- Joined
- Jun 20, 2010
- Messages
- 35,576
- Name
- The Dude
Posted 30 November 2014
Head Coach Jeff Fisher
(Opening Statement)
“Well I guess that’s what happens when everything’s working well together for you. It was a great effort. Again, I hate to go back to last week, but it was pretty impressive the way they handled that loss and put it behind them and came back and worked and accepted the next challenge and that’s what this team is about. Had a great week of practice, rested some guys. We got a lot of big plays out of a lot of players today.”
(On six scores in the first six possessions)
“Well we had a good week of practice. What happened was we had the run after catches and individual efforts. (QB) Shaun (Hill) was putting the ball where he needed to put it. I think we only had two third down attempts in the first half. They were just making the big plays. Defense was getting the third down stops and getting the ball back. The long run obviously, the two big plays from (RB) Tre (Mason) and then just big runs after catches. (WR Stedman Bailey) Sted’s huge catch over the middle with the bootleg just kept things going.”
(On Tre Mason)
“He’s been running hard. That’s how he practiced. He said he was going to have a big day. He guaranteed me that before the game and he did.”
(On how they shook off what happened last week so quickly)
“We did it as a team, together as a staff. We talked and we showed them what happened and how we had a chance to win that. Having overcome so many different things in that game, still with a shot to win it. We didn’t win and that’s disappointing, but hey let’s move on. This team can put things behind them and keep things in perspective and stay focused. We practiced with a purpose, we met with a purpose. We’ve been doing that all year long. It all just came together for us today.”
(On if they saw something in the defense that they could expose)
“No, that was Shaun doing a really good job. We had a lot of runs called and Shaun had the option to throw the ball out sideways. I think he avoided six runs in the first two or three series, but we were getting first downs. And so to say we made the adjustments and creased them on the long run.”
(On when Tre Mason told him he was going to have a big day)
“It was early in the locker room. It’s not the first time he’s said it so…he’s very confident. He loves to play.”
(On the shut out by defense)
“They’re hard to do. Great plan, went in very well. The guys, they buy into the plan every week, but they worked hard in practice. Have a great deal of respect for (QB) Derek (Carr) and what he’d done thus far. He’s hard to get down and of course we got to him a couple times and flushed him a little bit and we came up with a few turnovers. From a defensive standpoint we tackled well, pressured the quarterback, stopped the run and got the turnovers. That’s what happens.”
(On CB Trumaine Johnson)
“He’s got ball skills, you saw that against Denver. We’ve seen that before. He’s got ball skills, and he studies and prepares hard.”
(On having DE Chris Long back)
It’s good to have him back out there. He’s excited. He was a little sore at half time, came back out and said, ‘I want to get on the board.’ I said, ‘Well just keep playing see if you get a shot to do it.’ He got a sack call, so it was good to have him back.”
(On the players raising their hands during their entrance)
“I didn’t notice. I’m not aware.”
(On the organization inviting Ferguson business owners as guests today)
“The organization has been doing those type of things. Not with the intention of getting recognition, they’re just doing it to help. I’m just glad that we can put together a great win here today for all of St. Louis.”
(On winning so decisively)
“Well I never relax. Only once we got to 45 I felt a little bit better. But at halftime some of the guys were saying hey, it’s 0-0 and I said no, let’s play like we’re down 14. It’s that type of approach that you have to take. We’ll look at the first few drives of the second half. Offensively, there were some corrections to make. We stalled and we couldn’t complete screen passes and things like that. Now granted, when you’re playing a defense that knows you’re trying to run the football, especially the way they’re equipped in size, it’s difficult. But fortunately we…”
(On if he was surprised they were able to respond this way after the loss last week)
“I’m not surprised because these things can happen. I’m pleased for them because of the approach that they took this week and every week. They deserve to have a game like this. They’re a great group of guys. Talk about character of this team, (DE) Eugene Sims lost a loved one this week and (DE) Will Hayes lost one last night. You watch the tape and watch those two play, really, really impressed. Our hearts go out to their families.”
(On any update on G Rodger Saffold’s injury)
“No. Similar to what happened three or four weeks ago, he ended up playing the following week, so we’ll be optimistic.”
Rams QB Shaun Hill
(On if he had ever been a part of a game like this before)
“No, I’d have to think awfully hard to come up with another game that started off similar to the way that one did. That was certainly fun.”
(On if this is the type of performance that can be expected of Stedman Bailey)
“Yeah, absolutely. He’s really stepping up big time right now. Like I said earlier in the week, we’ve got a lot of weapons and only one ball. When ‘Quickie’ (WR Brian Quick) went down, Stedman stepped up and had a bigger role, and he’s certainly answered the bell.”
(On the heavy emphasis on the run early on)
“Well, sometimes it’s just an opportunity to get the ball in those playmakers’ hands outside, and those guys did a good job with the ball in their hands, converting first downs and getting the chains moving.”
(On his celebratory fist pump on his rushing touchdown)
“I’m not in that situation too often, so I didn’t know what was going on.”
(On RB Tre Mason’s performance)
“Tre’s done a good job, too—especially today. He’s seeing it well, he’s hitting the holes, and hitting it hard. The offensive line did a great job, and anytime you get a long run like that, you know the receivers are blocking downfield. So obviously, they think he’s going to break it on every play, because they’re downfield blocking for him. Everybody’s doing a good job in the running game.”
