TRANSCRIPT: Fisher, Schottenheimer, Walton, Fassel

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Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – November 21, 2013

(On if he has to go through December 1 wearing shorts during practice)
“I’ll go all the way through if it’s nice. It’s just December 1, gives me the opportunity to wear long pants if I want.”

(On the challenge of facing Bears RB Matt Forte)
“Not only is he an outstanding runner inside and outside, he gets to the real edge quickly, but he’s a really good pass receiver out of the backfield. When you’ve got the targets that they have downfield, they’re stretching the field and you pay attention to them, it’s that check down, that three/four yard check down that ends up going 30-40 yards. That’s what concerns you. He’s an outstanding screen back as well. He knows how to set the screen up and hit the alley and use his blockers.”

(On how difficult it is to switch positions on the offensive line like G Rodger Saffold has done)
“When you’ve got athletic ability, which he does, and strength and power and foot agility, it’s a matter of just learning what to do. Just get in the book and understand it. You play one position with a very good understanding of what your buddy does next to you, so that’s very helpful.”

(On if he feels the run defense is there now or if it is a week to week challenge)
“Every week’s a challenge, so we’re going to be tested, clearly going to be tested. They like to use an extra offensive lineman in the game, in the power game at you and spread you out and run that game at you, so we’re going to be tested.”

(On the challenges that a tall receiving corps presents for their defense)
“They can elevate and both quarterbacks take advantage of that and they put the ball up away from the defender. (QB) Josh (McCown) is as good as (QB) Jay (Cutler) is at allowing them to run after catch so hit them in stride. And then, of course, they’ve got targets all over the red zone and in the end zone.”

(On the uncharacteristically low ranking of the Bears defense)
“I think that their defense, its ranking right now, it’s not realistic. They’re playing much better than what they’re ranked. I think they’re the third-most rushed against defense in the National Football League, so when you go and total up total rushing yards, it doesn’t make sense. They’re missing (LB) Lance (Briggs) but it’s a good defense. They’re solid, they can rush. No one strips the football more than they do.”

(On the key to success that McCown has had taking over for Cutler)
“It’s his understanding of the offense. He’s tall, he can see, makes good decisions, he’s mobile and he’s been in the league for a long time.”

Rams Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer – Post-Practice – November 21, 2013

(On what he sees from Chicago’s defense)
“Well, it’s the same defense that we’ve gone against for a lot of years. Obviously, it starts with their front four. Is there a better defensive lineman in the league that Julius Peppers? I don’t know. They’ve got some depth in there. They’re nicked up an little bit, but the guys that they’re still playing with are good players. (DE Shea) McClellin out of Boise – great player, active guy, high motor. That kind of starts it and then, again, the backers do a good job fitting in and working off the D-line. Obviously, the thing they do the best, they’re probably the best, have been the best for the last 10-15 years is taking the ball away.”

(On if he anticipated WR Tavon Austin’s breakout performance against Indianapolis)
“I don’t think you anticipate numbers like that, but I knew that at some point he would have plays like that. I don’t think you’d expect to maybe see them all in one game. It’s not an easy thing to do as a young receiver to come in and do that, but again, I’ve been saying it for a couple weeks – he had one called back for 65 yards, (QB) Kellen (Clemens) missed one the week before against Tennessee that would’ve been 85 yards. So, just keep getting him involved, keep getting open, Kellen keep making the plays because when he’s got the ball in his hands, he’s awfully special.”

(On how comfortable Rodger Saffold is switching from tackle to guard)
“Well, I thought he did a great job, obviously, in the game against Indianapolis. I think the bye week certainly helped to get him more comfortable with it, but doing a good job. You talk about a guy with great hip flexibility, the ability to bend and strike people. He’s doing really, really well, so very pleased with where he’s at. Again, the bye week and this week’s been good for him just getting more and more comfortable.”

(On if Saffold has been agreeable to moving around on the line)
“Absolutely, he’s been great. I think he likes it in there and we all just want to find a way to win.”

(On if Austin’s breakout performance can help his confidence)
“Absolutely, it helps your confidence. It certainly doesn’t mean it’s going to happen each and every week, and obviously teams are aware of him more now. They’ve always been aware of him, but it’s just a matter of time. He found his stride that game. The one return kind of got him going a little bit, and he doesn’t need many touches to score points because of his special ability to create after he catches it.”

