TRANSCRIPTS:Rams-Dallas Cowboys Postgame Availability - August 12, 2017
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TRANSCRIPTS:Rams-Dallas Cowboys Postgame Availability - August 12, 2017
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On if the game went by quickly)
“It did, it went by really quickly. The one thing that I’m going to have to continue to get used to is the transition in between offensive series where you’re kind of getting some thoughts together but still being involved with what’s going on with defense and special teams. But what you feel really great about is having great leaders like (defensive coordinator) Wade Phillips and (special teams coordinator) John Fassel to be able to run those units. They kind of seamlessly operate, but I think it’s still important for me to be mindful of being in control of those game situations and what’s going on and how that affects our decision making. But we’ll take the win however we can get it. Certainly there’s going to be a lot of things that we need to clean up, but I thought it was a great opportunity to get out in front of our fans and come away with a win and the atmosphere was outstanding.”
(On QB Jared Goff capitalizing on the fumbled punt)
“I think that’s huge. Really other than points, turnovers end up being the biggest indicator of wins and losses if you just look at the stats for the last handful of years. Specifically, offensively, we have to do a way better job of taking care of the ball. We only lost one tonight, but we put in on the ground way too many times. Fortunately, the red zone touchdown that we had ended up with (WR) Cooper Kupp falling on that fumble. There were some good things to take away. I thought our defense flew around and I think our special teams units continue to do a nice job. We have to be careful of avoiding the penalties both offensively and on special teams. But like I said, we’ll take the win however way we can get it.”
(On what he thought of Goff’s performance)
“I thought he did a nice job. When you really look at the limited amount of snaps and plays that he did have. The first throw of the game we came out with a quick gain and Dallas did a good job of matching it but that’s where we have to be patient and ready to sit on our back foot and let (WR) Robert Woods see that throw and get a completion play there. But did a great job on the keeper where he changed the launch point and found Cooper Kupp on the crossing route after we got the turnover from our special teams. And then really the other two completions, the one to Robert Woods on third-down in the red zone and then (R
Todd (Gurley) on the check down where they did a good job on third-and-long playing deep to short, found his check down and with a back like Todd, you feel good about his opportunity to be able to move the chains in some of those situations.”
(On is he saw from Goff what he hoped to see)
“I think so. I think the one thing that you feel good about with him is he comes to you during the game and says, ‘I wish I had that first play back,’ where you’re able to kind of let Robert (Woods) see that throw and get a completion right off the bat. But those are the kind of expectations that we have for him and we expect him to have that for himself and he does. We know that there are always things that we can do a little bit better, myself included and I think it provides a great opportunity for us to learn and move forward to the Raiders next week.”
(On what he said to RB Justin Davis after the fumble)
“I think he was clearly disappointed. That was a big time turnover that we had down in the red zone. But you can see the explosiveness that Justin (Davis) does have. I just told him, I said, ‘Hey, let’s be mindful of taking better care of the football, we’re going to give you an opportunity and more interested now in seeing how you respond, not about what just happened.’ I thought he did a good job responding. He broke out that 30-plus yard run at the beginning of the second half. You can feel that he’s a great back with good explosion, good change of pace, he’s very productive in the receiving game as well, but we certainly have to do a better job as a running backs group as a whole taking better care of the football. I know he’ll be one of those guys that we’ll really focus on here in this next week.”
(On if those are the instincts he has come to expect from WR Cooper Kupp)
“Yeah, I think he’s one of those players that just seems to always be in the right spot. I think that’s a credit to his football IQ and his level of urgency when he recognized what was going on and it ended up being the difference in us winning and losing that football game tonight. He’s going to continue to improve. Very smart, conscientious player like you guys have heard me say. We feel fortunate to have Cooper on our team.”
(On if the fumbles are a result of the lack of hitting in training camp)
“I think that’s a great point. You always want to be mindful of how you practice. You want to try to mimic and emulate those game-like situations as much as possible without the risk of injury. And that’s sometimes the thing that you suffer from is when you are able to get tackled with live hits, ball gets a little bit loose when you’re not as conscientious about it. Those are things that I as a coach have to do a better job of finding ways to creatively implement a more structured environment so that it can be something that we do a better job with especially offensively.”
(On if he got the chance to meet with WR Sammy Watkins today)
“I did. He just got in where his flight got in and it gave us a chance to spend a little bit of time together pregame. A really impressive person. I got a chance to talk to him. There’s a lot of similar people that we’ve crossed paths with that have reached out to me since we acquired him and can’t say enough good things about him. Was really impressed with the way that he carried himself. Can’t wait to go to work and like we’ve said, he’s a special player and we’re excited about adding him to our offense.”
(On if a month is enough time to get Watkins settled in)
“I think you don’t want to take away from the offseason program and what training camp has already entailed. But I think we just have to have a bigger level of urgency then maybe you would with somebody else when you have month to get ready for that September 10 date. I know that he’s a guy that’s excited about getting to learn it and immediately get immersed in the system. I think that you just make sure that you pay a little closer attention. We’ve got a couple receiver coaches with Eric Yarber, who does an excellent job and then we’ve got an assistant in Zac Taylor who’s a great coach too. They’ll be able to split up those duties and maybe one of them will be able to pay closer attention in trying to get Sammy up to speed. That’s going to be an important part of what we’re doing.”
(On if he expects Goff to get more reps as the exhibition season moves along)
“Yeah, typically what our plan would be is ideally 6-10 or a scoring drive which we were able to do tonight and next week we’ll probably play through a series into the second quarter and then that third preseason game will offer us an opportunity as a first team offense to play a first half and maybe a series into the third quarter. Those will be the things that we’ll discuss and monitor as a coaching staff but the goal is to get him more work through those first three weeks as we progress.”
(On why he didn’t have Goff play more)
“I think because we were mindful of getting some of the veteran offensive lineman out. We wanted to make sure we got Todd some touches but got him out. Wanted to him to play with guys that we anticipate him playing with by the time the regular season rolls around. We’re all a product of our previous experiences. My experience in Washington being with (Head) Coach (Jay) Gruden, that was the plan that we had and it seemed to work out pretty well as far as what you had with those guys that are your starters. That’s why we went about it the way we did tonight.”
(On his initial impressions about his offensive line)
“Until you get a chance to really go back and look at the film because of all five and the continuity upfront, it’s really difficult to say. We had a couple runs where it seemed like they got into our backfield, but I think when you’ve looked at that group as a whole, feel really good about some of those players and now it’s about gelling together. I think when you look at (RG) Jamon Brown and (RT) Rob Havenstein having gone back and forth between guard and tackle. I feel like Rob’s really settling in nice at that tackle position and Jamon’s will be our right guard right now unless something changes. I think it’s about those guys getting more and more comfortable. They’re talented players, but they’re still very young in terms of their experience. And then when you look at the left side, these are veteran players that have never played together. So it’s about them being able to establish that continuity with those five. We feel very good about them and we know that, like anybody else on this team, we have room for improvement but I think we have a chance to be pretty good upfront with those guys.”