(On his reaction to Tre Mason predicting he would break a big run)
“I was hoping he was right.”
(On the importance of getting off to a strong start)
“It’s always important to get off to a good start. That’s our focus every week. I know how hard it is for a West Coast team to come to the Midwest and play in the central time zone. If you can get on those teams early like that, it certainly helps.”
(On if there was an emphasis on keeping the momentum going after the quick start)
“Yeah, absolutely. Most games in the NFL, you have to play 60 minutes. So yeah, that’s certainly one of our focuses.”
(On his reaction to Rams players entering the stadium with their hands up)
“To be honest, I didn’t see it. I didn’t know anything about it. I was still in the tunnel.”
Rams DE Chris Long
(On playing in his first game since Week 1)
“It felt really good. It’s tough, you prepare for the season and then you’ve got to watch your buddies out there going through good and bad. I just was really happy to be a part of it. It was a great team win. Just do the little bit I could for us and being a part of the solution and being on the sideline in a uniform, that was nice.”
(On if there was anything he could point to that helped the defensive be so dominant)
“Well, it was really the offense. The offense did such a great job of giving us a lead early and then they’re (Raiders) forced to become one dimensional. I do think that they have some good backs. I think we would’ve done just fine, but you never really have to see them get committed to the run. It lightens the load on us, so, the offense was a big part of that.”
(On being able to be back on the field alongside DE Robert Quinn)
“It’s great. I mean, when you’re able to rush with one of the best in the business it’s a lot of fun coming to work every day. More than anything just playing with (DE) Will (Hayes) backing me up. I thanked Will today because William’s never played so many snaps in his life. He said he feels like he’s 40 years old all of the sudden. I just personally wanted to thank him because he’s been my guy through it all. Not only supported me, but was out there taking the reps and that extra load on game day and played well. He played well today and everybody played well. So, it was just a great team effort.”
(On getting his first sack of the season and if he heard the crowd’s response)
“Yeah, it was relief. I just felt the love from these fans that have supported me so much, supported us. We’ve got great fans here and I just appreciate them greatly. The outpouring of just support through the probably the longest 10, 11 weeks of my life has got me through in a lot of ways. So, it was just great. It was a relief. I just want to help the team win and it validates just being back out here to be able to make a play like that.”
Rams WR Stedman Bailey
(On the team win)
“It was a great week of preparation and everybody coming out doing their jobs to bring it together for a great team win.”
(On scoring on the first five possessions)
“We did a really good job of capitalizing on opportunities to score. It was a great job by everybody.”
(On his one-handed catch)
“It’s something I try to work on a lot throughout the week and it paid off today. I was able to reel it in.”
(On showing support for Ferguson during pregame introductions)
“We just understand that it’s a big tragedy and we hope something positive comes out of it.”
(On improving as a player)
“Week in and week out I’m just preparing hard and working my butt off throughout the week, doing all the little things to make sure I can come out and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way.”
(On expecting greatness)
“I definitely expect greatness. Sometimes opportunities are limited but when my number is called, I want to be there to make the catch.”
Rams LB James Laurinaitis
(On if the win will take people’s minds off of the events in Ferguson)
“I don’t really know how people are going to take the win. To me it’s winning a football game. I think regardless of the outcome today on the field, the community needs to stick together. To me it’s winning a football game.”
(On if they played a perfect game)
“Trust me, there’s a lot of things I can think of … I’m a perfectionist. I can think of a lot of things we can do better. I still think we can be better tackling in the open field. But goodness, I’m not going to nitpick right now. I’m going to enjoy it for a solid 24 hours and then it’s on to the next one. We’ve got to learn in this locker room how to stack wins.”
(On having DE Chris Long back on the field)
“With Chris, I think it just helped with emotion. He’s an emotional football player. It’s great to have his passion back out there. We obviously know what kind of football player he is and how talented and athletic and skilled he is. To have him back, as a unit, it just means a lot. I know it meant a lot for those guys in that room. He’s a leader in that room, he’s a leader on our whole team. It’s good to see him get a sack and recover a fumble and I’m just happy to have him back.”
Rams RB Tre Mason
(On the team win)
“Great team win. I couldn’t do it without those guys in front of me, and of course that man, ‘Mr. 1-4’ (Rams QB) Shaun Hill. He came out showing his arms strength. They have to respect his arm and that opened up holes for me.”
(On playing well)
“I told myself to achieve greatness and be the best. I want to be the best player to ever touch the football. That’s a goal of mine.”
(On working hard during the week)
“We come to work and work hard everyday, and we pray. The more prayers go, up the more blessings come down. We worked hard and it was a great team win for me.”
(On if last week’s loss gave the team extra motivation this week)
“Of course, last week added a lot of fuel to our fire so we came and attacked the whole week of practice and came out here and put it on film.”
CB Trumaine Johnson
(On defensively setting the tone early in the game)
“That was our whole point, finishing the game and that’s what we did today.”
(On making plays since returning from injury)
“That’s the whole goal. It’s going out there everyday. This is my fourth game and I’m blessed. I’m glad to come out here and compete with those guys.”
(On what he saw on the two interceptions and how he was able to get into the end zone)
“How did I get into the end zone? I ran and I crossed the goal line, and I scored (laughs). We were in zone coverage both times. I was at the right place at the right time.”
