Paul Brown Stadium
September 8, 2010
What are your impressions of this team after five preseason games?
“Well, I think preseason's a tough situation to gauge what you think you have or what you are. It's so early on. You're not really game-planning, other teams aren't game-planning. I really wouldn't base much on what happens in the preseason and try to figure out who we are on those five weeks. But the way we work, the way we prepare, the professionalism of the group we have -- we have the right forming of a good team. There's still a long way to go before we're a good team or a great team, but we've done the right things, we've made the right steps, the guys that needed to improve improved. We've improved as groups in offense, defense and special teams, so we're feeling confident, we're feeling good about where we are right now and excited about opening weekend.”
“How has the chemistry between you and T.O. improved over the last five weeks?”
“It's gotten better every day. He runs routes differently than everybody else because of his stride length, because of his size. So he takes a little bit of getting used to. But he's always where he needs to be, he's always at the right depth, he has a natural timing in his head of when to come out of breaks if his route gets adjusted for whatever reason. So it's taken me time to catch up to him. I think we're at a great place right now. We've gotten better every day and we've talked about it every day. We've had great communication throughout this whole process.”
What have you learned about (Jermaine) Gresham and (Jordan) Shipley?
“They're both at the very beginning of it. They both have a long way to go, but a ton of potential. In Shipley's case, he came from being 'the guy' in college, playing X, playing Z, and now he's playing some slot. So it's a big adjustment for him, adjusting to hot routes. Jermaine didn't play any football last year, so he's still got some time to catch up and just get used to playing in a real game because you can't really compare a preseason game to a National Football League regular season game, so it's going to take him a minute. But I love the potential in both players, love the attitude, love the work ethic, and love what they bring to the team. They're rookies, they still have a ways to go, but they have the right mindset and the right focus for where they are in their careers right now.”
Is this still a run-first offense? Do you think it has to be a run-first offense?
“I keep saying, we're going to do what we do best. That's the recipe for our division, that's the recipe for this team, the way our defense plays. We have a great running back and a great offensive line. They can get holes open for Cedric, and we have great backups for Cedric, too. So we're going to be a tough, grinding football team and I think we have some guys that can get open in the play-action game and get open downfield to make the running game that much better.”
What are your impressions of the Patriots defense right now?
“With their coaching staff, they're always going to be in the right place at the right time. They're always going to be very disciplined. They're always going to have a great scheme, a great game plan to take away one or two of your favorite things to do. But being banged up a little bit and being young, you can't really factor that in. You've got to know you're playing against a Bill Belichick team and a Bill Belichick defense. They're going to have some new wrinkles, they're going to have some things that they do very well and things that frustrate you, and you've got to fight the frustration and move on. He is known for taking something away, but our offense has changed too, since the end of last season.
He (Belichick) has had awhile to prepare for this game…
“I don't know if he's necessarily preparing for us in January, but he doesn't need that much time to prepare for a team. But like I said, they'll be very disciplined, You won't find guys out of place and making a bunch of mental mistakes. They're going to be where they're supposed to be. We've had some time to prepare for them also. We're excited about the opportunity. It's a great test for our team, offensively and defensively -- going into their place. They're always good, year-in and year-out. So it's a good test to see where we are.”
Do you feel farther ahead coming out of this preseason than a year ago, when you had the ankle injury in preseason?
“I think that definitely hinders you a little bit, not getting all the work you want to get in. But I think I'm farther ahead just because I've had a whole other year. You've got to take every opportunity, every week, every month, every season and improve and know your offense, know yourself better than you did the year before, the week before. So I definitely would have loved to have played in every preseason game the previous year, but I don't think that's the reason I know the offense better now. I know the offense better now because I've had OTAs, minicamp, training camp, preseason games and just a chance in the offseason to really study us and study myself and try to improve in that way.”
What do you admire about Tom Brady?
“He doesn't have a weakness to his game. He does a number of things very well, but I think one of the things that has made him most successful is the way he can move in the pocket and sense rushes without staring at the rush. Feel the rush and keep his eyes downfield and make one step here, one step there and still deliver the ball, maybe not on time but in the right place.”
Is there any more significance to the opening game than maybe the third or fourth?
“I don’t think in the final outcome of things. Look at what happened to us last year in opening weekend. It didn’t affect our season or ruin our season the way we lost that game. I think we should be excited about Week 1 -- the opportunity, a new season, a fresh start. Opening day is just a great day on the calendar. We are playing in a great atmosphere. I don’t think you can take Week 1 and what happens on Week 1 and let it affect your season. But I think there is significance that is the start of things and is a fresh start and clean slate, and we are going to be fired up and ready to play.”
Some teams might have had a quitting mindset after that tough loss to open last year.
“One game in the grand scheme of things, of a 16 or 17-week season, doesn’t make or break you. I know I wouldn’t let guys throw their hats in and say that’s it, whether I was a rookie or a 15-year vet. I don’t think that in any way depicted our season or was a game we thought about in Week 3, Week 5, Week 12, Week 15. That was a game we let get by, and that was it, we moved on.”
Jordan (Palmer) is now at number two. What does that mean for you personally, working together?
“I don’t think that is going to change anything between us, whether he is the two or the three. He does a number of things for me on game day and during the week. It is great having somebody that will keep things in check for you. Jordan will tell me like it is. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. He tells me when I am wrong and doesn’t tell me when I am right. I think that’s what’s most important and helps me be successful more than anything -- somebody who keeps it real with you and tells it how it is. He helps me out tremendously, from different things I haven’t watched during the week. Things I haven’t watched on game day -- just a number of different areas.”
Do you wonder where criticism of you and the team comes from?
“It kind of comes from everywhere. That doesn’t bother me or affect me. I really don’t worry too much about that or think about it. During training camp I was focused on every practice and every preseason game. Now we are focused on the Patriots. I will let my play speak for itself and move on.”
What was the biggest thing you learned in studying yourself?
“I can’t say one specific thing. Mainly, the biggest area of improvement has been footwork -- setting myself up at the center of the pocket instead of moving around side to side a little bit, and giving myself the most amount of room between guards and center. I think if there is one thing I really focused on and spent the most time, on it was definitely footwork.”
Did you watch anybody else?
“I watched a ton of different guys - different quarterbacks, but mainly different offenses.”
Did you watch Tom Brady?
“I saw a lot of him, a lot of Drew Brees, newer Peyton Manning, older Peyton Manning. So a lot of different guys.”
So what is the newer Carson?
“I think what I was talking about, footwork. It will look different. Some of the things I am doing with my feet are different. The way I am setting into drops and getting myself prepared to throw a certain direction is a little bit different than what I have done in the past. Hopefully it will pay off for me.”
What are your thoughts on (former USC player) Reggie (Bush) losing the Heisman Trophy?
“I really haven’t heard much about it. I heard there is a chance it would be taken away, a chance it would be given up. It is just unfortunate. The whole situation has been unfortunate for him, for the university, for his family. It is just a tough situation to go through and in the end we will see what happens, but I don’t think anything is decided as of today.”
What are your thoughts on T.J. (Houshmandzadeh) being back in the division?
“It’s not good for us. I know the player that T.J. is. This team knows the player T.J. is. They (the Ravens) know what he is because he has beaten them, I don’t know how many times, but a lot of times. He made big plays, made significant plays to win games. It’s going to be tough. They were a good team without T.J. Now having to face him twice makes that game that more difficult because he is such an elite player and such a playmaker.”
Is there a sense of more excitement this year?
“I get really excited every year and very optimistic every year. Every year gets more and more exciting. I don’t know if that is because I realize that every year I have fewer years left and I need to take advantage of it, or maybe I feel like we are going to be better than the previous year. It is safe to say I am more excited this year than I was last, but I can say that every year in my career.”
sábado, 11 de septiembre de 2010
Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis
Paul Brown Stadium
September 8, 2010
What have you learned about the team in the preseason that you didn’t know coming in?
“Well I don’t know that you knew what contributions some of the young guys would make. I think we feel pretty good about a few guys, and I think other guys will be making contributions down the line in the season when called upon. Through the preseason, we got a really long look at those guys, and that was good. We feel good about that. Obviously we have two veteran free agent players that joined us in Adam (Jones) and Terrell (Owens), and we feel really good about what they bring to the table, and how they prepare now. Those are the things you don’t know about guys – how will they prepare at this level, their ability to retain (information), adjust, and do those things.”
Can you explain how you’ve seen the chemistry develop between Carson (Palmer) and Terrell (Owens)?
“I think Carson has done a very good job of trying to immerse Terrell in the offense very quickly, almost to a fault at times. Carson has done a great job with that, and Terrell has worked extremely hard. Terrell’s a very good learner, and he spends a lot of extra time trying to learn. He knows he needs to be at the right spots and so forth, so it’s a good thing.”
With all the new weapons you added to improve the passing game, is this still a run-first offense?
“It’s still going to be a physical offense – whatever we have to do, we’ll do. We’ll still need to be physical as a football team.”
Talk a little bit about the Patriots, both offensively and defensively…
“They’re obviously a gifted football team, starting with the quarterback (Tom Brady). They’re a little bit of a different team the last time we faced them in the regular season (in 2007), but offensively, they haven’t changed a great deal as far as personnel, still with Tom Brady and a lot of the guys in the offensive front group (line), Randy Moss. (Wes) Welker’s been there three years with them. They’ve got some new guys – (Brandon) Tate, who they’ve added to the outside, who they basically redshirted last year. They’ve really got some offensive weapons – a good stable of backs, they’re kind of interchangeable for them right now. They do a good job running the football, and a good job on third down. They added Alge (Crumpler) at tight end, and then the two young guys (Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez) through the draft.
“On defense, it’s kind of a reconstructed group there. There’s a lot of youth, and a lot of guys we spent time evaluating for the draft. That group has changed, other than big Vince (Wilfork) in the middle. They’ve changed guys around from the last time we played them. And in the kicking game, they’re very strong. They’ve done a great job with returns this preseason, and they have two very good specialists (kicker Stephen Gostkowski and punter Zoltan Mesko).”
A coach like (Bill) Belichick loves to be flexible. Do you expect them to try to throw the whole playbook in with a young group?
“Well they’re going to do the things they’ve been working on, and we know that. They’re going to do some things that they feel are good to work against us offensively and defensively, and we’ve got to beat that. We’ve got to focus on that. In the first game, there’s going to be some unexpected things, some looks that are different than what we’ve worked on, and hopefully we’ll show some looks that they haven’t worked on, and we’ll go that way. That’s what opening games are. There’s been a lot of time and task on this one, and you’ve got to go from there.”
Talk about your defensive line – how you feel about them, and if you hope you’ll get a little more of a pass rush this year…
“We return a lot of the same guys. We’ve added two young guys (Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap) to it, and hopefully we’ll continue to play well.”
What has Jordan (Palmer) done to show you he deserves to move up to the number two role?
“I think he’s got a good command of the offense. He’s done a good job of getting the ball down the field when needed. We’ll just continue to groom him and work with him.”
How different is the Patriots offense with Wes Welker in there?
They had number 80, (Troy) Brown and guys like that that played those positions for them in the past and done a nice job. Wes is a tremendous football player. He does a great job both catching the football and running after the catch, and works well against leverage and so forth, so he’s a productive player.”
How does Fred Taylor look with that running game?
“As I said earlier, I think the backs are all good runners, productive guys throughout their careers in the National Football League.”
September 8, 2010
What have you learned about the team in the preseason that you didn’t know coming in?
“Well I don’t know that you knew what contributions some of the young guys would make. I think we feel pretty good about a few guys, and I think other guys will be making contributions down the line in the season when called upon. Through the preseason, we got a really long look at those guys, and that was good. We feel good about that. Obviously we have two veteran free agent players that joined us in Adam (Jones) and Terrell (Owens), and we feel really good about what they bring to the table, and how they prepare now. Those are the things you don’t know about guys – how will they prepare at this level, their ability to retain (information), adjust, and do those things.”
Can you explain how you’ve seen the chemistry develop between Carson (Palmer) and Terrell (Owens)?
“I think Carson has done a very good job of trying to immerse Terrell in the offense very quickly, almost to a fault at times. Carson has done a great job with that, and Terrell has worked extremely hard. Terrell’s a very good learner, and he spends a lot of extra time trying to learn. He knows he needs to be at the right spots and so forth, so it’s a good thing.”
With all the new weapons you added to improve the passing game, is this still a run-first offense?
“It’s still going to be a physical offense – whatever we have to do, we’ll do. We’ll still need to be physical as a football team.”
Talk a little bit about the Patriots, both offensively and defensively…
“They’re obviously a gifted football team, starting with the quarterback (Tom Brady). They’re a little bit of a different team the last time we faced them in the regular season (in 2007), but offensively, they haven’t changed a great deal as far as personnel, still with Tom Brady and a lot of the guys in the offensive front group (line), Randy Moss. (Wes) Welker’s been there three years with them. They’ve got some new guys – (Brandon) Tate, who they’ve added to the outside, who they basically redshirted last year. They’ve really got some offensive weapons – a good stable of backs, they’re kind of interchangeable for them right now. They do a good job running the football, and a good job on third down. They added Alge (Crumpler) at tight end, and then the two young guys (Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez) through the draft.
“On defense, it’s kind of a reconstructed group there. There’s a lot of youth, and a lot of guys we spent time evaluating for the draft. That group has changed, other than big Vince (Wilfork) in the middle. They’ve changed guys around from the last time we played them. And in the kicking game, they’re very strong. They’ve done a great job with returns this preseason, and they have two very good specialists (kicker Stephen Gostkowski and punter Zoltan Mesko).”
A coach like (Bill) Belichick loves to be flexible. Do you expect them to try to throw the whole playbook in with a young group?
“Well they’re going to do the things they’ve been working on, and we know that. They’re going to do some things that they feel are good to work against us offensively and defensively, and we’ve got to beat that. We’ve got to focus on that. In the first game, there’s going to be some unexpected things, some looks that are different than what we’ve worked on, and hopefully we’ll show some looks that they haven’t worked on, and we’ll go that way. That’s what opening games are. There’s been a lot of time and task on this one, and you’ve got to go from there.”
Talk about your defensive line – how you feel about them, and if you hope you’ll get a little more of a pass rush this year…
“We return a lot of the same guys. We’ve added two young guys (Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap) to it, and hopefully we’ll continue to play well.”
What has Jordan (Palmer) done to show you he deserves to move up to the number two role?
“I think he’s got a good command of the offense. He’s done a good job of getting the ball down the field when needed. We’ll just continue to groom him and work with him.”
How different is the Patriots offense with Wes Welker in there?
They had number 80, (Troy) Brown and guys like that that played those positions for them in the past and done a nice job. Wes is a tremendous football player. He does a great job both catching the football and running after the catch, and works well against leverage and so forth, so he’s a productive player.”
How does Fred Taylor look with that running game?
“As I said earlier, I think the backs are all good runners, productive guys throughout their careers in the National Football League.”
Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt
Post-Practice Press Conference – Wednesday – 9/8/10
Opening statement:
”Good Wednesday practice. We voted on the captains today. Our defensive captains were Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett. Our special teams captains were Jason Wright and Ben Graham. Our offensive captains were Larry Fitzgerald and Lyle Sendlein.”
On what it says about C Lyle Sendlein that he was named as a captain after joining the team as an undrafted free-agent:
“I think guys recognize what he’s done. He’s played a number of games, started a lot of games for us, hasn’t missed anything, played through injury, been consistent (and) is a good young player. I think that’s certainly recognition of that.”
On the status of WR Larry Fitzgerald’s injured knee:
“He is moving along just fine. He is progressing very well. I know he’s ready to play because it’s been tough for him to watch the last few weeks.”
On if it’s more Fitzgerald’s fitness that needs to improve:
“I think that’s probably the biggest thing, his conditioning. You can see that now just from getting out here. He runs a couple of routes and then you can see where he’s a little bit tired, but that will come. Larry has always been one that works very hard at that. He still has a few days to continue to improve in that area. I’m sure he’ll be fine for the game.”
On the status of RB Beanie Wells’ injury:
“Beanie (Wells) didn’t practice today. His knee is still not 100%. We’re just making sure that we’re cautious with that. He’s improving rapidly. We’ll see how the week progresses.”
On the importance of this game being that it’s a divisional road game:
“Anytime it’s a division game it is an important game for you, especially on the road. We’ve tried to become a better road team. We had success with that last year. This is doubly important because it’s a division game on the road and it’s starting out. We know it’s going to be tough. This is a much improved team that we’re facing. There’s going to be a lot of enthusiasm and energy coming out for their first game. We just have to make sure we take care of our business and try to continue with our good play on the road and hopefully get a division win.”
On what makes him confident that the run game will be successful this year:
“I’m confident the run game is going to be effective every season. It just hasn’t been as effective as we’d liked the last couple. I like the way our line has worked together, the chemistry they developed. I like the fact that we got running backs that have been in this system and understand the type of runs that we’re trying to get established. I think also, we have a better feel for what's good, what our guys do well. That’s probably the most important thing as far as trying to incorporate the run. Hopefully we’ll be more efficient running the football and it will help us be a more balanced offense.”
