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Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – October 30, 2013
(On if practice was moved inside because of rain)
“No. I had intended on coming in. We looked at the forecast and since we had reduced practice, which included half the time was a walkthrough, I thought it’d be best just to come in.”
(On how P Johnny Hekker contributed to putting the defense in good position against Seattle pertaining to opposing field position)
“He hit some really good balls, especially to start the game. That was a great ball. Then, we had some positive plays on defense. It seems like week after week we’re facing really good returners and John’s doing a good job of putting the ball on the boundary for us.”
(On Titans Head Coach Mike Munchak)
“Mike’s an outstanding coach, very good communicator, very hard worker, very detailed. Has a really good feel for, clearly, offensive line play because that’s where he spent most of his time. He’s played the games, is in the Hall of Fame and players respect him.”
(On if he stays in contact with Munchak)
“Yeah. We spend time together at league functions and things like that.”
(On the two teams knowing each other well)
“I mentioned this before, there’s 16 players on the roster that were there when I was there. So, the roster’s just about completely turned over. There’s just a few coaches on the staff. Front office is turned over. To me, this is just another opponent. Now yes, I have great memories there and owe the organization an awful lot – we wouldn’t be standing here right now – and that includes the Adams family. As far as the challenges this week, we’ve got challenges with their offense, their defense, and their special teams.”
(On if it will be weird to look across the field and see the Titans, especially in the throwback uniforms)
“No. I see the uniform occasionally in the building here on the walls. So, I’m used to it now.”
(On Titans QB Jack Locker)
“They’ve played some difficult defenses. Jake, a week ago – because obviously they’re coming off the bye – played a real good game against the 49ers. The 49ers have an outstanding defense, we all know, and Jake put up over 300 yards passing. Clearly, over the injury. He’s running. He’s very dangerous. He’s a big, strong, powerful runner and he’s OK with running and he’s good at it. He’s got a good receiving corps. Obviously, we know what ‘CJ’ (RB Chris Johnson) can do. (RB Jackie) Battle’s a really good change of pace pack, and tight end Delanie (Walker) was a big pick up for them. So, he’s got weapons and he’s got an outstanding offensive line. They’ve done a real nice job, interior, putting that thing together. Their front five is pretty good.”
(On if he ever thought that his entire career would be spent coaching the Titans)
“Well, I never came to work wondering what I was going to be doing next. So, it just all came together one day and I moved on, took some time off. It was a long time there. We had a lot of fond memories, developed relationships with a lot of former players, as you can tell at the camp with the guys that have come in and have stayed in touch with many others that you haven’t seen in the building. But as far as I’m concerned, I’ve moved on. They’re just another challenge for us this week.”
(On if he sees similarities in Tennessee’s defense, especially with Senior Assistant Defensive Coach Gregg Williams there)
“Yeah. It’s clearly a different defense than what was on the field last year. Gregg has a tremendous amount of influence on the defense and they’re playing well. They played well against Seattle. They played well against San Francisco. Some special teams blunders and things like that contribute to the scoring, but they’re very disciplined and they’re aggressive and they’re very sound.”
(On if he talks with Gregg Williams)
“I really never talked to him during the season anyway. I’m sure I’ll see him on Sunday.”
(On updates about players’ injuries)
“We have some guys that did not practice today that’ll probably practice tomorrow. Some may not practice until Friday. The big thing with the report we got back from the doctor was that (RG) Harvey’s (Dahl) going to miss some time, don’t know, a couple weeks perhaps, with an MCL.”
(On if it means anything to him that QB Sam Bradford is attending practices despite suffering a season-ending injury)
“Yeah. That’s just Sam. Nothing was said to him at all about coming around and he just loves it. He’s here to support the offense and help (QB) Kellen (Clemens), (QB) Brady (Quinn), (QB) and Austin (Davis), and gosh, he’s on the sideline even out there with ‘Kel’ when he was warming up during pre-game warm-up. He’s done a tremendous job. He was voted captain. Clearly, that’s not the reason he’s here. He’s here because he wants to help.”
(On how the back-up quarterbacks are coming along with understanding the offense)
“They’re doing fine. They both got significant reps today and they’re doing fine.”