(On the secondary’s ability to make big plays and if the group’s future looks bright)
“Big time, man. I go to war with those guys everyday. It’s chemistry there for sure with me, ‘Rod’ (S Rodney McCleod) and ‘Jenks’ (CB Janoris Jenkins) back there and the young guys coming up. All those guys, especially (CB) E.J. (Gaines). (CB) Marcus (Roberson) is hurt, but he’s coming back. When he was out there, he was making plays, too. (S) Mark (Barron) back there, too. We’re clicking on all cylinders.”
(On if he had a feeling when he caught the ball that it was going to be a ‘pick-six’)
“This is my first ‘pick-six’. I scored and I forgot what it was like to be in the end zone. My celebration was trash, but I’m just glad I caught it and put some points up for our team.”
Raiders Head Coach Tony Sparano
(On game)
“Obviously we ran into a good football team here today. They played well and we didn’t. They started fast, we knew this was a team that started fast, one of the better teams in the league that way. We didn’t start on either side of the football today. Obviously that is my responsibility. We didn’t start fast, we didn’t make any progress in the first several drives. We didn’t offensively keep the ball and defensively we didn’t keep them out. Then we got into the turnover thing and put our defense in some bad positions when we were already in some bad positions. We will learn from this. This is not a game we can hold on to for long. We have to get back and get to work and get ourselves together to play another game this week.”
(On seeing anything in practice to predict that this was coming)
“I have to be honest with you, there was one day in practice this week I didn’t think that we had a great practice. Again, that is my fault. I have to do a better job and make sure that those things don’t happen out there. With all that being said, this is not something I saw coming. I knew we were playing a team that was a good team. They have beaten good teams, specifically in this place. They are a good defense, I knew that was the case coming in here. But to say that I saw this coming, no I didn’t see this coming. My team has been in close football games for a bunch of weeks now. This just wasn’t a close game. This got away from us and we just couldn’t turn it around. Some of those games in the past we have been able to turn around.”
(On noticing if the team was ‘flat’ early on)
“I didn’t see flat. I didn’t feel flat and I didn’t see flat. I felt that we had very good energy. I felt like they were hopping around very good and running good. All those things, I just think honestly they came out and hit us good and scored. We got off the field in three plays, they took the ball down and scored and I don’t have to tell you the rest. We didn’t make enough happen early on to keep them off the field and they took the ball down the field. And then they got that big run that jumped out in front of us and that opened things up.”
(On QB Derek Carr)
“It has nothing to do with what Derek did or didn’t do or any of those things. It was just the scenario; I just had to be honest with myself at that point and take him out of the football game and not risk him potentially getting hurt. I made the decision to take him out of the game, and it was the right decision.”
(On how much the Rams throwing for the first nine plays effected the outcome of the game)
“They came out throwing fast, and they came out and hit a couple of chunk plays on us and then they hit an over route that was a chunk play. They didn’t do something we didn’t think they were going to do. Their defense in the second half came in and got us off the field a few times. We had a little drive going there and we couldn’t do anything with it.”
(On the team’s tackling)
“To be honest with you, fundamentally I didn’t think we did that great. Big runs came out of there. Some tackles and some fundamental things, I think we had some people out in the open field which is something we didn’t do a couple of days ago, because we tackled very well. Now we are back to doing those type of things. We either have a young team and we do have some veteran players, but they all will have to learn from this. Like I just told the team, you can’t just learn from winning a game a week ago, you have to learn from this feeling too. I don’t want them to forget the feeling they had last week and I don’t want them to forget this feeling right now. We will forget it after tomorrow and get ready for the San Francisco 49ers.”
(On deciding to punt in the second quarter)
“We talked about for a little bit and then we thought we would knock it down a bit which we did, somewhere by the 10 yard line whatever it was, but I don’t remember the results of that drive. It may have been a score. I don’t remember the results.”
(On if the Rams speed got in the way of the short passes)
“What I saw a few times were missed tackles. They got blown out a couple of times. We were doing a great job playing those things and we didn’t do a very good job of it here. We all have to take responsibility and it starts with me. It is embarrassing.”
(On if the defensive pressure was too much for Carr)
“I thought early in the game, I didn’t feel a lot of pressure. They probably blitzed us, I can’t even imagine how many times, but it was a lot. There was pressure when the score was up there. With that being said, we have to block the pressure. We knew it was going to come. To be honest with you there wasn’t very much out there that we didn’t see during practice. They have good ends, they had Chris Long out there provided more for them. As the game went on and you get into those deals where you have to throw the football like that, that is not the type of football team that you want to play against.”
Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr
(On what happened in today’s game)
“It was just from execution, it just wasn’t us. I don’t know what that was. I can’t wait to watch the film and learn from it. Obviously, we turned the ball over way too many times. The two I had – the one to ‘Mo’ (Raiders RB Maurice Jones-Drew), I was going down just trying to make a play, especially in that situation. Again, that’s me just trying to do too much in the situation that we’re in. But the second one, he got tackled. I felt we got the look we wanted, the guy jumped (WR) James (Jones). It was perfect for that coverage. He jumped James, I went to throw it in behind (WR) Vince (Brown), the guy pretty much hit him but it is what it is.”