On if he attributes the team’s success on the road last season to leadership, preparation, or the overall mentality:
“I think a little bit is mentality. I definitely think leadership plays a part in it, but if there’s a mindset that you have to have when you get on the road, I think some of that was aided by the fact that nobody expected us to do well in the playoffs. It was kind of an us against the world mentality back in the ’08 season. That made us better. That made us understand how we have to take care of our own business and focus together to go out and beat the odds. That helps you play better on the road and gives you a chance to win. I think that contributed a lot to that.”
On if he’s worried that he may be limited with the running backs with RBs Beanie Wells and Jason Wright recovering from injuries:
“No. We didn’t get to see enough of LaRod (Stephens-Howling) in the preseason. From what little bit I saw of him, I was very excited about it. If Beanie (Wells) and Jason (Wright) aren’t able to go, which I don’t anticipate, then I’m very comfortable with Tim (Hightower) and LaRod. They have both shown me, especially LaRod has shown me some great things in the preseason.”
On if you throw more blitzes against a rookie quarterback like Rams QB Sam Bradford:
“I think we can’t try to do too much. For us, we have to eliminate our mistakes. If you think back to our first preseason game where we were most disappointed was not from the effort standpoint, it was because we made too many mistakes. You have to be careful, especially going into the first game that you try to do too much because you don’t want to get out of position, you don’t want to give up plays. We have to try to find a combination of doing a few things more to try to confuse the young guy, but also not trying to do so much that we confuse ourselves.”
On if you have to expect mistakes from rookies and be somewhat accepting when mistakes happen with young players:
“It’s tough anytime, even veteran players when they make mistakes. Even though I understand what you’re saying as rookies making mistakes and having to live with it. I don’t think you can ever accept that and say it’s okay. I think you’re expectations are these guys, if they’re going to get in the game, if they’re going to play, then they have to be held accountable for those mistakes. You understand it’s going to happen, the logical side of you does, and you know that to some degree that’s part of it. I don’t think you can say, that’s okay, and excuse it because that’s not what our goal is.”
On how excited he is to see the entire offense on the field together for the first time all season:
“I’m excited because even though we have some new faces, I’m excited about the talent that we have and getting a chance to see it gel. It’s a little bit like when you get a new car, you don’t know a lot about it. It’s supposed to do this or it’s supposed to do that, but it’s always fun to get it out on the road and see exactly what it does. By in large, you’re usually pleased with it. Hopefully, that will be the case this weekend.”
On if he could see DE Calais Campbell and WR Early Doucet making drastic improvements like WR Steve Breaston made from 2007 to 2008:
“Absolutely. I think there are a lot of young guys that you can see that. LaRod Stephens-Howling as far as what he can do for us offensively I see a lot of that. Greg Toler, another guy that you maybe you can see that. Rashad Johnson based on what he’s done through training camp. I think there’s a number of young guys that you’re anticipating some positive things from, some contributions, some big time contributions. Hopefully that’s what we’ll see.”
On what the biggest jump that DE Calais Campbell has made this year is:
“I think it’s consistency of his play and that is being low, playing with technique. Calais (Campbell) is such a tall man that a lot of times when he stands up, he has a tendency to get knocked out of there by those offensive lineman. He’s done a much better job of playing with technique. I think he’s very athletic. He has a unique ability to contort his body to get off of blocks or get through small gaps. Staying low, playing with technique is probably where he’s made the biggest jump.”
On what the biggest jump that WR Early Doucet has made this year is:
“I think his offseason kind of mirrored what he did at the end of the season for us. Worked hard, made plays (and) understands what he’s trying to do. I think Early (Doucet) now has just such a better feel for our offense and what his role is in it. He plays so much faster. He’s always been a guy that has good hands, that can make big plays, but he has a lot more confidence now. I think a great indication of that was the Washington Redskins game when he made that tight window catch down the middle of the field. That’s a big time play. It’s a great throw, but those are not always easy catches to make. To see him do that after he did those kinds of things last year just makes you know that there’s a little bit of consistency there, which is a good thing.”
On what he is pleased about after seeing the remodeled defense this preseason:
“I think consistency of play, communication. I see a chemistry with our team that a lot of times our guys aren’t out of position as much as they have been maybe in the past. Not to criticize the way they played in the past. I think it’s more of a function now of our guys having a better feel for each other. There’s a lot more trust about the schemes and what we’re trying to get done as a unit. That’s what I’m most excited about. In competing against them, the offense versus the defense, a lot of times it was tightly contested. There weren’t as many big plays that were given up that maybe had happened before. To me, that’s a good sign of our defense playing the scheme, playing team defense better.”
On the fact that the defense seems modest despite how well they’ve played in the preseason:
“I sense that we’re excited. Our defense is excited about playing but I think we also understand that it doesn’t mean anything until you’ve done it on the field together. Most veteran guys, which we have a few veteran guys, understand that. I think that’s their demeanor. You know, it helps us as a unit be more focused. Be better about being calm. Understanding what we’re trying to do. Playing with maturity. To me, that’s a good sign.”
On what he sees and expects from G Alan Faneca:
“I’ve been very pleased, not just from a leadership standpoint, but from the way he has played. There were a lot of questions early about his pass protection, but it’s funny how that kind of dried up towards the end of camp. Obviously, that improved. That’s what his history has been with me. When it’s time to play, he plays very well. His level of play increases during the entire preseason. I’m excited to see what he does.”
On if he feels that DE Kenny Iwebema is finally healthy and playing up to form after his surgery last year:
“I’m excited about him. He gives us so much. Where he really stood out in the preseason was in his defensive play, but where he really makes a significant contribution for us is in special teams. It was close. He was one of the guys who had a number of votes for captain at that position. I think that’s remarkable for Kenny (Iwebema) from where he has come from. Not many times do you see a defensive end who gets those votes in that area. That’s a great sign for him. I think he has confidence. Obviously, he feels better now after not having just come off the surgery like he did last year.”
Opening statement:
”Good Wednesday practice. We voted on the captains today. Our defensive captains were Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett. Our special teams captains were Jason Wright and Ben Graham. Our offensive captains were Larry Fitzgerald and Lyle Sendlein.”
On what it says about C Lyle Sendlein that he was named as a captain after joining the team as an undrafted free-agent:
“I think guys recognize what he’s done. He’s played a number of games, started a lot of games for us, hasn’t missed anything, played through injury, been consistent (and) is a good young player. I think that’s certainly recognition of that.”
On the status of WR Larry Fitzgerald’s injured knee:
“He is moving along just fine. He is progressing very well. I know he’s ready to play because it’s been tough for him to watch the last few weeks.”
On if it’s more Fitzgerald’s fitness that needs to improve:
“I think that’s probably the biggest thing, his conditioning. You can see that now just from getting out here. He runs a couple of routes and then you can see where he’s a little bit tired, but that will come. Larry has always been one that works very hard at that. He still has a few days to continue to improve in that area. I’m sure he’ll be fine for the game.”
On the status of RB Beanie Wells’ injury:
“Beanie (Wells) didn’t practice today. His knee is still not 100%. We’re just making sure that we’re cautious with that. He’s improving rapidly. We’ll see how the week progresses.”
On the importance of this game being that it’s a divisional road game:
“Anytime it’s a division game it is an important game for you, especially on the road. We’ve tried to become a better road team. We had success with that last year. This is doubly important because it’s a division game on the road and it’s starting out. We know it’s going to be tough. This is a much improved team that we’re facing. There’s going to be a lot of enthusiasm and energy coming out for their first game. We just have to make sure we take care of our business and try to continue with our good play on the road and hopefully get a division win.”
On what makes him confident that the run game will be successful this year:
“I’m confident the run game is going to be effective every season. It just hasn’t been as effective as we’d liked the last couple. I like the way our line has worked together, the chemistry they developed. I like the fact that we got running backs that have been in this system and understand the type of runs that we’re trying to get established. I think also, we have a better feel for what's good, what our guys do well. That’s probably the most important thing as far as trying to incorporate the run. Hopefully we’ll be more efficient running the football and it will help us be a more balanced offense.”
On if he attributes the team’s success on the road last season to leadership, preparation, or the overall mentality:
“I think a little bit is mentality. I definitely think leadership plays a part in it, but if there’s a mindset that you have to have when you get on the road, I think some of that was aided by the fact that nobody expected us to do well in the playoffs. It was kind of an us against the world mentality back in the ’08 season. That made us better. That made us understand how we have to take care of our own business and focus together to go out and beat the odds. That helps you play better on the road and gives you a chance to win. I think that contributed a lot to that.”
On if he’s worried that he may be limited with the running backs with RBs Beanie Wells and Jason Wright recovering from injuries:
“No. We didn’t get to see enough of LaRod (Stephens-Howling) in the preseason. From what little bit I saw of him, I was very excited about it. If Beanie (Wells) and Jason (Wright) aren’t able to go, which I don’t anticipate, then I’m very comfortable with Tim (Hightower) and LaRod. They have both shown me, especially LaRod has shown me some great things in the preseason.”
On if you throw more blitzes against a rookie quarterback like Rams QB Sam Bradford:
“I think we can’t try to do too much. For us, we have to eliminate our mistakes. If you think back to our first preseason game where we were most disappointed was not from the effort standpoint, it was because we made too many mistakes. You have to be careful, especially going into the first game that you try to do too much because you don’t want to get out of position, you don’t want to give up plays. We have to try to find a combination of doing a few things more to try to confuse the young guy, but also not trying to do so much that we confuse ourselves.”
On if you have to expect mistakes from rookies and be somewhat accepting when mistakes happen with young players:
“It’s tough anytime, even veteran players when they make mistakes. Even though I understand what you’re saying as rookies making mistakes and having to live with it. I don’t think you can ever accept that and say it’s okay. I think you’re expectations are these guys, if they’re going to get in the game, if they’re going to play, then they have to be held accountable for those mistakes. You understand it’s going to happen, the logical side of you does, and you know that to some degree that’s part of it. I don’t think you can say, that’s okay, and excuse it because that’s not what our goal is.”
On how excited he is to see the entire offense on the field together for the first time all season:
“I’m excited because even though we have some new faces, I’m excited about the talent that we have and getting a chance to see it gel. It’s a little bit like when you get a new car, you don’t know a lot about it. It’s supposed to do this or it’s supposed to do that, but it’s always fun to get it out on the road and see exactly what it does. By in large, you’re usually pleased with it. Hopefully, that will be the case this weekend.”
On if he could see DE Calais Campbell and WR Early Doucet making drastic improvements like WR Steve Breaston made from 2007 to 2008:
“Absolutely. I think there are a lot of young guys that you can see that. LaRod Stephens-Howling as far as what he can do for us offensively I see a lot of that. Greg Toler, another guy that you maybe you can see that. Rashad Johnson based on what he’s done through training camp. I think there’s a number of young guys that you’re anticipating some positive things from, some contributions, some big time contributions. Hopefully that’s what we’ll see.”
On what the biggest jump that DE Calais Campbell has made this year is:
“I think it’s consistency of his play and that is being low, playing with technique. Calais (Campbell) is such a tall man that a lot of times when he stands up, he has a tendency to get knocked out of there by those offensive lineman. He’s done a much better job of playing with technique. I think he’s very athletic. He has a unique ability to contort his body to get off of blocks or get through small gaps. Staying low, playing with technique is probably where he’s made the biggest jump.”
On what the biggest jump that WR Early Doucet has made this year is:
“I think his offseason kind of mirrored what he did at the end of the season for us. Worked hard, made plays (and) understands what he’s trying to do. I think Early (Doucet) now has just such a better feel for our offense and what his role is in it. He plays so much faster. He’s always been a guy that has good hands, that can make big plays, but he has a lot more confidence now. I think a great indication of that was the Washington Redskins game when he made that tight window catch down the middle of the field. That’s a big time play. It’s a great throw, but those are not always easy catches to make. To see him do that after he did those kinds of things last year just makes you know that there’s a little bit of consistency there, which is a good thing.”
On what he is pleased about after seeing the remodeled defense this preseason:
“I think consistency of play, communication. I see a chemistry with our team that a lot of times our guys aren’t out of position as much as they have been maybe in the past. Not to criticize the way they played in the past. I think it’s more of a function now of our guys having a better feel for each other. There’s a lot more trust about the schemes and what we’re trying to get done as a unit. That’s what I’m most excited about. In competing against them, the offense versus the defense, a lot of times it was tightly contested. There weren’t as many big plays that were given up that maybe had happened before. To me, that’s a good sign of our defense playing the scheme, playing team defense better.”
On the fact that the defense seems modest despite how well they’ve played in the preseason:
“I sense that we’re excited. Our defense is excited about playing but I think we also understand that it doesn’t mean anything until you’ve done it on the field together. Most veteran guys, which we have a few veteran guys, understand that. I think that’s their demeanor. You know, it helps us as a unit be more focused. Be better about being calm. Understanding what we’re trying to do. Playing with maturity. To me, that’s a good sign.”
On what he sees and expects from G Alan Faneca:
“I’ve been very pleased, not just from a leadership standpoint, but from the way he has played. There were a lot of questions early about his pass protection, but it’s funny how that kind of dried up towards the end of camp. Obviously, that improved. That’s what his history has been with me. When it’s time to play, he plays very well. His level of play increases during the entire preseason. I’m excited to see what he does.”
On if he feels that DE Kenny Iwebema is finally healthy and playing up to form after his surgery last year:
“I’m excited about him. He gives us so much. Where he really stood out in the preseason was in his defensive play, but where he really makes a significant contribution for us is in special teams. It was close. He was one of the guys who had a number of votes for captain at that position. I think that’s remarkable for Kenny (Iwebema) from where he has come from. Not many times do you see a defensive end who gets those votes in that area. That’s a great sign for him. I think he has confidence. Obviously, he feels better now after not having just come off the surgery like he did last year.”
Rams QB Sam Bradford
Conference call - Arizona at St. Louis - 9/8/10
On his expectations for the first game:
“First off, I’m extremely excited. I’m excited for this opportunity. I feel like our coaching staff has given me a tremendous opportunity in allowing me to start this first game. I’m going to make the most of it. I’ve been trying hard to learn as much as I can during training camp. I’m starting to look at Arizona. Starting to look at what they do, just trying to pick up as much as possible. Overall, I would say that I’m just extremely excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to get out there and play on Sunday.”
On what his grasp is on the offense:
“I think I have a very good grasp on this offense. Obviously, the more I’m out there, the more reps I get, the more comfortable I become. I feel like I’ve made progress each week. Do I know the offense as well as somebody who’s been in it for five or six years? No, probably not, but I don’t think that I can really expect that of myself only being in this offense for however many weeks, however many practices we’ve had to this point. I do feel like I have enough of a grasp of this offense to come out and execute.”
On how prepared he thinks he is for what the Cardinals will throw at him on Sunday:
“We obviously understand that what we see on tape in the preseason is pretty basic. It seems to be the trend with a rookie quarterback to throw a lot at them, throw a lot of blitzes at them. I understand that. I’m working extremely hard with our coaching staff this week to try to get prepared for all the things that we can see. Are we going to be able to draw up or guess everything that they’re going to throw at me? No. At the same time, I’m comfortable in our schemes. I know where my protection is strong. I know where it’s weak. I feel comfortable enough knowing that I can get the ball out of my hand if they do decide to pressure me.”
On the feeling around town among the fans about the Rams:
“I can’t speak for the fans. I’m not one of them. But I know just being around this organization and being around this team everyday that we’re extremely excited in the direction that we’re going. I feel like just in the time that I’ve been here, I’ve seen a lot of improvement. I feel like we’re going in the right direction. I feel like as a football team as long as we continue to get better each week then good things will happen and good things are in the future for this organization.”
On if it’s hard to manage the high expectations of being the first overall pick and signing such a large contract:
“I think regardless of whether I was the first pick or not, I have always put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed and a lot of pressure on myself to play well, so I don’t think anything has changed. When I was at Oklahoma, I expected to go out every Saturday and play to the level that I knew I was capable of. All that other stuff, people might think that’s more pressure, but to me it’s still the same. It’s still a football game. When I step on the field on Sunday, I expect to play at a very high level and give this team an opportunity to win.”
On if the offense will lean more on RB Steven Jackson due to the overall inexperience on that side of the ball:
“People might think that, but I think we have a great group of wide receivers here. Obviously Steven Jackson is a great player and he is going to be a huge part of this offense, but to say that we’re going to lean on him more because of the inexperience at other positions, I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”
On the team’s progress from the first preseason game to now:
“I feel like we have made a lot of progress in the preseason. From week one to week four, I think you look at the mistakes that we made as an offense, they were much fewer and really it seemed like we didn’t really repeat any of the things that we had messed up in the prior week. I feel like our offensive line has really come together since week one. They’ve done a great job of protecting me and the other quarterbacks and they really sparked the run game in the past couple preseason games. I feel very good with the progress we’ve made as an offense in this preseason.”
