- Joined
- Jan 6, 2014
- Messages
- 1,741
- Name
- B and G
TRANSCRIPT: Conference Calls with Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden and QB Colt McCoy (12-3-14)
Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden – Conference Call – December 3, 2014
(On his first year as a head coach in the NFL)
“Well, I think any year you coach it’s difficult. Every game’s difficult. Every NFL team has good players and good coaches. So, it’s never going to be an easy road, but being the first year yeah it’s been difficult. It’s been a great challenge, obviously. We are a little frustrated with the result so far, but it is what I expected: a great challenge and a difficult job. It’s been fun, so far. Not fun, but you know what I mean. (laughs)”
(On the game last week)
“Yeah, (Redskins QB) Colt (McCoy) did some good things. Last week was kind of our season in a nutshell. We do some good things throughout the course of a game, but from a consistent standpoint we just don’t get it done. We had way too many self-inflicted wounds throughout the course of a game that just kill us. We’re not a good enough team to give other teams just huge chunks of yards or get penalties that are unforced penalties, unforced sacks when you blow a protection. It’s just unfortunate right now. Obviously, if you’re focusing on the positive, there are some positive things that come out of that game, but if you coach these guys up there are way too many negatives that really hurt your chances to win football games.”
(On the difficulty the Redskins have converting on third-and-long last week)
“Yeah, that’s part of the unforced errors. We missed target on an outside zone and we lose four yards. We have a holding call on another one. We have a sack where we blew a protection on another one. You’re forcing third-and-14 and 15 unfortunately for our offense we’ve been awful on converting third-and-longs. The entire league is not very good on third-and-long, but we’re by far the worst. Then conversely, defensively it seems like whenever (Indianapolis QB) Andrew (Luck) had third-and-long it was a touchdown. It was a tale of two teams on third down. That’s kind of been our nemesis. The turnover battle, obviously and then third downs on both sides of the ball has not been very good throughout the course of the year.”
(On the decision to make McCoy the starter and what he brings to the offense)
“I just think we just needed a little change. I think he’s a veteran that’s played in this system a little bit and got a little bit more experience as far as what we’re trying to do. He’s got a good presence about him. He knows where everybody is. He gets the ball out of his hands. He’ll move the ball and get the ball to the people who are open and play the position. I’m not trying to compare him to (Redskins QB) Robert (Griffin III) or (Redskins QB) Kirk (Cousins). They’re just new to the position, new to this terminology. Colt’s got a little bit more experience and it shows.”
(On navigating through the quarterback situation)
“It’s been difficult. I came in here with an open mind. Obviously, we wanted to do everything we could to get Robert ready and give Robert the job and get him all the reps necessary to get that job, take that job and keep it. He had a pretty good training camp and struggled a little bit in the preseason games. Against Houston struggled a little bit. Obviously, he got hurt against Jacksonville, missed five weeks of valuable time as far as practice is concerned of continuing to see these concepts and plays and all the necessary things you need to do at the quarterback position. Then we put him in there when we thought he was ready and the offense struggled. So, I thought it was important to go back to Colt. It’s kind of been entertaining for people, I guess. It’s not been entertaining for us, but I think the team understands that we’re trying to play the best people at each position and if you are a starter you’ve got to earn that every day. Unfortunately, the quarterback position’s been a little bit up and down.”
(On the quarterback situation not being entertaining for him)
“No, it’s not been entertaining. It’s been entertaining for the media people and the talk shows. Something to talk about, I guess. These guys all work hard, man. I’ve got a lot of respect for all three quarterbacks, I really do. It’s just a production based league. Obviously, guys who produce play and if you don’t produce you’ve just got to wait your turn patiently, continue to work and when your turn comes again produce. I think that’s what will happen with both of those quarterbacks, Robert and Kirk.”
(On what Griffin has to do to start again this season)
“He’s not the first talented quarterback to have gone through this. There’s been other quarterbacks in the history of the NFL if you look up, that have had to sit on the bench a little bit and just take a step back and learn and just get a feel for the offense and the progressions and the terminology and all that stuff and playing the position a little bit different way than he’s accustomed to. I think it just takes a little bit of time and with time I think he’s going to be fine. Once he gets back in there, he’s got to know exactly where to go with the ball and pull the trigger and play. I think he’s just a little bit tentative from time to time as far as getting the ball out and not believing quite what he is seeing and that comes with time. Once he has that confidence in the plays and how they are developing and anticipating some patterns and routes and letting balls go, he can play for sure.”