(On if he was OK with being taken out of the game by Head Coach Tony Sparano)
“Oh, gosh no. I was pretty hot. I was pretty upset, but then he explained why. It’s hard because I’m so competitive. I want to play. I want to do my best to help us and all those things, but when he explained why I have to be smart too and understand we still have four games left. We can’t risk anything with the situation the way it was.”
(On if their performance today resulted from being too relieved to get their first win of the season last week)
“I don’t know. It’s hard. It just didn’t feel like us, so maybe. Coach Sparano told us, he said he wanted us to remember the feeling we had last week, but remember this one, too, because this hurts – this is bad. This is a bad feeling, but we know that it’s tough right now – it’s really tough right now. So, what kind of people, what kind of team are we going to be? Are we going to turn on each other, or are we going to hold hands and go together with this thing? Obviously, we’re going to stick together and see what happens.”
(On if the offense’s number of three-and-outs had an impact on the outcome of the game)
“Obviously, with three-and-outs it’s tough on our defense, but as an offense we know what kind of defense they have. We know how talented they are, all those things. So, in the situation early in the game, you just want to be smart, you want to make the right calls. You don’t know if you’re going to get a new look or not, so be smart, take what they’re giving you. I thought we did a good job with that. Obviously, the three-and-out, that’s tough because some of the third downs were really close or the second down plays were really close also. But against the kind of defense that they have, you don’t want to go out just taking chances all the time because, obviously as you can see, they’re good at taking the ball away. For us, it was just about being smart at that time, but obviously later on in the game, how it started to work out, you kind of just have to start…they’re playing cover-2 soft zone, you’ve got to take everything underneath. It’s tough – it’s a tough situation.”
(On the coaching staff’s message when it was 38-0 at halftime)
“From the coaches’ stance, they were fired up.”
(If the coaches were angry)
“No, just that we need to execute. Be passionate – have a little passion about us. And that’s one thing, in my head, ‘Let’s go win the second half. Let’s go win the second half and see what we can do with this thing.’ That’s one thing about me, I never give up. I always have the passion in me, so I just try and relay the encouragement to the guys. That’s really hard, and how did we react? We didn’t react good enough, obviously. We didn’t react good enough, so we’ve got to take a look at it.”
(On if the team came out flat today)
“I guess so because it just wasn’t us. That didn’t look like us, what we had been working on. Obviously, times like that are going to happen. You never want it to be like this. You never want to go through those times, but they do happen in this league especially against a really good team like they have. I don’t know if ‘flat’ is the word, but it just wasn’t us.”
(On if he thinks this game could cause the team to unravel)
“For me, I always have hope in my teammates. I always have the faith in my teammates and our coaching staff. I don’t worry about them. I know that we’re going to keep fighting. I know that they’re going to prepare and all those things. It’s my job as the leader of this team to make sure that they’re still staying encouraged and executing crisp at practice. I don’t think our practices were good enough this week, and that’s something that Coach (Tony Sparano) hit on and that’s on us. I’ll make sure we get that right.”
Raiders S Charles Woodson
(On his play today)
“I’m not going to speak for anybody else today. I know I didn’t play well. That’s all I can say.”
(On rebounding from the game)
“It’s not hard. I’ve always said that for any game. A loss or a win, you have to put it behind you quickly and move on to the next team. That’s really all you can do.”
(On the Rams speed of the game)
“I’m not surprised on how they came out. I think we were in a position to stop some things and we just couldn’t get it done for whatever reason.”
Raiders DE Justin Tuck
(On the loss hurting after a big win last week)
“I don’t know if it hurts worse but it hurts. I don’t care where you are as a team but when something like that happens, it hurts. I really don’t have any words to describe what that feels like. If I sound dumbfounded, that’s because I am.”
(On coming out and playing flat)
“I don’t care if we come out flat, it’s still no explanation for that. This is a humbling game and every time I go on the football field I’m surprised by this outcome.”
(On having a loss like this)
“I don’t think it’s been like this. I had my fair share of losses but I guess my memory deleted all those other ones, like I hope it does this one. I can’t think of anything of this magnitude.”
Raiders WR James Jones
(General comments on game)
“Today we got slapped. We got beat up. They (Rams) came out and played better than us in every phase. We got hit in the mouth and didn’t punch back.”
(As a veteran what do you tell teammates on days like this)
“Keep swinging, just keep swinging. If you look around the league there’s a lot of teams losing by more than three points. They’re a lot of teams getting blown out and it isn’t just us. They probably didn’t lose by fifty, but there are a lot of teams getting blown out. Just keep swinging and good things will happen.”
Raiders RB Darren McFadden
(General comments on game after winning last week)
“We came to the game with a lot of positive energy. It was a carryover from last week and we were trying to keep it going. Today, we got hit in the mouth and we didn’t respond like we should have. You have to give it to the Rams, they played a hell of a game.”
(On the difference between last week’s game against Kansas City)
“They just hit us in the mouth, that was the main thing. We have to respond. We can’t get down on ourselves. I feel like there was something that happened out there and we didn’t respond to it and we should have.”
(On whether the Raiders were ready to play the Rams)
“Yes, we were definitely ready to play. Anytime you come here you’re going to be ready. But, you have to respond when you get hit in the mouth.”