(On if he expected RB Zac Stacy could help this much this early when they drafted him)
“Yeah. We didn’t have any concern about his learning ability, those kinds of things. We all felt like the physical ability was there. I’d say I’m not surprised, while I’m very pleased right now with what he’s been able to do.”
Rams QB Sam Bradford – Post-Practice – October 30, 2013
(On his rehab prior to surgery to repair his torn ACL)
“Still trying to get some of the swelling out and just stengthen it up as much as possible before I go in to surgery. It’s progressed quite a bit since the injury. It’s gotten a lot better and the goal right now is to just go in to surgery as strong as possible.”
(On his role supporting the other quarterbacks since the injury)
“I’m basically just here to help. It’s kind of a little bit of a role reversal. (QB) Kellen’s (Clemens) been here for me a lot over the past couple years, and I’m trying to do the same thing for him that he’s done for me. Sit in the meeting room with him, watch tape, if he asks for my opinion, I’m happy to give it to him. Tell him things that I see at practice, just little things like that and, overall, just there for support, really.”
(On what he’s heard from other players about the road to recovery)
“From everyone I’ve talked to, we’ve had a few guys in this locker room go through it. They say the first part of rehab, just getting the range of motion back, the extension, the flexion, that that’s definitely the toughest and most painful part of the process. I’m not expecting it to be easy. I know it’s going to be tough, and I’m going to do everything I can to get better. Every day, talking to (Athletic Trainer) Reggie (Scott) the best thing to do is just to take it day by day. Try to get better every day. In the end, when I’m ready to go, I’ll be ready to go.”
(On being active with the team to keep himself busy)
“There’s no doubt. Someone asked me like, ‘Why are you still here?’ It’s like, what else am I going to do?Football is all I have, so if I weren’t up here helping out, watching film, I honestly have no idea what I would do. It sure as anything beats sitting at home watching TV, listening to music, so I’ll be up here until they kick me out.”
(On how tough it is watching from the sideline)
“It was tougher than expected, to be honest. I thought after a couple years ago, missing a few games with my ankle, I would kind of be prepared for it, but until you get out there and you stand on the sideline and have to watch, it doesn’t really hit you. And then after the game, I think that’s the toughest because it’s kind of a helpless feeling. There’s really not much you can do, so it was pretty tough.”
(On his thoughts about the play where he was injured)
“I’ve seen the play and after looking at it, it’s kind of what I thought. I think I just kind of got pushed as soon as my left foot went into the ground, and I think my foot just kind of got stuck and the rest of my body kept going and that’s what caused the injury.”
(On the hit looking like a tug backwards)
“I didn’t feel that, I just kind of felt everything go forward, to be honest.”
(On if he knew right away it was a serious injury)
“Yeah. I’ve never hurt a knee before, so I didn’t exactly know what it was, but there was immediate pain and I knew something was wrong.”
(On if he thinks it was a clean hit)
“Yeah, it happened in the field of play. I wasn’t out of bounds. It’s not like he came over and tried to kill me, either, so I think it was a clean play.”
(On if he saw S Mike Mitchell taunting him after he went down)
“I did not see that part. I would like to think that he didn’t know that I was injured, but I know what (G) Harvey Dahl went up and did. I really appreciate that, and it means a lot when your guys stick up for you.”
(On if he let Dahl know he appreciated his reaction)
“Yeah, I think he knows how much I appreciate him.”
(On if he has his surgery scheduled)
“Yeah, we actually just scheduled it today and it will be next Tuesday.”
(On who is performing the surgery)
“Dr. (James) Andrews.”
(On if he’s met with Dr. Andrews)
“He’s seen the MRI, he’s seen everything. Obviously, there will be a consultation the day before, but I haven’t gone down there to see him.”
(On if Dr. Andrews also performed his shoulder surgery when he was at Oklahoma)
“He did.”
(On if it is only an ACL injury)
“Yeah, everything else is intact. They said everything looked really good for the possibility that with that injury, sometimes other things happen. It’s just the ACL and it was a clean tear, so that is a positive.”
(On if he is sure he will be ready to start the 2014 season)
“That’s the plan. Like I said, just taking it day by day, trying to get better each day during the rehab process, and I’ll be back when I’m back.”