(On if they have the skill players to be a productive offense)
“I do, we’ve just been so up and down at the quarterback position and for whatever reason some other spots here and there across…over the course of the game, our offense does some good things, but sometimes the offensive line gets too much push in protection, maybe a tight end blows a protection, maybe a halfback doesn’t come across and pick up a nickel, maybe we drop a ball or overthrow a pass or underthrow a pass or what have you. I think from a talent standpoint, you look at on paper, we’re pretty darn good and we should better than we are, that’s for sure. We’ve got to do a better job in coaching these guys up and getting the most out of each player. It just starts from practice consistently, your approach to the game and how you prepare. We’re trying to preach that every day and hopefully it will pay off here at the end of the year going into next year.”
(On what he sees from the Rams’ defense)
“What I have I seen? I’ve seen a lot of pressure (laughs). I see a great effort. These guys play a great effort. Gregg Williams does a great job as the defensive coordinator for these guys and they play hard. They have some dominant players on defense. You talk about (DE Robert) Quinn obviously, and the rookie (DT Aaron) Donald and now you’ve got (DE Chris) Long back there and you’ve got (LB Alec) Ogletree at linebacker and you’ve got (LB James) Laurinaitis. They’re just all over the place. They’re good players. They’re physical. Then you’ve got some guys at the defensive back position that have great ball skills. When you have a great pass rush and you have defensive backs with good ball skills, it’s a great recipe for success. They have some young players that are just going to get better with time. They’ve got the makings of a dominant defense for a long time, that’s for sure.”
(On if he has studied Donald and what has made him so affective)
“I’ve studied him a lot. I was hoping he’d drop to the second round (laughs). I think he’s just a relentless rusher. He gets straight penetration. Uses his hands extremely well in the pass game and really holds up in the run game, does a nice job. I think the concern of him coming out was maybe he wouldn’t hold up in the running game on double teams and all of that, but he does a good job in the run game also. Very disruptive player and that’s what you want from your three-technique. Then they can put him over the center and get him some one-on-ones against the center and he does an excellent job there. Everybody wants to talk about Quinn and how good he is and deservedly so, but Donald has a lot to do with that pass rush also.”
(On what he sees from the Rams’ offense)
“I think they’ve got some weapons. Man, they’re young, they’re very similar to us. They’ve had three quarterbacks I believe start this year and they’re just trying to find their way and get in some rhythm, but they have the weapons. (RB Tre) Mason’s running the ball extremely well and they’ve had some offensive line issues. They’ve been up and down as far as the offensive line is concerned, but they’ve got the weapons outside and obviously the running game. So, once they find a consistent piece to their game offensively kind of like us, we’ve got the weapons we’ve just got to play more consistently and I think they feel the same way. They’ve had flashes of being brilliant. They’ve also had flashes of not being so good. So, both of us are looking for that consistency that makes average, below average teams very good and great. We’re going to continue working as I know they are, but we both have the ingredients of being pretty good offenses.”
(On if starting McCoy is on a week to week basis)
“Well, I think if Colt plays like I think he’s going to play…I never really anticipated going back to Colt once Robert got the job. We had high hopes for Robert in keeping the job. Unfortunately, our offense just didn’t do much. So, we went to Colt and I don’t have any anticipation of going back to Robert right now, but circumstances are what they are. There’s a lot of things that could happen where we would go back to Robert. I have no doubt if Robert gets another opportunity, I’m hoping very much that he takes advantage of it and does well, but right now it’s Colt’s job to lose and I’m hoping he plays well.”
(On if Redskins Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett is keeping his sanity)
“He’s on the verge of cracking (laughs). No, he’s doing good. He’s just obviously frustrated in the big plays that we gave up last week and against Tampa. That’s very unlike his defense. We’ve just got to continue coaching these guys up. He’s taking the major blunt of the criticism around here as coaches usually do, but I know he’s a good football coach. He’s a good guy, very loyal, and we’ve just got to get these guys right.”
