. A couple of our run fits may have been off as well.”
(On why Calvin Johnson was not effective)
“Everyone has creative coverage’s to work on him and we saw some today.”
Lions QB Matthew Stafford
(On the fumbled shotgun snap on the Lions’ final possession)
“We’ll have to take a look at it. It was a little bit earlier than I expected. I make those catches if I’m ready for it. I’ve just got to get my eyes down there. We’ve got to communicate a little bit better.”
(On his interception for touchdown to Rams CB Trumaine Johnson)
“The guy just squatted on it. It’s a route where (WR) Calvin (Johnson) is supposed to run a skinny post across his face and that guy…Calvin looked to be doing everything he could to try and cross the guy’s face, but he was just squatting on it and that guy made a good play. I’m not upset at my decision or where the throw went. He guessed and he guessed right.”
(On being eliminated from playoff contention)
“It’s difficult but at the same time we’ve got a few more games to play. I love playing football, I love playing here. No matter what’s on the line I’m going to give everything I’ve got.”
(On a called chop block penalty)
“I don’t know. I’ll have to look at it on film. I was throwing it, looking away. Consensus on our sideline was to keep doing what you’re doing.”
(On the Rams defense)
“It’s a good defense. They have a really good front four. They got after us in the passing game pretty well. They have a good secondary, too. It’s a talented defense and when they’re playing well they can play extremely well and they were today. They kind of got us in a spot where…they like being up two scores, and it makes it difficult. Obviously losing (Lions TE Brandon) Pettigrew for the rest of the game when we lost him was really tough. He’s a big part of our game plan week in and week out. He’s a really good player and losing him, we’re just thin in some spots and had to change the game plan quite a bit. It’s on me. I can’t give them momentum early with the pick. Those things are going to happen but you’ve got to find a way to win those.”
(On the Lions final offensive play)
“I saw (TE Eric) Ebron out of the corner…(WR) TJ (Jones) was streaking down the field, I know I couldn’t get it there. I was just trying to find somebody in our colored jersey and I was trying to throw it to Ebron. I’m not sure where that ball landed or if he even had a chance at it. I’m not 100% sure. It seemed like he was kind of getting pulled down when it got close to him. It’s just a tough way to end it, especially with our special teams doing such a great job getting the ball back for us with the onside kick.”
(On the Rams covering Calvin Johnson and if there were penalties that weren’t called)
“Yeah, I mean it’s football. There’s going to be plays where you feel like guys are getting bumped and they were definitely paying a lot of attention to him, trying to roll over the top, covering more than teams have recently. I’ve got to find a way to get him the ball, be more aggressive to him and get him some shots. I obviously missed him when we were backed up. We ended up converting the first down but I missed him when were backed up. He ran a good route, the safety was streaming over the top so I couldn’t throw a high arc, but I missed him on a good route. It’s just on me to make sure he gets a little more involved earlier on.”
(On if he started focusing on Rams DT Aaron Donald)
“No matter what happens on the play you just go to the next one. That’s all you can do at this position. If you start thinking about that kind of stuff you’re not thinking about the right stuff. I was trying to slide the line if I could but they do a good job of showing blitz so I’ve got to respect the fact that they might bring blitz and pick them up, and they may have to be one-on-one. They’ve got a great front four, especially 99 (Donald). 98 (Rams DT Nick Fairley) played good today, so they’re good up front.”
(On the Rams defense)
“Quite a bit. We understood that coming into the game. The combination of being able to rush four or five guys and play zone coverage - which they did today quite a bit and do it well – is a huge step. But we can still execute better, I can throw it better, and we can make more plays.”
Lions S Glover Quin
(On what was different about Todd Gurley in the second half)
“I don’t know. You have to watch the film to see exactly what was going on. It looked like he broke a couple of tackles and made a couple of good runs. He’s a good back and anytime they’re feeding him that many times, he’s eventually going to break one. You hope to keep him contained, but he broke a few and then sat down.”
(On how tough it is for the Lions to keep grinding)
“We still have games and in this profession it’s our job to go out and play each and every week. So, we have to go to work. We officially have a losing season now. All we can finish is 7-9. But 7-9 is a whole lot better than 4-12. So we have to come back to work, get it fixed and get ready for New Orleans.”
(On if the Lions can correct their execution problems)
“Oh yeah. I mean, just stopping the run. I’ve got to watch the film and see what happened, but obviously you know when runs are breaking out you’re probably not fitting right or some gap stuff, I don’t know really know. But, like I said, I missed a tackle and anytime you do that they’re going to break some runs on you.”
(On summarizing the Lions play overall)
“You obviously have to look at your execution. And in this game when you go on the road, you have to be able to create your own energy and go out and play. I have to watch the film and see what happened. I thought we played a pretty good game in the first half and a couple of runs got us in the second half and that was the difference.”
Lions WR Calvin Johnson
(On what’s next for the Lions)
“You have to keep on playing. Every time you play, you put out a little resume of yourself so you can’t stop playing hard and putting up good film.”
(On why the Lions offense struggled)
“I don’t know. We didn’t have our rhythm today, it’s as simple as that. We got the ball moving a little bit. At some point we had the no huddle and moved the ball a little bit, but we just have to be more consistent.”
(On if he realized he didn’t have a catch late in the game)
“Yeah, I mean I dropped one of them earlier. But, you have top take advantage of what you get.”