TRANSCRIPT: Rams HC Fisher and DC Williams -- Post-Practice -- October 21, 2016

TRANSCRIPT: Rams HC Fisher and DC Williams -- Post-Practice -- October 21, 2016



Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – October 21, 2016





(On the team’s accomplishments this week leading up to the game)

“We’ve still got some work to do. We’re going to go down and see the stadium tomorrow and have a walk-thru. They’ve got to rest a little bit because we had three straight days. But, feel good with where we are, have some guys healed up. We had a good week of practice.”



(On WR Tavon Austin’s involvement in the offense)

“We’ve got other people to get the ball to, as well. Really, there’s a lot of things that are called, and there’s checks and there’s adjustments and sometimes he gets it and sometimes he doesn’t. Any time we get to him in space, we’re creating problems for the defense.”



(On how the receiving corps has come on)

“They’ve stepped up – the whole group has stepped up. Even (WR) Bradley (Marquez) had a nice catch and run last week. You talk about what (WR) Kenny (Britt) is doing and what (WR) Brian (Quick) is doing, I think the guys are there and making plays. It starts with the quarterback trusting them and he’s putting the ball up and they’re making the plays. That’s going to have to happen Sunday, because there’s going to be some tight throws and some tough catches and they’re going to have to make the contested catches.



(On how the time adjustments and travel will impact the game)

“I know it’s clearly behind us now. We’re sitting here, Friday, and they adjusted. We got up early and they had meetings and they were going. They’ve enjoyed their limited time off. They’ve taken advantage of it. Now, as we get closer to kickoff it becomes more focused on your job.”



(On WR Tavon Austin’s disappointment in the loss to the Lions)

“The only way you get past that is you’ve got to win the next game. They all understand. We’ve had opportunities that we’ve let go, but that’s the case all around the league – games are close, you have to win close games. But, you have to definitely look to the next one and I know he’s done that. He did it on the practice field.”



Rams Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams – Post-Practice – October 21, 2016





(Opening remarks)

“The football team we’re getting ready to play is very well coached. That family of coaches, I know pretty well and they’ve got some dominant wide receivers, a good front, and one of the best quarterbacks in the league. We’re going to have to do a good job. Hopefully, we’ll show up, the field conditions will be good, we’ll be able to keep our feet and play. I think this is one of the better teams that you’ll see with them in the passing game on getting yards after catch, so we’ve got to do a good job tackling. I don’t think we tackled as well last week as we normally do. Very versatile in all of the things that they’re asking that quarterback to do. And again, here’s another quarterback that is like an offensive coordinator in this league – where he has his package of plays – a lot of checks, a lot of audibles. It will be a chess match, but it will be fun.”



(On if QB Eli Manning will try to catch them off guard with quick counts and no huddles)

“A lot of quick counts, a lot of no huddles – we’ve been prepared for that. We do a good job and the head coach here does a good job of picturing those things up in practices. And we’ve already faced several teams like that, but it is fun to see when you watch how far Eli has come – a lot of these quarterbacks, if they can make it 10 years in the league and all of the sudden, from their 10 years on, if their physical skills haven’t declined, all of their mental skills are even better. They’ve seen so many looks, so many different ways to do things and it’s pretty hard to fool him. We just have got to go down with great technique, good toughness and hopefully to challenge as much as we can.”



(On what he sees from the Giants’ receiving corps)

Very good run after catch. Not only do they catch the ball very well, but they turn in into running backs once they get a chance to catch the ball. They’re bigger wide receivers in body type, as far as in space. They’re able to break tackles, tremendous hand skills, good foot speed, but I don’t like defending it. But, you have to respect their running skills after they catch the ball.”



(On what he’s seen from the cornerback group this season)

“All of those guys, it’s really nothing that’s happened here that hasn’t for many years in my career, all kinds of places and stuff. That’s why I’m real proud of the staff of why we coach every single guy that the head coach and the general manager gives us. We don’t pick the personnel, but we coach the personnel. Whether it is the fifth, sixth, seventh corner on our team, they all get coached the same way. We try to even up the reps to help them out, too. They’ve all grown because we have a next man up philosophy, to be able to step up, do your job in this league. If you make a team in the league, you deserve to be in this league. So, now, hopefully we can tweak a few things scheme-wise because I’ve had so many different kinds of athletics body types, hopefully schematically we can adapt to your strengths and somewhat hide your weaknesses. Sometimes it gets exposed and that’s what happens in space plays, and we try to minimize space plays by themselves as much as possible. It’s a really good, tough group and I like the way they’re being coached, I think (DBs Coach) Dennard Wilson and I think (DBs Coach) Brandon Fisher do a really good job coaching that backend, it’s one of the most comfortable environments that I’ve had with the backend getting done right.”



(On how the leaders on the defensive side of the ball addressed the team’s performance following the Lions game)

“We’re all in this together. Anytime you hear the players say that, it makes me smile because I talk about empowerment all of the time. It really doesn’t make any difference how I feel – it’s how they feel. I don’t play anymore, I try not to get in the way during the game. I try to help during the game. The fact that they’re so prideful and there’s so many guys that played so doggone good, had some of their better performances, but when you don’t do well out there on the edges, not very many balls travelled very far in the air - they threw the ball in very short intermittent, intermediate distances and we didn’t tackle in space. Our defensive secondary has to play better to give everybody else a chance to play, because there was a lot of good football played outside of five, six plays in that ballgame. It’s good to hear them say that they were pissed. I won’t say how pissed I was.”