(On his steady improvement this season)
“I felt good the way I was playing. I think that’s the most frustrating part about it is it seems like as an offense we were improving and we were getting better, especially after the San Fran(cisco) game. Adding the run game and being balanced, I think that was really helping. Hopefully I just come back next year and build off what I was able to do during those seven games and come back even better.”
(On getting the deep ball going against Carolina)
“Yeah, I think that’s encouraging. It’s something that we knew we could do all along. I think sometimes coverages kind of dictated the ball being thrown intermediate, to the shorter pass game, but we finally got the look against Carolina and made some big plays.”
(On if it’s frustrating not being able to work with his receivers and backs during the offseason)
“Yeah, that’s definitely frustrating, but me and ‘Schotty’ (Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) talked after the injury that the biggest thing for me to do now is develop relationships. Just because I can’t be on the field working with those guys, doesn’t mean that I can’t spend time with them in the meeting room. It doesn’t mean that I can’t spend time with them away from the facility, just talk football, talk our offense, our language and just get more familiar with each other.”
(On if there is hope that he’ll be ready for the OTA’s)
“We haven’t even talked about that yet, so I couldn’t answer that.”
Rams QB Kellen Clemens – Post-Practice – October 30, 2013
(On how sore he was Tuesday)
“More than probably a usual Tuesday that we’ve had up to this point in the season, but nothing too critical. Just kind of some general soreness. Typically, that’s a very physical defense that we played, so some general soreness but nothing that is of any concern at this point.”
(On how much fun it was to play on Monday)
“It was enjoyable. I was told when I was a youngster still up in New York, Laveranues Coles said that they pay us to practice and we play for free. So, I believe it. We love going out there. It’s fun to be out there with the guys, like you say, just wish I would have had a different result.”
(On what he took away from Monday’s game)
“Well, like you said, there’s a lot of good, a lot of stuff that we can improve on, but (Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher has his 24-hour rule so we’re moving onto Tennessee. We’re excited for the next challenge that’s in front of us on a short week.”
(On what it’s been like having QB Sam Bradford still around)
“Awesome. It’s been awesome, it really has. He’s got a wealth of knowledge because he’s played so long. Really, he’s played more games than I have, so it’s been great to be able to bounce stuff off of him. He also has, when you’re talking about Seattle and certain teams in this division, he’s played against them in the past, so an opportunity to bounce stuff off of him has been great. I think the fact that he has stuck around and continued to be a major part of our quarterback room, of this offense and of this entire football team just speaks to his character. I can’t say enough great things about Sam Bradford.”
(On if he thinks this matchup is extra special to Coach Fisher due to his history in Tennessee)
“I think one thing that we all appreciate about Jeff Fisher is that he doesn’t flinch. It doesn’t matter what our record is, it doesn’t matter what’s going on, he is the same coach that walks in this building every single day, and I think that that’s consistent with based on who our opponent is. Obviously, he spent a lot of years there, had a lot of success there, and probably has a lot of ties in the community and around that organization, but it’s another week for us. It’s another opportunity for us to get a win.”
(On what he sees from Tennessee on film)
“They’re good. They’re another great football team. I think, gosh what are they right now, seventh against the pass, rolling the defensive line in there. Maybe not a headliner on the defensive line, but a lot of quality guys. You can see some of the tendencies defensively. It’s like some stuff that we saw here last year with Gregg Williams’ fingerprint, so you can see some of the carry over, if you will. Then, obviously, the two safeties are very talented between (Michael) Griffin and (Bernard) Pollard, the guy who came over from Baltimore with a Super Bowl ring. Another good challenge for us but coming off the way that we played last week against a very good Seattle defense, we’re excited for the challenge.”
(On the success of the young running backs)
“Every week is a challenge. You don’t want to say that last week is going to make us. Last week doesn’t mean anything until we do it again this week. But, certainly, we’re pleased with the way that Zac Stacy’s running the ball. Again, that starts with the coaches and how they’re game planning and goes into the offensive line, tight ends, the wide receivers and how they’re all able to block and open up holes. Zac’s doing a great job seeing the holes, making the cuts and then getting yards after contact.”
