Transcripts: Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald, Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur - Thursday, September 14, 2023

Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive
Tackle Aaron Donald, Defensive Coordinator
Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Mike
LaFleur - Thursday, September 14, 2023

Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald

(On how NT Kobie Turner and OLB Byron Young played on Sunday)
“I think guys played good. I think they were productive at times, but again, we
always got room for improvement. But it definitely was a good first game overall
as a defense, finding ways to put pressure on them, guys flying around, making
plays when they needed to in the secondary and we found a way to win that
game so we got to keep it going.”

(On what the key was to shutting down the Seattle Seahawks in the
second half)

“We felt like we were playing good. We let them slip through a couple runs here
and there, but pretty much we just came out and guys just kept playing. We
really didn't change much. We had a little talk. We thought we were doing well,
so really (there) weren’t no corrections, we just had to keep playing.”

(On if he looks at how the 49ers spread the ball or strictly what you will be
facing)

“You got to look at all that because I think all that ties into what they do. A lot of
things…they want you to play aggressive at times so they can get that cutoff
with the running back. They have a good back so you have to be stout, you got
to be squared, you got to play with good technique to be able to play against a
back like that. He could skinny through little holes and make plays for 50-yards,
60-yard runs on you. You got to be stout, you got to be disciplined and then
when your opportunities come to take those chances you take them and you
got to make the plays.”

(On what lessons he wants the defense to take from watching the run film
from Sunday)

“I think it was guys just being a little too aggressive at times and it cut back. Its
things that are easy corrections. It wasn’t nobody as far as technique things, it
was just somebody probably overplaying something a little too aggressive and
that's an easy correction.”

(On how you keep up the energy after a big win)

“You just build off it. Obviously, we got a young team but a lot of guys are flying
around. A lot of guys are playing with confidence. That's what it's about so you
just keep playing. Obviously, it starts at practice, starts in the film room, all that,
getting the game planning and then transforming that on the practice field and
feeling comfortable going into Sunday. As long as we do that, we'll be fine.”

(On if he expects a similar game plan from the 49ers even with a different
quarterback)

“You never know, but I'm pretty sure they’re going to stick to what they’ve been
successful with. So again, we just got to keep playing, guys got to swarm to the
ball and we just got to do what we do on defense.”

(On how you teach the younger players to play aggressive with little room
for error)

“I don't think it's teaching, it's just playing a game. The game we’ve been
playing since (we were) kids. You got to play with that confidence, you got to
play with that swagger, you got to take them chances that sometimes…it's out
(of) the scheme, but as long as you make the play and prove that you can
make the play, you get the green light to make them decisions to do that at
times. It just comes with playing the game and building that confidence, but you
just got to let guys play. You can’t control guys too much to the point where
they're playing like robots. You want to be able to play free, play fast and be out
there and be productive.”

(On if he saw the confidence grow in the younger players after the win)

“Well, I’ve seen that during camp. I’ve seen it through the processes of early
camp to the end of camp, how guys were playing with confidence through the
preseason and like I’ve been saying, we had to see how that translated during
the Sundays and I think it translated pretty well. We just got to keep building off
that, keep working, not be satisfied. But it was a good start. We got to keep it
up.”

(On if WR Puka Nacua is vocal on the field)

“I don't know. I’ve never really heard him say much on the field. He's just
working. He's just playing. He had a great game. We got to continue to build off
that. We need to continue to have guys play like that at a high-level week-in
and week-out, but I never heard him really say much on the field.”

(On if he feels like he was a pioneer to opening the gates for pass rushers
being highly compensated)

“Not me. Obviously, the market's going to change. Guys come before me that
get a certain amount of money and then obviously the next guy was supposed
to jump that, so that's what it's about. I wouldn't say that, but I guess I helped a
little bit get that number up.”

(On how he felt leaving the field on Sunday after a convincing win like
that)

“It felt good. It felt really good, I wouldn't lie. Definitely for me, like I said, I
hadn’t played football since December, so to be back out there with those guys,
first game of the season in Seattle and find a way to come away with a win I
was happy. I was excited about it, but you enjoy that Sunday and right back to
work on Monday.”

Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris

(On what he liked about NT Kobie Turner and OLB Byron Young’s
performance against the Seahawks and what he wants to see from them
this week)

“Talking about just two young guys that went out and played with great energy,
great effort, and really for the most part did the right thing. Had a couple
mistakes which you should expect, and it was a lot of correcting with mistakes
that we had a lot of fun with correcting this week and you have a lot of fun
correcting those things. You can coach them harder when you get a big win like
that opening the season and those guys buy in a little bit more, right? The belief
starts to set in. These guys get a little more confident and all of those things,
but it's just really good. It's just a really good way to start off coaching young
guys with their effort, their energy that they brought, their juice. Going out there
being able to finish that game like we kind of had hope with (OT) Aaron Donald
leading the catalyst as a rusher and those guys being able to rush off of him
and play off of him. It was a really good look for us.”

(On stopping 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey and their entire offense)

“He is a pain in the neck, make no mistake about it. I feel like he's following me.
He was in the NFC South and then he followed me to the (NFC) West just to
torture me a little bit more, right? You're talking about one of the best things
ever played in our game from a dual standpoint. We had a guy like that here in
(Former Rams R (Todd) Gurley and you know the type of stuff that they
present in the challenge that they present. And there is no, what do you have to
stop, the run or the pass when you're talking about a guy like this? This guy is
just dominate in every facet of it and you got to plan to slow him down, you got
to plan to go out there and put yourself out there to make some plays. But they
are loaded with play makers and that's what makes those guys go. l(49ers
Head Coach) Kyle Shanahan prides himself on finding these jokers the (49ers
WR) Deebo Samuels, the McCaffreys, the (49ers WR) (Brandon) Aiyuks,
(49ers TE) (George) Kittles, all these different guys that can move around or do
different things. (49ers F (Kyle) Juszczyk, he's a pain in the neck also. And
these guys go out there and able to create different personnel groupings with
the same people and it's a pain in the neck. You got to prepare for those guys
an equal way. You have to get your guys to play sound relentless football and
play to our capabilities. It's more about us than them.”

(On if the younger guys started to take pressure off Donald as the game
progressed)

“I don't know if you can take pressure off Aaron. I think that's like, kind of like
talking about Christian McCaffrey and those kinds of guys. Like do they open
things up for other people? There's no question about that. But I really believe
Aaron picks his spots. He chooses wisely. He sets people up and then when he
gets an opportunity, you make one mistake, he makes you pay. And what I got
a sense of is these guys playing together, playing for one another. The general
enthusiasm that they had when they were getting sacks at the end, the two
sacks they got in the end under pressure was what you want from your rush
group. When you look out there, you can just look and say, ‘Those guys really
like each other.’ And that's a good feeling from a coach. That's a good feeling
from a fan. That's a good feeling for all of us so I really think it's more of that. I
don't know if they can ever relieve Aaron. You're not going to come this week
and say, ‘Hey, we're not going to slide to Aaron.’ Oh you're sliding to Aaron.
We're going make those guys do their job and they got to do their job at a high
level in order for us to remain consistent and be able to do the stuff that we
did.”

(On a player that has improved from playing with Aaron)

“I mean, you're answering the question. I know that you already got this article
written because the way you asked that. But yes, everything you said is so true.
He's gotten (LG) (Steve) Avila better to help us grow and get better on offense
and he's gotten our whole offense line better because we move him up and
down the line of scrimmage. Tell him to go with different people. And I was
laughing the other day (OL) (Warren) McClendon got a chance to play scout
team in our first week of practice and he goes, ‘He's unstoppable out here.’ I
said, ‘How do you think they feel inside.’ And then you’re talking about just from
an offensive standpoint and you talk about from being on outside of the ball and
how he talks to those guys when they're in their meeting rooms and how he
talks to those guys on the practice field. And really, I don't know what the best
thing he does with those guys, but I know he breeds confidence when you go
play with him. He breeds confidence in the people around him to go out there
and play better and there’s no doubt about that in my opinion.”