(On what was said at halftime)
“Go out and keep fighting, finish and win the second half and that’s something we definitely didn’t do.”
Head Coach Jeff Fisher
(Opening Statement)
“Well I guess that’s what happens when everything’s working well together for you. It was a great effort. Again, I hate to go back to last week, but it was pretty impressive the way they handled that loss and put it behind them and came back and worked and accepted the next challenge and that’s what this team is about. Had a great week of practice, rested some guys. We got a lot of big plays out of a lot of players today.”
(On six scores in the first six possessions)
“Well we had a good week of practice. What happened was we had the run after catches and individual efforts. (QB) Shaun (Hill) was putting the ball where he needed to put it. I think we only had two third down attempts in the first half. They were just making the big plays. Defense was getting the third down stops and getting the ball back. The long run obviously, the two big plays from (RB) Tre (Mason) and then just big runs after catches. (WR Stedman Bailey) Sted’s huge catch over the middle with the bootleg just kept things going.”
(On Tre Mason)
“He’s been running hard. That’s how he practiced. He said he was going to have a big day. He guaranteed me that before the game and he did.”
(On how they shook off what happened last week so quickly)
“We did it as a team, together as a staff. We talked and we showed them what happened and how we had a chance to win that. Having overcome so many different things in that game, still with a shot to win it. We didn’t win and that’s disappointing, but hey let’s move on. This team can put things behind them and keep things in perspective and stay focused. We practiced with a purpose, we met with a purpose. We’ve been doing that all year long. It all just came together for us today.”
(On if they saw something in the defense that they could expose)
“No, that was Shaun doing a really good job. We had a lot of runs called and Shaun had the option to throw the ball out sideways. I think he avoided six runs in the first two or three series, but we were getting first downs. And so to say we made the adjustments and creased them on the long run.”
(On when Tre Mason told him he was going to have a big day)
“It was early in the locker room. It’s not the first time he’s said it so…he’s very confident. He loves to play.”
(On the shut out by defense)
“They’re hard to do. Great plan, went in very well. The guys, they buy into the plan every week, but they worked hard in practice. Have a great deal of respect for (QB) Derek (Carr) and what he’d done thus far. He’s hard to get down and of course we got to him a couple times and flushed him a little bit and we came up with a few turnovers. From a defensive standpoint we tackled well, pressured the quarterback, stopped the run and got the turnovers. That’s what happens.”
(On CB Trumaine Johnson)
“He’s got ball skills, you saw that against Denver. We’ve seen that before. He’s got ball skills, and he studies and prepares hard.”
(On having DE Chris Long back)
It’s good to have him back out there. He’s excited. He was a little sore at half time, came back out and said, ‘I want to get on the board.’ I said, ‘Well just keep playing see if you get a shot to do it.’ He got a sack call, so it was good to have him back.”
(On the players raising their hands during their entrance)
“I didn’t notice. I’m not aware.”
(On the organization inviting Ferguson business owners as guests today)
“The organization has been doing those type of things. Not with the intention of getting recognition, they’re just doing it to help. I’m just glad that we can put together a great win here today for all of St. Louis.”
(On winning so decisively)
“Well I never relax. Only once we got to 45 I felt a little bit better. But at halftime some of the guys were saying hey, it’s 0-0 and I said no, let’s play like we’re down 14. It’s that type of approach that you have to take. We’ll look at the first few drives of the second half. Offensively, there were some corrections to make. We stalled and we couldn’t complete screen passes and things like that. Now granted, when you’re playing a defense that knows you’re trying to run the football, especially the way they’re equipped in size, it’s difficult. But fortunately we…”
(On if he was surprised they were able to respond this way after the loss last week)
“I’m not surprised because these things can happen. I’m pleased for them because of the approach that they took this week and every week. They deserve to have a game like this. They’re a great group of guys. Talk about character of this team, (DE) Eugene Sims lost a loved one this week and (DE) Will Hayes lost one last night. You watch the tape and watch those two play, really, really impressed. Our hearts go out to their families.”
(On any update on G Rodger Saffold’s injury)
“No. Similar to what happened three or four weeks ago, he ended up playing the following week, so we’ll be optimistic.”
Rams QB Shaun Hill
(On if he had ever been a part of a game like this before)
“No, I’d have to think awfully hard to come up with another game that started off similar to the way that one did. That was certainly fun.”
(On if this is the type of performance that can be expected of Stedman Bailey)
“Yeah, absolutely. He’s really stepping up big time right now. Like I said earlier in the week, we’ve got a lot of weapons and only one ball. When ‘Quickie’ (WR Brian Quick) went down, Stedman stepped up and had a bigger role, and he’s certainly answered the bell.”
(On the heavy emphasis on the run early on)
“Well, sometimes it’s just an opportunity to get the ball in those playmakers’ hands outside, and those guys did a good job with the ball in their hands, converting first downs and getting the chains moving.”
(On his celebratory fist pump on his rushing touchdown)
“I’m not in that situation too often, so I didn’t know what was going on.”
(On RB Tre Mason’s performance)
“Tre’s done a good job, too—especially today. He’s seeing it well, he’s hitting the holes, and hitting it hard. The offensive line did a great job, and anytime you get a long run like that, you know the receivers are blocking downfield. So obviously, they think he’s going to break it on every play, because they’re downfield blocking for him. Everybody’s doing a good job in the running game.”