(On preparing on a short week after a physical game)
“Well, it’s a challenge, but, again, I go back Coach Fisher. This isn’t his first rodeo. He understands how to take care of us. He understands how to give us some time to take care of our bodies, to get rested up. By the time that Sunday rolls around, we’ll be back to peak form and ready to roll.”
(On if Senior Assistant Defensive Coach Gregg Williams influenced a blitz heavy defensive scheme in Tennessee)
“I haven’t played against a truly Gregg Williams coordinated defense in a while, but they’ve got some pressures. It’s a mix of some various coverages, but you see some glimpses more so of Gregg Williams than you do, I think, maybe of his signatures. But, definitely, he’s got an influence over there, and, certainly, Jerry Gray is a great defensive coordinator as well. So, we’re going to see his stuff, but you see some glimpses of Gregg as well.”
(On if of the coaching staff’s familiarity with Tennessee helped the team prepare for Sunday)
“Every week, you’re talking to the coaches, just asking for some assistance. What do they see? What would they be doing if our defensive coach were going against us? What would we be doing if our offensive coaches were going against our defense? So, there’s that back and forth every week, helping one another out. Obviously, this week there is some familiarity so it helps a little bit, but that’s a pretty consistent thing throughout the season.”
(On how much better he think he’ll be in his second start of the season)
“I think at this point, the reps start to accrue a little bit more. So we had a week under our belt last week, got some live game reps. So it should just continue to get better with each practice and with each game going forward.”
(On the loss of G Harvey Dahl due to a knee injury)
“First of all, Harvey, he’s a quarterback’s dream the way that he plays the position. He’s got your back. You go back to Carolina and how he reacted when Sam (Bradford) went down – that’s a quarterback’s dream to see that reaction out of an offensive lineman. So, we will miss that. We will miss his presence. At the same time, we have a lot of confidence in (G) Shelley (Smith). Shelley’s been rotating in at left (guard) for us, so it’s not going to be his first rodeo coming in. So, a lot of confidence in Shelley and we’re sure he’s going to do a great job for us.”
(On who he likes tonight in Game 6 of the World Series)
“I’m St. Louis all the way here now. I’m a Cards guy. You can’t be in St. Louis and not catch the fever, now.
(On if practice was moved inside because of rain)
“No. I had intended on coming in. We looked at the forecast and since we had reduced practice, which included half the time was a walkthrough, I thought it’d be best just to come in.”
(On how P Johnny Hekker contributed to putting the defense in good position against Seattle pertaining to opposing field position)
“He hit some really good balls, especially to start the game. That was a great ball. Then, we had some positive plays on defense. It seems like week after week we’re facing really good returners and John’s doing a good job of putting the ball on the boundary for us.”
(On Titans Head Coach Mike Munchak)
“Mike’s an outstanding coach, very good communicator, very hard worker, very detailed. Has a really good feel for, clearly, offensive line play because that’s where he spent most of his time. He’s played the games, is in the Hall of Fame and players respect him.”
(On if he stays in contact with Munchak)
“Yeah. We spend time together at league functions and things like that.”
(On the two teams knowing each other well)
“I mentioned this before, there’s 16 players on the roster that were there when I was there. So, the roster’s just about completely turned over. There’s just a few coaches on the staff. Front office is turned over. To me, this is just another opponent. Now yes, I have great memories there and owe the organization an awful lot – we wouldn’t be standing here right now – and that includes the Adams family. As far as the challenges this week, we’ve got challenges with their offense, their defense, and their special teams.”
(On if it will be weird to look across the field and see the Titans, especially in the throwback uniforms)
“No. I see the uniform occasionally in the building here on the walls. So, I’m used to it now.”
(On Titans QB Jack Locker)
“They’ve played some difficult defenses. Jake, a week ago – because obviously they’re coming off the bye – played a real good game against the 49ers. The 49ers have an outstanding defense, we all know, and Jake put up over 300 yards passing. Clearly, over the injury. He’s running. He’s very dangerous. He’s a big, strong, powerful runner and he’s OK with running and he’s good at it. He’s got a good receiving corps. Obviously, we know what ‘CJ’ (RB Chris Johnson) can do. (RB Jackie) Battle’s a really good change of pace pack, and tight end Delanie (Walker) was a big pick up for them. So, he’s got weapons and he’s got an outstanding offensive line. They’ve done a real nice job, interior, putting that thing together. Their front five is pretty good.”