(On scheming differently because of familiarity with Kyle Shanahan)

“He is also a pain in the neck. Yeah, it's fun. You take a challenge in these
types of things when you’re going against Kyle. I get that same exuberance in
practice having (Rams Offensive Coordinator) Mike LaFleur here, having
(Rams Head Coach) Sean McVay here. Like those type of fun tendencies come
out, that competitive edge. We'll dog cuss each other from the sideline, kind of.
We’ve got our body mannerisms. I know when he's talking junk. I know his
mannerism when he dropped his script, let it hang for a little while that's
basically his little swag move. So we got our little things that we do as friends
and that we do as family and those things come out in practice with Sean when
he's going, he's just sprints all over the place and you can't find him to get the
next call to find out what the personnel grouping is. All of those things happen
because we've coached together, we've worked together, we've done so many
things together, got so much respect for each other. But we definitely, make a
mistake about it, want to go out there and beat each other. The ultimate
bragging rights, we got a whole series of it of whatever that podcast and it's
embarrassing when you go back and listen to some of this stuff but there's no
doubt about it, it's true. And there’s a bunch of other guys out there in the
league that you feel that way (about). You know, he went up against (Steelers
Head Coach) Mike Tomlin last week and really gave him the business and
those types of things are things you look forward to in the profession.”

(On Shanahan’s evolution and growth within the profession)

“Every single game, I think he learns every single time he goes out there. It's
hard to say that he's grown because I remember him coming in. He was
coming straight from college, from Duke, from Texas, wherever you want to say
and he came right to the National Football League. He had all the answers then
and he got it all from his dad and he taught us how to run the nakeds. He
taught us all keepers and he got all stuff from (Former Buccaneers Head
Coach) John Gruden. He got enamored with everything. He did everything. And
then you watched him pair himself down to be what he wants to be and that's
just what he is now.”

(On what he makes of DB Jordan Fuller as a person)

“Oh man, you can't have a better person. Most of the lows have been because
of injury. The highs are when he feels like he did the other day and he's able to
run around and play as fast as he's able to play and make his teams go. But to
see our leadership group really become more than just paper at the game,
talking about Fuller leading the charge and effort, talking about (L Ernest
(Jones) leading the charge in communication, and you talk about Aaron doing
the things that we just talked about. Watching that whole full circle of leadership
come to life on Sunday is what we're about. When you're talking about the
person, you're just talking about the guy that you want to be like, the guy you
want to model your game after, the guy that asks the uncomfortable questions
in the meeting rooms, the guy that wants all the answers before Sunday if he
can get them so he can get it to his guys, not to go out there and really cause
any problems, but to fix it before we get to them. And it's just an awesome
feeling to be around.”

(On what 'uncomfortable questions' mean)

“You know, a lot of times in those meetings, when you're in those meetings and
guys are presenting, people don't want to stop the meeting and ask the
question. He's always the guy to stop the meeting and ask the question no
matter what it is, even if it's not for him. He may feel a little confusion in the
corner and he may ask that question just for that corner knowing he may not
want to speak up at that moment. And he lets those uncomfortable
conversations come out where they become comfortable. The regard I have for
him is so high because of the injuries, because of the battle back, because of
the person that I know he is. I coached his brother. They were the same
human. They were great people, raised the right way, got a unique background,
very to themselves, but at the same time givers to the people around him.”

(On the message to the young defense and coaching them through the
big matchups)

“It's so funny, I don't include the big matchup part. They're all big matchups in
the National Football League the way we look at it. But it's more about us,
right? The focus has really been on us. Like let's correct the things that we
didn't do as well that we wanted to do last week. Let's improve on the things
that we did well. Let's go out and practice the right way. Not because we have
to, because we're capable of doing that, right? Let's play with that stuff that
we're talking about. You know, you hear Coach (McVay) talk about all time, the
‘we’, right? Our work ethic, our enthusiasm, our attention, our vibe and our
energy, right? Those things that we want to bring to every single day. And if we
can bring those things, the great leaders make their people do the best things
and that's how we want to do it. So it's just like feeding off that message, being
the best version of ourselves, going out there and really paying attention to our
core beliefs and making those things come to life in practice and being ready
for play all the big games no matter what game it is because they're all big.”
Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur

(On if he has found any weak links in the San Francisco 49ers defense)

“No, they haven't had many weak links for the last few years, right? That's why
they've been one of the top defenses. It starts up front for them on both sides
really, but up front they're the best if not one of the best in this league. They get
after the quarterback. (49ers Defensive Line Coach Kris) Kocurek does such a
great job with that D-line and just that front seven. They're good and we’re
going to have our work cut out for us.”