(On what kind of compliment RB Benny Cunningham can be to RB Zac Stacy in terms of style)
“Very similar backs – big, physical. Obviously, if we weren’t in the situation we were in, he probably is going to try to cut that back and try to maybe even score but very decisive. Kind of a big, physical guy that’s good at making one-cut decisions and accelerating through the hole. Very, very good change of pace guy in terms of their similar styles, but you take one guy out, you put him in there, and another battering ram lines up against them so a very good complement I think.”

(On if the Chicago defense has changed much from last year)
“Not really. There’s a few things, but if you look at them they’re the Chicago Bears. Again, simple, you’re going to know where they’re going to be. What they do, they do really, really well. They’re fast, they’re athletic, but it’s certainly the old Bears defense that you’re used to seeing.”

(On if they go back and watch tape from last year’s matchup against the Bears)
“If it was early in the year I would, but now they’ve played enough games to where you really kind of go on this year. They have, obviously, a new (defensive) coordinator in Mel Tucker, new staff, but if it was early in the year, yeah, you’d want to go back and just see what they thought of us because there’s still some coaches there. Coach (Jon) Hoke’s still there, the secondary coach so there’s still carryover from that staff.”

(On Bears CB Tim Jennings being one of the best cornerbacks in the league)
“Absolutely. You talk about a playmaker, always around the ball, makes plays. (S) Major Wright, I mean they’ve all made plays. Obviously, we didn’t play very well last year up there against them. Certainly there’s some guys out of them, but they’re going to come in here. They’re a good football team. The things that they’re doing, they’re not complicated so the young guys they’ve got, they’re a little bit like us, they’ve got some young guys playing and it will be a good battle.”

(On if Clemens is improving week to week)
“I think so. I think he’s much more comfortable now. The last couple weeks have helped. The more you do anything, the more comfortable you feel doing it. I think you see him more comfortable in his role as a leader, but again, he’s throwing to these guys more now, so I think that’s probably the biggest thing that jumps off is just his comfort level throwing to these guys on a day-in and day-out basis.”

(On if he sees improvement in the receiving corps’ blocking abilities)
“Absolutely. That’s the key to the running game. Everyone wants to talk about the backs and the line and stuff like that but the big runs in this league happen because of what happens out in the perimeter. If (WR) Brian Quick doesn’t make that block on Tavon’s (Austin) touchdown to start the second half, I’m not saying he gets tackled but it’s not going to be quite as easy as it was. But, I just think you see these guys working together. They take a lot of pride in doing it. We make them do it in practice and they’ve kind of bought in. (Wide Receivers Coach) Ray Sherman does a great job with those guys and, again, to have young guys that will do it it’s hard to find that sometimes.”

Rams Defensive Coordinator Tim Walton – Post-Practice – November 21, 2013

(On what he sees from Bears QB Josh McCown)
“He’s doing a good job of spreading the ball around. He’s getting it to all of the receivers and managing the game well. You have the back with (Matt) Forte. That gives you a good safety valve of being able to hand the ball off to him and being able to dump the ball to him out of the backfield.”

(On McCown having no turnovers in any of his starts this season)
“He goes through his progressions really well. He doesn’t force balls and he goes down and if the guy’s not open he’ll pull the ball down and run or he’ll toss the ball out of bounds. Like I said, he does a good job trying to go to the reads that the coaches have described for him.”

(On what kind of style of running back Forte is and what problems he presents)
“Slash-type, cutback runner. He’s a guy that likes to get on the perimeter. He’s good in space. He reads his keys really well, but he will bounce the ball and get on the edge and he has the ability to make the first guy miss. And he has the ability to cut the ball back against the grain. He has good vision and he catches the ball well out of the backfield – screens and even just one-on-one free releasing. He does a great job of that. He’s been doing that for years.”

(On if the run defense is where he wants it to be)
“We’re getting there with it. We’ve just got to be consistent in the stuff that we do. We had a good performance last week. The key is…got to go do it again this week. You’re only as good as your last performance. So, we’ve got to make sure we keep putting it on tape – stopping the run and being consistent at it, being in our gaps, being disciplined, being fundamentally sound with it. We’ve got to keep taking it each day.”

(On if the players have responded to the recent more aggressive approach)
“Yeah. They’re doing well. Guys are trying to compete outside and getting them a lot of push up front and trying to get the ball out of the quarterback’s hand fast and trying to force him to make bad throws.”