Rams QB Jared Goff – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On if he got a lot out of the limited snaps he had tonight)
“Yeah, I was happy with what we were able to, fortunately, do there with the muffed punt and finish off that drive. You don’t design it to go that way, but sometimes the ball bounces your way and we took advantage of it.”
(On how he thinks he handled himself in the game)
“I was happy. That first throw I would like to have back. We talked about it on the sideline, I would have had a perfect night with a four-for-four, but it’s a good one to learn from. I was happy, like I said, with the way we finished.”
(On how things went with Head Coach Sean McVay as the play caller)
“It was great. It was really good. I was talking with (Q Dan (Orlovsky) and (Q Sean Mannion about it all night. Just the way he verbalizes things, the way he’s able to communicate with us and give us little tips in the play call and stuff to remember, little reminders is so helpful and it was really good.”
(On his reaction to the trade for WR Sammy Watkins)
“We were in meetings and we break meetings and I look at my phone – like 50 text messages like, ‘Sammy Watkins. Sammy Watkins.’ I was like, ‘What? What happened?’ Obviously we got him and you hate to lose a guy like (Former Rams C E.J. (Gaines). I think E.J. is a special player and a really special teammate. I think he was a really good guy, so you hate to lose him. But, we’re excited about Sammy and excited to see what he can do.”
(On the weapons he has with the addition of Watkins)
“Yeah, absolutely. Like you said, you start stacking guys like that – you start building a pretty good roster on the perimeter there. Again, I’m excited to see what he can do along with the other guys.”
(On RB Justin Davis’ performance)
“Yeah, he had a good game. His return to the (Los Angeles Memorial) Coliseum I guess, right? I thought he ran well. I thought he ran really well and I think the best part of it was that he had that fumble and came back and kept running really, really well and that’s good to see. You want to have a guy with short memory like that and he did a good job. I thought (R Todd (Gurley) did a good job for the limited plays he had as well.”
(On if he views this as a building block heading into the regular season)
“Yeah, I think it’s just like any other game – you take good things from it, you take bad things from it and you just try to learn from it and get better. Especially preseason one, our first time back out there it’s a bunch of fumbles. We have to eliminate that if we want to continue to be good and be good September 10th against the Colts, but I think there was a lot of good things that we can take away from it and a lot of things to learn from for sure.”
(On what he was trying to focus on from the sidelines once his playing time was over)
“I was trying to do my best to help Sean (Mannion) and then just try to talk to the guys, keep those guys encouraged, keep their heads up and just try to do my job.”
(On if he’s happy where he is right now)
“Yeah, we went out and scored on the first drive. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Well, I guess one and a half, right? We had that punt and again, don’t like to start it that way, but the ball bounced our way, we got lucky and took advantage of it. Yeah, if my job is to take us down the field and score and we did that on our first drive today, so I was happy with it. Again, the second drive, I guess.”
(On what he thinks the process is going to be like with integrating Watkins into the offense)
“He’s obviously a weapon. His track record speaks for itself and what he’s able to do. I think he’s a guy who can stretch the field. I think that’s what we get from him, obviously right away. I also think he’s not only a really good guy, but works hard – just from what I’ve gathered so far. He’s excited to be here. He’s excited to get to work, and just briefly talking with him over the phone and on the sideline really quickly, just getting a feel for him – he seems like a really determined guy and excited about a fresh start.”
(On if building chemistry with Watkins will be a big adjustment)
“It won’t be an adjustment. It’ll take a couple days throwing to him, but it’s just like anybody else that’s a new player.”
RB Todd Gurley – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On how he’s feeling at this point)
“I’m feeling good man. Obviously, it’s hard to get started with just a couple plays, but just to be out there, just get the goosebumps off and be with the offense. It was good to be out there watching guys. Just watching guys like (WR Nelson) Spruce, man everything’s good.”
(On what he was personally looking to accomplish tonight)
“Obviously, the first thing you want to go out there and execute, put some points on the board. We were able to do that, I mean, not the way we wanted to, but we’re still happy. We’re excited.”
(On if WR Sammy Watkins coming to the team takes some pressure off of him)
“Well, with him and (WR Nelson) Spruce out there, it will take a lot of pressure off of me. I’m just happy to have those additions to my team and he’s a playmaker.”
RB Justin Davis – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On how playing in the Coliseum as a pro is different than when we played at USC)
“Oh man, when I walked in the locker room, it was kind of surreal at first because you’ve got everything covered up and its different colors and what not, but at the end of the day, it’s home for me. When I got out on the grass, all the memories started to come back and it just felt like home. I love to be here.”
(On what he expects this team will bring energy-wise)
“Going forward, it’s going to be a whole lot of things that we’re going to do that will break the defense down in coverage. Coach McVay, he’s a very smart guy. He knows how to take advantage of match-ups and we just listen to what he says, because it’s always going to be right. He puts us in a great position going forward and we’re going to turn a lot of heads.”
(On how he felt adjusting to the speed of the game tonight)
“Well, my first NFL game it was – I made a couple mistakes here and there, but all that matters is how I bounce back and how I can eliminate those mistakes in the future, because it’s different than college. It’s a whole lot different. It’s more intense, faster, players are smarter. That’s just me, I’ve got to adjust to that and I’ve got to do it quicker than slower. So just going forward, I’m going to look back at the mistakes and try to avoid them and just do better next time.”
Rams WR Cooper Kupp – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On emotions going out there for his first game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the first drive)
“It was fun, things were moving fast. I think when you hear about the first drive, everything is kind of just moving quick and thinking about a lot of things, and knowing it would calm down a little bit. Just getting into the groove of the game. It was fun. I had a great time. You know this, but obviously, like with everything you do, there’s a lot to go back and look at. I even know before watching the film there’s a lot of stuff that I need to improve on. So, I’m excited to be able to go back and get to work on that.”
(On playing for Head Coach Sean McVay for the first time and the energy he’s been able to bring to the offense)
“It’s incredible, very smart coach one of the smartest I’ve played under and with that he just brings this sense of calming that think any head coach wants to be able to exude; just even keel. And guys what to play for him. I step on the field and I want to play for him and that’s a huge thing, I think, and very fortunate to be here.”
(On feeling like he was the only player going for the ball in the end zone and if he thought it would be called dead)
“Well afterwards, I thought that they were…I think they did review it, but I thought it was a close call. Actually, I was able to get a glimpse of it and it was just kind of a bang, bang play. If there’s any doubt you would still want to be on the ball.”
(On how he feels he’ll fit alongside WR Sammy Watkins and what was his thoughts when he heard about the trade)
“I can’t wait to get on the field with him. He’s an incredible athlete, incredible football player. Got to talk with him a little bit together on the sideline and he’s really excited about being able to step out on the field and play together. I think the mix of receivers we have in the room is awesome and there’s competition, but it’s healthy competition – challenging each other and pushing each other to be the best that we can be. I’m excited about that.”
