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Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – News Conference – September 27, 2013
(Opening remarks)
“Let me first start off on a couple of the injuries from yesterday. (S) T.J. (McDonald) suffered a fractured lower leg and we’re fortunate that it does not require – the requirements are not that it needs to be surgically repaired. So, we’re going to place T.J. on the designated I.R. (injured reserve) list, which basically requires him to be out six weeks and then given an additional two to return to practice before he can come back. It times up with the doctor’s estimation of when he’ll be back so it’s not season ending. That was, in a lot of ways, good news for us. Then, I had two players (CB) Cortland (Finnegan) and (LB) Will Witherspoon leave the game with hamstring injuries and they’re not serious. But, they’ll be day-to-day as we get closer to our next game against the Jaguars.”
“As far as the game’s concerned, we probably need to talk about the last two games. I think we found out against very good opponents the last two weeks where our team is and what we need to do and where we need to improve upon. That, obviously, is specifically the run game on offense, stopping the run defensively and then, of course, our inability to keep drives alive on third down and basically the two are related. Our defense defended 75 rushes in the last five days and that’s quite an effort, quite a toll. And that’s because we either didn’t do well enough against the run or we’re not keeping the ball offensively because we’re not running it. We’ve got a lot of work to do as a staff. We’re going to, fortunately, we have some extra time, some extra days to get focused in that area and that’s going to be our focus. We need to, in order to win football games and control the clock, convert third downs. We’ve got to get better at running and defending the run. Players will be off for a couple days and they’ll come back. It’s a much needed rest. It’s a break. We treat it pretty much just like a bye week. We finished up strong in the meetings, and I know they’re excited to get away and come back and prepare for our next opponent.”
(On how frustrating it is not being able to run the ball or defend the run)
“Frustrating. It is. We’ve got work to do. It’s been – again, 75 carries against any defense for that matter is difficult over that period of time in a short week and we talk about teams that can run it. So, we’ll get it fixed as I said last night and we’re going to have to, as we’ve already started, kind of adjust our offensive philosophy to, I think, what’s probably better suited for us right now and that’s to hand it off and everything else spins off of that.”
(On why RB Isaiah Pead was inactive)
“No particular reason. We had intended on using (WR) Tavon (Austin) out of the backfield much more so than we did actually in the game. That’s pretty much where Isaiah…that was the role that he had last week. Then we wanted to see how (RB) Daryl (Richardson) was and so we’ll evaluate the running back situation based on the types of things we come up from the run game need.”
(On if it is safe to say that he is still looking for a running back to step up)
“Yeah, it is. We’re going to look at it this week and we’ll definitely have a plan in place when we come back.”
(On how McDonald was playing prior to the injury)
“He was playing well. In addition to things defensively, he was close to blocking punts and he was playing well for us on special teams. So, ‘Stew’ (S Darian Stewart) will get a chance now. Stew’s healthy – he’ll get a chance. ‘Gio’s’ (S Matt Giordano) going to get a chance and we’ll have to make some adjustments in the secondary as we start deploying our different packages – our nickel packages and things – but again, we’re fortunate to have a couple days for it.”
(On clarification of McDonald not needing surgery)
“Does not need surgery. Yes, it’s not displaced. It was good news.”
(On if they need to add another safety to the active roster)
“Yes, we’re going to bring Cody Davis up (from the practice squad).”
(On if McDonald’s placement on the injured reserve-designated to return list counts as a spot on the 53-man roster)
“He does not count against the 53. There’s one move per club, per season and it’s a new rule. It’s been in effect, I think, for two years now.”
(On if he’s ever been a part of a fair catch field goal)
“Did one. Attempted one against Houston back in 2003 or ‘04. We did. I was on the other side of it. I saw it coming and we told John (Hekker) to punt the ball out of bounds, and the ball didn’t turn over. His ball didn’t turn over and it came back in the field of play. Was going to give it a shot early in the drive. There was still 35 second left. They had two timeouts. Then, because of the injury timeout, they gave them their timeout back and we were charged an injury timeout when (LT) Jake (Long) went down. We could have avoided the situation had we not been charged an injury timeout and they use their timeout. But, it didn’t happen. We saw it coming. We prepared against it. We were just fortunate that he missed it.”