(On the injuries in the secondary)
“Yeah we have. We started the season with (Redskins CB) DeAngelo Hall, (Redskins CB) Tracy Porter, (Redskins CB David) Amerson and (Redskins CB Bashaud) Breeland. Porter’s never really played. Obviously, Hall tore his Achilles and now we’re going to rook Breeland and second-year guy Amerson. Then (DB Brandon) Merriweather went down and it really, really hurt our depth. We’re pulling guys off the streets and practice squads and trying to fill a void. It’s been a challenge for us, that’s for sure. But these guys have got to step up. A lot of teams go through that. Injuries are part of the game and how we handle that as far as a personnel department and how these guys, young guys, step up, that’s what pro football is. The teams that are good can fight through injuries until their starters get back, but we haven’t been as good as we’d like to be in the backend, that’s for sure.”
Redskins QB Colt McCoy — Conference Call — December 3, 2014
(On his experiences as a pro and if he’s seen it all)
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ve kind of seen it all. I’m glad to be here. I didn’t know what this season would entail, but I knew that the guys were on board and wanted me here. This is how it’s worked out. I’m proud to be back on the field. Being able to play on Sundays has always been a dream of mine and then I’m proud to be here playing for the Redskins.”
(On how tough it is to pick up a new offense after joining a new team)
“Yeah, it’s tough. Unfortunately, this is my fifth system in five years, so I’ve kind of seen several other offenses that are running across this league. I do feel comfortable with what we’re doing. (Redskins Head Coach) Jay (Gruden) is a great coach, a great communicator. certainly like the style that we have here. Ever since I got here Day 1, I’ve just really tried to dive in and forget about all the other things that I’ve been through and look at this as a new opportunity, a new chance. Really tried to apply myself to learn the offense and grasp it and if I did play, be able to execute what we wanted done. Here I am.”
(On if the Redskins’ offense plays to his strengths)
“Yes, I would agree with that. I still have the things I need to clean up on and get better at. Certainty, I do. I feel that this an offense that I kind of get. I’ve worked really hard at it. Just have to continue getting better.”
(On his performance last week and if he attributes their slow start to not having much experience starting this season)
“No. I think there’s a lot of factors. You definitely want to get going early in the game, that happens in this league. I think the biggest thing for us is, we just stayed in third-and-long early in the game. We just couldn’t covert. We were staying at third-and-10, third-and-12, third-and-15. Against a good defense like Indianapolis or a great defense like the Rams are going to be this week, as best as we can, we’re going to have to stay out of those third-and-long situations in order to kind of get a rhythm and get going offensively.”
(On what he sees from the Rams’ defense and their front four)
“Everyone talks about their front four and they’re worthy to be talked about. Those guys play fast. They’re physical. They’re strong. They pretty much dominate the line of scrimmage on the tape that I’ve watched. We know that we have our hands full with those guys. On the flip side, I feel like they’re very well coached. Their secondary flies around. They involve their secondary and free safeties and corners in their blitzes. You certainly have to know where those guys are. Then they disguise their coverages very well. They play some chop-corners. They play some off coverage. They play some man coverage. They do a great job of confusing the quarterback. For me this week, it’s going to be tough to see what they’re doing. I’ve just got to play within our system and what we’re trying to do and hopefully stay out third-and-longs, find a way to score some points.”
(On his impression of what Gruden has brought to the team)
“I think Jay has done a good job. He’s an offensive mind, very bright. We’ve had some injuries this year. We’ve had some things go on in the quarterback room and we’ve just had our things here that we need to take care of. I feel like from my standpoint and from our team’s standpoint, that Jay is well liked. He wants to win just as bad as us and we’re just trying to figure that out.”
(On how tough the quarterback situation is for him)
“It’s okay. I feel like everyone in our room has done a good job handling the situations that we’re in right now. We just have to continue to , from our standpoint and from our room, try to figure out a way and continue to win what it’s going to take. We have to play four quarters and our team has to play well. Hopefully we can figure that out.”