Rams LB Alec Ogletree – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On what he saw from the defense tonight)
“I thought we played pretty well. We still got a lot to learn and we always…wish we could have finished the game up with the interception but we were able to close it out. I felt pretty good about it for sure this year.”
(On facing the Cowboys in the regular season this year)
“We got a game next week that we got to worry about first and then our first game is against the Colts, so when we get to that game against the Cowboys then we’ll worry about that week. So, it’s good competition. You got a lot of young guys out there for the first time and we were able to finish out the game.”
(On when he thinks DT Aaron Donald will arrive to be with the team)
“Yeah, I mean he’ll be back when he gets back here. Like we said, we’ll welcome him back when he gets back. Until then, there’s a business side to this and he needs to take care of for him and his family, so we support him and definitely want him back for sure.”
Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability — August 12, 2017
(On if he feels that RB Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension was justified)
“Yeah, we talked to our team about the situation and the importance of focusing on what we can control. We can’t control what the NFL does and it’s not my place to come up on that on whether I think it’s justified.”
(On what he thinks the impact of not having RB Ezekiel Elliott playing is)
“Obviously Ezekiel Elliott is a good football player. We feel like we built our team the right way and we feel like we have some veteran experience — guys that have been productive in this league at the running back position, in (R Alfred Morris and (R Darren McFadden, we feel good about (R Rod Smith. We’re going to focus on the guys we have available to us. (R Ezekiel (Elliot) will be with us practicing as we go forward and he’s going to get himself ready to play when the time comes.”
(On if he has any idea if Elliott’s suspension will go through the appeals process)
“I have no comment on that.”
(On if he was surprised by the length of Elliott’s suspension)
“We suspected that something like this might happen. We prepared our team accordingly by building it the right way and we’re going to focus on what we control within our football team. As players and coaches, we are going to coach as well as we can, we are going to play as well as we can with the guys we have available to us.”
(On if Elliott is going to practice moving forward)
“We’ll just take it day-by-day.”
(On if Elliott has addressed the team personally)
“No.”
(On how Elliott has been doing throughout his suspension)
“I think ‘Zeke' (RB Ezekiel Elliott) has done an excellent job through this whole process focusing on what he needs to do and controlling what he can control. He comes to work every day, is a hard working guy who loves to play football, he practices hard, he’s getting himself ready to play as well as he can.”
(On if he looks at Elliott’s suspension as an injury situation)
“Again, we have to focus on things we can control and sometimes players are not going to be available to you for a variety of reasons. You have to build the team the right way and you have to focus on the guys who are available to you and you have to get themselves ready to play.”
(On if Elliott’s suspension will change the way they play offense)
“Again, we are focused on our football team right now. We just played our second preseason game and we’re going to go to work and try to get better, all throughout our team. We will look at this tape and see where we can get better individually and collectively.”
(On what he saw in the game from RB Darren McFadden and RB Alfred Morris as possible replacements for Elliott)
“It’s hard to know right now without having watched the tape. Obviously, we didn’t move the ball well enough offensively. We wanted to give each of those guys some opportunity to run it. At times it looked like they flashed a little bit, but we weren’t consistent enough at moving the ball, and obviously scoring enough points.”
(On the performance of the defense tonight)
“Yeah. The defense did a really nice job. Like you said, a lot of guys were around the football – I think the ball came out about four or five times. We finally got one when they were down in the red area. But, that’s a good sign when the ball comes out. You have to take advantage of those situations though and you have to make the play, you have to take the ball away. So, hopefully we’ll learn from those experiences as well.”
(On S Xavier Wood’s performance tonight)
“He certainly seemed like he was around the ball a lot. Certainly seemed like he was physical and he made a number of plays in third-down situations to keep the guy short of making the first down. So, he looks like he’s an instinctive player right now and he’s getting better and better the more he plays.”
(On DE Taco Charlton in the first quarter)
“(DE) Taco (Charlton) seems to be really active. He was around the ball, seemed to be around the quarterback a little bit. Again, at first glance from my vantage point, looks like the showed up a little bit more this week than he did last week. We’ll go back and watch the tape and see how he did.”
(On TE Rico Gathers touchdown and what he saw from him this evening)
“Yeah. (TE) Rico (Gathers) is someone who’s demonstrated the ability to run routes and catch the football. It’s good to see him do that in game action. Last week, he made a big play down in the red area and tonight he ran a really good route and QB Cooper (Rush) did a really nice job recognizing what the coverage was and giving him a chance. So, that’s something that Rico does fairly well naturally and he’s improving on his ability to run routes and get away from people and in addition to the way that he catches the ball. He’s working on the other parts of his game as well, the game experience that he’s got is really, really valuable.”
(On QB Kellen Moore and QB Cooper Rush’s performances)
“Again, we’ll go back and watch the tape. Obviously, we didn’t move the ball very well early on in the game. Everybody has a piece of that. I think as much as anything else we couldn’t run the ball that effectively. Didn’t control the line of scrimmage like we normally like to and play that style of football. Didn’t convert the third downs early. We had a couple three-and-outs right away. It looked like (Q Kellen (Moore) settled in a little bit more as it went on. Cooper does a nice job when he goes in there. He understands what we’re asking him to do, makes good decisions and made some good throws tonight.”
(On how important it is for DE Taco Charlton to have success early on as a rookie to build confidence)
“I just think the biggest thing for all these guys is to understand the opportunity they have each and every day. When you’re a defensive lineman, you have the opportunity to go against our offensive lineman in practice, what a great opportunity to get better. And you’re not going to win all the time, you’re going to lose a lot. But you just have to keep battling. He’s certainly done that. He demonstrated that in Michigan, he’s demonstrated that so far. And that’s how you get better. So, we’re going to give him plenty of chances to play in these preseason games and hopefully grow before our eyes. The fact that we have five preseason games is really valuable for all the young players and Taco’s included in that group. I think he’s getting better week-by-week.”
(On his thought process of playing T Bryon Bell early on and G Jonathan Cooper playing center)
“We just want to give those guys a chance to play and honestly we had (C) Travis (Frederick) and (G) Zach (Martin) in there tonight for the first time and (T La’el Collins) ‘LC’ as well, early on in the game at right tackle. (T) Byron Bell is someone who’s shown up in practice. He’s been there every day. He’s played some guard for us. He’s played a little tackle for us. So, we want to give him a chance to show us that he can be a part of that starting group. We’ll see how he did in the game, but he’ll get opportunities. Jonathan Cooper will get opportunities. When (T) Chaz Green’s healthy he’ll get opportunities. It’s important to create competition at that spot.”
(On if he thought about playing his starters like TE Jason Whitten, WR Dez Bryant, QB Dak Prescott)
“We had conversations about it, we just felt like it was best to keep those guys out one more week.”
(On if he wants RB Ezekiel Elliott to play in a preseason game)
“Haven’t really discussed that. If he were to play, I think he would play probably in a similar fashion as he did last year.”
Cowboys QB Kellen Moore – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On how the game went and how he felt out there)
“Yeah, there were some good things, some bad things, obviously not enough good things for us. Weren’t able to sustain drives and get enough things going. Stuff to learn from and improve on.”