(On his reaction to Tre Mason predicting he would break a big run)
“I was hoping he was right.”
(On the importance of getting off to a strong start)
“It’s always important to get off to a good start. That’s our focus every week. I know how hard it is for a West Coast team to come to the Midwest and play in the central time zone. If you can get on those teams early like that, it certainly helps.”
(On if there was an emphasis on keeping the momentum going after the quick start)
“Yeah, absolutely. Most games in the NFL, you have to play 60 minutes. So yeah, that’s certainly one of our focuses.”
(On his reaction to Rams players entering the stadium with their hands up)
“To be honest, I didn’t see it. I didn’t know anything about it. I was still in the tunnel.”
Rams DE Chris Long
(On playing in his first game since Week 1)
“It felt really good. It’s tough, you prepare for the season and then you’ve got to watch your buddies out there going through good and bad. I just was really happy to be a part of it. It was a great team win. Just do the little bit I could for us and being a part of the solution and being on the sideline in a uniform, that was nice.”
(On if there was anything he could point to that helped the defensive be so dominant)
“Well, it was really the offense. The offense did such a great job of giving us a lead early and then they’re (Raiders) forced to become one dimensional. I do think that they have some good backs. I think we would’ve done just fine, but you never really have to see them get committed to the run. It lightens the load on us, so, the offense was a big part of that.”
(On being able to be back on the field alongside DE Robert Quinn)
“It’s great. I mean, when you’re able to rush with one of the best in the business it’s a lot of fun coming to work every day. More than anything just playing with (DE) Will (Hayes) backing me up. I thanked Will today because William’s never played so many snaps in his life. He said he feels like he’s 40 years old all of the sudden. I just personally wanted to thank him because he’s been my guy through it all. Not only supported me, but was out there taking the reps and that extra load on game day and played well. He played well today and everybody played well. So, it was just a great team effort.”
(On getting his first sack of the season and if he heard the crowd’s response)
“Yeah, it was relief. I just felt the love from these fans that have supported me so much, supported us. We’ve got great fans here and I just appreciate them greatly. The outpouring of just support through the probably the longest 10, 11 weeks of my life has got me through in a lot of ways. So, it was just great. It was a relief. I just want to help the team win and it validates just being back out here to be able to make a play like that.”
Rams WR Stedman Bailey
(On the team win)
“It was a great week of preparation and everybody coming out doing their jobs to bring it together for a great team win.”
(On scoring on the first five possessions)
“We did a really good job of capitalizing on opportunities to score. It was a great job by everybody.”
(On his one-handed catch)
“It’s something I try to work on a lot throughout the week and it paid off today. I was able to reel it in.”
(On showing support for Ferguson during pregame introductions)
“We just understand that it’s a big tragedy and we hope something positive comes out of it.”
(On improving as a player)
“Week in and week out I’m just preparing hard and working my butt off throughout the week, doing all the little things to make sure I can come out and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way.”
(On expecting greatness)
“I definitely expect greatness. Sometimes opportunities are limited but when my number is called, I want to be there to make the catch.”
Rams LB James Laurinaitis
(On if the win will take people’s minds off of the events in Ferguson)
“I don’t really know how people are going to take the win. To me it’s winning a football game. I think regardless of the outcome today on the field, the community needs to stick together. To me it’s winning a football game.”
(On if they played a perfect game)
“Trust me, there’s a lot of things I can think of … I’m a perfectionist. I can think of a lot of things we can do better. I still think we can be better tackling in the open field. But goodness, I’m not going to nitpick right now. I’m going to enjoy it for a solid 24 hours and then it’s on to the next one. We’ve got to learn in this locker room how to stack wins.”
(On having DE Chris Long back on the field)
“With Chris, I think it just helped with emotion. He’s an emotional football player. It’s great to have his passion back out there. We obviously know what kind of football player he is and how talented and athletic and skilled he is. To have him back, as a unit, it just means a lot. I know it meant a lot for those guys in that room. He’s a leader in that room, he’s a leader on our whole team. It’s good to see him get a sack and recover a fumble and I’m just happy to have him back.”
Rams RB Tre Mason
(On the team win)
“Great team win. I couldn’t do it without those guys in front of me, and of course that man, ‘Mr. 1-4’ (Rams QB) Shaun Hill. He came out showing his arms strength. They have to respect his arm and that opened up holes for me.”
(On playing well)
“I told myself to achieve greatness and be the best. I want to be the best player to ever touch the football. That’s a goal of mine.”
(On working hard during the week)
“We come to work and work hard everyday, and we pray. The more prayers go, up the more blessings come down. We worked hard and it was a great team win for me.”
(On if last week’s loss gave the team extra motivation this week)
“Of course, last week added a lot of fuel to our fire so we came and attacked the whole week of practice and came out here and put it on film.”
CB Trumaine Johnson
(On defensively setting the tone early in the game)
“That was our whole point, finishing the game and that’s what we did today.”
(On making plays since returning from injury)
“That’s the whole goal. It’s going out there everyday. This is my fourth game and I’m blessed. I’m glad to come out here and compete with those guys.”
(On what he saw on the two interceptions and how he was able to get into the end zone)
“How did I get into the end zone? I ran and I crossed the goal line, and I scored (laughs). We were in zone coverage both times. I was at the right place at the right time.”