On how comfortable he is playing under center:
“I’m very comfortable. People looked at what I did at Oklahoma and they really don’t understand that my first year, we were under center more than 50% of the time. It’s something that I’ve done. It’s something that I am comfortable with. The more that I’ve done it in this training camp, the more comfortable I’ve become with it.”
On his expectations for the first game:
“First off, I’m extremely excited. I’m excited for this opportunity. I feel like our coaching staff has given me a tremendous opportunity in allowing me to start this first game. I’m going to make the most of it. I’ve been trying hard to learn as much as I can during training camp. I’m starting to look at Arizona. Starting to look at what they do, just trying to pick up as much as possible. Overall, I would say that I’m just extremely excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to get out there and play on Sunday.”
On what his grasp is on the offense:
“I think I have a very good grasp on this offense. Obviously, the more I’m out there, the more reps I get, the more comfortable I become. I feel like I’ve made progress each week. Do I know the offense as well as somebody who’s been in it for five or six years? No, probably not, but I don’t think that I can really expect that of myself only being in this offense for however many weeks, however many practices we’ve had to this point. I do feel like I have enough of a grasp of this offense to come out and execute.”
On how prepared he thinks he is for what the Cardinals will throw at him on Sunday:
“We obviously understand that what we see on tape in the preseason is pretty basic. It seems to be the trend with a rookie quarterback to throw a lot at them, throw a lot of blitzes at them. I understand that. I’m working extremely hard with our coaching staff this week to try to get prepared for all the things that we can see. Are we going to be able to draw up or guess everything that they’re going to throw at me? No. At the same time, I’m comfortable in our schemes. I know where my protection is strong. I know where it’s weak. I feel comfortable enough knowing that I can get the ball out of my hand if they do decide to pressure me.”
On the feeling around town among the fans about the Rams:
“I can’t speak for the fans. I’m not one of them. But I know just being around this organization and being around this team everyday that we’re extremely excited in the direction that we’re going. I feel like just in the time that I’ve been here, I’ve seen a lot of improvement. I feel like we’re going in the right direction. I feel like as a football team as long as we continue to get better each week then good things will happen and good things are in the future for this organization.”
On if it’s hard to manage the high expectations of being the first overall pick and signing such a large contract:
“I think regardless of whether I was the first pick or not, I have always put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed and a lot of pressure on myself to play well, so I don’t think anything has changed. When I was at Oklahoma, I expected to go out every Saturday and play to the level that I knew I was capable of. All that other stuff, people might think that’s more pressure, but to me it’s still the same. It’s still a football game. When I step on the field on Sunday, I expect to play at a very high level and give this team an opportunity to win.”
On if the offense will lean more on RB Steven Jackson due to the overall inexperience on that side of the ball:
“People might think that, but I think we have a great group of wide receivers here. Obviously Steven Jackson is a great player and he is going to be a huge part of this offense, but to say that we’re going to lean on him more because of the inexperience at other positions, I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”
On the team’s progress from the first preseason game to now:
“I feel like we have made a lot of progress in the preseason. From week one to week four, I think you look at the mistakes that we made as an offense, they were much fewer and really it seemed like we didn’t really repeat any of the things that we had messed up in the prior week. I feel like our offensive line has really come together since week one. They’ve done a great job of protecting me and the other quarterbacks and they really sparked the run game in the past couple preseason games. I feel very good with the progress we’ve made as an offense in this preseason.”
On how comfortable he is playing under center:
“I’m very comfortable. People looked at what I did at Oklahoma and they really don’t understand that my first year, we were under center more than 50% of the time. It’s something that I’ve done. It’s something that I am comfortable with. The more that I’ve done it in this training camp, the more comfortable I’ve become with it.”
Rams Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo
Conference call - Arizona at St. Louis - 9/8/10
On where he thinks the Rams are in the building process since they have so many rookies on the roster:
“The first statement you made is an accurate one, obviously. We have a lot of rookies, which is a newness to the team. There are a lot of things that come with that, some energy, which is a positive, youthfulness, which can be a good thing in this game. But also there are some things we have to overcome too, experience, that same youth, guys being in their first game this coming Sunday. I think we have a good mixture of vets in there that I’m very hopeful will help these young guys through this process.”
On if they are forced to be conservative offensively having a rookie starting at quarterback:
“No, I wouldn’t tag it that way. Our philosophy here in the first game, I think in all three phases, is let’s not confuse ourselves. Let’s do what we’ve been doing so we can play fast. If that limits things, it’s not necessarily a rookie quarterback, it’s just kind of the way in my opinion you handle the first game. You don’t get too tricky. Sometimes you can out-trick yourself. Now, will there be some new wrinkles in there? Sure. I’m sure Ken (Whisenhunt) will do the same with his squad, but I think that’s probably typical around the league.”
On the challenges rookie QB Sam Bradford faces in his first game, at home, with pressure and expectations:
“I think all of those that you just mentioned are going to be things that he’s going to have to deal with. Along with that—and I’ve spoken with him, I was with him last night, sat in here and watched a little bit of tape—what he saw and the speed of the game in four preseason games is not what he’s going to see on Sunday. Everything goes up a bunch of notches. Defensive coordinators get a little bit more creative. Certainly anytime there’s a rookie quarterback we can certainly expect pressure, which is what we do expect. There are going to be some things there that he’s going to have to deal with that he did not have to deal with in his first four outings in preseason games.”
On how difficult having an unsettled ownership situation was last year:
“The difficulty was the 15 losses. The ownership part of it, we never let that affect us here inside the building when we were doing ‘football’ work. Everything we do on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the course of a season really didn’t change that way. We felt completely supported when Chip (Rosenbloom) and Lucia (Rodriguez) owned the football team. We knew at some point that there might be a change. Now, we’re ecstatic to have the owner we have in Stan Kroenke.”
On how he sees his wide receivers and how they might be able to help QB Sam Bradford:
“Certainly it hurts to lose Donnie (Avery). Then, you have a lot of youth there. Now, we did just made an acquisition with Mark Clayton, so I think that will help us with a little veteran presence. But, now you’re talking about a rookie quarterback with a wide receiver on certain downs that haven’t even thrown the ball to each other yet in a game, so that will be a challenge. I do think as a group they’ve molded together pretty well. Nolan Cromwell coaches our wide receivers. I think he’s done an excellent job. They’ve put a ton of work in, I’m talking about the quarterback and the wide receivers together. Now, you don’t really get a sense of it until you get in a football game, so this will be a learning process, a growth process. We’re just hoping we can have a little bit of good fortune and win some games as we’re going through it.”
On how comfortable he is with the offensive line:
“It’s helpful that we had the five guys, hopefully knock on wood nothing happens between now and Sunday, that we’ll have in Sunday’s game against Arizona. To have them together for a period of time, it is quite evident that those guys need work together to become a cohesive unit. Coaches talk about it all the time, but it was really clear to us that when you had guys banged up and injured and this guy out and that guy out, even when you’re missing one piece of those five, it makes it a little bit of a challenge. Finally, we got them all back and it came together pretty well. We’re hopeful it will be the same way Sunday.”
On if he’s expecting anything different from the Cardinals with Kurt Warner gone:
“I tell you what, this is the NFC West Division Champs we’re playing. The best point you made there is it’s still the same coaching staff. I think Ken (Whisenhunt) and his guys do a terrific job. There is still a lot of talent on that roster. I’m sure like us, there are certain guys that they will miss initially that they had last year, but I have too much respect for the staff and their players. There is still plenty of talent. We expect them to be a good football team.”
On what he wanted to find out most about Sam Bradford to give him confidence that he could be his QB:
“A lot of it was, you try to watch him at OTA’s, training camp, how he handled himself in the huddle. Then you had to get to the games. Even the 40-second clock is not new to a young guy, but it’s different in the NFL, so we worked hard on that. It’s clock awareness. It’s will the other 10 guys around him respond to him. When we get to third-and-one will he step in the huddle and challenge the offensive line to get the first down? He’s done a lot of those things. Those were the things I was looking for as a head coach. Somebody said earlier in this interview here that it was obvious he had the talent, and he does. He’s a very accurate passer. Now we have to surround him with some good players, a good offensive line, and hope it all gels together and becomes a good offensive unit.”
On if it’s a big deal being able to start the season at home with a roster full of rookies:
“I think that’s a good point. To be honest with you, I never thought of it that way, but we’ll take it. I do think that does make a difference. I think it will be nice to be at home in the dome here with a very competitive, quality opponent and hope that the guys can do some good things and something positive.”
On if he senses excitement and curiosity from the local community about the team:
“I’ve been told that. It’s hard as coaches. You hunker down in here and you don’t know what goes on outside the walls. We lose touch of the whole world. I’m not saying that’s a good thing. People have said that. I have not seen it. I’m not privy to it. I don’t get into the shopping markets or read the newspaper or watch TV, but I think there is a little bit of a buzz. Our challenge here as a team is to keep that buzz the same. That’s what we need to do.”
On how much more comfortable he is as a coach in his second season:
“(I am) way more comfortable. I think we all, in any business, I’m sure it’s the same with yours, when you make these steps up the ladder, etc, etc, everybody thinks they’re ready and they’re going to run with the show and make all the right moves and no mistakes. You learn along the way. I’ve certainly made my mistakes, when up and down I hope I’m a better football coach this year for that.”
On where he thinks the Rams are in the building process since they have so many rookies on the roster:
“The first statement you made is an accurate one, obviously. We have a lot of rookies, which is a newness to the team. There are a lot of things that come with that, some energy, which is a positive, youthfulness, which can be a good thing in this game. But also there are some things we have to overcome too, experience, that same youth, guys being in their first game this coming Sunday. I think we have a good mixture of vets in there that I’m very hopeful will help these young guys through this process.”
On if they are forced to be conservative offensively having a rookie starting at quarterback:
“No, I wouldn’t tag it that way. Our philosophy here in the first game, I think in all three phases, is let’s not confuse ourselves. Let’s do what we’ve been doing so we can play fast. If that limits things, it’s not necessarily a rookie quarterback, it’s just kind of the way in my opinion you handle the first game. You don’t get too tricky. Sometimes you can out-trick yourself. Now, will there be some new wrinkles in there? Sure. I’m sure Ken (Whisenhunt) will do the same with his squad, but I think that’s probably typical around the league.”
On the challenges rookie QB Sam Bradford faces in his first game, at home, with pressure and expectations:
“I think all of those that you just mentioned are going to be things that he’s going to have to deal with. Along with that—and I’ve spoken with him, I was with him last night, sat in here and watched a little bit of tape—what he saw and the speed of the game in four preseason games is not what he’s going to see on Sunday. Everything goes up a bunch of notches. Defensive coordinators get a little bit more creative. Certainly anytime there’s a rookie quarterback we can certainly expect pressure, which is what we do expect. There are going to be some things there that he’s going to have to deal with that he did not have to deal with in his first four outings in preseason games.”
On how difficult having an unsettled ownership situation was last year:
“The difficulty was the 15 losses. The ownership part of it, we never let that affect us here inside the building when we were doing ‘football’ work. Everything we do on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the course of a season really didn’t change that way. We felt completely supported when Chip (Rosenbloom) and Lucia (Rodriguez) owned the football team. We knew at some point that there might be a change. Now, we’re ecstatic to have the owner we have in Stan Kroenke.”
On how he sees his wide receivers and how they might be able to help QB Sam Bradford:
“Certainly it hurts to lose Donnie (Avery). Then, you have a lot of youth there. Now, we did just made an acquisition with Mark Clayton, so I think that will help us with a little veteran presence. But, now you’re talking about a rookie quarterback with a wide receiver on certain downs that haven’t even thrown the ball to each other yet in a game, so that will be a challenge. I do think as a group they’ve molded together pretty well. Nolan Cromwell coaches our wide receivers. I think he’s done an excellent job. They’ve put a ton of work in, I’m talking about the quarterback and the wide receivers together. Now, you don’t really get a sense of it until you get in a football game, so this will be a learning process, a growth process. We’re just hoping we can have a little bit of good fortune and win some games as we’re going through it.”
On how comfortable he is with the offensive line:
“It’s helpful that we had the five guys, hopefully knock on wood nothing happens between now and Sunday, that we’ll have in Sunday’s game against Arizona. To have them together for a period of time, it is quite evident that those guys need work together to become a cohesive unit. Coaches talk about it all the time, but it was really clear to us that when you had guys banged up and injured and this guy out and that guy out, even when you’re missing one piece of those five, it makes it a little bit of a challenge. Finally, we got them all back and it came together pretty well. We’re hopeful it will be the same way Sunday.”
On if he’s expecting anything different from the Cardinals with Kurt Warner gone:
“I tell you what, this is the NFC West Division Champs we’re playing. The best point you made there is it’s still the same coaching staff. I think Ken (Whisenhunt) and his guys do a terrific job. There is still a lot of talent on that roster. I’m sure like us, there are certain guys that they will miss initially that they had last year, but I have too much respect for the staff and their players. There is still plenty of talent. We expect them to be a good football team.”
On what he wanted to find out most about Sam Bradford to give him confidence that he could be his QB:
“A lot of it was, you try to watch him at OTA’s, training camp, how he handled himself in the huddle. Then you had to get to the games. Even the 40-second clock is not new to a young guy, but it’s different in the NFL, so we worked hard on that. It’s clock awareness. It’s will the other 10 guys around him respond to him. When we get to third-and-one will he step in the huddle and challenge the offensive line to get the first down? He’s done a lot of those things. Those were the things I was looking for as a head coach. Somebody said earlier in this interview here that it was obvious he had the talent, and he does. He’s a very accurate passer. Now we have to surround him with some good players, a good offensive line, and hope it all gels together and becomes a good offensive unit.”
On if it’s a big deal being able to start the season at home with a roster full of rookies:
“I think that’s a good point. To be honest with you, I never thought of it that way, but we’ll take it. I do think that does make a difference. I think it will be nice to be at home in the dome here with a very competitive, quality opponent and hope that the guys can do some good things and something positive.”
On if he senses excitement and curiosity from the local community about the team:
“I’ve been told that. It’s hard as coaches. You hunker down in here and you don’t know what goes on outside the walls. We lose touch of the whole world. I’m not saying that’s a good thing. People have said that. I have not seen it. I’m not privy to it. I don’t get into the shopping markets or read the newspaper or watch TV, but I think there is a little bit of a buzz. Our challenge here as a team is to keep that buzz the same. That’s what we need to do.”
On how much more comfortable he is as a coach in his second season:
“(I am) way more comfortable. I think we all, in any business, I’m sure it’s the same with yours, when you make these steps up the ladder, etc, etc, everybody thinks they’re ready and they’re going to run with the show and make all the right moves and no mistakes. You learn along the way. I’ve certainly made my mistakes, when up and down I hope I’m a better football coach this year for that.”
Cardinals QB Derek Anderson
Monday after Practice – Arizona at St. Louis – 9/6/10
On if the first day of practice after the preseason is different because the roster was cut down from 75 to 53:
“I feel like we’re missing a few guys. We had some guys late to practice. But the first day is always, actually Saturday is the toughest day, but being out here with the 53 is a little difficult. We had to let some good football players go. We have to keep moving on.”
On how he feels now that the quarterback situation is cleared up and he is the clear starter:
“I thought today was good. I got a good start on St. Louis. I’m obviously excited about the upcoming season and the progress I’ve made and the potential we have as a team.”
On if he thought he would actually be in this position as the starter when he first signed with the Cardinals:
“In my head, but I wasn’t going to tell you guys that. I had always said when I got here that was always my goal. Going into any training camp regardless of what the situation was, that’s just kind of how I prepare my mind and how I prepare for every season.”
On how attractive it was to come to Arizona knowing that Coach Whisenhunt gives every player a fair shot at starting no matter what the circumstances or draft position:
“I didn’t really look at that whole situation. Obviously, I know what went on. I think just the players that we had. I really liked the coaches and the coaching staff, the things that they were doing, the things that they had done. I was excited about that when everything first shook out.”
On what the last year has been like since playing in Cleveland to starting in Arizona now:
“A lot of struggle. A lot of difficult times on and off the field. I went through a lot in life, but I’m obviously happy with the way things worked out and I’m excited about the opportunity.”
On what exactly went right in his Pro Bowl season in 2007 with Cleveland:
“We caught the football. We played good defense. That year was obviously special. We weren’t able to repeat it, but we did some good things that year. Obviously I’m trying a whole new clean slate and do some new things here.”
On what he did personally to be so successful in 2007:
“I just kept working. It’s a long season. You hope you’re going to win every game. You go into it preparing like that. Not everything always goes your way. You don’t always start out a game where you’re up seven, you’re up 14. You just keep fighting, you keep plugging away, no matter what the situation is during the season.”
On what helped him the most over the past year:
“Obviously friends. My family has been very supportive. When I got here, Coach Miller, Chris Miller has been amazing working on my footwork, working on my touch balls, working on accuracy. That’s something we’ll continue to work on.”