(On being unable to connect passes)
“Those things happen and hopefully we can learn from it, and grow, and figure out what went wrong and correct it.”
(On how it feels to get back on the field after last season’s injury)
“That’s all part of this, second game in the preseason. There’s going to be some good, some bad, learn from it and move on.”
(On QB Cooper Rush’s performance tonight)
“Yeah (QB Cooper Rush) ‘Coop’ played great. He did a really good job; he did awesome. Fired up for him, excited for him.”
(On what’s the trickiest part about translating practice chemistry to game day chemistry)
“It’s live action. There are defensive guys they can sack you; they can make plays on you. You know, it’s converting on third downs. Obviously, we got some penalties that kind of derailed a couple drives and big kind of things that stalled us.”
(On new guys on offensive line)
“They’re all doing well. Obviously, it’s a learning experience for all of us. You know, you are going to have some good things, some bad things. It’s preseason, you’ll learn from them and move on.”
(On his idea of how well he performed before seeing film)
“I think decent, obviously a lot of stuff to see on film. You get to see a whole lot more than you get to see during the game, learn from those things. Obviously this one, you don’t score enough points, bottom line. Kind of derailed ourselves in some drives. Score a few more points, feel a little bit better about it.”
Cowboys TE Jason Witten– Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On his approach to dealing with RB Ezekiel Elliot’s six-game suspension)
“I would start off to say that I’m not privy to all the information that’s gone on for the last year. Before I go too far into it, I don’t have that information to be able to go that route. I’d say this, there is no place for a man to put his hand on a woman. Most of you guys know that’s a situation that affected my family as a younger kid, so I put a lot of work and attention into and have a platform to step out and speak on stopping domestic violence. Having said that, (RB Ezekiel Elliot) ‘Zeke’ has continued to work through it. He’s talked about that. How many games and all that stuff – that’s not really what we need to deal with. He’s our teammate and we’ll continue to work through it with him and have this opportunity to grow from it. I think that’s what his focus is right now. We addressed it as a team, we have. I think our team has been really good going through adversity. We’ve responded the right way because I believe we do have the right guys on our football team. That’s been my approach and certainly these situations are never easy, but Zeke’s been a teammate of mine for the last year and I’ve enjoyed having that relationship with him. Not only is he a tremendous football player. The opportunity to be able to have a relationship with him and mentor him and be a veteran personality with him and as somebody that’s been through this game for a few years now – to have the opportunity to go through that together, that’s what teammates do. I’m certain that he’ll work through it and be better and build from it.”
(On if he has had a personal conversation with Elliot about the suspension)
“Yeah, we visited. There has been a lot that’s gone on – in a lot of ways, that’s been going on for a long time in his own life and in his family; it’s affected them. I wouldn’t go into (the conversations), but certainly you have conversations. He has other teammates that he does it with and as a team we did and you continue to do that moving forward. I think that’s something that we will constantly continue to do.”
(On how the team plans to succeed without Elliot to begin the season)
“There’s a standard for all of us in this league that we have to do and play and live up to. There’s a lot of things there that we just don’t know. I’ve heard what Mr. (Cowboys Owner Jerry) Jones has said and I’ve looked to him as a mentor for 14 years. I also think that there are a lot of things that you just don’t know. There was a police investigation that was dropped, too. That’s something where you grab your teammate and support him in ways, but that doesn’t mean that you come off of your standard of what you stand for. I’m confident in that because it’s been my life in a lot of ways, so I don’t take that lightly. Quite frankly, it’s uncomfortable even having the conversation right now, but you go through it and you’re in a position to be a leader and you continue to show the way and allow guys to grow. I know that it’s been a tough year on him and I think that his mindset has been such – what he’s said, what he’s already released, I think that’s a pretty good perspective on what he’s trying to do moving forward. As a team overall, things come up sometimes, but the standard – you can’t come off of that. We need all hands on deck this season. It’s going to be hard to go and do what we’re trying to do. We’re going to be a team that’s together. We’ll get through this because that’s what we’re all about. Last year, when we had adversity with injuries and different things that came up. I think that our team has grown closer to each other, and I suspect we’ll do the same thing moving forward. That’s my job, it’s Coach (Jason) Garrett’s job, and the leaders on this team and guys will step up at the running back position. We feel like we have a lot of depth there – guys that have played at a high level for a lot of years in this league. So, that’s an opportunity for them until ‘Zeke’ gets back and our team will do that.”
Cowboys DE Taco Charlton – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On his first NFL sack)
“It felt good to finally get one. Hopefully this is the first of many, but it felt good to finally get one in an NFL game.”
(Describing the play)
“Basically the tackle kicked out, did a quick counter. The DB’s did a great job of holding him, making him second-guess and giving me enough time to get him,”
(On his eagerness to prove himself in this game after his play had been criticized during the past week)
“I mean, I played 16 snaps (last week). I think I played like 26 today, so 10 more. I guess the more plays, I can make some stuff happen.”
(On the team’s reaction to the news of RB Ezekiel Elliot’s suspension)
“Of course we weren’t very happy. We support ‘Zeke’ and of course we want him and need him with us, but like I said, we’ll let everything else play out and see how it goes.”
Cowboys S Byron Jones – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On if playing for University of Connecticut helped him prepare for the NFL)
“No doubt. You know, a lot of adversity at UConn with a lot of coaching changes. A lot of tough teams you play, but for me, it built me and it built my character. Kind of made me the man I am today.”
(On what he focused on during the offseason)
“For me, it was catching the football. Making plays on the ball. That’s what I focused on this offseason. Just catching the ball and being around the ball a lot more.”
(On if turnovers were encouraging)
“Yeah, linebackers were hitting today. Balls were coming out, but it seemed like the ball was just falling in the offensive team’s lap. It’s one of those deals where you’ve got to keep trying, keep swinging at the ball, but we saw some good things today.”
(On his reaction to Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot’s suspension)
“It seemed like it was long, but I don’t know how the decisions are made. I wish there was more clarity on that, but at the end of the day, we support ‘Zeke.’”
Cowboys LB Anthony Hitchens – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On how it felt to get turnovers)
“It’s always good to get turnovers. Like I always said and like our defense is trying to preach this year, in order to win a championship our defense needs to force turnovers. We did a good job getting the ball out, but if you force a fumble and they recover it, it’s technically not a turnover. So once we force them, we’ve got to have guys running to the ball so we can scoop them.”
(On the fumbles bouncing the Rams way)
“Well that’s what we teach. We’re always hustling to the ball because you never know when it’s coming out. Unfortunately, they were hustling more than us when we caused them and they recovered them.”
(On how good the Dallas linebackers can be)
“We can be really good. The sky’s the limit and that’s why we practice the way we do. As long as we keep working, the sky’s the limit for us.”
(On how fun it was to play again)
“Oh, it’s fun. Anytime you get the opportunity to play, it’s fun. You know, we’ve been going against each other for two weeks. We had one last week and then we’ve got one next week. So anytime you get a chance to play against a different team, it’s always fun.