(On the secondary’s ability to make big plays and if the group’s future looks bright)
“Big time, man. I go to war with those guys everyday. It’s chemistry there for sure with me, ‘Rod’ (S Rodney McCleod) and ‘Jenks’ (CB Janoris Jenkins) back there and the young guys coming up. All those guys, especially (CB) E.J. (Gaines). (CB) Marcus (Roberson) is hurt, but he’s coming back. When he was out there, he was making plays, too. (S) Mark (Barron) back there, too. We’re clicking on all cylinders.”
(On if he had a feeling when he caught the ball that it was going to be a ‘pick-six’)
“This is my first ‘pick-six’. I scored and I forgot what it was like to be in the end zone. My celebration was trash, but I’m just glad I caught it and put some points up for our team.”
Raiders Head Coach Tony Sparano
(On game)
“Obviously we ran into a good football team here today. They played well and we didn’t. They started fast, we knew this was a team that started fast, one of the better teams in the league that way. We didn’t start on either side of the football today. Obviously that is my responsibility. We didn’t start fast, we didn’t make any progress in the first several drives. We didn’t offensively keep the ball and defensively we didn’t keep them out. Then we got into the turnover thing and put our defense in some bad positions when we were already in some bad positions. We will learn from this. This is not a game we can hold on to for long. We have to get back and get to work and get ourselves together to play another game this week.”
(On seeing anything in practice to predict that this was coming)
“I have to be honest with you, there was one day in practice this week I didn’t think that we had a great practice. Again, that is my fault. I have to do a better job and make sure that those things don’t happen out there. With all that being said, this is not something I saw coming. I knew we were playing a team that was a good team. They have beaten good teams, specifically in this place. They are a good defense, I knew that was the case coming in here. But to say that I saw this coming, no I didn’t see this coming. My team has been in close football games for a bunch of weeks now. This just wasn’t a close game. This got away from us and we just couldn’t turn it around. Some of those games in the past we have been able to turn around.”
(On noticing if the team was ‘flat’ early on)
“I didn’t see flat. I didn’t feel flat and I didn’t see flat. I felt that we had very good energy. I felt like they were hopping around very good and running good. All those things, I just think honestly they came out and hit us good and scored. We got off the field in three plays, they took the ball down and scored and I don’t have to tell you the rest. We didn’t make enough happen early on to keep them off the field and they took the ball down the field. And then they got that big run that jumped out in front of us and that opened things up.”
(On QB Derek Carr)
“It has nothing to do with what Derek did or didn’t do or any of those things. It was just the scenario; I just had to be honest with myself at that point and take him out of the football game and not risk him potentially getting hurt. I made the decision to take him out of the game, and it was the right decision.”
(On how much the Rams throwing for the first nine plays effected the outcome of the game)
“They came out throwing fast, and they came out and hit a couple of chunk plays on us and then they hit an over route that was a chunk play. They didn’t do something we didn’t think they were going to do. Their defense in the second half came in and got us off the field a few times. We had a little drive going there and we couldn’t do anything with it.”
(On the team’s tackling)
“To be honest with you, fundamentally I didn’t think we did that great. Big runs came out of there. Some tackles and some fundamental things, I think we had some people out in the open field which is something we didn’t do a couple of days ago, because we tackled very well. Now we are back to doing those type of things. We either have a young team and we do have some veteran players, but they all will have to learn from this. Like I just told the team, you can’t just learn from winning a game a week ago, you have to learn from this feeling too. I don’t want them to forget the feeling they had last week and I don’t want them to forget this feeling right now. We will forget it after tomorrow and get ready for the San Francisco 49ers.”
(On deciding to punt in the second quarter)
“We talked about for a little bit and then we thought we would knock it down a bit which we did, somewhere by the 10 yard line whatever it was, but I don’t remember the results of that drive. It may have been a score. I don’t remember the results.”
(On if the Rams speed got in the way of the short passes)
“What I saw a few times were missed tackles. They got blown out a couple of times. We were doing a great job playing those things and we didn’t do a very good job of it here. We all have to take responsibility and it starts with me. It is embarrassing.”
(On if the defensive pressure was too much for Carr)
“I thought early in the game, I didn’t feel a lot of pressure. They probably blitzed us, I can’t even imagine how many times, but it was a lot. There was pressure when the score was up there. With that being said, we have to block the pressure. We knew it was going to come. To be honest with you there wasn’t very much out there that we didn’t see during practice. They have good ends, they had Chris Long out there provided more for them. As the game went on and you get into those deals where you have to throw the football like that, that is not the type of football team that you want to play against.”
Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr
(On what happened in today’s game)
“It was just from execution, it just wasn’t us. I don’t know what that was. I can’t wait to watch the film and learn from it. Obviously, we turned the ball over way too many times. The two I had – the one to ‘Mo’ (Raiders RB Maurice Jones-Drew), I was going down just trying to make a play, especially in that situation. Again, that’s me just trying to do too much in the situation that we’re in. But the second one, he got tackled. I felt we got the look we wanted, the guy jumped (WR) James (Jones). It was perfect for that coverage. He jumped James, I went to throw it in behind (WR) Vince (Brown), the guy pretty much hit him but it is what it is.”