(On if he ever thought that his entire career would be spent coaching the Titans)
“Well, I never came to work wondering what I was going to be doing next. So, it just all came together one day and I moved on, took some time off. It was a long time there. We had a lot of fond memories, developed relationships with a lot of former players, as you can tell at the camp with the guys that have come in and have stayed in touch with many others that you haven’t seen in the building. But as far as I’m concerned, I’ve moved on. They’re just another challenge for us this week.”
(On if he sees similarities in Tennessee’s defense, especially with Senior Assistant Defensive Coach Gregg Williams there)
“Yeah. It’s clearly a different defense than what was on the field last year. Gregg has a tremendous amount of influence on the defense and they’re playing well. They played well against Seattle. They played well against San Francisco. Some special teams blunders and things like that contribute to the scoring, but they’re very disciplined and they’re aggressive and they’re very sound.”
(On if he talks with Gregg Williams)
“I really never talked to him during the season anyway. I’m sure I’ll see him on Sunday.”
(On updates about players’ injuries)
“We have some guys that did not practice today that’ll probably practice tomorrow. Some may not practice until Friday. The big thing with the report we got back from the doctor was that (RG) Harvey’s (Dahl) going to miss some time, don’t know, a couple weeks perhaps, with an MCL.”
(On if it means anything to him that QB Sam Bradford is attending practices despite suffering a season-ending injury)
“Yeah. That’s just Sam. Nothing was said to him at all about coming around and he just loves it. He’s here to support the offense and help (QB) Kellen (Clemens), (QB) Brady (Quinn), (QB) and Austin (Davis), and gosh, he’s on the sideline even out there with ‘Kel’ when he was warming up during pre-game warm-up. He’s done a tremendous job. He was voted captain. Clearly, that’s not the reason he’s here. He’s here because he wants to help.”
(On how the back-up quarterbacks are coming along with understanding the offense)
“They’re doing fine. They both got significant reps today and they’re doing fine.”
(On if he expected RB Zac Stacy could help this much this early when they drafted him)
“Yeah. We didn’t have any concern about his learning ability, those kinds of things. We all felt like the physical ability was there. I’d say I’m not surprised, while I’m very pleased right now with what he’s been able to do.”
Rams QB Sam Bradford – Post-Practice – October 30, 2013
(On his rehab prior to surgery to repair his torn ACL)
“Still trying to get some of the swelling out and just stengthen it up as much as possible before I go in to surgery. It’s progressed quite a bit since the injury. It’s gotten a lot better and the goal right now is to just go in to surgery as strong as possible.”
(On his role supporting the other quarterbacks since the injury)
“I’m basically just here to help. It’s kind of a little bit of a role reversal. (QB) Kellen’s (Clemens) been here for me a lot over the past couple years, and I’m trying to do the same thing for him that he’s done for me. Sit in the meeting room with him, watch tape, if he asks for my opinion, I’m happy to give it to him. Tell him things that I see at practice, just little things like that and, overall, just there for support, really.”
(On what he’s heard from other players about the road to recovery)
“From everyone I’ve talked to, we’ve had a few guys in this locker room go through it. They say the first part of rehab, just getting the range of motion back, the extension, the flexion, that that’s definitely the toughest and most painful part of the process. I’m not expecting it to be easy. I know it’s going to be tough, and I’m going to do everything I can to get better. Every day, talking to (Athletic Trainer) Reggie (Scott) the best thing to do is just to take it day by day. Try to get better every day. In the end, when I’m ready to go, I’ll be ready to go.”
(On being active with the team to keep himself busy)
“There’s no doubt. Someone asked me like, ‘Why are you still here?’ It’s like, what else am I going to do?Football is all I have, so if I weren’t up here helping out, watching film, I honestly have no idea what I would do. It sure as anything beats sitting at home watching TV, listening to music, so I’ll be up here until they kick me out.”
(On how tough it is watching from the sideline)
“It was tougher than expected, to be honest. I thought after a couple years ago, missing a few games with my ankle, I would kind of be prepared for it, but until you get out there and you stand on the sideline and have to watch, it doesn’t really hit you. And then after the game, I think that’s the toughest because it’s kind of a helpless feeling. There’s really not much you can do, so it was pretty tough.”