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On if the game went by quickly)
“It did, it went by really quickly. The one thing that I’m going to have to continue to get used to is the transition in between offensive series where you’re kind of getting some thoughts together but still being involved with what’s going on with defense and special teams. But what you feel really great about is having great leaders like (defensive coordinator) Wade Phillips and (special teams coordinator) John Fassel to be able to run those units. They kind of seamlessly operate, but I think it’s still important for me to be mindful of being in control of those game situations and what’s going on and how that affects our decision making. But we’ll take the win however we can get it. Certainly there’s going to be a lot of things that we need to clean up, but I thought it was a great opportunity to get out in front of our fans and come away with a win and the atmosphere was outstanding.”
(On QB Jared Goff capitalizing on the fumbled punt)
“I think that’s huge. Really other than points, turnovers end up being the biggest indicator of wins and losses if you just look at the stats for the last handful of years. Specifically, offensively, we have to do a way better job of taking care of the ball. We only lost one tonight, but we put in on the ground way too many times. Fortunately, the red zone touchdown that we had ended up with (WR) Cooper Kupp falling on that fumble. There were some good things to take away. I thought our defense flew around and I think our special teams units continue to do a nice job. We have to be careful of avoiding the penalties both offensively and on special teams. But like I said, we’ll take the win however way we can get it.”
(On what he thought of Goff’s performance)
“I thought he did a nice job. When you really look at the limited amount of snaps and plays that he did have. The first throw of the game we came out with a quick gain and Dallas did a good job of matching it but that’s where we have to be patient and ready to sit on our back foot and let (WR) Robert Woods see that throw and get a completion play there. But did a great job on the keeper where he changed the launch point and found Cooper Kupp on the crossing route after we got the turnover from our special teams. And then really the other two completions, the one to Robert Woods on third-down in the red zone and then (R
Todd (Gurley) on the check down where they did a good job on third-and-long playing deep to short, found his check down and with a back like Todd, you feel good about his opportunity to be able to move the chains in some of those situations.”(On is he saw from Goff what he hoped to see)
“I think so. I think the one thing that you feel good about with him is he comes to you during the game and says, ‘I wish I had that first play back,’ where you’re able to kind of let Robert (Woods) see that throw and get a completion right off the bat. But those are the kind of expectations that we have for him and we expect him to have that for himself and he does. We know that there are always things that we can do a little bit better, myself included and I think it provides a great opportunity for us to learn and move forward to the Raiders next week.”
(On what he said to RB Justin Davis after the fumble)
“I think he was clearly disappointed. That was a big time turnover that we had down in the red zone. But you can see the explosiveness that Justin (Davis) does have. I just told him, I said, ‘Hey, let’s be mindful of taking better care of the football, we’re going to give you an opportunity and more interested now in seeing how you respond, not about what just happened.’ I thought he did a good job responding. He broke out that 30-plus yard run at the beginning of the second half. You can feel that he’s a great back with good explosion, good change of pace, he’s very productive in the receiving game as well, but we certainly have to do a better job as a running backs group as a whole taking better care of the football. I know he’ll be one of those guys that we’ll really focus on here in this next week.”
(On if those are the instincts he has come to expect from WR Cooper Kupp)
“Yeah, I think he’s one of those players that just seems to always be in the right spot. I think that’s a credit to his football IQ and his level of urgency when he recognized what was going on and it ended up being the difference in us winning and losing that football game tonight. He’s going to continue to improve. Very smart, conscientious player like you guys have heard me say. We feel fortunate to have Cooper on our team.”
(On if the fumbles are a result of the lack of hitting in training camp)
“I think that’s a great point. You always want to be mindful of how you practice. You want to try to mimic and emulate those game-like situations as much as possible without the risk of injury. And that’s sometimes the thing that you suffer from is when you are able to get tackled with live hits, ball gets a little bit loose when you’re not as conscientious about it. Those are things that I as a coach have to do a better job of finding ways to creatively implement a more structured environment so that it can be something that we do a better job with especially offensively.”
(On if he got the chance to meet with WR Sammy Watkins today)
“I did. He just got in where his flight got in and it gave us a chance to spend a little bit of time together pregame. A really impressive person. I got a chance to talk to him. There’s a lot of similar people that we’ve crossed paths with that have reached out to me since we acquired him and can’t say enough good things about him. Was really impressed with the way that he carried himself. Can’t wait to go to work and like we’ve said, he’s a special player and we’re excited about adding him to our offense.”
(On if a month is enough time to get Watkins settled in)
“I think you don’t want to take away from the offseason program and what training camp has already entailed. But I think we just have to have a bigger level of urgency then maybe you would with somebody else when you have month to get ready for that September 10 date. I know that he’s a guy that’s excited about getting to learn it and immediately get immersed in the system. I think that you just make sure that you pay a little closer attention. We’ve got a couple receiver coaches with Eric Yarber, who does an excellent job and then we’ve got an assistant in Zac Taylor who’s a great coach too. They’ll be able to split up those duties and maybe one of them will be able to pay closer attention in trying to get Sammy up to speed. That’s going to be an important part of what we’re doing.”
(On if he expects Goff to get more reps as the exhibition season moves along)
“Yeah, typically what our plan would be is ideally 6-10 or a scoring drive which we were able to do tonight and next week we’ll probably play through a series into the second quarter and then that third preseason game will offer us an opportunity as a first team offense to play a first half and maybe a series into the third quarter. Those will be the things that we’ll discuss and monitor as a coaching staff but the goal is to get him more work through those first three weeks as we progress.”
(On why he didn’t have Goff play more)
“I think because we were mindful of getting some of the veteran offensive lineman out. We wanted to make sure we got Todd some touches but got him out. Wanted to him to play with guys that we anticipate him playing with by the time the regular season rolls around. We’re all a product of our previous experiences. My experience in Washington being with (Head) Coach (Jay) Gruden, that was the plan that we had and it seemed to work out pretty well as far as what you had with those guys that are your starters. That’s why we went about it the way we did tonight.”
(On his initial impressions about his offensive line)
“Until you get a chance to really go back and look at the film because of all five and the continuity upfront, it’s really difficult to say. We had a couple runs where it seemed like they got into our backfield, but I think when you’ve looked at that group as a whole, feel really good about some of those players and now it’s about gelling together. I think when you look at (RG) Jamon Brown and (RT) Rob Havenstein having gone back and forth between guard and tackle. I feel like Rob’s really settling in nice at that tackle position and Jamon’s will be our right guard right now unless something changes. I think it’s about those guys getting more and more comfortable. They’re talented players, but they’re still very young in terms of their experience. And then when you look at the left side, these are veteran players that have never played together. So it’s about them being able to establish that continuity with those five. We feel very good about them and we know that, like anybody else on this team, we have room for improvement but I think we have a chance to be pretty good upfront with those guys.”
Rams QB Jared Goff – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On if he got a lot out of the limited snaps he had tonight)
“Yeah, I was happy with what we were able to, fortunately, do there with the muffed punt and finish off that drive. You don’t design it to go that way, but sometimes the ball bounces your way and we took advantage of it.”