On if it ever got uncomfortable between him and former Cardinals QB Matt Leinart during the preseason:
“I don’t know. I think Matt and I’s relationship will be fine. Obviously, I wish him the best. I think he’ll do a fine job.”
On the offense rallying around him in the preseason:
“I don’t want to go into any description of it. I think when I’m there and when I wasn’t in the preseason, I just tried to be the best leader I could. Be me. Be positive. Stay focused. I think obviously guys rallied behind that.”
On if he is an intense player on the field:
“When we’re out there, I was telling Andre (Roberts) after the first preseason game, when I get out there in the heat of the moment I get fired up. I’m not yelling at him. I’m yelling, but I’m not yelling at you. I’m not mad at you. I just want to get things right. I think that’s just the way (to go) about it.”
On if his humor makes its way into the huddle:
“At the right time. There’s a time and a place for everything. I think obviously it’s my job to lead those guys and keep them loose. I think our team plays well when we’re loose and aggressive.”
On if what people say and write about him stick with him:
“Like I said, I’ve moved passed that. I’m just focused on bigger and better things. I learned a lot from that situation as a person and as a football player.”
On how he has improved his accuracy:
“I think just working on my feet. Make sure my feet are underneath me, my feet and body going in the right direction. I think it has improved dramatically. Like I said, I’m going to keep working on it.”
On backup quarterback Max Hall:
“I think Max (Hall) did a really good job coming in and learning the offense. I love the way he plays, his intensity. We have a good room and a good group of guys in there.”
On if he has better playmakers here in Arizona compared to what he had in Cleveland:
“I don’t know. I think at times the guys we had out there made a lot of plays. I think probably as a whole, our receiving core is a little more talented. Not to take anything away from those guys. Those guys are all good football players as well.”
On how good it feels to have WR Larry Fitzgerald back on the field for the first game:
“It will be good. We haven’t had him for a couple of weeks. We have some work to do in timing and all that, but when you get the ball around Larry (Fitzgerald), he can make plays for you.”
On if the first day of practice after the preseason is different because the roster was cut down from 75 to 53:
“I feel like we’re missing a few guys. We had some guys late to practice. But the first day is always, actually Saturday is the toughest day, but being out here with the 53 is a little difficult. We had to let some good football players go. We have to keep moving on.”
On how he feels now that the quarterback situation is cleared up and he is the clear starter:
“I thought today was good. I got a good start on St. Louis. I’m obviously excited about the upcoming season and the progress I’ve made and the potential we have as a team.”
On if he thought he would actually be in this position as the starter when he first signed with the Cardinals:
“In my head, but I wasn’t going to tell you guys that. I had always said when I got here that was always my goal. Going into any training camp regardless of what the situation was, that’s just kind of how I prepare my mind and how I prepare for every season.”
On how attractive it was to come to Arizona knowing that Coach Whisenhunt gives every player a fair shot at starting no matter what the circumstances or draft position:
“I didn’t really look at that whole situation. Obviously, I know what went on. I think just the players that we had. I really liked the coaches and the coaching staff, the things that they were doing, the things that they had done. I was excited about that when everything first shook out.”
On what the last year has been like since playing in Cleveland to starting in Arizona now:
“A lot of struggle. A lot of difficult times on and off the field. I went through a lot in life, but I’m obviously happy with the way things worked out and I’m excited about the opportunity.”
On what exactly went right in his Pro Bowl season in 2007 with Cleveland:
“We caught the football. We played good defense. That year was obviously special. We weren’t able to repeat it, but we did some good things that year. Obviously I’m trying a whole new clean slate and do some new things here.”
On what he did personally to be so successful in 2007:
“I just kept working. It’s a long season. You hope you’re going to win every game. You go into it preparing like that. Not everything always goes your way. You don’t always start out a game where you’re up seven, you’re up 14. You just keep fighting, you keep plugging away, no matter what the situation is during the season.”
On what helped him the most over the past year:
“Obviously friends. My family has been very supportive. When I got here, Coach Miller, Chris Miller has been amazing working on my footwork, working on my touch balls, working on accuracy. That’s something we’ll continue to work on.”
On if it ever got uncomfortable between him and former Cardinals QB Matt Leinart during the preseason:
“I don’t know. I think Matt and I’s relationship will be fine. Obviously, I wish him the best. I think he’ll do a fine job.”
On the offense rallying around him in the preseason:
“I don’t want to go into any description of it. I think when I’m there and when I wasn’t in the preseason, I just tried to be the best leader I could. Be me. Be positive. Stay focused. I think obviously guys rallied behind that.”
On if he is an intense player on the field:
“When we’re out there, I was telling Andre (Roberts) after the first preseason game, when I get out there in the heat of the moment I get fired up. I’m not yelling at him. I’m yelling, but I’m not yelling at you. I’m not mad at you. I just want to get things right. I think that’s just the way (to go) about it.”
On if his humor makes its way into the huddle:
“At the right time. There’s a time and a place for everything. I think obviously it’s my job to lead those guys and keep them loose. I think our team plays well when we’re loose and aggressive.”
On if what people say and write about him stick with him:
“Like I said, I’ve moved passed that. I’m just focused on bigger and better things. I learned a lot from that situation as a person and as a football player.”
On how he has improved his accuracy:
“I think just working on my feet. Make sure my feet are underneath me, my feet and body going in the right direction. I think it has improved dramatically. Like I said, I’m going to keep working on it.”
On backup quarterback Max Hall:
“I think Max (Hall) did a really good job coming in and learning the offense. I love the way he plays, his intensity. We have a good room and a good group of guys in there.”
On if he has better playmakers here in Arizona compared to what he had in Cleveland:
“I don’t know. I think at times the guys we had out there made a lot of plays. I think probably as a whole, our receiving core is a little more talented. Not to take anything away from those guys. Those guys are all good football players as well.”
On how good it feels to have WR Larry Fitzgerald back on the field for the first game:
“It will be good. We haven’t had him for a couple of weeks. We have some work to do in timing and all that, but when you get the ball around Larry (Fitzgerald), he can make plays for you.”
Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt
Post-Practice Press Conference – Monday – 9/6/10
Opening statement:
“Happy Labor Day to everyone. I hope they are enjoying their day. Labor Day for us always kind of signifies the first week of the season, so it is always an exciting time. We had some good work today.”
On Chris Miller working with Derek Anderson on his footwork to improve his accuracy:
“When I said in the last couple of days that we have seen improvement that was one of the areas. To be an accurate thrower you have to have good footwork. Especially when you are tall like Derek (Anderson) is. He’s worked hard at it. We’ve seen the results, especially over the last two games. It is nice to see him working on the little things. To be honest with you that is what we have done with all the guys that we’ve had here. It paid off for Kurt (Warner) from holding the ball in the pocket and even scrambling for a first down at times. It is an important part of that position.”
On Derek Anderson working on throwing touch passes:
“You see us working over the top of things and throwing around things in practice and that is all to help develop touch. Quarterbacks have to have a feel for that. There is going to be times that you have to zip it in there because it is a tight window. I haven’t seen any issues with that. I haven’t noticed anything that has stood out over the last few weeks so hopefully we made progress with that.”
On what were the things that excited him about Derek Anderson when he looked at his Pro Bowl season:
“For me it goes back to more than the Pro Bowl season. When I was in Pittsburgh we played him twice a year and I got a chance to see him a number of times, whether it was pre-game warm up or in games against us and I had always thought and from speaking with (Strength and Conditioning coach) John Lott, who was there, that he had talent. That he was an intriguing guy because of the way he could throw the football. Obviously in the 2007 season when he played for them, I remember playing him and we played them about the 11th-12th game of the season, somewhere in there, and he was playing well. I thought well, that is not surprising to me because of what I had seen from him the times that I had been around him in Cleveland.”
On how the practice squad is shaping up:
“I think we’re going to be a little better than St. Louis in the practice squad area. You know, I think we got all of our guys. We definitely have all of our guys, we’re just trying to get them here. We got three of them back that were with us and we got five other guys that are new.”
On if it’s tough to flip the switch to regular season mode:
“(It) wasn’t tough. You can tell it in the intensity of the practice today. They’ve been practicing well the whole camp. I think that’s been a theme for us, so it really wasn’t anything that was a concern.”
On if they sprinkled any Rams preparation into previous practices during the preseason:
“If we did, it was by accident. It wasn’t anything conscious that we did. Today was really the first day where we’ve worked on some of their looks. Some of the things that we saw in the preseason, some of the pressures mirrors kind of some of the things they do. In kind of a round-about way, we have seen some of the defensive types or styles.”
On how hard it is to prepare for an unknown quarterback like Rams rookie Sam Bradford:
“Well, they said he’s the starter so he’s going. I believe that’s the case. I think it’s always a little bit more difficult because you have not seen regular season game type of work. That’s the thing you face whether it’s a new quarterback or not. I think that you try to look at what they’ve done in the preseason and think that maybe they’ll do some similar things because it’s not, for instance, having a veteran quarterback where you can do very little but still gear it up a notch in the regular season. I think we have to prepare based on how we think they’re going to attack and that’s based on what we’ve seen last year and then what we’ve seen them do in the preseason and just try to figure it out the best way we can that way.
On what he saw in CB AJ Jefferson in the preseason to keep him on the squad:
“You know, there were two things that I saw, two plays that actually come to mind. One was the kickoff return where he ran the guy down. He has speed. That’s what really showed up, good long speed. Another one was a long pass where he was in coverage and he didn’t panic. He stayed with it. To me, that’s a skill for young players that’s hard to find. Usually, when the ball is in the air they panic and they either grab the guy or cause a penalty. I didn’t see that out of him. That was encouraging to see, his development as we started from camp and as we progressed. Being calm under that pressure is a good quality for a young corner to have.”
On the chances of WR Larry Fitzgerald playing in the season opener:
“I feel good about Larry (Fitzgerald’s) chances of playing. Nothing has changed. His rehab has gone even better than we had anticipated. I expect to have him on the field.”
On if it’s important to have WR Larry Fitzgerald on the practice field to work on timing:
“I think that’s part of it, yeah. He has to get his wind back too. All the conditioning that you can do just doesn’t replace what you do on the football field. You could see that today a little bit. I anticipate that he will be fine for the game.”
On the Peter King article that quoted him as comparing backup QB Max Hall to Kurt Warner:
“I don’t think I ever actually said that he looked like Kurt (Warner). I said, ‘Who does that remind you of?’ And he made the assumption that it was Kurt, I think if you talk about that. I think that I’m excited about Max (Hall) from the progress he’s made as a rookie quarterback. Once again, I think we have to rein that in a little bit. He hasn’t played a regular season game, but I do like the progress that I’ve seen. I like the way that he competes. Those are qualities that, since you mentioned it, do mirror Kurt. Maybe they come from similar type starts where people didn’t think they could play and they’ve had to work against the odds and somehow they prevailed. That’s a sign of a tremendous competitor. That’s what you see in Max.”
On the status of RB Beanie Wells’ knee:
“I mean, his knee is not 100%, but we’ll see how he progresses during the week.”
On what CB Greg Toler did to separate himself to become the starter:
“He had to work on the little things as far as his techniques and competing for the spot. I think what happens when you have competition, especially tight competition like they had at that position, you really get focused in on the details every day. It becomes a part of what you do knowing that if you slip up, the other guy has a chance of passing you by or as in Greg’s spot, he’s not going to be the starter if he doesn’t get it right. It makes your work ethic, not that Greg’s ever had a bad work ethic, it’s been more about how to work. What I’ve seen is his confidence, his attention to detail on the practice field, which I think are functions of having to compete against Trumaine (McBride).”
On former Cardinals QB Matt Leinart signing with the Houston Texans today:
“I’m happy for Matt (Leinart). I’m excited that he’s got the opportunity, but I think we’ve talked enough about that situation and it’s time to move forward.”
On G Reggie Wells being gone and if he is working out new players for his right guard position:
“You have to do that just in case. We’ll see how that progresses. Deuce (Lutui) is going to start in that position and obviously Rex (Hadnot) had a very good preseason and good training camp. I feel very good about him. We know Jeremy Bridges can do it too. I feel comfortable about the guard position and we’ll see how it shakes out.”
Opening statement:
“Happy Labor Day to everyone. I hope they are enjoying their day. Labor Day for us always kind of signifies the first week of the season, so it is always an exciting time. We had some good work today.”
On Chris Miller working with Derek Anderson on his footwork to improve his accuracy:
“When I said in the last couple of days that we have seen improvement that was one of the areas. To be an accurate thrower you have to have good footwork. Especially when you are tall like Derek (Anderson) is. He’s worked hard at it. We’ve seen the results, especially over the last two games. It is nice to see him working on the little things. To be honest with you that is what we have done with all the guys that we’ve had here. It paid off for Kurt (Warner) from holding the ball in the pocket and even scrambling for a first down at times. It is an important part of that position.”
On Derek Anderson working on throwing touch passes:
“You see us working over the top of things and throwing around things in practice and that is all to help develop touch. Quarterbacks have to have a feel for that. There is going to be times that you have to zip it in there because it is a tight window. I haven’t seen any issues with that. I haven’t noticed anything that has stood out over the last few weeks so hopefully we made progress with that.”
On what were the things that excited him about Derek Anderson when he looked at his Pro Bowl season:
“For me it goes back to more than the Pro Bowl season. When I was in Pittsburgh we played him twice a year and I got a chance to see him a number of times, whether it was pre-game warm up or in games against us and I had always thought and from speaking with (Strength and Conditioning coach) John Lott, who was there, that he had talent. That he was an intriguing guy because of the way he could throw the football. Obviously in the 2007 season when he played for them, I remember playing him and we played them about the 11th-12th game of the season, somewhere in there, and he was playing well. I thought well, that is not surprising to me because of what I had seen from him the times that I had been around him in Cleveland.”
On how the practice squad is shaping up:
“I think we’re going to be a little better than St. Louis in the practice squad area. You know, I think we got all of our guys. We definitely have all of our guys, we’re just trying to get them here. We got three of them back that were with us and we got five other guys that are new.”
On if it’s tough to flip the switch to regular season mode:
“(It) wasn’t tough. You can tell it in the intensity of the practice today. They’ve been practicing well the whole camp. I think that’s been a theme for us, so it really wasn’t anything that was a concern.”
On if they sprinkled any Rams preparation into previous practices during the preseason:
“If we did, it was by accident. It wasn’t anything conscious that we did. Today was really the first day where we’ve worked on some of their looks. Some of the things that we saw in the preseason, some of the pressures mirrors kind of some of the things they do. In kind of a round-about way, we have seen some of the defensive types or styles.”
On how hard it is to prepare for an unknown quarterback like Rams rookie Sam Bradford:
“Well, they said he’s the starter so he’s going. I believe that’s the case. I think it’s always a little bit more difficult because you have not seen regular season game type of work. That’s the thing you face whether it’s a new quarterback or not. I think that you try to look at what they’ve done in the preseason and think that maybe they’ll do some similar things because it’s not, for instance, having a veteran quarterback where you can do very little but still gear it up a notch in the regular season. I think we have to prepare based on how we think they’re going to attack and that’s based on what we’ve seen last year and then what we’ve seen them do in the preseason and just try to figure it out the best way we can that way.
On what he saw in CB AJ Jefferson in the preseason to keep him on the squad:
“You know, there were two things that I saw, two plays that actually come to mind. One was the kickoff return where he ran the guy down. He has speed. That’s what really showed up, good long speed. Another one was a long pass where he was in coverage and he didn’t panic. He stayed with it. To me, that’s a skill for young players that’s hard to find. Usually, when the ball is in the air they panic and they either grab the guy or cause a penalty. I didn’t see that out of him. That was encouraging to see, his development as we started from camp and as we progressed. Being calm under that pressure is a good quality for a young corner to have.”
On the chances of WR Larry Fitzgerald playing in the season opener:
“I feel good about Larry (Fitzgerald’s) chances of playing. Nothing has changed. His rehab has gone even better than we had anticipated. I expect to have him on the field.”
On if it’s important to have WR Larry Fitzgerald on the practice field to work on timing:
“I think that’s part of it, yeah. He has to get his wind back too. All the conditioning that you can do just doesn’t replace what you do on the football field. You could see that today a little bit. I anticipate that he will be fine for the game.”
On the Peter King article that quoted him as comparing backup QB Max Hall to Kurt Warner:
“I don’t think I ever actually said that he looked like Kurt (Warner). I said, ‘Who does that remind you of?’ And he made the assumption that it was Kurt, I think if you talk about that. I think that I’m excited about Max (Hall) from the progress he’s made as a rookie quarterback. Once again, I think we have to rein that in a little bit. He hasn’t played a regular season game, but I do like the progress that I’ve seen. I like the way that he competes. Those are qualities that, since you mentioned it, do mirror Kurt. Maybe they come from similar type starts where people didn’t think they could play and they’ve had to work against the odds and somehow they prevailed. That’s a sign of a tremendous competitor. That’s what you see in Max.”