(On if the ball would have returned to its original spot in the event that K Phil Dawson missed it)
“In this case, unlike a kickoff – a kickoff the timing starts when the ball is touched. In this case, the timing starts when the ball’s kicked. There was four seconds left, and that’s why you don’t see it that often because when you take the long shots, if there’s more time left and it’s no good it comes back to the spot of the kick. With the four seconds left, that’s why we sent ‘AP’ (Austin Pettis) back there. We had a plan. It’s evident on tape that our plan was to buy time and then have a throw back to – it was originally designed to go back to ‘Cort’ (Cortland Finnegan), but when ‘Cort’ went down ‘Gio’ (Giordano) took the spot. We were about a second or a man away from a big play because ‘Gio’ was wide open on the back side and we had a wall. We had an answer to it, but it didn’t work out for us.”
(On if WR Tavon Austin is trying too hard to make something happen on punt returns)
“No. You want to pin him. You want to kick it high. We’re working trying to avoid penalties and just try to get him a crease. That’s exactly why we had them re-kick again when we had the ball on the 10 (yard line) just the thought of ‘put the ball back in his hands again.’”
(On why he didn’t stick to his original plan of using Austin in the backfield more against the 49ers)
“We got behind.”
(On the team’s mindset at this point in the season)
“I think they’re really good right now. They’re going to be fine.”
(On if the team is hanging in there)
“They’re better than hanging in there.”
(On the decision to declare RB Isaiah Pead inactive against the 49ers)
“Well, he’s had a couple moments, yeah, over the last couple of weeks. But, I didn’t put him down because of that.”
(On QB Sam Bradford’s play against the 49ers)
“I thought he did the best he could considering the circumstances. Love to have that throw back to ‘AP’ (Austin Pettis). Sometimes when a coverage is blown…when you’re attacking coverages, you’re expecting the receiver go to one place and then when the coverage is blown people just miss a lay-up type thing. Austin kind of waved and Sam had a rusher in his face and Sam put the ball where he ordinarily would, in the chest.”
(Opening remarks)
“Let me first start off on a couple of the injuries from yesterday. (S) T.J. (McDonald) suffered a fractured lower leg and we’re fortunate that it does not require – the requirements are not that it needs to be surgically repaired. So, we’re going to place T.J. on the designated I.R. (injured reserve) list, which basically requires him to be out six weeks and then given an additional two to return to practice before he can come back. It times up with the doctor’s estimation of when he’ll be back so it’s not season ending. That was, in a lot of ways, good news for us. Then, I had two players (CB) Cortland (Finnegan) and (LB) Will Witherspoon leave the game with hamstring injuries and they’re not serious. But, they’ll be day-to-day as we get closer to our next game against the Jaguars.”
“As far as the game’s concerned, we probably need to talk about the last two games. I think we found out against very good opponents the last two weeks where our team is and what we need to do and where we need to improve upon. That, obviously, is specifically the run game on offense, stopping the run defensively and then, of course, our inability to keep drives alive on third down and basically the two are related. Our defense defended 75 rushes in the last five days and that’s quite an effort, quite a toll. And that’s because we either didn’t do well enough against the run or we’re not keeping the ball offensively because we’re not running it. We’ve got a lot of work to do as a staff. We’re going to, fortunately, we have some extra time, some extra days to get focused in that area and that’s going to be our focus. We need to, in order to win football games and control the clock, convert third downs. We’ve got to get better at running and defending the run. Players will be off for a couple days and they’ll come back. It’s a much needed rest. It’s a break. We treat it pretty much just like a bye week. We finished up strong in the meetings, and I know they’re excited to get away and come back and prepare for our next opponent.”
(On how frustrating it is not being able to run the ball or defend the run)
“Frustrating. It is. We’ve got work to do. It’s been – again, 75 carries against any defense for that matter is difficult over that period of time in a short week and we talk about teams that can run it. So, we’ll get it fixed as I said last night and we’re going to have to, as we’ve already started, kind of adjust our offensive philosophy to, I think, what’s probably better suited for us right now and that’s to hand it off and everything else spins off of that.”