(On his thoughts about the play where he was injured)
“I’ve seen the play and after looking at it, it’s kind of what I thought. I think I just kind of got pushed as soon as my left foot went into the ground, and I think my foot just kind of got stuck and the rest of my body kept going and that’s what caused the injury.”
(On the hit looking like a tug backwards)
“I didn’t feel that, I just kind of felt everything go forward, to be honest.”
(On if he knew right away it was a serious injury)
“Yeah. I’ve never hurt a knee before, so I didn’t exactly know what it was, but there was immediate pain and I knew something was wrong.”
(On if he thinks it was a clean hit)
“Yeah, it happened in the field of play. I wasn’t out of bounds. It’s not like he came over and tried to kill me, either, so I think it was a clean play.”
(On if he saw S Mike Mitchell taunting him after he went down)
“I did not see that part. I would like to think that he didn’t know that I was injured, but I know what (G) Harvey Dahl went up and did. I really appreciate that, and it means a lot when your guys stick up for you.”
(On if he let Dahl know he appreciated his reaction)
“Yeah, I think he knows how much I appreciate him.”
(On if he has his surgery scheduled)
“Yeah, we actually just scheduled it today and it will be next Tuesday.”
(On who is performing the surgery)
“Dr. (James) Andrews.”
(On if he’s met with Dr. Andrews)
“He’s seen the MRI, he’s seen everything. Obviously, there will be a consultation the day before, but I haven’t gone down there to see him.”
(On if Dr. Andrews also performed his shoulder surgery when he was at Oklahoma)
“He did.”
(On if it is only an ACL injury)
“Yeah, everything else is intact. They said everything looked really good for the possibility that with that injury, sometimes other things happen. It’s just the ACL and it was a clean tear, so that is a positive.”
(On if he is sure he will be ready to start the 2014 season)
“That’s the plan. Like I said, just taking it day by day, trying to get better each day during the rehab process, and I’ll be back when I’m back.”
(On his steady improvement this season)
“I felt good the way I was playing. I think that’s the most frustrating part about it is it seems like as an offense we were improving and we were getting better, especially after the San Fran(cisco) game. Adding the run game and being balanced, I think that was really helping. Hopefully I just come back next year and build off what I was able to do during those seven games and come back even better.”
(On getting the deep ball going against Carolina)
“Yeah, I think that’s encouraging. It’s something that we knew we could do all along. I think sometimes coverages kind of dictated the ball being thrown intermediate, to the shorter pass game, but we finally got the look against Carolina and made some big plays.”
(On if it’s frustrating not being able to work with his receivers and backs during the offseason)
“Yeah, that’s definitely frustrating, but me and ‘Schotty’ (Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) talked after the injury that the biggest thing for me to do now is develop relationships. Just because I can’t be on the field working with those guys, doesn’t mean that I can’t spend time with them in the meeting room. It doesn’t mean that I can’t spend time with them away from the facility, just talk football, talk our offense, our language and just get more familiar with each other.”
(On if there is hope that he’ll be ready for the OTA’s)
“We haven’t even talked about that yet, so I couldn’t answer that.”
Rams QB Kellen Clemens – Post-Practice – October 30, 2013
(On how sore he was Tuesday)
“More than probably a usual Tuesday that we’ve had up to this point in the season, but nothing too critical. Just kind of some general soreness. Typically, that’s a very physical defense that we played, so some general soreness but nothing that is of any concern at this point.”
(On how much fun it was to play on Monday)
“It was enjoyable. I was told when I was a youngster still up in New York, Laveranues Coles said that they pay us to practice and we play for free. So, I believe it. We love going out there. It’s fun to be out there with the guys, like you say, just wish I would have had a different result.”
(On what he took away from Monday’s game)
“Well, like you said, there’s a lot of good, a lot of stuff that we can improve on, but (Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher has his 24-hour rule so we’re moving onto Tennessee. We’re excited for the next challenge that’s in front of us on a short week.”