(On if it’s helped that he came in with experience and immediately understood his role)
“Yeah. You never know what’s going to happen throughout a year. I’ve always tried to approach each week as if I was a starter, as if I was playing. I can take as many mental reps as I possibly can. I think that’s helped me get to this point and we just have to continue to have that same approach, that same mindset. You never know what’s going to happen each week and for me right now just got to find a way to get prepared to play against the Rams. We know that they’re a solid, solid defense, top of the league. I turned on the Broncos tape last night and they held the Broncos to seven points and they’re probably the best offense in the league. That gets your attention real quick. We know we have our hands full and just got to try and figure out how to put the best game plan together this week and get ready for Sunday.”
(On if he’s starting on a week-to-week basis or if he’s been promised to do more than that)
“No. My focus has been, even when I wasn’t starting, has been just one day at a time. I don’t think I’ll find myself in any wrong by doing that still today.”
(On what he took out of his experiences as the starter in Cleveland and what he learned about the league)
“I learned a lot .There were some ups and downs there in Cleveland. We would have liked to win a few more games. I accept a ton of the responsibility for that. There were some challenges there, but at the same time, I understand this league and what it’s all about. I certainly gained some experience about being there, being on that football team, lots of good guys there, good teammates. Now I’m here and just trying to finish the season strong.”
(On if he still stays in touch with Rams QB Sam Bradford)
“Yeah, I do. I’ve certainly have been close with him throughout the year. Feel extremely sorry for his circumstances, but I hope that he can battle through that, recover from that. He’s still a great quarterback and always will be.”
(On how much the Dallas Cowboys game meant to him earlier this season)
“Yeah, it was a good game for us. It was our first win in the division for the year. I felt like at the time, hopefully, it was give us some momentum boost. That’s in the past now. You can’t kind of celebrate that. We’ve got a tough stretch ahead of us and just trying to get that winning feeling again.”
(On what WR DeSean Jackson brings to the offense)
“DeSean’s a play maker. Very fast. Anytime we can get him the ball, we know he has the ability to make plays. He’s a huge asset to us as an offense. Hopefully, we’ll have him out there this week.”
(On what TE Jordan Reed brings to the offense)
“We found ourselves way down at Indy, so we were having to throw the ball probably more than that we expected going into the game. Jordan is a very physical receiver. He’s got great hands and ball skills. He’s a good asset for us. Anytime we can get him in some 1-on-1 matchups, we like to take advantage of that.”
Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden – Conference Call – December 3, 2014
(On his first year as a head coach in the NFL)
“Well, I think any year you coach it’s difficult. Every game’s difficult. Every NFL team has good players and good coaches. So, it’s never going to be an easy road, but being the first year yeah it’s been difficult. It’s been a great challenge, obviously. We are a little frustrated with the result so far, but it is what I expected: a great challenge and a difficult job. It’s been fun, so far. Not fun, but you know what I mean. (laughs)”
(On the game last week)
“Yeah, (Redskins QB) Colt (McCoy) did some good things. Last week was kind of our season in a nutshell. We do some good things throughout the course of a game, but from a consistent standpoint we just don’t get it done. We had way too many self-inflicted wounds throughout the course of a game that just kill us. We’re not a good enough team to give other teams just huge chunks of yards or get penalties that are unforced penalties, unforced sacks when you blow a protection. It’s just unfortunate right now. Obviously, if you’re focusing on the positive, there are some positive things that come out of that game, but if you coach these guys up there are way too many negatives that really hurt your chances to win football games.”
(On the difficulty the Redskins have converting on third-and-long last week)
“Yeah, that’s part of the unforced errors. We missed target on an outside zone and we lose four yards. We have a holding call on another one. We have a sack where we blew a protection on another one. You’re forcing third-and-14 and 15 unfortunately for our offense we’ve been awful on converting third-and-longs. The entire league is not very good on third-and-long, but we’re by far the worst. Then conversely, defensively it seems like whenever (Indianapolis QB) Andrew (Luck) had third-and-long it was a touchdown. It was a tale of two teams on third down. That’s kind of been our nemesis. The turnover battle, obviously and then third downs on both sides of the ball has not been very good throughout the course of the year.”
(On the decision to make McCoy the starter and what he brings to the offense)
“I just think we just needed a little change. I think he’s a veteran that’s played in this system a little bit and got a little bit more experience as far as what we’re trying to do. He’s got a good presence about him. He knows where everybody is. He gets the ball out of his hands. He’ll move the ball and get the ball to the people who are open and play the position. I’m not trying to compare him to (Redskins QB) Robert (Griffin III) or (Redskins QB) Kirk (Cousins). They’re just new to the position, new to this terminology. Colt’s got a little bit more experience and it shows.”