(On how he thinks he handled himself in the game)
“I was happy. That first throw I would like to have back. We talked about it on the sideline, I would have had a perfect night with a four-for-four, but it’s a good one to learn from. I was happy, like I said, with the way we finished.”
(On how things went with Head Coach Sean McVay as the play caller)
“It was great. It was really good. I was talking with (Q
Dan (Orlovsky) and (Q Sean Mannion about it all night. Just the way he verbalizes things, the way he’s able to communicate with us and give us little tips in the play call and stuff to remember, little reminders is so helpful and it was really good.”(On his reaction to the trade for WR Sammy Watkins)
“We were in meetings and we break meetings and I look at my phone – like 50 text messages like, ‘Sammy Watkins. Sammy Watkins.’ I was like, ‘What? What happened?’ Obviously we got him and you hate to lose a guy like (Former Rams C
E.J. (Gaines). I think E.J. is a special player and a really special teammate. I think he was a really good guy, so you hate to lose him. But, we’re excited about Sammy and excited to see what he can do.”(On the weapons he has with the addition of Watkins)
“Yeah, absolutely. Like you said, you start stacking guys like that – you start building a pretty good roster on the perimeter there. Again, I’m excited to see what he can do along with the other guys.”
(On RB Justin Davis’ performance)
“Yeah, he had a good game. His return to the (Los Angeles Memorial) Coliseum I guess, right? I thought he ran well. I thought he ran really well and I think the best part of it was that he had that fumble and came back and kept running really, really well and that’s good to see. You want to have a guy with short memory like that and he did a good job. I thought (R
Todd (Gurley) did a good job for the limited plays he had as well.”(On if he views this as a building block heading into the regular season)
“Yeah, I think it’s just like any other game – you take good things from it, you take bad things from it and you just try to learn from it and get better. Especially preseason one, our first time back out there it’s a bunch of fumbles. We have to eliminate that if we want to continue to be good and be good September 10th against the Colts, but I think there was a lot of good things that we can take away from it and a lot of things to learn from for sure.”
(On what he was trying to focus on from the sidelines once his playing time was over)
“I was trying to do my best to help Sean (Mannion) and then just try to talk to the guys, keep those guys encouraged, keep their heads up and just try to do my job.”
(On if he’s happy where he is right now)
“Yeah, we went out and scored on the first drive. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Well, I guess one and a half, right? We had that punt and again, don’t like to start it that way, but the ball bounced our way, we got lucky and took advantage of it. Yeah, if my job is to take us down the field and score and we did that on our first drive today, so I was happy with it. Again, the second drive, I guess.”
(On what he thinks the process is going to be like with integrating Watkins into the offense)
“He’s obviously a weapon. His track record speaks for itself and what he’s able to do. I think he’s a guy who can stretch the field. I think that’s what we get from him, obviously right away. I also think he’s not only a really good guy, but works hard – just from what I’ve gathered so far. He’s excited to be here. He’s excited to get to work, and just briefly talking with him over the phone and on the sideline really quickly, just getting a feel for him – he seems like a really determined guy and excited about a fresh start.”
(On if building chemistry with Watkins will be a big adjustment)
“It won’t be an adjustment. It’ll take a couple days throwing to him, but it’s just like anybody else that’s a new player.”
RB Todd Gurley – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On how he’s feeling at this point)
“I’m feeling good man. Obviously, it’s hard to get started with just a couple plays, but just to be out there, just get the goosebumps off and be with the offense. It was good to be out there watching guys. Just watching guys like (WR Nelson) Spruce, man everything’s good.”
(On what he was personally looking to accomplish tonight)
“Obviously, the first thing you want to go out there and execute, put some points on the board. We were able to do that, I mean, not the way we wanted to, but we’re still happy. We’re excited.”
(On if WR Sammy Watkins coming to the team takes some pressure off of him)
“Well, with him and (WR Nelson) Spruce out there, it will take a lot of pressure off of me. I’m just happy to have those additions to my team and he’s a playmaker.”
RB Justin Davis – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On how playing in the Coliseum as a pro is different than when we played at USC)
“Oh man, when I walked in the locker room, it was kind of surreal at first because you’ve got everything covered up and its different colors and what not, but at the end of the day, it’s home for me. When I got out on the grass, all the memories started to come back and it just felt like home. I love to be here.”
(On what he expects this team will bring energy-wise)
“Going forward, it’s going to be a whole lot of things that we’re going to do that will break the defense down in coverage. Coach McVay, he’s a very smart guy. He knows how to take advantage of match-ups and we just listen to what he says, because it’s always going to be right. He puts us in a great position going forward and we’re going to turn a lot of heads.”
(On how he felt adjusting to the speed of the game tonight)
“Well, my first NFL game it was – I made a couple mistakes here and there, but all that matters is how I bounce back and how I can eliminate those mistakes in the future, because it’s different than college. It’s a whole lot different. It’s more intense, faster, players are smarter. That’s just me, I’ve got to adjust to that and I’ve got to do it quicker than slower. So just going forward, I’m going to look back at the mistakes and try to avoid them and just do better next time.”
Rams WR Cooper Kupp – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On emotions going out there for his first game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the first drive)
“It was fun, things were moving fast. I think when you hear about the first drive, everything is kind of just moving quick and thinking about a lot of things, and knowing it would calm down a little bit. Just getting into the groove of the game. It was fun. I had a great time. You know this, but obviously, like with everything you do, there’s a lot to go back and look at. I even know before watching the film there’s a lot of stuff that I need to improve on. So, I’m excited to be able to go back and get to work on that.”
(On playing for Head Coach Sean McVay for the first time and the energy he’s been able to bring to the offense)
“It’s incredible, very smart coach one of the smartest I’ve played under and with that he just brings this sense of calming that think any head coach wants to be able to exude; just even keel. And guys what to play for him. I step on the field and I want to play for him and that’s a huge thing, I think, and very fortunate to be here.”
(On feeling like he was the only player going for the ball in the end zone and if he thought it would be called dead)
“Well afterwards, I thought that they were…I think they did review it, but I thought it was a close call. Actually, I was able to get a glimpse of it and it was just kind of a bang, bang play. If there’s any doubt you would still want to be on the ball.”
(On how he feels he’ll fit alongside WR Sammy Watkins and what was his thoughts when he heard about the trade)
“I can’t wait to get on the field with him. He’s an incredible athlete, incredible football player. Got to talk with him a little bit together on the sideline and he’s really excited about being able to step out on the field and play together. I think the mix of receivers we have in the room is awesome and there’s competition, but it’s healthy competition – challenging each other and pushing each other to be the best that we can be. I’m excited about that.”
Rams LB Alec Ogletree – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On what he saw from the defense tonight)
“I thought we played pretty well. We still got a lot to learn and we always…wish we could have finished the game up with the interception but we were able to close it out. I felt pretty good about it for sure this year.”