(On what it’s been like having QB Sam Bradford still around)
“Awesome. It’s been awesome, it really has. He’s got a wealth of knowledge because he’s played so long. Really, he’s played more games than I have, so it’s been great to be able to bounce stuff off of him. He also has, when you’re talking about Seattle and certain teams in this division, he’s played against them in the past, so an opportunity to bounce stuff off of him has been great. I think the fact that he has stuck around and continued to be a major part of our quarterback room, of this offense and of this entire football team just speaks to his character. I can’t say enough great things about Sam Bradford.”
(On if he thinks this matchup is extra special to Coach Fisher due to his history in Tennessee)
“I think one thing that we all appreciate about Jeff Fisher is that he doesn’t flinch. It doesn’t matter what our record is, it doesn’t matter what’s going on, he is the same coach that walks in this building every single day, and I think that that’s consistent with based on who our opponent is. Obviously, he spent a lot of years there, had a lot of success there, and probably has a lot of ties in the community and around that organization, but it’s another week for us. It’s another opportunity for us to get a win.”
(On what he sees from Tennessee on film)
“They’re good. They’re another great football team. I think, gosh what are they right now, seventh against the pass, rolling the defensive line in there. Maybe not a headliner on the defensive line, but a lot of quality guys. You can see some of the tendencies defensively. It’s like some stuff that we saw here last year with Gregg Williams’ fingerprint, so you can see some of the carry over, if you will. Then, obviously, the two safeties are very talented between (Michael) Griffin and (Bernard) Pollard, the guy who came over from Baltimore with a Super Bowl ring. Another good challenge for us but coming off the way that we played last week against a very good Seattle defense, we’re excited for the challenge.”
(On the success of the young running backs)
“Every week is a challenge. You don’t want to say that last week is going to make us. Last week doesn’t mean anything until we do it again this week. But, certainly, we’re pleased with the way that Zac Stacy’s running the ball. Again, that starts with the coaches and how they’re game planning and goes into the offensive line, tight ends, the wide receivers and how they’re all able to block and open up holes. Zac’s doing a great job seeing the holes, making the cuts and then getting yards after contact.”
(On preparing on a short week after a physical game)
“Well, it’s a challenge, but, again, I go back Coach Fisher. This isn’t his first rodeo. He understands how to take care of us. He understands how to give us some time to take care of our bodies, to get rested up. By the time that Sunday rolls around, we’ll be back to peak form and ready to roll.”
(On if Senior Assistant Defensive Coach Gregg Williams influenced a blitz heavy defensive scheme in Tennessee)
“I haven’t played against a truly Gregg Williams coordinated defense in a while, but they’ve got some pressures. It’s a mix of some various coverages, but you see some glimpses more so of Gregg Williams than you do, I think, maybe of his signatures. But, definitely, he’s got an influence over there, and, certainly, Jerry Gray is a great defensive coordinator as well. So, we’re going to see his stuff, but you see some glimpses of Gregg as well.”
(On if of the coaching staff’s familiarity with Tennessee helped the team prepare for Sunday)
“Every week, you’re talking to the coaches, just asking for some assistance. What do they see? What would they be doing if our defensive coach were going against us? What would we be doing if our offensive coaches were going against our defense? So, there’s that back and forth every week, helping one another out. Obviously, this week there is some familiarity so it helps a little bit, but that’s a pretty consistent thing throughout the season.”
(On how much better he think he’ll be in his second start of the season)
“I think at this point, the reps start to accrue a little bit more. So we had a week under our belt last week, got some live game reps. So it should just continue to get better with each practice and with each game going forward.”
(On the loss of G Harvey Dahl due to a knee injury)
“First of all, Harvey, he’s a quarterback’s dream the way that he plays the position. He’s got your back. You go back to Carolina and how he reacted when Sam (Bradford) went down – that’s a quarterback’s dream to see that reaction out of an offensive lineman. So, we will miss that. We will miss his presence. At the same time, we have a lot of confidence in (G) Shelley (Smith). Shelley’s been rotating in at left (guard) for us, so it’s not going to be his first rodeo coming in. So, a lot of confidence in Shelley and we’re sure he’s going to do a great job for us.”
(On who he likes tonight in Game 6 of the World Series)
“I’m St. Louis all the way here now. I’m a Cards guy. You can’t be in St. Louis and not catch the fever, now.