On the status of RB Beanie Wells’ knee:
“I mean, his knee is not 100%, but we’ll see how he progresses during the week.”
On what CB Greg Toler did to separate himself to become the starter:
“He had to work on the little things as far as his techniques and competing for the spot. I think what happens when you have competition, especially tight competition like they had at that position, you really get focused in on the details every day. It becomes a part of what you do knowing that if you slip up, the other guy has a chance of passing you by or as in Greg’s spot, he’s not going to be the starter if he doesn’t get it right. It makes your work ethic, not that Greg’s ever had a bad work ethic, it’s been more about how to work. What I’ve seen is his confidence, his attention to detail on the practice field, which I think are functions of having to compete against Trumaine (McBride).”
On former Cardinals QB Matt Leinart signing with the Houston Texans today:
“I’m happy for Matt (Leinart). I’m excited that he’s got the opportunity, but I think we’ve talked enough about that situation and it’s time to move forward.”
On G Reggie Wells being gone and if he is working out new players for his right guard position:
“You have to do that just in case. We’ll see how that progresses. Deuce (Lutui) is going to start in that position and obviously Rex (Hadnot) had a very good preseason and good training camp. I feel very good about him. We know Jeremy Bridges can do it too. I feel comfortable about the guard position and we’ll see how it shakes out.”
martes, 9 de febrero de 2010
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON - Ingles
Super Bowl XLIV News Conference
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – February 8, 2010
(Opening statement) “Before we get started, as a head coach, when you get the opportunity to play in this game, certainly from a scheduling statement, when you look at everything that goes on – the week prior, and bye week, and then the week of the Super Bowl – there is a lot that goes into it. I want to take this time to thank Commissioner Goodell and the league office for really providing an outstanding environment for both teams to prepare and play their best football. You really don’t realize how much goes into the planning of an event like this. From the day we arrived on Monday after the Pro Bowl to midnight last night, it was perfect. Not because we won, but logistically, the planning, scheduling, support we have had from the league was outstanding. As a head coach, sometimes you may be blind to the bigger picture and I appreciate the organization and the many responsibilities of people not only in this room, but the many responsibilities that the League provides for both teams to get ready to really put their best foot forward. We have a little pin for the last three weeks we have worn. A gentleman by the name of Tim Davey, who I met at the Pro Bowl in 2006, who really epitomized, I think, what the League is about in regards to his commitment to just working and grinding and making everything smooth, whether it was a Pro Bowl or whether it was a game in London. So those initials “TD” didn’t really necessarily stand for us wanting to score touchdowns. Those initials represented somebody who was committed to the game, committed to all the nuances and all the hard work and effort that really, basically put the players in the game itself first. I felt like as a coach I was honored to have a chance to coach in this game, in this venue, and be a part of it with guys like Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. I truly am humbled by that. I don’t for one minute take that for granted. When Mickey Loomis hired me in 2006, not having been from New Orleans, it would be hard to describe the relationship between the fans and the players there. It became apparent to me that football was obviously very important, but it was much bigger than football. When we got into coaching, or playing, we got into it for certain reasons and yet the reasons in New Orleans far exceeded what we ever expected. I am honored to have had a chance to coach and work with this team, in a great League. I can’t help but think, and Troy Aikman said this a few days ago to me, for all the number of players that have played in this league, eight, ten, twelve years, that have never had that opportunity to play in this final game, this Super Bowl. I am very appreciative of having an opportunity to compete for a championship with guys like Drew Brees. With players that we have put together, Mickey Loomis and the Saints organization. To be a part of it, a small part of it. As a coach I am very honored. It certainly feels great to win. I have been in this game where we didn’t win. It is amazing what we, as the NFL, have been able to achieve in twenty years and where we are at as a league is stronger than ever. I am proud to be one small piece of that and I love the fact that I am a head coach in the National Football League and I love the fact that I was able to and given the opportunity to be a head coach of a Super Bowl team. Last night, about three in the morning, when it was quiet, I took the elevator up and put this trophy down on the desk and just said a prayer. Thanked God for these special times that don’t come around too often. For that I am very appreciative and very humbled by. Any questions?”
(on what will be crucial to hold the team together next season and whether it’s a priority to retain S Darren Sharper and RB Reggie Bush) “Well, I think this. I think as it pertains to our personnel, the off season decisions in regards to your personnel, the windows shorten some in regards to your work schedule, but there’s something about what we do that maybe allows you 24 to 48 hours before you start eyeing up the next challenge. Somewhere last night we talked about Dallas, Texas and one of the greatest stadiums now that our league knows, and there’s probably never enough in regards to the challenge. That’s the neat thing about it. When you get a quarterback like Drew Brees, who’s in the prime of his career, it’s not enough. Last night was great and yet there’s still something that burns in you to separate yourself more. So we’ll spend a little bit of time here refueling, recharging the batteries, and getting ourselves prepared for the challenges ahead. We know that it’ll be difficult and yet, no more difficult than getting this team going after (Hurricane) Katrina and everything that took place in 2006. Our players will be ready for the challenge. We’re young. We’re hungry. One thing about this game, this Super Bowl, and when you have an opportunity to participate the week of and in the event itself, it just pulls you that much closer to wanting to be in it again. And having been a part of a team in 2000, against the Baltimore Ravens, just remember leaving that game, although it was a difficult loss, with that desire to get back in that venue. There’s so much about it that’s right. There’s so much about it that’s special. There’s no other Championship game like the Super Bowl. Last night at about midnight, I’ve got to grab this for a second (grabs Vince Lombardi trophy), last night at about midnight we grabbed this trophy and one of our coaches, his name is Joe Lombardi – he’s Vince Lombardi’s grandson – and Joe Lombardi, his father Vince Jr., his two brothers, sat and posed with this trophy – the four of them while pictures were taken. I just thought to myself you’ve got to be kidding me. If you believe in heaven, and you believe Vince Lombardi’s there looking down on his grandson, it doesn’t get any better. This is a guy that coaches our quarterbacks, coaches Drew Brees, and here’s a trophy that’s named after his grandfather. You can’t get enough of this. This thing laid in my bed next to me last night, rolled over it a couple times. I probably drooled on it, but man, there’s nothing like it. There’s nothing like it. To be a coach and be a part of a great team with players like Drew Brees, I’m honored. I don’t take that opportunity lightly at all. I feel very fortunate, very blessed, and very humbled by it.”
(on if he was able to talk with Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells, whom he worked under in Dallas, the week prior to the game as well as after the game) “I did. Tony Sparano and I spent three years with Bill in Dallas, three long years [with] a lot of work. I think Bill has been a great influence on our careers. I said this a number of times during the week; I have been very fortunate to come up with a number of great coaches. When you are afforded those opportunities, you are able to hone your skills and hopefully learn and become a better coach. I was very fortunate. The years I spent in New York with Wellington Mara and the Tisch family [and] then to have an opportunity to work with Bill and Jerry Jones’ family, those opportunities don’t come around too often. I had a number of conversations with Bill leading up to this game and just recently 10 minutes before getting here I talked to him. He taught me so much about people and about teaching and about evaluation and preparation. I am better having had the chance to work with him. The history of our league and the great players and great coaches and when you are able to be a part of that history I think you are better off for it. I know you are. It is a big reason we are sitting here holding [the Vince Lombardi trophy] up in the air. I am thankful for that.”
(on his decision to start the second half with an onside kick) “Each week when you play an opponent, you try to look for an advantage, maybe in the kicking game, whether it’s a punt or a field goal. In this case, it’s our kickoff. (Saints P) Thomas Morstead had done a good job practicing the surprise onside kick—‘The Ambush’ as we call it—to our left. We felt like there was an edge there with the ball being on the far hash, where the front line has a tendency to move quicker back to get set up (for the return).
(Saints Special Teams Coordinator) Greg McMahon and (Saints Assistant Special Teams Coach) Mike Mallory did a great job of really presenting it to me and selling me on the idea that we would gain an advantage. I think last week we gave it work in New Orleans. Of course, we practiced it some here. You’re always a little mindful of that with as many people who are at practice at the Super Bowl, but we felt like the opportunity would present itself, we just didn’t know when.
“Yesterday morning in our team meeting before we started, I told the special teams unit we weren’t going to consider it; we were going to do it. We just had to find the right time. When we came in at halftime, you’ve got a longer period of time in the Super Bowl when there’s entertainment going on. (It gave us) a chance to kind of underline and focus on the next half. It was at that time I had just told the team that when we opened the game in the second half, we were going to start with ‘The Ambush,’ and then after we recovered it, here are the next eight plays that we scripted. Basically, we scripted the next eight plays, beginning on the left hash at the 40-some yard line.
“Credit the players. They did a great job of executing the surprise onside kick and made me look good. It gave us really an additional possession. It’s much like a turnover. More importantly, after we obtained the ball, we were able to march down and score a touchdown and really create some momentum. The players did a great job of making me look good with that call. It was calculated. It was well thought out by our special teams coaches. We felt like the risk-reward (chances) were worth it. In the end, we were able to gain an additional possession to score a touchdown, and the execution was outstanding. It’s really difficult when you’re a right-footed kicker. It happens a lot to me when I swing a golf club. To plant one like that was outstanding, especially for a rookie player.
“When you look at a guy like Thomas Morstead, and someone asked him last night how he felt. I think his response was he was nervous as hell, but he executed it well. We recovered it and (Saints QB) Drew (Brees) and the offense took advantage of the field position and scored a touchdown. It was pretty significant in the second half.”
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – February 8, 2010
(Opening statement) “Before we get started, as a head coach, when you get the opportunity to play in this game, certainly from a scheduling statement, when you look at everything that goes on – the week prior, and bye week, and then the week of the Super Bowl – there is a lot that goes into it. I want to take this time to thank Commissioner Goodell and the league office for really providing an outstanding environment for both teams to prepare and play their best football. You really don’t realize how much goes into the planning of an event like this. From the day we arrived on Monday after the Pro Bowl to midnight last night, it was perfect. Not because we won, but logistically, the planning, scheduling, support we have had from the league was outstanding. As a head coach, sometimes you may be blind to the bigger picture and I appreciate the organization and the many responsibilities of people not only in this room, but the many responsibilities that the League provides for both teams to get ready to really put their best foot forward. We have a little pin for the last three weeks we have worn. A gentleman by the name of Tim Davey, who I met at the Pro Bowl in 2006, who really epitomized, I think, what the League is about in regards to his commitment to just working and grinding and making everything smooth, whether it was a Pro Bowl or whether it was a game in London. So those initials “TD” didn’t really necessarily stand for us wanting to score touchdowns. Those initials represented somebody who was committed to the game, committed to all the nuances and all the hard work and effort that really, basically put the players in the game itself first. I felt like as a coach I was honored to have a chance to coach in this game, in this venue, and be a part of it with guys like Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. I truly am humbled by that. I don’t for one minute take that for granted. When Mickey Loomis hired me in 2006, not having been from New Orleans, it would be hard to describe the relationship between the fans and the players there. It became apparent to me that football was obviously very important, but it was much bigger than football. When we got into coaching, or playing, we got into it for certain reasons and yet the reasons in New Orleans far exceeded what we ever expected. I am honored to have had a chance to coach and work with this team, in a great League. I can’t help but think, and Troy Aikman said this a few days ago to me, for all the number of players that have played in this league, eight, ten, twelve years, that have never had that opportunity to play in this final game, this Super Bowl. I am very appreciative of having an opportunity to compete for a championship with guys like Drew Brees. With players that we have put together, Mickey Loomis and the Saints organization. To be a part of it, a small part of it. As a coach I am very honored. It certainly feels great to win. I have been in this game where we didn’t win. It is amazing what we, as the NFL, have been able to achieve in twenty years and where we are at as a league is stronger than ever. I am proud to be one small piece of that and I love the fact that I am a head coach in the National Football League and I love the fact that I was able to and given the opportunity to be a head coach of a Super Bowl team. Last night, about three in the morning, when it was quiet, I took the elevator up and put this trophy down on the desk and just said a prayer. Thanked God for these special times that don’t come around too often. For that I am very appreciative and very humbled by. Any questions?”
(on what will be crucial to hold the team together next season and whether it’s a priority to retain S Darren Sharper and RB Reggie Bush) “Well, I think this. I think as it pertains to our personnel, the off season decisions in regards to your personnel, the windows shorten some in regards to your work schedule, but there’s something about what we do that maybe allows you 24 to 48 hours before you start eyeing up the next challenge. Somewhere last night we talked about Dallas, Texas and one of the greatest stadiums now that our league knows, and there’s probably never enough in regards to the challenge. That’s the neat thing about it. When you get a quarterback like Drew Brees, who’s in the prime of his career, it’s not enough. Last night was great and yet there’s still something that burns in you to separate yourself more. So we’ll spend a little bit of time here refueling, recharging the batteries, and getting ourselves prepared for the challenges ahead. We know that it’ll be difficult and yet, no more difficult than getting this team going after (Hurricane) Katrina and everything that took place in 2006. Our players will be ready for the challenge. We’re young. We’re hungry. One thing about this game, this Super Bowl, and when you have an opportunity to participate the week of and in the event itself, it just pulls you that much closer to wanting to be in it again. And having been a part of a team in 2000, against the Baltimore Ravens, just remember leaving that game, although it was a difficult loss, with that desire to get back in that venue. There’s so much about it that’s right. There’s so much about it that’s special. There’s no other Championship game like the Super Bowl. Last night at about midnight, I’ve got to grab this for a second (grabs Vince Lombardi trophy), last night at about midnight we grabbed this trophy and one of our coaches, his name is Joe Lombardi – he’s Vince Lombardi’s grandson – and Joe Lombardi, his father Vince Jr., his two brothers, sat and posed with this trophy – the four of them while pictures were taken. I just thought to myself you’ve got to be kidding me. If you believe in heaven, and you believe Vince Lombardi’s there looking down on his grandson, it doesn’t get any better. This is a guy that coaches our quarterbacks, coaches Drew Brees, and here’s a trophy that’s named after his grandfather. You can’t get enough of this. This thing laid in my bed next to me last night, rolled over it a couple times. I probably drooled on it, but man, there’s nothing like it. There’s nothing like it. To be a coach and be a part of a great team with players like Drew Brees, I’m honored. I don’t take that opportunity lightly at all. I feel very fortunate, very blessed, and very humbled by it.”
(on if he was able to talk with Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells, whom he worked under in Dallas, the week prior to the game as well as after the game) “I did. Tony Sparano and I spent three years with Bill in Dallas, three long years [with] a lot of work. I think Bill has been a great influence on our careers. I said this a number of times during the week; I have been very fortunate to come up with a number of great coaches. When you are afforded those opportunities, you are able to hone your skills and hopefully learn and become a better coach. I was very fortunate. The years I spent in New York with Wellington Mara and the Tisch family [and] then to have an opportunity to work with Bill and Jerry Jones’ family, those opportunities don’t come around too often. I had a number of conversations with Bill leading up to this game and just recently 10 minutes before getting here I talked to him. He taught me so much about people and about teaching and about evaluation and preparation. I am better having had the chance to work with him. The history of our league and the great players and great coaches and when you are able to be a part of that history I think you are better off for it. I know you are. It is a big reason we are sitting here holding [the Vince Lombardi trophy] up in the air. I am thankful for that.”
(on his decision to start the second half with an onside kick) “Each week when you play an opponent, you try to look for an advantage, maybe in the kicking game, whether it’s a punt or a field goal. In this case, it’s our kickoff. (Saints P) Thomas Morstead had done a good job practicing the surprise onside kick—‘The Ambush’ as we call it—to our left. We felt like there was an edge there with the ball being on the far hash, where the front line has a tendency to move quicker back to get set up (for the return).
(Saints Special Teams Coordinator) Greg McMahon and (Saints Assistant Special Teams Coach) Mike Mallory did a great job of really presenting it to me and selling me on the idea that we would gain an advantage. I think last week we gave it work in New Orleans. Of course, we practiced it some here. You’re always a little mindful of that with as many people who are at practice at the Super Bowl, but we felt like the opportunity would present itself, we just didn’t know when.
“Yesterday morning in our team meeting before we started, I told the special teams unit we weren’t going to consider it; we were going to do it. We just had to find the right time. When we came in at halftime, you’ve got a longer period of time in the Super Bowl when there’s entertainment going on. (It gave us) a chance to kind of underline and focus on the next half. It was at that time I had just told the team that when we opened the game in the second half, we were going to start with ‘The Ambush,’ and then after we recovered it, here are the next eight plays that we scripted. Basically, we scripted the next eight plays, beginning on the left hash at the 40-some yard line.
“Credit the players. They did a great job of executing the surprise onside kick and made me look good. It gave us really an additional possession. It’s much like a turnover. More importantly, after we obtained the ball, we were able to march down and score a touchdown and really create some momentum. The players did a great job of making me look good with that call. It was calculated. It was well thought out by our special teams coaches. We felt like the risk-reward (chances) were worth it. In the end, we were able to gain an additional possession to score a touchdown, and the execution was outstanding. It’s really difficult when you’re a right-footed kicker. It happens a lot to me when I swing a golf club. To plant one like that was outstanding, especially for a rookie player.