(On navigating through the quarterback situation)
“It’s been difficult. I came in here with an open mind. Obviously, we wanted to do everything we could to get Robert ready and give Robert the job and get him all the reps necessary to get that job, take that job and keep it. He had a pretty good training camp and struggled a little bit in the preseason games. Against Houston struggled a little bit. Obviously, he got hurt against Jacksonville, missed five weeks of valuable time as far as practice is concerned of continuing to see these concepts and plays and all the necessary things you need to do at the quarterback position. Then we put him in there when we thought he was ready and the offense struggled. So, I thought it was important to go back to Colt. It’s kind of been entertaining for people, I guess. It’s not been entertaining for us, but I think the team understands that we’re trying to play the best people at each position and if you are a starter you’ve got to earn that every day. Unfortunately, the quarterback position’s been a little bit up and down.”
(On the quarterback situation not being entertaining for him)
“No, it’s not been entertaining. It’s been entertaining for the media people and the talk shows. Something to talk about, I guess. These guys all work hard, man. I’ve got a lot of respect for all three quarterbacks, I really do. It’s just a production based league. Obviously, guys who produce play and if you don’t produce you’ve just got to wait your turn patiently, continue to work and when your turn comes again produce. I think that’s what will happen with both of those quarterbacks, Robert and Kirk.”
(On what Griffin has to do to start again this season)
“He’s not the first talented quarterback to have gone through this. There’s been other quarterbacks in the history of the NFL if you look up, that have had to sit on the bench a little bit and just take a step back and learn and just get a feel for the offense and the progressions and the terminology and all that stuff and playing the position a little bit different way than he’s accustomed to. I think it just takes a little bit of time and with time I think he’s going to be fine. Once he gets back in there, he’s got to know exactly where to go with the ball and pull the trigger and play. I think he’s just a little bit tentative from time to time as far as getting the ball out and not believing quite what he is seeing and that comes with time. Once he has that confidence in the plays and how they are developing and anticipating some patterns and routes and letting balls go, he can play for sure.”
(On if they have the skill players to be a productive offense)
“I do, we’ve just been so up and down at the quarterback position and for whatever reason some other spots here and there across…over the course of the game, our offense does some good things, but sometimes the offensive line gets too much push in protection, maybe a tight end blows a protection, maybe a halfback doesn’t come across and pick up a nickel, maybe we drop a ball or overthrow a pass or underthrow a pass or what have you. I think from a talent standpoint, you look at on paper, we’re pretty darn good and we should better than we are, that’s for sure. We’ve got to do a better job in coaching these guys up and getting the most out of each player. It just starts from practice consistently, your approach to the game and how you prepare. We’re trying to preach that every day and hopefully it will pay off here at the end of the year going into next year.”
(On what he sees from the Rams’ defense)
“What I have I seen? I’ve seen a lot of pressure (laughs). I see a great effort. These guys play a great effort. Gregg Williams does a great job as the defensive coordinator for these guys and they play hard. They have some dominant players on defense. You talk about (DE Robert) Quinn obviously, and the rookie (DT Aaron) Donald and now you’ve got (DE Chris) Long back there and you’ve got (LB Alec) Ogletree at linebacker and you’ve got (LB James) Laurinaitis. They’re just all over the place. They’re good players. They’re physical. Then you’ve got some guys at the defensive back position that have great ball skills. When you have a great pass rush and you have defensive backs with good ball skills, it’s a great recipe for success. They have some young players that are just going to get better with time. They’ve got the makings of a dominant defense for a long time, that’s for sure.”
(On if he has studied Donald and what has made him so affective)
“I’ve studied him a lot. I was hoping he’d drop to the second round (laughs). I think he’s just a relentless rusher. He gets straight penetration. Uses his hands extremely well in the pass game and really holds up in the run game, does a nice job. I think the concern of him coming out was maybe he wouldn’t hold up in the running game on double teams and all of that, but he does a good job in the run game also. Very disruptive player and that’s what you want from your three-technique. Then they can put him over the center and get him some one-on-ones against the center and he does an excellent job there. Everybody wants to talk about Quinn and how good he is and deservedly so, but Donald has a lot to do with that pass rush also.”
