Tennessee Titans - QB Matt Hasselbeck - Ingles

September 14, 2011

On the way he evaluates the Ravens’ defense this year:
“The Ravens have been known for a long time for having a great defense. They made a statement with the first game, really, a statement around the League, about what kind of defense they plan on having this year. It was a really, really impressive outing by them. The Steelers are a team that everyone knows. They are traditionally physical, but the Ravens just played an amazing game – seven turnovers, real physical up front. It was impressive. For any team that has to turn on that film looking at that next opponent, they definitely made that statement.”

On the Ravens’ ability to get after the quarterback:
“Yeah, I think definitely [they do]. And the stats will show that. With a new defensive coordinator, you can tell that, from last year’s breakdown and then this year’s preseason and then last week, you can definitely tell that more pressure is being called. It’s a more aggressive style for sure. That’s definite. The numbers are there on that. It worked great for them. I mean, it worked well for them, so we know that’s what we’ve got to prepare for. We’ve got to prepare for those pressures – and I’m sure they’ll mix it up like we will – but it’s out there and they did a great job with it. They’ve got great personnel to go with that, too. So, it’s not always an easy thing for opponents to go up against them, because sometimes they just win the one-on-one. They’ve done a nice job; they’ve done a really good job.”

On how the Ravens’ style of defense may change the way he prepares for the game on Sunday:
“I do what I do. I play my game, and I’ve gone against teams that play this style of defense. You just… There are just things that you know about yourself that you’ve got to do. For me, it’s all about preparation during the week – work a little harder, study a little more. The answer, I think for me, lies in the film room, lies in the film study, so that when you go out on Sunday, you can just play. But, it definitely takes more effort and energy and a lot more of your time preparing for a team like this.”

On whether he thinks that change was a major contributor to the Titans’ loss last week:
“You know, we were pretty flat. We didn’t execute on the third down. We were not on the field. We didn’t have enough plays. There were a lot of things that you could point to that we need to be better at. But, at the end of the day, we had a chance on the last play of the game to get some yards and kick a game-winner. We’ve got a really good field goal kicker. So, really, we were one play away from doing it. But yeah, there’s obviously going to be some growing pains, and we’re working through those things, but we had a chance. We just didn’t make plays at the end when we needed them – or at the beginning for that matter.”

On if he feels that RB Chris Johnson had limited involvement in last week’s game because he missed the preseason and if he expects him to be more of a focal point going forward:
“I think everyone would expect that. I know that we were just easing him into it last week. You know, it is hard when… There are some things working against us there. But, I think my hope, and I think everybody’s hope, is that we can hit the ground running and keep improving – keep working on things. Really, that’s been our challenge for this week, to find a way to get better in every area. Each guy is taking that on themselves and that means different things for different people. Obviously, he’s going to be a big part of our offense this season. The sooner we can do that the better.”

On how big the transition from NFC to AFC has been for him:
“You know, I really have… I’m not that familiar with the personnel in the AFC. I’m kind of an expert in the NFC. The AFC is new to me, but I’m kind of taking it week to week. I’m doing this thing where I’m keeping a notebook on teams I play and coordinators I play, and I’ve been going back to it. I’ve played in the AFC some in my career, but not as much. I’ve got notes that I keep and, I mean, that was only the third time I’ve played Jacksonville. I’m not sure how many times I’ve played Baltimore. That’s something that I try to do. With a lot of these teams you play them twice, maybe three times if you’re fortunate enough to go to the playoffs. So, I just got to do some of that and just learn the personnel. Similar to when I came here, I didn’t know many of the people on this team, so I had to right away learn the personnel both on the offense and the defense going against those guys. It’s a little bit of a change, but it’s not that big of a deal.”

On whether they plan to take advantage of the Ravens’ potential weakness at cornerback:
“I think, as much as you’re able to. Sometimes the defense will do a nice job of understanding where they’re weak and where they’re strong. You know, what happens on a team a lot of times like… Going against the Ravens it might seem like you’re picking on a guy. But, it’s not so much that you’re picking on a guy, but you just have a tremendous amount of respect for a guy on the other side or the guy in the other position. Certainly, I think all teams look at injuries and look at that stuff and take it into consideration. With us, I think we have so much to worry about with just ourselves that that’s where our focus is, just trying to get better ourselves.”

On how comforting it is to have a player like WR Kenny Britt:
“Kenny is explosive for sure. Once the ball is in his hands, he does a real nice job. He’s got good speed and good size and all that stuff. Nate Washington [does] as well – our other starting receiver. He caught a ton of passes last week, and we expect him to be a big part of the offense as well. And, really, with Chris [Johnson] running the ball… If we can get Chris running the ball and if we can get guys to stack the box, I think that’s our hope, that we get guys that can win one-on-one outside. I think that’s just kind of a simple recipe that a lot of people try to go to. I know there’s more that goes into it, but sure, if we can get Kenny going or if we can get Nate going, I think that helps the whole offense go.”