“When you look at a guy like Thomas Morstead, and someone asked him last night how he felt. I think his response was he was nervous as hell, but he executed it well. We recovered it and (Saints QB) Drew (Brees) and the offense took advantage of the field position and scored a touchdown. It was pretty significant in the second half.”
SUPER BOWL XLIV MVP DREW BREES - Ingles
Super Bowl XLIV News Conference
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – February 8, 2010
Commissioner Roger Goodell opening statement: “OK, we obviously had another classic game last night between two terrific teams. Also, preliminary feedback comes from the ratings – it looks like it may be a record audience, too, to see the Super Bowl. It looks like 10 percent up from last year, so we expect it will be over 151 million people who watched last night’s Super Bowl, which was clearly more than a game. I keep thinking of the word ‘magical.’ When you think about the relationship between the Saints and the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans, it was more than just a football game and more than just a football team. The hopes, the dreams and the struggles of that community were all reflected in that football game. It was really a great night for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. I think they all sort of lifted one another, so congratulations to the Saints and their fans.
“I think it also demonstrates the value of sports. As they say, it was more than a football game, and it talks about the relationship, and these two gentlemen over here – Coach (Sean) Payton and Drew Brees, I think, reflect that community and have given back to that community far more than they would as quarterbacks or head coaches. They really have given their heart and soul to that community, and I think it showed in the way that that community has responded to them. So, congratulations to both of them.
“Let me say something about Coach Payton first. And coach, again, what he’s done in his community is extraordinary. What he’s done for the NFL, what he’s done for the Saints on a personal level, that’s more important. He obviously is now a Super Bowl-winning head coach. But, he has really gone much beyond that, and he’s had an impact on that community that is extraordinary. And his impact on that game last night was extraordinary, too. He had some gutsy calls that will probably go down all-time in the history of coaching. So coach, congratulations on your victory.
“The MVP – you all heard the statistics, you saw the performance. It was extraordinary. What a player, but more importantly, what a guy. I had the good fortune of knowing him a little bit better a couple of years ago. In fact, we bunked for 10 days, or seven days, over in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, he got a lot closer to the Commissioner than he probably cared to. But, I will tell you this – you see the real, the guts of a guy, and what really he’s all about. And he demonstrates it on the field, but more importantly, demonstrates it in the way he lives his life. That’s what makes all of us so proud. This is not just an MVP, he’s the Most Valuable Person, and he is really a terrific young man. Drew, congratulations on, and if you want to bring that trophy up you can. Drew Brees, the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV.”
Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees opening statement: “Well, this is a first for me. Am I supposed to say a few words or just answer questions? (laughing) I’ll say a few words. I’m not sure if it’s completely sunk in yet. It seems like as the minutes go by, it slowly does. I had to wake up this morning and turn to my wife and say, ‘Did yesterday really happen?’ And she said, ‘Yes it did.’ What a special moment, something that you dream about as a kid, and to be blessed with the opportunity to be able to play in the NFL, to be a quarterback, to have the platform that I do not only as a team leader, but what I try to do in the community to try to be the best role model I can be, the best person I can be, the best teammate I can be. Our victory last night was the culmination of four years of hard work, fighting through a lot of adversity, ups and downs, and more importantly than that, representing a city that has been through so much – been through so many struggles and hardships. Along the way, people have asked me so many times, ‘Do you look at it as a burden or extra pressure? You feel like you’re carrying the weight of the city on your team’s shoulders?’ I said, ‘No, not at all.’ We all look at it as responsibility. Our city, our fans give us strength. We owe this to them. That’s made all the difference. The Who Dat nation, Saints fans across the country, and I think we probably even might have gained a few fans after yesterday, they’re the ones, they’re who we play for. They’re why were able to win the championship that we did last night. It was for them. There’s no city, there’s no organization, there’s no people that we would want to win more for than the city of New Orleans. It’s an honor and just an unbelievable feeling. I’ll take questions now if anybody has any.”
(on what he did last night after the game) “Well, I guess we can thank technology for text messaging and e-mail and everything that comes with a Blackberry and there was about 500 of those messages that I just tried to scroll through. Obviously so many of those messages coming from former coaches, high school friends, high school teammates that I won a state championship with, mentors, family members. Just everybody so happy, just talking about how we deserved it and it just made you feel like, throughout this journey, it hasn’t been easy, but we’ve always done things the right way. That has stemmed from our owner Tom Benson, our general manager Mickey Loomis and of course our head coach Sean Payton. I feel like we’ve always worked extremely hard, we’ve always done things the right way. It hasn’t been easy, but here we are, Super Bowl champs.”
(on how last night justifies the numbers he’s put up over the last four years) “You play this game to try to be the best and you play to win the ultimate prize, which is what we were able to win last night, a world championship, a Super Bowl championship. You think of all those that came before you, not only the teams and the coaches, but the players and those that paved the way for all of us to be able to play this great game that we do and be a part of this great league. Just to have this opportunity to hold up that Vince Lombardi Trophy and to call ourselves champions. We have one of our coaches (linebackers coach) Joe Vitt who is a very passionate guy, a very inspirational coach. He’s been in the league for 33 years and this was his first Super Bowl to even play in, much less to win. Starting back in 2006 when we kind of all came together post-Katrina and started bringing together this core group of players to build our team, and as we made that run in 2006, Joe Vitt talked about at some point we were going to win a world championship together and when we do, we will walk together forever. This is something that can never be taken away from you and as long as we live, even beyond our lifetime, our kid’s lifetime, our grandkid’s lifetime, this is something that will always be with us. It will be a part of our legacy and that’s special.”
(on his evolution as a quarterback and whether there was something that he did better this season) “I always try to improve every year and I feel like I have. I feel like each year I’ve become a better player and whether the statistics might not show that, the wins and losses might not necessarily, just the maturation process and as you gain experience, that’s the only way that you get better. Just constantly kind of focusing on the things that you can do to help your team win and improve as a player and a leader and just all those things that it takes to play the quarterback position. I feel like our team, as I watched it come together this offseason with the free agents coming, with the way our season started, to be specific our emphasis with the run game offensively, what we were able to accomplish there, our guys up front with our stable of running backs. I just felt like my role, not only as quarterback, a leader throwing the football, obviously, but just kind of being the guy that needs to manage things on offense. I can’t say enough about our team, our offense, our guys that take the field with me every Sunday. They earned this.”
(on his place in the among the elite quarterbacks and whether he has an understanding of how this title will change how he’s looked) “Well, that’s what everybody’s telling me, but I’m trying to just take it one day at a time and I’d like to be able to look back on that, years from now when I’m done playing. Hopefully, I’ve got many more years ahead me. I’m going to try to play this game for as long as I can, until they kick me out. It’s been an unbelievable journey thus far, it’s gone by so quickly. This was my ninth year and it’s hard to believe because I remember when I came in as a rookie and just the journey since then. I’m just going to try to relish every moment and I’m going to try be the best player that I can be and the best quarterback and try to win a few more.”
(on being a role model and spreading that lesson throughout the League) “Yeah, I believe we can. I think it starts with the type of guys you have and we have the right type of guys on our team – unbelievable character. That all started back in 2006, when Sean Payton was hired as our head coach. With him and (GM) Mickey Loomis and our owner Tom Benson, they made the commitment to really start over at this point. Post-Katrina, the city had been relocated to San Antonio and now they were coming back with so many things in question. Here we are, and we’re going to bring in the right type of character people because when times get tough, it’s those people with strong character and strong morals and strong values that are going to be able to pull you through. We faced our fair share of tough times and it’s because we’ve had the right type of people on our team. That’s what’s allowed us to be at this point and those guys were not only great teammates and great players and did things the right way in that regard, but they also understood the value of and the platform that we had as role models and as leaders in the community and the opportunity we had in New Orleans to not only be a part of the rebuilding of an organization and a team, but also of a city and a region, and everything that we could give back to that community. Like I said before, New Orleans gave us so much strength. The people, we knew what they had been through, and yet they continued to fight, continued to believe and continued to have faith and they helped instill that in us.”
(on his relationship with Saints HC Sean Payton) “Sean is a special guy. You get so caught up, obviously in that working relationship, you know, just kind of the day-to-day game plan and your constant communication and all those things. On that level, I feel like its ESP. I feel like we communicate so well together. I have so much trust and faith and confidence in him, and I feel like he has that same confidence in me, to the point where when we are on the field, I feel like I know the play that’s going to be called before it’s called because we talk about it so much. He’ll tell you, ‘Listen, this is what I’m looking to do, this is when I’m looking to do that,’ and sure enough the game comes around and here it is. He’s such an aggressive play-caller and when you have a guy like that, you know how much confidence he is putting in you to call those plays, to dial those things up, and that’s why I think we’re able to play as we do as an offense, because we have that faith in him and we know all the time and energy that’s gone into the game plan. By the time the week comes to an end, we trust that plan like no other, and we trust him. But even beyond that player-coach working relationship, Sean is a tremendous person. He’s a tremendous family man. To give you an example, Saturday we had our walk-through at the stadium and Sean said, ‘I want all the guys to bring their sons. Bring your sons to the stadium. Let them run out on the field. I want them to have a pick-up game going on while we’re doing our walk through. Let them enjoy this moment with you.’ So he’s one of those guys that is constantly allowing guys to bring their kids into the locker room, to Saturday walk-through, have their families around. He wanted this week to be as much about the families and about this experience for them as it was for us as a team. That’s a guy who gets it. Its more than just about the game, it’s more than just about football. It’s about being a great person and being a great family man and how that all comes together and ties together and plays an important role in our lives.”
(on going 16 for 17 in the second half and his thought process and was what going on in the huddle) “Well, the first thing I’ll say is just to get to the end of the second quarter, we got stopped on fourth and goal, but that was a very calculated decision because here we are with a couple of timeouts. We know where we can stop them and get the ball. But we need some points going in at the end of the half. Sure enough, we get the two-minute drive going, we get a little bit of momentum going in at halftime, which I think helped the decision to kick this onside, get the ball back, which is an unbelievably gutsy call, but one that we all believed that this was going to work. Sure enough it does, we then get the ball, right down the field and score a touchdown and gain momentum on our side. Then at that point you just felt like okay, the game has come to us and now we can take it over. Sean just continued to dial it up and we just got into that rhythm and I think he recognized that and just knew that we can have our way with this defense underneath just spreading the ball around, moving the chains. We have to be patient because they’re not giving us any big plays, but we’ll just continue to earn it, earn it, earn it all the way down the field, and once we get down there, we have to score a touchdown and that’s what we did.”
(on his vision for the future) “We’re going to enjoy this for a while. I think New Orleans is enjoying it right this second, still. Don’t expect anyone to go to work this morning in New Orleans, or maybe for the next two weeks considering Mardi Gras is next week (laughing). This is something that I think we all deserve to enjoy for a while, and reflect on what it’s taken to get to this point, and all that we’ve been through and all that we’ve fought so hard to get. This is the pinnacle, and yet come late April, May, when you get back into the swing of things with lifting, and offseason program, conditioning, OTA’s, and mini-camps, it’s all about that 2010 season. There are 32 teams out there that feel like it’s going to be their year. So we know what it’s like to build something from the ground up and just feeling like this is our time, this is going to be our year. I think what’s going to be fun is using the term, ‘repeat’ all next year.”
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – February 8, 2010
Commissioner Roger Goodell opening statement: “OK, we obviously had another classic game last night between two terrific teams. Also, preliminary feedback comes from the ratings – it looks like it may be a record audience, too, to see the Super Bowl. It looks like 10 percent up from last year, so we expect it will be over 151 million people who watched last night’s Super Bowl, which was clearly more than a game. I keep thinking of the word ‘magical.’ When you think about the relationship between the Saints and the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans, it was more than just a football game and more than just a football team. The hopes, the dreams and the struggles of that community were all reflected in that football game. It was really a great night for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. I think they all sort of lifted one another, so congratulations to the Saints and their fans.
“I think it also demonstrates the value of sports. As they say, it was more than a football game, and it talks about the relationship, and these two gentlemen over here – Coach (Sean) Payton and Drew Brees, I think, reflect that community and have given back to that community far more than they would as quarterbacks or head coaches. They really have given their heart and soul to that community, and I think it showed in the way that that community has responded to them. So, congratulations to both of them.
“Let me say something about Coach Payton first. And coach, again, what he’s done in his community is extraordinary. What he’s done for the NFL, what he’s done for the Saints on a personal level, that’s more important. He obviously is now a Super Bowl-winning head coach. But, he has really gone much beyond that, and he’s had an impact on that community that is extraordinary. And his impact on that game last night was extraordinary, too. He had some gutsy calls that will probably go down all-time in the history of coaching. So coach, congratulations on your victory.
“The MVP – you all heard the statistics, you saw the performance. It was extraordinary. What a player, but more importantly, what a guy. I had the good fortune of knowing him a little bit better a couple of years ago. In fact, we bunked for 10 days, or seven days, over in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, he got a lot closer to the Commissioner than he probably cared to. But, I will tell you this – you see the real, the guts of a guy, and what really he’s all about. And he demonstrates it on the field, but more importantly, demonstrates it in the way he lives his life. That’s what makes all of us so proud. This is not just an MVP, he’s the Most Valuable Person, and he is really a terrific young man. Drew, congratulations on, and if you want to bring that trophy up you can. Drew Brees, the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV.”
Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees opening statement: “Well, this is a first for me. Am I supposed to say a few words or just answer questions? (laughing) I’ll say a few words. I’m not sure if it’s completely sunk in yet. It seems like as the minutes go by, it slowly does. I had to wake up this morning and turn to my wife and say, ‘Did yesterday really happen?’ And she said, ‘Yes it did.’ What a special moment, something that you dream about as a kid, and to be blessed with the opportunity to be able to play in the NFL, to be a quarterback, to have the platform that I do not only as a team leader, but what I try to do in the community to try to be the best role model I can be, the best person I can be, the best teammate I can be. Our victory last night was the culmination of four years of hard work, fighting through a lot of adversity, ups and downs, and more importantly than that, representing a city that has been through so much – been through so many struggles and hardships. Along the way, people have asked me so many times, ‘Do you look at it as a burden or extra pressure? You feel like you’re carrying the weight of the city on your team’s shoulders?’ I said, ‘No, not at all.’ We all look at it as responsibility. Our city, our fans give us strength. We owe this to them. That’s made all the difference. The Who Dat nation, Saints fans across the country, and I think we probably even might have gained a few fans after yesterday, they’re the ones, they’re who we play for. They’re why were able to win the championship that we did last night. It was for them. There’s no city, there’s no organization, there’s no people that we would want to win more for than the city of New Orleans. It’s an honor and just an unbelievable feeling. I’ll take questions now if anybody has any.”
(on what he did last night after the game) “Well, I guess we can thank technology for text messaging and e-mail and everything that comes with a Blackberry and there was about 500 of those messages that I just tried to scroll through. Obviously so many of those messages coming from former coaches, high school friends, high school teammates that I won a state championship with, mentors, family members. Just everybody so happy, just talking about how we deserved it and it just made you feel like, throughout this journey, it hasn’t been easy, but we’ve always done things the right way. That has stemmed from our owner Tom Benson, our general manager Mickey Loomis and of course our head coach Sean Payton. I feel like we’ve always worked extremely hard, we’ve always done things the right way. It hasn’t been easy, but here we are, Super Bowl champs.”
(on how last night justifies the numbers he’s put up over the last four years) “You play this game to try to be the best and you play to win the ultimate prize, which is what we were able to win last night, a world championship, a Super Bowl championship. You think of all those that came before you, not only the teams and the coaches, but the players and those that paved the way for all of us to be able to play this great game that we do and be a part of this great league. Just to have this opportunity to hold up that Vince Lombardi Trophy and to call ourselves champions. We have one of our coaches (linebackers coach) Joe Vitt who is a very passionate guy, a very inspirational coach. He’s been in the league for 33 years and this was his first Super Bowl to even play in, much less to win. Starting back in 2006 when we kind of all came together post-Katrina and started bringing together this core group of players to build our team, and as we made that run in 2006, Joe Vitt talked about at some point we were going to win a world championship together and when we do, we will walk together forever. This is something that can never be taken away from you and as long as we live, even beyond our lifetime, our kid’s lifetime, our grandkid’s lifetime, this is something that will always be with us. It will be a part of our legacy and that’s special.”
(on his evolution as a quarterback and whether there was something that he did better this season) “I always try to improve every year and I feel like I have. I feel like each year I’ve become a better player and whether the statistics might not show that, the wins and losses might not necessarily, just the maturation process and as you gain experience, that’s the only way that you get better. Just constantly kind of focusing on the things that you can do to help your team win and improve as a player and a leader and just all those things that it takes to play the quarterback position. I feel like our team, as I watched it come together this offseason with the free agents coming, with the way our season started, to be specific our emphasis with the run game offensively, what we were able to accomplish there, our guys up front with our stable of running backs. I just felt like my role, not only as quarterback, a leader throwing the football, obviously, but just kind of being the guy that needs to manage things on offense. I can’t say enough about our team, our offense, our guys that take the field with me every Sunday. They earned this.”