(On facing the Cowboys in the regular season this year)
“We got a game next week that we got to worry about first and then our first game is against the Colts, so when we get to that game against the Cowboys then we’ll worry about that week. So, it’s good competition. You got a lot of young guys out there for the first time and we were able to finish out the game.”
(On when he thinks DT Aaron Donald will arrive to be with the team)
“Yeah, I mean he’ll be back when he gets back here. Like we said, we’ll welcome him back when he gets back. Until then, there’s a business side to this and he needs to take care of for him and his family, so we support him and definitely want him back for sure.”
Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability — August 12, 2017
(On if he feels that RB Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension was justified)
“Yeah, we talked to our team about the situation and the importance of focusing on what we can control. We can’t control what the NFL does and it’s not my place to come up on that on whether I think it’s justified.”
(On what he thinks the impact of not having RB Ezekiel Elliott playing is)
“Obviously Ezekiel Elliott is a good football player. We feel like we built our team the right way and we feel like we have some veteran experience — guys that have been productive in this league at the running back position, in (R
Alfred Morris and (R Darren McFadden, we feel good about (R Rod Smith. We’re going to focus on the guys we have available to us. (R Ezekiel (Elliot) will be with us practicing as we go forward and he’s going to get himself ready to play when the time comes.”(On if he has any idea if Elliott’s suspension will go through the appeals process)
“I have no comment on that.”
(On if he was surprised by the length of Elliott’s suspension)
“We suspected that something like this might happen. We prepared our team accordingly by building it the right way and we’re going to focus on what we control within our football team. As players and coaches, we are going to coach as well as we can, we are going to play as well as we can with the guys we have available to us.”
(On if Elliott is going to practice moving forward)
“We’ll just take it day-by-day.”
(On if Elliott has addressed the team personally)
“No.”
(On how Elliott has been doing throughout his suspension)
“I think ‘Zeke' (RB Ezekiel Elliott) has done an excellent job through this whole process focusing on what he needs to do and controlling what he can control. He comes to work every day, is a hard working guy who loves to play football, he practices hard, he’s getting himself ready to play as well as he can.”
(On if he looks at Elliott’s suspension as an injury situation)
“Again, we have to focus on things we can control and sometimes players are not going to be available to you for a variety of reasons. You have to build the team the right way and you have to focus on the guys who are available to you and you have to get themselves ready to play.”
(On if Elliott’s suspension will change the way they play offense)
“Again, we are focused on our football team right now. We just played our second preseason game and we’re going to go to work and try to get better, all throughout our team. We will look at this tape and see where we can get better individually and collectively.”
(On what he saw in the game from RB Darren McFadden and RB Alfred Morris as possible replacements for Elliott)
“It’s hard to know right now without having watched the tape. Obviously, we didn’t move the ball well enough offensively. We wanted to give each of those guys some opportunity to run it. At times it looked like they flashed a little bit, but we weren’t consistent enough at moving the ball, and obviously scoring enough points.”
(On the performance of the defense tonight)
“Yeah. The defense did a really nice job. Like you said, a lot of guys were around the football – I think the ball came out about four or five times. We finally got one when they were down in the red area. But, that’s a good sign when the ball comes out. You have to take advantage of those situations though and you have to make the play, you have to take the ball away. So, hopefully we’ll learn from those experiences as well.”
(On S Xavier Wood’s performance tonight)
“He certainly seemed like he was around the ball a lot. Certainly seemed like he was physical and he made a number of plays in third-down situations to keep the guy short of making the first down. So, he looks like he’s an instinctive player right now and he’s getting better and better the more he plays.”
(On DE Taco Charlton in the first quarter)
“(DE) Taco (Charlton) seems to be really active. He was around the ball, seemed to be around the quarterback a little bit. Again, at first glance from my vantage point, looks like the showed up a little bit more this week than he did last week. We’ll go back and watch the tape and see how he did.”
(On TE Rico Gathers touchdown and what he saw from him this evening)
“Yeah. (TE) Rico (Gathers) is someone who’s demonstrated the ability to run routes and catch the football. It’s good to see him do that in game action. Last week, he made a big play down in the red area and tonight he ran a really good route and QB Cooper (Rush) did a really nice job recognizing what the coverage was and giving him a chance. So, that’s something that Rico does fairly well naturally and he’s improving on his ability to run routes and get away from people and in addition to the way that he catches the ball. He’s working on the other parts of his game as well, the game experience that he’s got is really, really valuable.”
(On QB Kellen Moore and QB Cooper Rush’s performances)
“Again, we’ll go back and watch the tape. Obviously, we didn’t move the ball very well early on in the game. Everybody has a piece of that. I think as much as anything else we couldn’t run the ball that effectively. Didn’t control the line of scrimmage like we normally like to and play that style of football. Didn’t convert the third downs early. We had a couple three-and-outs right away. It looked like (Q
Kellen (Moore) settled in a little bit more as it went on. Cooper does a nice job when he goes in there. He understands what we’re asking him to do, makes good decisions and made some good throws tonight.”(On how important it is for DE Taco Charlton to have success early on as a rookie to build confidence)
“I just think the biggest thing for all these guys is to understand the opportunity they have each and every day. When you’re a defensive lineman, you have the opportunity to go against our offensive lineman in practice, what a great opportunity to get better. And you’re not going to win all the time, you’re going to lose a lot. But you just have to keep battling. He’s certainly done that. He demonstrated that in Michigan, he’s demonstrated that so far. And that’s how you get better. So, we’re going to give him plenty of chances to play in these preseason games and hopefully grow before our eyes. The fact that we have five preseason games is really valuable for all the young players and Taco’s included in that group. I think he’s getting better week-by-week.”
(On his thought process of playing T Bryon Bell early on and G Jonathan Cooper playing center)
“We just want to give those guys a chance to play and honestly we had (C) Travis (Frederick) and (G) Zach (Martin) in there tonight for the first time and (T La’el Collins) ‘LC’ as well, early on in the game at right tackle. (T) Byron Bell is someone who’s shown up in practice. He’s been there every day. He’s played some guard for us. He’s played a little tackle for us. So, we want to give him a chance to show us that he can be a part of that starting group. We’ll see how he did in the game, but he’ll get opportunities. Jonathan Cooper will get opportunities. When (T) Chaz Green’s healthy he’ll get opportunities. It’s important to create competition at that spot.”
(On if he thought about playing his starters like TE Jason Whitten, WR Dez Bryant, QB Dak Prescott)
“We had conversations about it, we just felt like it was best to keep those guys out one more week.”
(On if he wants RB Ezekiel Elliott to play in a preseason game)
“Haven’t really discussed that. If he were to play, I think he would play probably in a similar fashion as he did last year.”
Cowboys QB Kellen Moore – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On how the game went and how he felt out there)
“Yeah, there were some good things, some bad things, obviously not enough good things for us. Weren’t able to sustain drives and get enough things going. Stuff to learn from and improve on.”
(On being unable to connect passes)
“Those things happen and hopefully we can learn from it, and grow, and figure out what went wrong and correct it.”