(On why RB Isaiah Pead was inactive)
“No particular reason. We had intended on using (WR) Tavon (Austin) out of the backfield much more so than we did actually in the game. That’s pretty much where Isaiah…that was the role that he had last week. Then we wanted to see how (RB) Daryl (Richardson) was and so we’ll evaluate the running back situation based on the types of things we come up from the run game need.”
(On if it is safe to say that he is still looking for a running back to step up)
“Yeah, it is. We’re going to look at it this week and we’ll definitely have a plan in place when we come back.”
(On how McDonald was playing prior to the injury)
“He was playing well. In addition to things defensively, he was close to blocking punts and he was playing well for us on special teams. So, ‘Stew’ (S Darian Stewart) will get a chance now. Stew’s healthy – he’ll get a chance. ‘Gio’s’ (S Matt Giordano) going to get a chance and we’ll have to make some adjustments in the secondary as we start deploying our different packages – our nickel packages and things – but again, we’re fortunate to have a couple days for it.”
(On clarification of McDonald not needing surgery)
“Does not need surgery. Yes, it’s not displaced. It was good news.”
(On if they need to add another safety to the active roster)
“Yes, we’re going to bring Cody Davis up (from the practice squad).”
(On if McDonald’s placement on the injured reserve-designated to return list counts as a spot on the 53-man roster)
“He does not count against the 53. There’s one move per club, per season and it’s a new rule. It’s been in effect, I think, for two years now.”
(On if he’s ever been a part of a fair catch field goal)
“Did one. Attempted one against Houston back in 2003 or ‘04. We did. I was on the other side of it. I saw it coming and we told John (Hekker) to punt the ball out of bounds, and the ball didn’t turn over. His ball didn’t turn over and it came back in the field of play. Was going to give it a shot early in the drive. There was still 35 second left. They had two timeouts. Then, because of the injury timeout, they gave them their timeout back and we were charged an injury timeout when (LT) Jake (Long) went down. We could have avoided the situation had we not been charged an injury timeout and they use their timeout. But, it didn’t happen. We saw it coming. We prepared against it. We were just fortunate that he missed it.”
(On if the ball would have returned to its original spot in the event that K Phil Dawson missed it)
“In this case, unlike a kickoff – a kickoff the timing starts when the ball is touched. In this case, the timing starts when the ball’s kicked. There was four seconds left, and that’s why you don’t see it that often because when you take the long shots, if there’s more time left and it’s no good it comes back to the spot of the kick. With the four seconds left, that’s why we sent ‘AP’ (Austin Pettis) back there. We had a plan. It’s evident on tape that our plan was to buy time and then have a throw back to – it was originally designed to go back to ‘Cort’ (Cortland Finnegan), but when ‘Cort’ went down ‘Gio’ (Giordano) took the spot. We were about a second or a man away from a big play because ‘Gio’ was wide open on the back side and we had a wall. We had an answer to it, but it didn’t work out for us.”
(On if WR Tavon Austin is trying too hard to make something happen on punt returns)
“No. You want to pin him. You want to kick it high. We’re working trying to avoid penalties and just try to get him a crease. That’s exactly why we had them re-kick again when we had the ball on the 10 (yard line) just the thought of ‘put the ball back in his hands again.’”
(On why he didn’t stick to his original plan of using Austin in the backfield more against the 49ers)
“We got behind.”
(On the team’s mindset at this point in the season)
“I think they’re really good right now. They’re going to be fine.”
(On if the team is hanging in there)
“They’re better than hanging in there.”
(On the decision to declare RB Isaiah Pead inactive against the 49ers)
“Well, he’s had a couple moments, yeah, over the last couple of weeks. But, I didn’t put him down because of that.”
(On QB Sam Bradford’s play against the 49ers)
“I thought he did the best he could considering the circumstances. Love to have that throw back to ‘AP’ (Austin Pettis). Sometimes when a coverage is blown…when you’re attacking coverages, you’re expecting the receiver go to one place and then when the coverage is blown people just miss a lay-up type thing. Austin kind of waved and Sam had a rusher in his face and Sam put the ball where he ordinarily would, in the chest.”