(On if he was OK with being taken out of the game by Head Coach Tony Sparano)
“Oh, gosh no. I was pretty hot. I was pretty upset, but then he explained why. It’s hard because I’m so competitive. I want to play. I want to do my best to help us and all those things, but when he explained why I have to be smart too and understand we still have four games left. We can’t risk anything with the situation the way it was.”
(On if their performance today resulted from being too relieved to get their first win of the season last week)
“I don’t know. It’s hard. It just didn’t feel like us, so maybe. Coach Sparano told us, he said he wanted us to remember the feeling we had last week, but remember this one, too, because this hurts – this is bad. This is a bad feeling, but we know that it’s tough right now – it’s really tough right now. So, what kind of people, what kind of team are we going to be? Are we going to turn on each other, or are we going to hold hands and go together with this thing? Obviously, we’re going to stick together and see what happens.”
(On if the offense’s number of three-and-outs had an impact on the outcome of the game)
“Obviously, with three-and-outs it’s tough on our defense, but as an offense we know what kind of defense they have. We know how talented they are, all those things. So, in the situation early in the game, you just want to be smart, you want to make the right calls. You don’t know if you’re going to get a new look or not, so be smart, take what they’re giving you. I thought we did a good job with that. Obviously, the three-and-out, that’s tough because some of the third downs were really close or the second down plays were really close also. But against the kind of defense that they have, you don’t want to go out just taking chances all the time because, obviously as you can see, they’re good at taking the ball away. For us, it was just about being smart at that time, but obviously later on in the game, how it started to work out, you kind of just have to start…they’re playing cover-2 soft zone, you’ve got to take everything underneath. It’s tough – it’s a tough situation.”
(On the coaching staff’s message when it was 38-0 at halftime)
“From the coaches’ stance, they were fired up.”
(If the coaches were angry)
“No, just that we need to execute. Be passionate – have a little passion about us. And that’s one thing, in my head, ‘Let’s go win the second half. Let’s go win the second half and see what we can do with this thing.’ That’s one thing about me, I never give up. I always have the passion in me, so I just try and relay the encouragement to the guys. That’s really hard, and how did we react? We didn’t react good enough, obviously. We didn’t react good enough, so we’ve got to take a look at it.”
(On if the team came out flat today)
“I guess so because it just wasn’t us. That didn’t look like us, what we had been working on. Obviously, times like that are going to happen. You never want it to be like this. You never want to go through those times, but they do happen in this league especially against a really good team like they have. I don’t know if ‘flat’ is the word, but it just wasn’t us.”
(On if he thinks this game could cause the team to unravel)
“For me, I always have hope in my teammates. I always have the faith in my teammates and our coaching staff. I don’t worry about them. I know that we’re going to keep fighting. I know that they’re going to prepare and all those things. It’s my job as the leader of this team to make sure that they’re still staying encouraged and executing crisp at practice. I don’t think our practices were good enough this week, and that’s something that Coach (Tony Sparano) hit on and that’s on us. I’ll make sure we get that right.”
Raiders S Charles Woodson
(On his play today)
“I’m not going to speak for anybody else today. I know I didn’t play well. That’s all I can say.”
(On rebounding from the game)
“It’s not hard. I’ve always said that for any game. A loss or a win, you have to put it behind you quickly and move on to the next team. That’s really all you can do.”
(On the Rams speed of the game)
“I’m not surprised on how they came out. I think we were in a position to stop some things and we just couldn’t get it done for whatever reason.”
Raiders DE Justin Tuck
(On the loss hurting after a big win last week)
“I don’t know if it hurts worse but it hurts. I don’t care where you are as a team but when something like that happens, it hurts. I really don’t have any words to describe what that feels like. If I sound dumbfounded, that’s because I am.”
(On coming out and playing flat)
“I don’t care if we come out flat, it’s still no explanation for that. This is a humbling game and every time I go on the football field I’m surprised by this outcome.”
(On having a loss like this)
“I don’t think it’s been like this. I had my fair share of losses but I guess my memory deleted all those other ones, like I hope it does this one. I can’t think of anything of this magnitude.”
Raiders WR James Jones
(General comments on game)
“Today we got slapped. We got beat up. They (Rams) came out and played better than us in every phase. We got hit in the mouth and didn’t punch back.”
(As a veteran what do you tell teammates on days like this)
“Keep swinging, just keep swinging. If you look around the league there’s a lot of teams losing by more than three points. They’re a lot of teams getting blown out and it isn’t just us. They probably didn’t lose by fifty, but there are a lot of teams getting blown out. Just keep swinging and good things will happen.”
Raiders RB Darren McFadden
(General comments on game after winning last week)
“We came to the game with a lot of positive energy. It was a carryover from last week and we were trying to keep it going. Today, we got hit in the mouth and we didn’t respond like we should have. You have to give it to the Rams, they played a hell of a game.”
(On the difference between last week’s game against Kansas City)
“They just hit us in the mouth, that was the main thing. We have to respond. We can’t get down on ourselves. I feel like there was something that happened out there and we didn’t respond to it and we should have.”
(On whether the Raiders were ready to play the Rams)
“Yes, we were definitely ready to play. Anytime you come here you’re going to be ready. But, you have to respond when you get hit in the mouth.”
(On what was said at halftime)
“Go out and keep fighting, finish and win the second half and that’s something we definitely didn’t do.”