(On how it feels to get back on the field after last season’s injury)
“That’s all part of this, second game in the preseason. There’s going to be some good, some bad, learn from it and move on.”
(On QB Cooper Rush’s performance tonight)
“Yeah (QB Cooper Rush) ‘Coop’ played great. He did a really good job; he did awesome. Fired up for him, excited for him.”
(On what’s the trickiest part about translating practice chemistry to game day chemistry)
“It’s live action. There are defensive guys they can sack you; they can make plays on you. You know, it’s converting on third downs. Obviously, we got some penalties that kind of derailed a couple drives and big kind of things that stalled us.”
(On new guys on offensive line)
“They’re all doing well. Obviously, it’s a learning experience for all of us. You know, you are going to have some good things, some bad things. It’s preseason, you’ll learn from them and move on.”
(On his idea of how well he performed before seeing film)
“I think decent, obviously a lot of stuff to see on film. You get to see a whole lot more than you get to see during the game, learn from those things. Obviously this one, you don’t score enough points, bottom line. Kind of derailed ourselves in some drives. Score a few more points, feel a little bit better about it.”
Cowboys TE Jason Witten– Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On his approach to dealing with RB Ezekiel Elliot’s six-game suspension)
“I would start off to say that I’m not privy to all the information that’s gone on for the last year. Before I go too far into it, I don’t have that information to be able to go that route. I’d say this, there is no place for a man to put his hand on a woman. Most of you guys know that’s a situation that affected my family as a younger kid, so I put a lot of work and attention into and have a platform to step out and speak on stopping domestic violence. Having said that, (RB Ezekiel Elliot) ‘Zeke’ has continued to work through it. He’s talked about that. How many games and all that stuff – that’s not really what we need to deal with. He’s our teammate and we’ll continue to work through it with him and have this opportunity to grow from it. I think that’s what his focus is right now. We addressed it as a team, we have. I think our team has been really good going through adversity. We’ve responded the right way because I believe we do have the right guys on our football team. That’s been my approach and certainly these situations are never easy, but Zeke’s been a teammate of mine for the last year and I’ve enjoyed having that relationship with him. Not only is he a tremendous football player. The opportunity to be able to have a relationship with him and mentor him and be a veteran personality with him and as somebody that’s been through this game for a few years now – to have the opportunity to go through that together, that’s what teammates do. I’m certain that he’ll work through it and be better and build from it.”
(On if he has had a personal conversation with Elliot about the suspension)
“Yeah, we visited. There has been a lot that’s gone on – in a lot of ways, that’s been going on for a long time in his own life and in his family; it’s affected them. I wouldn’t go into (the conversations), but certainly you have conversations. He has other teammates that he does it with and as a team we did and you continue to do that moving forward. I think that’s something that we will constantly continue to do.”
(On how the team plans to succeed without Elliot to begin the season)
“There’s a standard for all of us in this league that we have to do and play and live up to. There’s a lot of things there that we just don’t know. I’ve heard what Mr. (Cowboys Owner Jerry) Jones has said and I’ve looked to him as a mentor for 14 years. I also think that there are a lot of things that you just don’t know. There was a police investigation that was dropped, too. That’s something where you grab your teammate and support him in ways, but that doesn’t mean that you come off of your standard of what you stand for. I’m confident in that because it’s been my life in a lot of ways, so I don’t take that lightly. Quite frankly, it’s uncomfortable even having the conversation right now, but you go through it and you’re in a position to be a leader and you continue to show the way and allow guys to grow. I know that it’s been a tough year on him and I think that his mindset has been such – what he’s said, what he’s already released, I think that’s a pretty good perspective on what he’s trying to do moving forward. As a team overall, things come up sometimes, but the standard – you can’t come off of that. We need all hands on deck this season. It’s going to be hard to go and do what we’re trying to do. We’re going to be a team that’s together. We’ll get through this because that’s what we’re all about. Last year, when we had adversity with injuries and different things that came up. I think that our team has grown closer to each other, and I suspect we’ll do the same thing moving forward. That’s my job, it’s Coach (Jason) Garrett’s job, and the leaders on this team and guys will step up at the running back position. We feel like we have a lot of depth there – guys that have played at a high level for a lot of years in this league. So, that’s an opportunity for them until ‘Zeke’ gets back and our team will do that.”
Cowboys DE Taco Charlton – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On his first NFL sack)
“It felt good to finally get one. Hopefully this is the first of many, but it felt good to finally get one in an NFL game.”
(Describing the play)
“Basically the tackle kicked out, did a quick counter. The DB’s did a great job of holding him, making him second-guess and giving me enough time to get him,”
(On his eagerness to prove himself in this game after his play had been criticized during the past week)
“I mean, I played 16 snaps (last week). I think I played like 26 today, so 10 more. I guess the more plays, I can make some stuff happen.”
(On the team’s reaction to the news of RB Ezekiel Elliot’s suspension)
“Of course we weren’t very happy. We support ‘Zeke’ and of course we want him and need him with us, but like I said, we’ll let everything else play out and see how it goes.”
Cowboys S Byron Jones – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On if playing for University of Connecticut helped him prepare for the NFL)
“No doubt. You know, a lot of adversity at UConn with a lot of coaching changes. A lot of tough teams you play, but for me, it built me and it built my character. Kind of made me the man I am today.”
(On what he focused on during the offseason)
“For me, it was catching the football. Making plays on the ball. That’s what I focused on this offseason. Just catching the ball and being around the ball a lot more.”
(On if turnovers were encouraging)
“Yeah, linebackers were hitting today. Balls were coming out, but it seemed like the ball was just falling in the offensive team’s lap. It’s one of those deals where you’ve got to keep trying, keep swinging at the ball, but we saw some good things today.”
(On his reaction to Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot’s suspension)
“It seemed like it was long, but I don’t know how the decisions are made. I wish there was more clarity on that, but at the end of the day, we support ‘Zeke.’”
Cowboys LB Anthony Hitchens – Rams-Cowboys Postgame Availability – August 12, 2017
(On how it felt to get turnovers)
“It’s always good to get turnovers. Like I always said and like our defense is trying to preach this year, in order to win a championship our defense needs to force turnovers. We did a good job getting the ball out, but if you force a fumble and they recover it, it’s technically not a turnover. So once we force them, we’ve got to have guys running to the ball so we can scoop them.”
(On the fumbles bouncing the Rams way)
“Well that’s what we teach. We’re always hustling to the ball because you never know when it’s coming out. Unfortunately, they were hustling more than us when we caused them and they recovered them.”
(On how good the Dallas linebackers can be)
“We can be really good. The sky’s the limit and that’s why we practice the way we do. As long as we keep working, the sky’s the limit for us.”
(On how fun it was to play again)
“Oh, it’s fun. Anytime you get the opportunity to play, it’s fun. You know, we’ve been going against each other for two weeks. We had one last week and then we’ve got one next week. So anytime you get a chance to play against a different team, it’s always fun.
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Shaky | 363 | August 13, 2017 01:21AM |