(on his place in the among the elite quarterbacks and whether he has an understanding of how this title will change how he’s looked) “Well, that’s what everybody’s telling me, but I’m trying to just take it one day at a time and I’d like to be able to look back on that, years from now when I’m done playing. Hopefully, I’ve got many more years ahead me. I’m going to try to play this game for as long as I can, until they kick me out. It’s been an unbelievable journey thus far, it’s gone by so quickly. This was my ninth year and it’s hard to believe because I remember when I came in as a rookie and just the journey since then. I’m just going to try to relish every moment and I’m going to try be the best player that I can be and the best quarterback and try to win a few more.”
(on being a role model and spreading that lesson throughout the League) “Yeah, I believe we can. I think it starts with the type of guys you have and we have the right type of guys on our team – unbelievable character. That all started back in 2006, when Sean Payton was hired as our head coach. With him and (GM) Mickey Loomis and our owner Tom Benson, they made the commitment to really start over at this point. Post-Katrina, the city had been relocated to San Antonio and now they were coming back with so many things in question. Here we are, and we’re going to bring in the right type of character people because when times get tough, it’s those people with strong character and strong morals and strong values that are going to be able to pull you through. We faced our fair share of tough times and it’s because we’ve had the right type of people on our team. That’s what’s allowed us to be at this point and those guys were not only great teammates and great players and did things the right way in that regard, but they also understood the value of and the platform that we had as role models and as leaders in the community and the opportunity we had in New Orleans to not only be a part of the rebuilding of an organization and a team, but also of a city and a region, and everything that we could give back to that community. Like I said before, New Orleans gave us so much strength. The people, we knew what they had been through, and yet they continued to fight, continued to believe and continued to have faith and they helped instill that in us.”
(on his relationship with Saints HC Sean Payton) “Sean is a special guy. You get so caught up, obviously in that working relationship, you know, just kind of the day-to-day game plan and your constant communication and all those things. On that level, I feel like its ESP. I feel like we communicate so well together. I have so much trust and faith and confidence in him, and I feel like he has that same confidence in me, to the point where when we are on the field, I feel like I know the play that’s going to be called before it’s called because we talk about it so much. He’ll tell you, ‘Listen, this is what I’m looking to do, this is when I’m looking to do that,’ and sure enough the game comes around and here it is. He’s such an aggressive play-caller and when you have a guy like that, you know how much confidence he is putting in you to call those plays, to dial those things up, and that’s why I think we’re able to play as we do as an offense, because we have that faith in him and we know all the time and energy that’s gone into the game plan. By the time the week comes to an end, we trust that plan like no other, and we trust him. But even beyond that player-coach working relationship, Sean is a tremendous person. He’s a tremendous family man. To give you an example, Saturday we had our walk-through at the stadium and Sean said, ‘I want all the guys to bring their sons. Bring your sons to the stadium. Let them run out on the field. I want them to have a pick-up game going on while we’re doing our walk through. Let them enjoy this moment with you.’ So he’s one of those guys that is constantly allowing guys to bring their kids into the locker room, to Saturday walk-through, have their families around. He wanted this week to be as much about the families and about this experience for them as it was for us as a team. That’s a guy who gets it. Its more than just about the game, it’s more than just about football. It’s about being a great person and being a great family man and how that all comes together and ties together and plays an important role in our lives.”
(on going 16 for 17 in the second half and his thought process and was what going on in the huddle) “Well, the first thing I’ll say is just to get to the end of the second quarter, we got stopped on fourth and goal, but that was a very calculated decision because here we are with a couple of timeouts. We know where we can stop them and get the ball. But we need some points going in at the end of the half. Sure enough, we get the two-minute drive going, we get a little bit of momentum going in at halftime, which I think helped the decision to kick this onside, get the ball back, which is an unbelievably gutsy call, but one that we all believed that this was going to work. Sure enough it does, we then get the ball, right down the field and score a touchdown and gain momentum on our side. Then at that point you just felt like okay, the game has come to us and now we can take it over. Sean just continued to dial it up and we just got into that rhythm and I think he recognized that and just knew that we can have our way with this defense underneath just spreading the ball around, moving the chains. We have to be patient because they’re not giving us any big plays, but we’ll just continue to earn it, earn it, earn it all the way down the field, and once we get down there, we have to score a touchdown and that’s what we did.”
(on his vision for the future) “We’re going to enjoy this for a while. I think New Orleans is enjoying it right this second, still. Don’t expect anyone to go to work this morning in New Orleans, or maybe for the next two weeks considering Mardi Gras is next week (laughing). This is something that I think we all deserve to enjoy for a while, and reflect on what it’s taken to get to this point, and all that we’ve been through and all that we’ve fought so hard to get. This is the pinnacle, and yet come late April, May, when you get back into the swing of things with lifting, and offseason program, conditioning, OTA’s, and mini-camps, it’s all about that 2010 season. There are 32 teams out there that feel like it’s going to be their year. So we know what it’s like to build something from the ground up and just feeling like this is our time, this is going to be our year. I think what’s going to be fun is using the term, ‘repeat’ all next year.”
lunes, 8 de febrero de 2010
SUPER BOWL XLIV - COLTS OT RYAN DIEM - Ingles
COLTS OT RYAN DIEM
(on the onside kick) “I think it was kind of a bold move but it worked out for them. There were a couple plays for them like that that just worked for them. They got the recovery on the outside and the two point conversion and they were able to make the play with the interception. I’ll be honest with you I did not see it coming. At that point in the game I did not expect them to do anything like that. The element of surprise got us. After we jumped out in the first quarter, we did not have many plays and did not complete the downs we needed.”
(on losing the Super Bowl) “It’s disappointing. We’ve been in those situations before and this year we have come back from being behind in the fourth quarter, and we’ve been very confident in those situations. It’s very disappointing that we did not get the job done.”
(on watching Peyton Manning) “I don’t know all of the stats or anything, but we did everything we could with what we had, and there were times when we did not complete third downs or there were times when we didn’t make the plays we needed to make.”
(on the Saints adjustments at halftime) “I couldn’t tell you what adjustments they made at half; I don’t think they did a whole lot different with their defense. It’s all about execution. ”
(how it felt to have a winning season and lose) “It was a pretty incredible season, to win 14 games in a row, but we are here to win the Super Bowl and we didn’t get it done.”
(on if the Saints were better than expected) We practiced everything we saw, they executed very well and they won a couple gambles that paid off for them. They are a great team and we knew that coming in. We practiced for all of the looks they presented us with and I don’t think there was something we haven’t seen. They got it done though.”
(on the onside kick) “I think it was kind of a bold move but it worked out for them. There were a couple plays for them like that that just worked for them. They got the recovery on the outside and the two point conversion and they were able to make the play with the interception. I’ll be honest with you I did not see it coming. At that point in the game I did not expect them to do anything like that. The element of surprise got us. After we jumped out in the first quarter, we did not have many plays and did not complete the downs we needed.”
(on losing the Super Bowl) “It’s disappointing. We’ve been in those situations before and this year we have come back from being behind in the fourth quarter, and we’ve been very confident in those situations. It’s very disappointing that we did not get the job done.”
(on watching Peyton Manning) “I don’t know all of the stats or anything, but we did everything we could with what we had, and there were times when we did not complete third downs or there were times when we didn’t make the plays we needed to make.”
(on the Saints adjustments at halftime) “I couldn’t tell you what adjustments they made at half; I don’t think they did a whole lot different with their defense. It’s all about execution. ”
(how it felt to have a winning season and lose) “It was a pretty incredible season, to win 14 games in a row, but we are here to win the Super Bowl and we didn’t get it done.”
(on if the Saints were better than expected) We practiced everything we saw, they executed very well and they won a couple gambles that paid off for them. They are a great team and we knew that coming in. We practiced for all of the looks they presented us with and I don’t think there was something we haven’t seen. They got it done though.”
SUPER BOWL XLIV - COLTS DB KELVIN HAYDEN - Ingles
COLTS DB KELVIN HAYDEN
(on the Saints methodical offense) “We didn’t get off the field on third down. We didn’t execute when we needed to.”
(on what the Saints were able to do successfully on offense) “They did a lot of taking advantage of the match-up. They have a versatile type of backfield. Out on our linebackers, they did a great job. Like I said, we didn’t execute on third down when we needed to get off the field and get the ball back to our offense. That was the key to the game.”
(on how he thinks the late interception thrown by Colts QB Peyton Manning will affect him this offseason) “It doesn’t matter. I guarantee he’ll get over it just like everybody else will get over this loss. The main thing is, as a defense, we didn’t stand up like we’re supposed to. We made a couple of team mistakes in critical situations and we didn’t take advantage of the opportunities at hand.”
(on how it feels to lose a Super Bowl due to a late interception after winning in a similar fashion three years ago) “It’s crazy. I thought about that as well, three years ago. Now he’s [Tracy Porter] doing the celebrating, I’m doing the weeping. It is what it is. Congratulations to those guys.”
(on if he spoke with fellow University of Illinois alum Saints RB Pierre Thomas after the game) “I did. After the game I told him congratulations. I told him to enjoy it.”
(on Thomas’ performance) “He runs with the ball hard. You could see it was taking two or three tacklers to get him down at times and he kept the chains moving.”
(on the overall performance from the Saints) “They let it all hang out. They were feeling it. They played with confidence. Like I said, they came to play, and they came away with the victory.”
(on the inability to stop New Orleans on third downs) “That’s the name of the game, you have to stop them on third down, force these guys to punt, and we didn’t do that tonight.”
(on his feelings about the season) “It’s disappointing because we set the mission to come out as Super Bowl champions and we fell one game short. We just fall in the pile with the rest of the teams. We didn’t finish the task. Not taking anything away from this season, we had a great season as a team. We fought adversity week-in and week-out. We had a great year.”
(on the positive defensive performance in the first half) “In the first half, the defense was clicking. We were making plays, getting off the field on third down. In the fourth quarter of the game, and in the second half, we didn’t finish.”
(on the Saints methodical offense) “We didn’t get off the field on third down. We didn’t execute when we needed to.”
(on what the Saints were able to do successfully on offense) “They did a lot of taking advantage of the match-up. They have a versatile type of backfield. Out on our linebackers, they did a great job. Like I said, we didn’t execute on third down when we needed to get off the field and get the ball back to our offense. That was the key to the game.”
(on how he thinks the late interception thrown by Colts QB Peyton Manning will affect him this offseason) “It doesn’t matter. I guarantee he’ll get over it just like everybody else will get over this loss. The main thing is, as a defense, we didn’t stand up like we’re supposed to. We made a couple of team mistakes in critical situations and we didn’t take advantage of the opportunities at hand.”
(on how it feels to lose a Super Bowl due to a late interception after winning in a similar fashion three years ago) “It’s crazy. I thought about that as well, three years ago. Now he’s [Tracy Porter] doing the celebrating, I’m doing the weeping. It is what it is. Congratulations to those guys.”
(on if he spoke with fellow University of Illinois alum Saints RB Pierre Thomas after the game) “I did. After the game I told him congratulations. I told him to enjoy it.”
(on Thomas’ performance) “He runs with the ball hard. You could see it was taking two or three tacklers to get him down at times and he kept the chains moving.”
(on the overall performance from the Saints) “They let it all hang out. They were feeling it. They played with confidence. Like I said, they came to play, and they came away with the victory.”
(on the inability to stop New Orleans on third downs) “That’s the name of the game, you have to stop them on third down, force these guys to punt, and we didn’t do that tonight.”
(on his feelings about the season) “It’s disappointing because we set the mission to come out as Super Bowl champions and we fell one game short. We just fall in the pile with the rest of the teams. We didn’t finish the task. Not taking anything away from this season, we had a great season as a team. We fought adversity week-in and week-out. We had a great year.”
(on the positive defensive performance in the first half) “In the first half, the defense was clicking. We were making plays, getting off the field on third down. In the fourth quarter of the game, and in the second half, we didn’t finish.”
SUPER BOWL XLIV - COLTS WR REGGIE WAYNE - Ingles
COLTS WR REGGIE WAYNE
(on Porter’s interception) “It didn’t surprise me at all. That’s kind of how they were playing a little bit throughout the game. They kind of were squatting a little bit and he made a good play and scored a touchdown off of it.”
(on the Saints defense in the second half) “It was pretty consistent throughout the game. They had a good scheme. They did a good job and they came out with the W.”
(on the play the Colts ran on interception) “We’d run it quite a few times. We ran it earlier in the game and Peyton went backside with it, so I think (Porter) kind of had a feeling it was coming because it was the same formation. He did a good job of recognizing it and, like I said, he made a good play.”
(on the Saints defense) “You’ve got two weeks to prepare for a team, so they’ve seen everything we’ve done. Like I said, they have a good scheme. They did a good job of using it tonight and they’re celebrating.”
(on what the Saints victory means for his hometown of New Orleans) “You’ve got to take your hats off to the Saints. They did a good job coming into this game and getting the W, giving the city something to smile and be happy about. I’m pretty sure it’s going nuts over there. I take my hat off to them. They did a good job.”
(on what the loss means to the Colts’ legacy) “I don’t know. I’ll let ya’ll decide that. The only thing I can do is go out there and play my game and do what they tell me to do. Whether we had won or lost, people are going to have their own opinion anyway. We’ve got to bounce back and get another shot at it.”
(on the Colts’ offense in the second quarter) “We only had so many possessions. That’s how it went. Their offense did a good job of just moving the clock, moving the ball and keeping the clock going. Then, when we had our opportunities, we just didn’t have much time on the clock. You’ve just got to figure out a way to fix that and get the ball back and the offense has to do a better job of moving the chains and putting points on the board.”
(on 4th-and-goal in the fourth quarter) “I felt like I was a couple yards short if I had caught the ball so I was just trying to catch it and turn at the same time. There was a defender right there so I was trying to elude him at the same time. It would have been close. It was just one of those plays where you try to do something and it just didn’t work out.”
(on his knee) “My knee wasn’t bothering me at all. Not one bit.”
(on how the Colts will bounce back) “That’s to be determined. We’ve just got to step up. We’ve got to stay together. We’ve got to stay as a tight group. We’ve got to figure out a way to bounce back. That’s the way the game goes. You win some, you lose some. I just feel that we have the caliber of team that will stick together and figure out a way to not have this feeling. Hopefully we will keep it going.”
(on the fourth-quarter interception) “They did a good job of guessing. That’s what it is, it’s a guessing game. They did a good job. We turned it over and they were able to run it in. Like I said earlier, that’s what they’ve been thriving on all year, creating turnovers and scoring with it. He pretty much caught it and put us in panic mode.”
(on the mental effect New Orleans’ onside kick had on the Colts) “The whole time inside the locker room, we were just talking about getting the ball back and scoring and getting some points on the board, kind of putting them in a hole a little bit. They get the onsides and it kind of takes the wind out of our sail a little bit. It definitely caught us by surprise, but that’s the way it goes. You gamble and you get it or not. They did a good job of getting it.”
(on if he admires Sean Payton’s call to attempt the onside kick) “It’s not my decision, man. I’m the one that’s over there with my lip puffed out so apparently it was a good call.”
(on what Manning said to him after the interception) “He didn’t say anything. He just asked me what happened, what I think. I told him what the guy did and that was a wrap.”
(on Porter’s interception) “It didn’t surprise me at all. That’s kind of how they were playing a little bit throughout the game. They kind of were squatting a little bit and he made a good play and scored a touchdown off of it.”
(on the Saints defense in the second half) “It was pretty consistent throughout the game. They had a good scheme. They did a good job and they came out with the W.”
(on the play the Colts ran on interception) “We’d run it quite a few times. We ran it earlier in the game and Peyton went backside with it, so I think (Porter) kind of had a feeling it was coming because it was the same formation. He did a good job of recognizing it and, like I said, he made a good play.”
(on the Saints defense) “You’ve got two weeks to prepare for a team, so they’ve seen everything we’ve done. Like I said, they have a good scheme. They did a good job of using it tonight and they’re celebrating.”
(on what the Saints victory means for his hometown of New Orleans) “You’ve got to take your hats off to the Saints. They did a good job coming into this game and getting the W, giving the city something to smile and be happy about. I’m pretty sure it’s going nuts over there. I take my hat off to them. They did a good job.”
(on what the loss means to the Colts’ legacy) “I don’t know. I’ll let ya’ll decide that. The only thing I can do is go out there and play my game and do what they tell me to do. Whether we had won or lost, people are going to have their own opinion anyway. We’ve got to bounce back and get another shot at it.”