(On if he is comfortable with a more aggressive approach because the players have been developing)
“We have a balance of a lot of stuff. We mix in a lot of things based on down and distance, based on situations of the game. So, we mix it up and do things based on the situations.”

(On what challenges Chicago’s tall receivers present)
“A big challenge. We’ve got to do well at finishing at the top of the route. You can see, even in the Baltimore game, they finished with (TE Martellus) Bennett…on a play down, he went up top to catch the ball. They do that jump ball deal where they throw it up to those tall receivers and they can go get it. So, they trust their jumping ability and their ability to make the acrobatic catch. We have to do a great job at being aggressive with our finish at the top of routes.”

(On how CB Trumaine Johnson has progressed)
“Really well. He’s coming along really well, and that’s the thing with him. You like to see the growth of the guys and you can see each week that fundamentally he’s getting better, understanding the game, being more aggressive in the man and zone coverages. I’m pleasantly surprised with his progressions.”

Rams Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel – Post-Practice – November 21, 2013

(On if KR/PR Devin Hester is the toughest test that the Rams special teams will face all season)
“Yeah, I’d probably say so. Probably every other team would say so too, with his whole career taken into account, for sure. (Cardinals PR/CB Patrick) Peterson’s good and there’s a lot of good guys, but over the career this is the guy.”

(On what he attributes the success of the coverage teams to)
“Honestly, we talked about it this morning, the guys’ work ethic in practice, as far as just doing our simple tackling drills, working on different drills getting off blocks, and it has a lot to do with the punter and the kicker doing what we’re asking of them, too. So, really it’s everybody. It starts with the snap. It starts with putting the ball in the right spot, and then, it comes down to getting off blocks and making tackles. I attribute it to the guys and really their focus and their work ethic in practice.”

(On how gratifying it was to have everything comes together in Indianapolis)
“It was fun because we influenced field position really well in the Colts game, but gratifying might be too strong of a word with six-plus games left. It was good to see them really just playing fast and taking some shots and having some success. But again, it goes back to this week. This will be the test that we haven’t had yet as a young group.”

(On how the penalties have decreased)
“I’m so glad you asked. What did we change? Honestly, nothing.”

(On if the players have just gotten better)
“Yeah, they’ve gotten better at it. We’re doing the same drills, show different clips of a penalty and not a penalty, us and different teams because it happens for every team on special teams. We haven’t changed anything. We’ve just been working really hard at getting better at the things we’ve been talking about and they’ve been doing it. We have changed nothing.”

(On if he was glad LB Alec Ogletree pulled up before hitting the punter on WR Tavon Austin’s touchdown return against Indianapolis)
“Yeah, it was great because the punter went down because I think their feet clicked and he went down and you could see him pull his hands off. With the issues we had earlier in the season, whether they were penalties or not, it was unfortunately a great learning experience for a lot of new guys…like ‘Hey we’re leaving a lot of return yardage on the field that doesn’t count because we’re just getting flagged for different things.’ It’s good it happened early because we’re learning from it and I think we’re getting a lot better at it.”

(On what makes Hester special)
“I think…he hasn’t had a big role on offense this year, so his only role is returning kicks and, obviously, that’s what he’s the best at. Gosh, he’s got great ball skills. He’s fast, but his ability to put a foot in the ground and get vertical is second to none. Then, longevity comes down to just whether the guy does a great job with his body staying healthy and also probably having a more limited role on offense I’d imagine.”

(On P Johnny Hekker’s progress and seeming much more consistent this year)
“Yeah, I agree with you. I think the thing we talked about him at the start of last season was let’s just work to become consistent where five out of 10 punts were great. Now we got to six out of 10 last year. Now at seven, we’re saying let’s try to get 10 out of 10. We have different goals throughout the course of a couple weeks that we’ve kind of done that was just kind of fun which I probably can’t share with you. But yeah, his focus is being consistent because we really haven’t changed what we’ve asked him to do, which I think has been a good thing because he can really try to master just one or two crafts instead of a whole bunch of different things we’ve asked of him.”

(On if the boxing belt goes to the best special teams performer of the week)
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We have fun with a couple of different things.”
 

Thordaddy

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Thordaddy - on this article

It's cool to have a Head Coach who let's his assistants talk to the press