(On what he sees from the Rams’ offense)
“I think they’ve got some weapons. Man, they’re young, they’re very similar to us. They’ve had three quarterbacks I believe start this year and they’re just trying to find their way and get in some rhythm, but they have the weapons. (RB Tre) Mason’s running the ball extremely well and they’ve had some offensive line issues. They’ve been up and down as far as the offensive line is concerned, but they’ve got the weapons outside and obviously the running game. So, once they find a consistent piece to their game offensively kind of like us, we’ve got the weapons we’ve just got to play more consistently and I think they feel the same way. They’ve had flashes of being brilliant. They’ve also had flashes of not being so good. So, both of us are looking for that consistency that makes average, below average teams very good and great. We’re going to continue working as I know they are, but we both have the ingredients of being pretty good offenses.”
(On if starting McCoy is on a week to week basis)
“Well, I think if Colt plays like I think he’s going to play…I never really anticipated going back to Colt once Robert got the job. We had high hopes for Robert in keeping the job. Unfortunately, our offense just didn’t do much. So, we went to Colt and I don’t have any anticipation of going back to Robert right now, but circumstances are what they are. There’s a lot of things that could happen where we would go back to Robert. I have no doubt if Robert gets another opportunity, I’m hoping very much that he takes advantage of it and does well, but right now it’s Colt’s job to lose and I’m hoping he plays well.”
(On if Redskins Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett is keeping his sanity)
“He’s on the verge of cracking (laughs). No, he’s doing good. He’s just obviously frustrated in the big plays that we gave up last week and against Tampa. That’s very unlike his defense. We’ve just got to continue coaching these guys up. He’s taking the major blunt of the criticism around here as coaches usually do, but I know he’s a good football coach. He’s a good guy, very loyal, and we’ve just got to get these guys right.”
(On the injuries in the secondary)
“Yeah we have. We started the season with (Redskins CB) DeAngelo Hall, (Redskins CB) Tracy Porter, (Redskins CB David) Amerson and (Redskins CB Bashaud) Breeland. Porter’s never really played. Obviously, Hall tore his Achilles and now we’re going to rook Breeland and second-year guy Amerson. Then (DB Brandon) Merriweather went down and it really, really hurt our depth. We’re pulling guys off the streets and practice squads and trying to fill a void. It’s been a challenge for us, that’s for sure. But these guys have got to step up. A lot of teams go through that. Injuries are part of the game and how we handle that as far as a personnel department and how these guys, young guys, step up, that’s what pro football is. The teams that are good can fight through injuries until their starters get back, but we haven’t been as good as we’d like to be in the backend, that’s for sure.”
Redskins QB Colt McCoy — Conference Call — December 3, 2014
(On his experiences as a pro and if he’s seen it all)
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ve kind of seen it all. I’m glad to be here. I didn’t know what this season would entail, but I knew that the guys were on board and wanted me here. This is how it’s worked out. I’m proud to be back on the field. Being able to play on Sundays has always been a dream of mine and then I’m proud to be here playing for the Redskins.”
(On how tough it is to pick up a new offense after joining a new team)
“Yeah, it’s tough. Unfortunately, this is my fifth system in five years, so I’ve kind of seen several other offenses that are running across this league. I do feel comfortable with what we’re doing. (Redskins Head Coach) Jay (Gruden) is a great coach, a great communicator. certainly like the style that we have here. Ever since I got here Day 1, I’ve just really tried to dive in and forget about all the other things that I’ve been through and look at this as a new opportunity, a new chance. Really tried to apply myself to learn the offense and grasp it and if I did play, be able to execute what we wanted done. Here I am.”
(On if the Redskins’ offense plays to his strengths)
“Yes, I would agree with that. I still have the things I need to clean up on and get better at. Certainty, I do. I feel that this an offense that I kind of get. I’ve worked really hard at it. Just have to continue getting better.”