(on the Colts’ offense in the second quarter) “We only had so many possessions. That’s how it went. Their offense did a good job of just moving the clock, moving the ball and keeping the clock going. Then, when we had our opportunities, we just didn’t have much time on the clock. You’ve just got to figure out a way to fix that and get the ball back and the offense has to do a better job of moving the chains and putting points on the board.”
(on 4th-and-goal in the fourth quarter) “I felt like I was a couple yards short if I had caught the ball so I was just trying to catch it and turn at the same time. There was a defender right there so I was trying to elude him at the same time. It would have been close. It was just one of those plays where you try to do something and it just didn’t work out.”
(on his knee) “My knee wasn’t bothering me at all. Not one bit.”
(on how the Colts will bounce back) “That’s to be determined. We’ve just got to step up. We’ve got to stay together. We’ve got to stay as a tight group. We’ve got to figure out a way to bounce back. That’s the way the game goes. You win some, you lose some. I just feel that we have the caliber of team that will stick together and figure out a way to not have this feeling. Hopefully we will keep it going.”
(on the fourth-quarter interception) “They did a good job of guessing. That’s what it is, it’s a guessing game. They did a good job. We turned it over and they were able to run it in. Like I said earlier, that’s what they’ve been thriving on all year, creating turnovers and scoring with it. He pretty much caught it and put us in panic mode.”
(on the mental effect New Orleans’ onside kick had on the Colts) “The whole time inside the locker room, we were just talking about getting the ball back and scoring and getting some points on the board, kind of putting them in a hole a little bit. They get the onsides and it kind of takes the wind out of our sail a little bit. It definitely caught us by surprise, but that’s the way it goes. You gamble and you get it or not. They did a good job of getting it.”
(on if he admires Sean Payton’s call to attempt the onside kick) “It’s not my decision, man. I’m the one that’s over there with my lip puffed out so apparently it was a good call.”
(on what Manning said to him after the interception) “He didn’t say anything. He just asked me what happened, what I think. I told him what the guy did and that was a wrap.”
SUPER BOWL XLIV - COLTS S MELVIN BULLITT - Ingles
COLTS S MELVIN BULLITT
(on what happened in the second half) “They had a good game plan. We couldn’t get off of the field on third down. Things weren’t going our way, and we just weren’t in sync. Offensively, I don’t know what happened with them, but it seemed like they couldn’t stop us on offense. So when we got out there on defense, we just let them get too many field goals. Two little third downs, if we would’ve stopped them a little bit further back, maybe things could’ve been different.”
(on if it was tough to get any pass rush going at all) “At times, it seemed like it was, but for a while, our defensive line was doing really well. (Drew Brees) couldn’t see over the line. And he did make some good passes, but there were some passes that were kind of shaky that he made and he was doing a good job on the pressure at first. But they adjusted, they made good adjustments, they did what they had to do to win the game.”
(on the onside kick to start the second half) “The onside kick was huge. As a special teams captain on the team, I feel like we kind of didn’t do what we were supposed to do. We always talk about the little things, and that was a little thing that was huge. If we would’ve got the ball right there, maybe on the 40-yard line going in, the game could’ve went a totally different way. We would’ve been up by, what, 14 points, almost 17 points, so that was a huge turning point in the game. They scored on that drive immediately, and we just didn’t capitalize on defense. We just couldn’t stop them in that second half.”
(on what worked with the Saints’ game plan) “The short passing game. They didn’t go deep. They can’t throw it deep. We had a lot of speed on defense. We were moving around fast, they would dump it off short. We knew they were going to try to go deep, but they didn’t. They adjusted and dumped it off short and got four or five yards here and there, and it worked out well for them.”
(on if they were prepared for the onside kick) “We had been prepared for that all season. But they caught us off guard. They did a great job. The special teams coach made a great call. It was gutsy, and it’s the Super Bowl. I mean, what do you have to lose but this last game? You might as well go for it. And you see what happened. They got it. The defense didn’t go out and stop them. All the credit goes to them.”
(on if they were prepared for the onside kick) “We’re always prepared for an onside kick. You always prepare for that. You know your assignments. Our guy, he tried to make a great play on the ball. He just didn’t get it. And it goes like that sometimes. And special teams-wise we just didn’t finish, defensively we just didn’t finish and then on our offense, we just didn’t finish. It’s just one of those games that we did not finish. We finished all season so well, and to come here and not finish the game is not like us. It’s not like Colts football.”
(on DE Dwight Freeney being able to come back and play) “He worked his tail off. He did everything he could. He was in treatment three and four times a day. I knew he was going to play. Like I told everybody before, there was no doubt in my mind that he would because that’s just the type of person Dwight is. Big game and he came up with a big play at a crucial time for us. And you know, it’s hard that we couldn’t get the win for him with him coming back so soon off of an injury like that. It’s very disappointing, but they get all the credit. They beat us tonight. They were the better team.”
(on their defense’s goal-line stand) “That was huge. You could see their shoulders drop. You could see that they were like, ‘What can we do to get in this end zone?’ They scored one touchdown offensively. Their kicker did a great job kicking field goals, and like I said, man, it takes all three aspects of the game to win games: offense, defense and special teams. And we didn’t finish those three aspects, so we come up with the ‘L.’”
(on how Drew Brees completed 21 of 24 passes at one point) “A combination of pass rush and coverage. We didn’t play the way we normally do. You never see that happen to us. We’re usually flying around, knocking the ball loose, and it just didn’t happen for us tonight. I don’t know what it was. A lot of them were dump-off passes. We had the guys covered, we had them covered deep and we would hit Reggie Bush out of the backfield. He would get four or five yards on third down, and next thing you know, they’ve got a first down.”
(on the Saints’ play-calling) “They played pretty conservative for a while. Especially after that goal-line stand, they got conservative. They didn’t throw the ball deep. You didn’t see any deep balls on our defense. Every pass, just about, was a dump-off pass. But Drew Brees did a great job. He knew that we were going to key on the deep – they’ve been doing it all season – so he changed it up. And all respect to him and their whole organization because they deserved it tonight. They were the better team.”
(on what happened in the second half) “They had a good game plan. We couldn’t get off of the field on third down. Things weren’t going our way, and we just weren’t in sync. Offensively, I don’t know what happened with them, but it seemed like they couldn’t stop us on offense. So when we got out there on defense, we just let them get too many field goals. Two little third downs, if we would’ve stopped them a little bit further back, maybe things could’ve been different.”
(on if it was tough to get any pass rush going at all) “At times, it seemed like it was, but for a while, our defensive line was doing really well. (Drew Brees) couldn’t see over the line. And he did make some good passes, but there were some passes that were kind of shaky that he made and he was doing a good job on the pressure at first. But they adjusted, they made good adjustments, they did what they had to do to win the game.”
(on the onside kick to start the second half) “The onside kick was huge. As a special teams captain on the team, I feel like we kind of didn’t do what we were supposed to do. We always talk about the little things, and that was a little thing that was huge. If we would’ve got the ball right there, maybe on the 40-yard line going in, the game could’ve went a totally different way. We would’ve been up by, what, 14 points, almost 17 points, so that was a huge turning point in the game. They scored on that drive immediately, and we just didn’t capitalize on defense. We just couldn’t stop them in that second half.”
(on what worked with the Saints’ game plan) “The short passing game. They didn’t go deep. They can’t throw it deep. We had a lot of speed on defense. We were moving around fast, they would dump it off short. We knew they were going to try to go deep, but they didn’t. They adjusted and dumped it off short and got four or five yards here and there, and it worked out well for them.”
(on if they were prepared for the onside kick) “We had been prepared for that all season. But they caught us off guard. They did a great job. The special teams coach made a great call. It was gutsy, and it’s the Super Bowl. I mean, what do you have to lose but this last game? You might as well go for it. And you see what happened. They got it. The defense didn’t go out and stop them. All the credit goes to them.”
(on if they were prepared for the onside kick) “We’re always prepared for an onside kick. You always prepare for that. You know your assignments. Our guy, he tried to make a great play on the ball. He just didn’t get it. And it goes like that sometimes. And special teams-wise we just didn’t finish, defensively we just didn’t finish and then on our offense, we just didn’t finish. It’s just one of those games that we did not finish. We finished all season so well, and to come here and not finish the game is not like us. It’s not like Colts football.”
(on DE Dwight Freeney being able to come back and play) “He worked his tail off. He did everything he could. He was in treatment three and four times a day. I knew he was going to play. Like I told everybody before, there was no doubt in my mind that he would because that’s just the type of person Dwight is. Big game and he came up with a big play at a crucial time for us. And you know, it’s hard that we couldn’t get the win for him with him coming back so soon off of an injury like that. It’s very disappointing, but they get all the credit. They beat us tonight. They were the better team.”
(on their defense’s goal-line stand) “That was huge. You could see their shoulders drop. You could see that they were like, ‘What can we do to get in this end zone?’ They scored one touchdown offensively. Their kicker did a great job kicking field goals, and like I said, man, it takes all three aspects of the game to win games: offense, defense and special teams. And we didn’t finish those three aspects, so we come up with the ‘L.’”
(on how Drew Brees completed 21 of 24 passes at one point) “A combination of pass rush and coverage. We didn’t play the way we normally do. You never see that happen to us. We’re usually flying around, knocking the ball loose, and it just didn’t happen for us tonight. I don’t know what it was. A lot of them were dump-off passes. We had the guys covered, we had them covered deep and we would hit Reggie Bush out of the backfield. He would get four or five yards on third down, and next thing you know, they’ve got a first down.”
(on the Saints’ play-calling) “They played pretty conservative for a while. Especially after that goal-line stand, they got conservative. They didn’t throw the ball deep. You didn’t see any deep balls on our defense. Every pass, just about, was a dump-off pass. But Drew Brees did a great job. He knew that we were going to key on the deep – they’ve been doing it all season – so he changed it up. And all respect to him and their whole organization because they deserved it tonight. They were the better team.”
SUPER BOWL XLIV - COLTS TE DALLAS CLARK - Ingles
COLTS TE DALLAS CLARK
(on how big the onside kick was) “It was a good momentum swing coming out of the half. We kind of had a feeling something was kind of going to…they were going to try to do something. They just really weren’t getting anything going offensively and things like that, so they had to get a spark somehow and we just didn’t execute and came up short. It was a big play either way. If we would have gotten it, it would have been nice field position. They executed it and went down and scored, but it was good execution.”
(on whether it’s shocking that they only managed 17 points after moving the ball so well) “Yes, it’s disturbing. We just couldn’t finish some of the drives. We had our opportunities down there, but when you get that close, you’ve got to take advantage of those situations and we didn’t. The Saints did a great job and they played good red zone defense, we just weren’t able to make plays.”
(on whether the Saints threw some different coverages at them after the team scored) “Yes, they adjusted after that series. We were able to get them caught in a certain defense and didn’t really give them a chance to sub. We were able to take advantage of some of the things that they were doing and they adjusted for the next series and were able to change things up a little bit. We were able to move the ball, we just weren’t able to move the put points on the board.”
(on whether the onside kick was the turning point of the game) “It was a big part of the game, a turning point, I don’t know anything about that. We were able to get the lead back after that. It was just a big momentum shift for them and something they needed. Our defense did a phenomenal job in the first half at keeping them out of the game. When they needed a spark offensively that was the way to do it.”
(on whether there was any area where they were better than advertised) “No, we knew where their strengths were and they did a good job. Their players made plays, but no it was kind of what we expected.”
(on whether he was surprised that [Former Colts Head] Coach [Tony] Dungy said they were going to win running away) “I didn’t listen to him before the game. Everyone had their opinions and we felt very confident with what we had coming into the game and what we were doing. We just didn’t execute and you have to give them credit.”
(on the interception following the touchdown considering the Colts ability to come back) “Yes, I didn’t see that play, I was on the back side, but it we’ve been able to do a lot of good things in the fourth quarter. We’ve been able to do a lot of things all season from behind and we just weren’t able to capitalize and we weren’t able to execute and you’ve got to give them credit for making the plays.”
(on the locker room after a Super Bowl loss) “It’s miserable. It’s not the way you want to end your season. It’s still a little early to comment to feel the true feeling, but it’s not good.”
(on whether it was hard to get it going offensively after having the ball for about two minutes) “We’ve been in situations like that before. Some teams try and do a good job running the ball and try to eat the clock up and put together a long drive. We’ve had that happen to us before. We just realize that we have to take advantage of every opportunity that we get and there’s a premium on not making mental mistakes, not dropping balls, not just doing things that are shoot ourselves in the foot and keep drives going. So it was just a high premium to execute and do your job when the flow of the game is going like that. We had our opportunities we just weren’t able to take advantage of them.”
(on whether they were playing with fire coming from behind in so many games this season) “We are always trying to just score more points than the other team. It’s not anything about putting us in a position. That’s how the game goes. We put ourselves in a position where we had to come back tonight and we feel very confident with the people that we have with everything going on. We don’t panic or anything like that. We felt very confident in that situation, we just weren’t able to make plays.”
(on whether he was surprised with the three running plays after stopping the Saints on fourth and one) “You have to get a first down there, no matter what you call. Everyone’s got to step up and make the play. You don’t leave it short like that and give them great field position and put our defense in a bind like that after they just did a great job of holding them. That’s tough and we have to give our defense credit for just holding them to three with that kind of field position and time left. As an offensive unit, we have to get a first down, we have to move the ball, we have to either kill the clock or try to score, either one, whatever presents itself, but either way, we have to eat that clock up. Going into halftime with no points exchanged, that was an unfortunate opportunity for us.”
(on how big the onside kick was) “It was a good momentum swing coming out of the half. We kind of had a feeling something was kind of going to…they were going to try to do something. They just really weren’t getting anything going offensively and things like that, so they had to get a spark somehow and we just didn’t execute and came up short. It was a big play either way. If we would have gotten it, it would have been nice field position. They executed it and went down and scored, but it was good execution.”
(on whether it’s shocking that they only managed 17 points after moving the ball so well) “Yes, it’s disturbing. We just couldn’t finish some of the drives. We had our opportunities down there, but when you get that close, you’ve got to take advantage of those situations and we didn’t. The Saints did a great job and they played good red zone defense, we just weren’t able to make plays.”
(on whether the Saints threw some different coverages at them after the team scored) “Yes, they adjusted after that series. We were able to get them caught in a certain defense and didn’t really give them a chance to sub. We were able to take advantage of some of the things that they were doing and they adjusted for the next series and were able to change things up a little bit. We were able to move the ball, we just weren’t able to move the put points on the board.”
(on whether the onside kick was the turning point of the game) “It was a big part of the game, a turning point, I don’t know anything about that. We were able to get the lead back after that. It was just a big momentum shift for them and something they needed. Our defense did a phenomenal job in the first half at keeping them out of the game. When they needed a spark offensively that was the way to do it.”
(on whether there was any area where they were better than advertised) “No, we knew where their strengths were and they did a good job. Their players made plays, but no it was kind of what we expected.”
(on whether he was surprised that [Former Colts Head] Coach [Tony] Dungy said they were going to win running away) “I didn’t listen to him before the game. Everyone had their opinions and we felt very confident with what we had coming into the game and what we were doing. We just didn’t execute and you have to give them credit.”
(on the interception following the touchdown considering the Colts ability to come back) “Yes, I didn’t see that play, I was on the back side, but it we’ve been able to do a lot of good things in the fourth quarter. We’ve been able to do a lot of things all season from behind and we just weren’t able to capitalize and we weren’t able to execute and you’ve got to give them credit for making the plays.”
(on the locker room after a Super Bowl loss) “It’s miserable. It’s not the way you want to end your season. It’s still a little early to comment to feel the true feeling, but it’s not good.”
(on whether it was hard to get it going offensively after having the ball for about two minutes) “We’ve been in situations like that before. Some teams try and do a good job running the ball and try to eat the clock up and put together a long drive. We’ve had that happen to us before. We just realize that we have to take advantage of every opportunity that we get and there’s a premium on not making mental mistakes, not dropping balls, not just doing things that are shoot ourselves in the foot and keep drives going. So it was just a high premium to execute and do your job when the flow of the game is going like that. We had our opportunities we just weren’t able to take advantage of them.”
(on whether they were playing with fire coming from behind in so many games this season) “We are always trying to just score more points than the other team. It’s not anything about putting us in a position. That’s how the game goes. We put ourselves in a position where we had to come back tonight and we feel very confident with the people that we have with everything going on. We don’t panic or anything like that. We felt very confident in that situation, we just weren’t able to make plays.”
(on whether he was surprised with the three running plays after stopping the Saints on fourth and one) “You have to get a first down there, no matter what you call. Everyone’s got to step up and make the play. You don’t leave it short like that and give them great field position and put our defense in a bind like that after they just did a great job of holding them. That’s tough and we have to give our defense credit for just holding them to three with that kind of field position and time left. As an offensive unit, we have to get a first down, we have to move the ball, we have to either kill the clock or try to score, either one, whatever presents itself, but either way, we have to eat that clock up. Going into halftime with no points exchanged, that was an unfortunate opportunity for us.”
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