(On what stands out to him about WR Puka Nacau’s ability to run block)

“Yeah, Puka is a big strong guy. Not just because you're big and strong doesn't
mean you love to do it, but (Wide Receiver Coach Eric Yarber) ‘Yarbs’ does
such a great job in that room and just the standard at which it takes. It takes all
11 in this league to run the ball so it's not just exclusive to the offensive line and
the tight ends, having a good running back, having a good game plan. Those
receivers, they got to put their face in there and when they do, it sets a tone for
everyone else on offense. It's good that he's embraced that. I think that's the
culture he walked into and like I said, giving ‘Yarbs’ a lot of credit for getting that
done.”

(On when he knows when a younger receiver like Nacua have their ‘a-ha’
moment)

“When they break the huddle. There's a lot of things that are said in that huddle
for a rookie receiver that they've never experienced in their life. A lot of these
guys have never huddled up in their life dating back through high school,
maybe I guess some Pop Warner, I don't know. My son's only five years old
right now, so I'm not into that level yet. He's just growing every single day,
every single week. You can tell the comfort he has breaking that huddle. (Q
Matthew's (Stafford) like poetry in the huddle too. It's as easy to follow as any
quarterback I've ever been around, so kudos to him for that. He's mature for his
age, for sure.”

(On how he can tell if they have that confidence when breaking the
huddle)

“Yeah, you can see it in the look in their eyes. Every guy is going to be a little
bit different on how they approach it and stuff like that. It’s fun watching how
every individual does it. I won't even mention names, but some when the first
parts of the play call are coming in, they're pointing to what direction they have
to break to go to the huddle. You can almost kind of see them playing the play
out with their hand and stuff like that. For Puka it's just, again, he just breaks it
with confidence and then he goes.”

(On what he liked about Stafford’s performance Sunday beyond the
numbers)

“All the stuff that I've gotten to see since April and that I've heard about him his
whole career. His leadership out there, his toughness, how much fun he's
having. Every week is going to be a little bit different. I don't know if we're
always going to go into a stadium and throw up 30 and beat a team 30-to-13, or
whatever the heck the final was. But I know this, he's going to have fun and
he’s going to compete, and you could see that on the silent tape in terms of
when we got in on Monday morning. You could see he was having fun and you
could feel it out there and I know everyone else felt it too from our sideline, from
our coaches. That stuff is contagious, especially when your quarterback is
doing that.”

(On how he felt after the game in terms of his role and being on the same
page as Head Coach Sean McVay)

“It was a great three and a half hours. Again, it's fun with Matthew. Watching
Sean calling it into him and just watching how Matthew directs that thing from
the huddle and the tempo and all that. It's top-notch. It was a good collaborative
effort amongst everyone. I thought every position coach was on it, seeing it the
same way with their tablets, getting the message relayed to the players, and I
thought Sean and I had great dialogue.”

(On what he feels RB Kyren Williams brings to the backfield)

“Another guy that's super smart. I knew about Kyren obviously coming out like
we all did, studying the draft guys, so you knew that about him. There's hearing
it but then actually seeing it. He's a guy that once you tell him once, once he
gets one of those reps, he's got that stuff locked in. There’s really nothing he
can't do in terms of protection, pass game, run game. I believe he's just getting
started with where he is at and he's continuing to get better. He’s got a great
attitude. He approaches it the right way.”