(On his performance last week and if he attributes their slow start to not having much experience starting this season)
“No. I think there’s a lot of factors. You definitely want to get going early in the game, that happens in this league. I think the biggest thing for us is, we just stayed in third-and-long early in the game. We just couldn’t covert. We were staying at third-and-10, third-and-12, third-and-15. Against a good defense like Indianapolis or a great defense like the Rams are going to be this week, as best as we can, we’re going to have to stay out of those third-and-long situations in order to kind of get a rhythm and get going offensively.”
(On what he sees from the Rams’ defense and their front four)
“Everyone talks about their front four and they’re worthy to be talked about. Those guys play fast. They’re physical. They’re strong. They pretty much dominate the line of scrimmage on the tape that I’ve watched. We know that we have our hands full with those guys. On the flip side, I feel like they’re very well coached. Their secondary flies around. They involve their secondary and free safeties and corners in their blitzes. You certainly have to know where those guys are. Then they disguise their coverages very well. They play some chop-corners. They play some off coverage. They play some man coverage. They do a great job of confusing the quarterback. For me this week, it’s going to be tough to see what they’re doing. I’ve just got to play within our system and what we’re trying to do and hopefully stay out third-and-longs, find a way to score some points.”
(On his impression of what Gruden has brought to the team)
“I think Jay has done a good job. He’s an offensive mind, very bright. We’ve had some injuries this year. We’ve had some things go on in the quarterback room and we’ve just had our things here that we need to take care of. I feel like from my standpoint and from our team’s standpoint, that Jay is well liked. He wants to win just as bad as us and we’re just trying to figure that out.”
(On how tough the quarterback situation is for him)
“It’s okay. I feel like everyone in our room has done a good job handling the situations that we’re in right now. We just have to continue to , from our standpoint and from our room, try to figure out a way and continue to win what it’s going to take. We have to play four quarters and our team has to play well. Hopefully we can figure that out.”
(On if it’s helped that he came in with experience and immediately understood his role)
“Yeah. You never know what’s going to happen throughout a year. I’ve always tried to approach each week as if I was a starter, as if I was playing. I can take as many mental reps as I possibly can. I think that’s helped me get to this point and we just have to continue to have that same approach, that same mindset. You never know what’s going to happen each week and for me right now just got to find a way to get prepared to play against the Rams. We know that they’re a solid, solid defense, top of the league. I turned on the Broncos tape last night and they held the Broncos to seven points and they’re probably the best offense in the league. That gets your attention real quick. We know we have our hands full and just got to try and figure out how to put the best game plan together this week and get ready for Sunday.”
(On if he’s starting on a week-to-week basis or if he’s been promised to do more than that)
“No. My focus has been, even when I wasn’t starting, has been just one day at a time. I don’t think I’ll find myself in any wrong by doing that still today.”
(On what he took out of his experiences as the starter in Cleveland and what he learned about the league)
“I learned a lot .There were some ups and downs there in Cleveland. We would have liked to win a few more games. I accept a ton of the responsibility for that. There were some challenges there, but at the same time, I understand this league and what it’s all about. I certainly gained some experience about being there, being on that football team, lots of good guys there, good teammates. Now I’m here and just trying to finish the season strong.”
(On if he still stays in touch with Rams QB Sam Bradford)
“Yeah, I do. I’ve certainly have been close with him throughout the year. Feel extremely sorry for his circumstances, but I hope that he can battle through that, recover from that. He’s still a great quarterback and always will be.”
(On how much the Dallas Cowboys game meant to him earlier this season)
“Yeah, it was a good game for us. It was our first win in the division for the year. I felt like at the time, hopefully, it was give us some momentum boost. That’s in the past now. You can’t kind of celebrate that. We’ve got a tough stretch ahead of us and just trying to get that winning feeling again.”
(On what WR DeSean Jackson brings to the offense)
“DeSean’s a play maker. Very fast. Anytime we can get him the ball, we know he has the ability to make plays. He’s a huge asset to us as an offense. Hopefully, we’ll have him out there this week.”
(On what TE Jordan Reed brings to the offense)
“We found ourselves way down at Indy, so we were having to throw the ball probably more than that we expected going into the game. Jordan is a very physical receiver. He’s got great hands and ball skills. He’s a good asset for us. Anytime we can get him in some 1-on-1 matchups, we like to take advantage of that.”
