Fisher, Schottenheimer, 9/11 … transcripts & video

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher– September 11, 2014

(On the weather at practice today)
“What a difference it makes I mean seriously. The temperature changed and they come to life. We had a good day yesterday, as I’ve said. But they worked very well today.”

(On if the team is prepared to acclimate to the heat in Tampa)
“Yeah and it will be probably similar to what it was last Sunday when Carolina went in there. So, we’ll be prepared for it.”

(On the new practice jerseys)
“During camp, I figured I might just make a change, brighten it up a little bit. So, we hoped to get them in last week, we didn’t, but just for something different, a little change.”

(On if the players like the new practice jerseys)
“The players do.”

(On what problems the Buccaneers present on offense)
“They’re well coached up front, on the offensive line and in protection. They played an outstanding rushing defensive front in Carolina and they did fairly well. The passing game is complicated. He does a really nice job. (Buccaneers Josh (McCown) is mobile. He can move around. He’s got outstanding targets outside. Both tight ends are very productive. The ‘rook’s’ (Buccaneers WR Mike Evans) coming on. He’s going to be a very good player.”

(On the problems that taller receivers present)
“The height issues really take place down inside the plus territory or if you’re throwing go routes and things like that. They’re good with respect to run after catch and that sometimes can create some problems for you in the short passing game.”

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Rams Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer – September 11, 2014

(On how the QB Austin Davis did last week and his status now)
“I thought he did a good job. Getting into that situation, I think he was prepared obviously mentally. He had done a nice job during the week kind of running the plays on air a little bit. It’s not the same when you get the reps certainly, went in and he did a good job. Certainly, can’t turn the ball over obviously and then there were a few times where he held on to the ball a little too long. Couple of those sacks late in the game were on him, the ball’s got to go someplace. Again this has been a good week for him in terms of kind of just getting the reps and if Shaun’s (Hill) ready to go, great, if he’s not I think Austin’s benefited from the reps.”

(On if it’s part of Davis development to have a live game action experience)
“Yeah, I think when you look back it. We looked at the video on Monday and the first pass of the second half, that’s his first completion in an NFL game. It’s just you got to play and again all things considered, situation he came into without any reps I thought he did a nice job.”

(On Davis knowledge of the offense and if he feel’s comfortable trusting him to executive plays)
“Absolutely. One thing I will say about him, he’s really grown, he’s really developed. Coming from Southern Miss, it’s been a long process, he’s worked really, really hard. Very comfortable calling the game with him. Trust that he’s going to know what to do, do the right things. Again, I think that’s a credit to him.”

(On if QB Shaun Hill has to get some reps this week to feel comfortable)
“Again, a veteran guy, you know we’re dealing with a veteran guy. He’s been dialed in, doing everything. We actually make him call the plays of the quarterbacks in a lot of the walk-thrus that we do. No, if he’s ready to go, we have no problems that he’d go out there and perform well. ”

(On QB Case Keenum and how his progress is coming on learning the offense)
“He’s doing a good job. Again, another guy that’s been there, done that, played a little bit. He’s an early morning guy. He beats the coaches in here most days. He really does. We’re here later than he is, but he’s here early working hard. By the looks of that he’s obviously got ability and if he has to go for some reason we’ll keep it simple.”

(On if Keenum is sitting at his desk when he comes in, in the morning)
“No (laughs). Sometimes we’ll walk in and we’ll see early in the morning, we just stick our head in the quarterback room, see whose here and whose not. We like to give those guys a hard time that sleep in a little bit. But he’s always here early.”

(On WR Tavon Austin and the goal to expand his role)
“Obviously, we want to get him touches. It’s an easy way to get him a touch, certainly to just hand him the ball. Obviously, when the game got to where, wasn’t something we were able to do the whole time, but again he’s so multi-talented and can do so many different things. We want to get him touches and again I thought this week they’ll be more of the same. We’ll keep giving him touches, getting him the ball. The more spots we can put him in the better off we’ll be.”

(On if the plays they saw last week with Austin are the extent of what’s in the playbook)
“No, there’s quite a bit more. Tell the ‘Bucs’ (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) maybe that’s all we got, that’d be good. No, certainly he’s got a lot of ability. We want to use him a lot of different ways. He’s a guy that we know is critical to our success.”

(On if nothing else the team has to prepare for defending Austin in the backfield)
“No doubt, no doubt. When he’s in there, they’re obviously all on alert, so we can use him a lot of different ways.”

(On what he’s seen from the offensive line and how important it is for them to get snaps together)
“I think obviously everybody sees the five sacks and things like that. Actually they played pretty well. Like I said, couple of the late sacks were Austin(Davis). Again, you’re playing in a game late where you have to throw the ball a little bit like that, that hurts them. I think the more we get those guys all playing together the better off we’ll be. Be a great challenge this week, another really good front four. I think if there’s a better three technique in the league than (defensive tackle) Gerald McCoy, I don’t think I’ve seen one, he’s a terrific player. But those guys played solid. I think again, another week playing together again in a situation where we can keep the game and have a balanced attack will help us, but all in all I thought they played solid.”

(On WR Brian Quick’s performance on Sunday)
“I was not surprised by the way Brian played at all. He’s been doing that all spring, all training camp. Again, just a playmaker. Has really improved his ability to run routes. Was happy to see him have that kind of success because he’s worked really, really hard. Again, another guy that’s been fun to watch develop. You get him out of Appalachian St., he comes from not playing a whole lot of football at college and you watch him work his way up out here on the grass and then certainly the classroom. It was fun to see, I was happy for him. Again, I think that’s going to be something you see week in and week out.”

(On if Quick has made a lot of progress from last season to this season)
“Without a doubt. Like a different guy.”

(On why it took a little while to get the run game going)
“Again, the run game always takes a while to get going. Again, teams are going to play us heavy in the box, obviously, to try to stop the running game. Again to think it just comes down to us working the combination blocks and things like that. It all ties in together. It ties in with the quarterbacks getting us in and out of the right play. That’s part of it. The combination blocks, the receivers I thought did an outstanding job blocking last week. That’s a big part of the running game. And I think what we need to do is we need to have ability, there were a few seams there that we can take advantage to try to create some big runs. I think explosive runs, chunk plays like that, really help an offense because they change field position and get you into scoring territory.”

(On if the extra attention on the run game is because of not having QB Sam Bradford)
“I think anytime you can get balance it helps. Certainly when you have the running game going, they have to stop that. It certainly singles things up on the outside. We obviously have big receivers on the outside. That certainly helps. Again, we did some good things last week. What we can’t do is shoot ourselves in the foot. The penalties and stuff, that was disappointing. We talked about that, I’ve addressed that. Again, we have to play winning football, and that’s not beat ourselves. Go out there and take one play at a time and execute.”

(On what he expects to see when he plays a Lovie Smith coached defense)
“Obviously a group that plays really hard. A little bit like last week, Minnesota, they play hard. They’re not real complicated. These linebackers really run, I mean they run really fast. The defensive line’s real active, they’re not going to stay in one place. They’re going to move and angle. And then they’re going to try to obviously send everything to the edge and the perimeter. Make you run sideways. But again, they played really well against Carolina last week. Again, it’s quite a challenge I think. I’ve already talked about McCoy, if there’s a better young linebacker in the league then (Buccaneers Lavonte David I probably haven’t seen one. We played him last year, terrific player. Obviously good young secondary. Really good group overall.”