(On the 49ers opening their season with five sacks and if that changes
how he game plans)

“Every team you play, Seattle last week, San Francisco this week, whoever we
play the following week, you're always thinking inside-out as is. I learned that
right when I got in the league with (49ers Head Coach) Kyle (Shanahan)
anyways and then you really learn it when you have to go against (DT) Aaron
Donald for four straight years being in the division. He makes you a better
coach because you have to think of it that way and these guys, they pose a lot
of problems up front so you always have to approach it from inside-out in both
phases and then build it from there. So, yeah, it's a challenge.”

(On what instances he sees WR Puka Nacua’s maturity)

“Kind of just all of it. Again, just the demeanor that he carries himself with. He's
been making plays since OTAs. Puka has not arrived by any means. He had a
great game and no one was surprised by it. Cool thing about Puka is he's going
continue to build off that and continue to work the right way. He's not satisfied
with any of that. I don't know what his individual goals are. I don't think he even
cares. I think he's just doing whatever he can to help the team, whether it's in
the run game, pass game, whatever he has to do. I know Puka’s got the right
mindset to get that done.”

(On introducing new ideas in the run and pass game and how he
introduces new ideas to Coach McVay)

“Yeah, I mean, it's the evolution of just the league too, right? Every year you
got to keep evolving. If you don't, it's going to end quickly for you. So you're
always just trying to evolve. And again, no matter what you do, your players
better: A. Know what you're asking from them. and B. they better be capable of
doing it. So everything that we've done that might be different or the same all
has to do with the guys that we're putting out there because none of it really
matters if we're not putting them in positions to be successful based on their
own traits. They've always done a great job here and I feel like we did it this
year of bringing in guys that we feel is going to fit the vision of what we're trying
to get done on both sides of the ball. And then you just kind of build from there
and see where the thing's going and see where the trends… you think you
know where the defensive trends are going, but you don't really know until you
get a few weeks into the season and then you kind of evolve from there as we
go again but always player- focused. What can those guys do and what can we
do to help them be successful?”

(On what RB Cam Akers needs to do to maximize his opportunities)

“Yeah, it's never going to be just one guy. Let's say it like this, in past protection
I thought we did a great job. Was it perfect by any means? No, but was it good?
Yeah, they did a very good job of keeping (Q Matthew (Stafford) clean back
there. In the run game, again, it takes all 11. That wasn't our best effort across
the board and that's something that's a big focus for us just moving forward, will
always be a big focus. We weren't satisfied with how we ran the ball. So, yeah,
Cam statistically wasn't what it was, but again, it's all 11. And so we don't look
at like… I didn't know what he had at the end of the game. I just, ‘Hey, here's
how we're going to coach this particular play for Cam, for the left guard, for the
right tackle, for the quarterback carrying out his fake. Hey, are we running the
right scheme?’ There's too much involved in just saying, ‘Hey, it's this guy has
to do this to be successful.’ It takes all 11 and I truly mean that.”

(On how he processes Jets’ QB Aaron Rodgers’ injury)

“The show goes on. No one really cares, (I’ve) been part of a lot of different
teams. I've had a lot of injuries. Last year, they had a lot of injuries here. No
one really cares. The show goes on and you move on and that's why you have
the rosters you have and that's why you keep developing the guys that you got.
And if you're worried about that kind of stuff…your heart breaks for a guy like
Aaron Rogers, right? I mean, for anyone that's losing their season because
they love it and they put so much time into it. But as a coach, if you're thinking
about it for longer than 30 seconds, you've already lost that 30 seconds. You
got to move on because the league's not waiting.”

--RAMS--

---

#HelmetHornsMatter

“Well, the color is good, I like the metallic blue,” Youngblood recently said while laughing, via NFL Journal. “The horn is terrible. It looks like a ‘C.’ When I first saw it on the logo I honestly thought it was a Charger logo.

“Now when I see it on the helmet, it just isn’t a ram horn. There is no distinct curl like a mature ram horn. I don’t know how the Rams could get that wrong. That is your symbol and it has been for what? Seventy years or more? Longer than I have been alive? It’s just not us, it’s not the Rams.”---Mr. Ram Jack Youngblood