Fisher, Williams – 11/14 … transcripts

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – November 14, 2014

(On why the team practiced outside today)
“Well, it’s clearly better for their legs to get on the grass. Three days in the indoor can take its toll over a period of time. We had a great practice. It wasn’t too windy so we could throw the ball.”

(On the team’s thoughts going into Sunday’s game)
“They’re excited like they are every Friday. We had a good week of practice. They’re excited to play. We understand that we have a big challenge on our hands. They go into every game thinking we have a chance to win. That’s where they are.”

(On if playing a team like the Broncos gives the team some extra motivation)
“The entire team, (Bronocs QB) Peyton (Manning) from a defensive standpoint, then of course the offense understands the importance of keeping him off the field. They also realize that this is a very good defense, and they’re a good special teams group. This is going to require some big plays in all three areas.”

(On if he sees a scenario where they win on Sunday)
“Of course. I don’t think I’ve ever gone into a game where I didn’t feel like we can make it happen.”

(On if he’s ever told his team that they have no chance to win a particular game)
“Nope.”

(On if having both CBs Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson back in the starting line-up)
“It’s good…we’re potentially going to have a change inside. If (CB) Lamarcus (Joyner) can’t go, then we’ve got (CB) E.J. (Gaines) inside. He’s had a good week of practice. We’ve put our packages together. Expand a little bit like we said we would with (S) Mark (Barron) and we’ve got both corners. They’re going to be challenged.”

(On if DE Chris Long will be activated for the game)
“He will not be activated this week. He’s only practiced two days.”

–

Rams Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams – November 14, 2014

(On having the defense rolling and facing Broncos QB Peyton Manning Sunday)
“They’ve played well all year long. Again, we’ve had one or two plays a ball game that you hold your breath on and you get upset about. But, this is a good young group. They’ve been very aggressive all year long. It’s been fun to see some things come about for them. Some for production standpoints for them and now we’re going against a pretty good football player, a pretty good football team. It’s good. It’s good timing for us. It’s a good test for us. Our guys are excited about the competition, excited about the matchups. We’re excited about being at home. It’ll be fun.”

(On if he thinks the defense has played better in the last few weeks)
“I think that they have confidently produced a couple of situations better here in the last couple weeks. There has been special situations that a lot of people, the fans, that a lot of people don’t really monitor that we’ve been dominate in all year long. Some of those special situations, defensive series have just been fantastic and have kept us in some games. Now we’ve got to do something’s that are more point producing maybe. Take the ball away. Provide some more short fields for our offense – that type of stuff. They’ve played very sound. They’ve played very hard and it’s been a lot of different guys because there’s been a lot of different injury problems that we’ve bounced through. It’s fun to see some of them come back and start to practice. (DE) Chris (Long) getting back into it again. Then, our secondary’s been evolving all year long. It’s kind of created a good versatile environment there. There’s guys knowing the big picture a little more because they’ve been asked to do more, because they’ve been asked to play more than just one position. That’s always a good deal for later on as you’re battling injuries at the end of the year anyway.”

(On if he has to tweak the defenses’ aggressiveness because Manning gets the ball out quickly)
“No, you have to play. They do a lot of things that challenges your eyes. They do a lot of things that challenges your technique. You’ve got to be more focused and there is very little room for error. Really, you don’t change a lot of things you’re doing. When people start doing that type of stuff is when big accidents happen. We’ve just got to be who we are. We’ve got to be a lot more focused in a couple of situations, in a couple of formations that they’ll present. It’ll be a fun environment our guys are very excited about playing because it’s a good football team and we think we’re very good in a lot of areas too. It’ll be a good test.”

(On with a quarterback like Manning how important is interior pressure)
“It’s not only there, but it’s pressure all around. We’ve got to be a really good tackling football team. They do a great job and wherever Peyton has been. I think the world of (Broncos Head Coach) John Fox and (Broncos Defensive Coordinator Jack) Del Rio, who I’ve coached with before and some of those other guys on that staff. They do a good job of putting the ball in space and seeing how good a tackling team you are. We’re a pretty good tackling team, but they’re going to test that by how they get the ball into space. Then, can they isolate it on one or two guys, as oppose to our swarm. That’s probably one of the most impressive things we’ve been doing all year long, is how we’ve been swarming. You don’t see very many guys take very many lazy steps. Because, if they do, then that’s my fault and they need to stand by me.”

(On if it’s possible to rattle Manning at all)
“Sometimes you’ll see. He’s been playing for so long. He manages stress very well. They had some things last year in the Super Bowl, you saw that, that the Seahawks were able to do some things in that game. When we go back and study, we study not just the last few recent games, but years past. Years past when I’ve been in games with him too and (Head Coach) Jeff (Fisher) has also. We’ve got some experience on that staff of being in lots of games with him. But, guess what that works two-fold. He’s been in them with us too. He knows pretty much a lot of different things of what we do and how we go about doing things. So, there will be a chess match that goes on. One of the things I joke with the players about, but it’s serious, is that all good players have to rise above their coaching at some point in time. You come down and you’re going to have be able to make the play when you’re called upon about doing it. He’ll isolate you. Now are you good enough to make the play? Peyton himself will design certain plays for you, for that particular player that week. It’ll be fun to see the chess match go on.”

(On how big it is to have a lot of the corners healthy)
“It’s much better. It’s much more calm in that respect. They’re going to have to produce and that does help us a little bit with some of the packages we’re able to play.”

(On S Mark Barron)
“He’s a pretty good kid. I was trying to keep it to myself a little bit last week, but I almost shared too many secrets with you guys last week. I knew we were going to play him quite a bit. It was fun to see those 33 snaps that he played in the ball game. I liked him a lot when he was coming out of Alabama. He’s fit in here pretty well. It was fun. I don’t know if you guys will talk to him behind the scenes, he’s never pressured that much in his life before. It was fun picking the different directions he could come from. Maybe he might pop up some places this week, we’ll see.”

(On if having both CBs Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson back in the starting line-up)
“First time all season long. Really, when you even go back even into some of our OTAs and our spring practices there were days that they were battling different things. Me personally, I haven’t had a chance to coach very many times where they’re on the field at the same time. It was fun to see that and it was fun to see that camaraderie again and them playing off of each other a little bit and a little competitive spirit among themselves. Good group of guys. Now we’ve got our work cut out for us this week.”

(On CB E.J. Gaines transition to the slot)
“I tease E.J., that’s what he was brought here to do. All of the sudden he got thrown into other positions because he had to battle through when Tru went down. He’s down a tremendous job of accepting the role that we’ve asked him do. Then all of the sudden he’s thrown back into that again. We’ve got some of those things we have to do this week too, to battle through some of those things of what-ifs on injuries. I’ve always been pretty prideful of that. No matter who we have to play we have packages and we have ways that we have to go in and be able to get out of series, get out of games with battling through injuries. I think (Patriots Head Coach) Bill Belichick has done that very well and rightfully so I think I’ve done that very well with the number of people that we’re able to play with the packages adapting to the strengths of the guys that we have.”