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.”
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