Transcripts: Rams Postgame Quotes McVay, Stafford, Kupp, AD, Kyren, Hoecht, EJIV 11.26
|
|
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
Opening statement:
“Great team win. I’m really proud of our group. Obviously, I thought [Rams RB] Kyren’s [Williams]
energy and production was outstanding. That’s the kind of player that he’s been for us. You end up
getting him back and I think he really picked up where he left off the last time that he played. Overall,
I thought [Rams QB] Matthew (Stafford) did a great job managing the game and I thought the offensive
line was outstanding, being able to be really productive in both phases, both the run and the pass.
(Rams TE) Tyler Higbee made a handful of contributions. I thought (Rams R
Royce Freeman, what
a great run that he had. He had a bunch of great runs throughout the course of the day, but I thought
his last touchdown run, running through a free hitter on the backside - who is an excellent football
player who I have tremendous respect for - to be able to finish that off, it was a really good job. Then
I thought defensively, I thought we did an excellent job after we settled in after their first scoring drive
where they got the two-point conversion. I thought the stop that (Rams S) Jordan Fuller had on the
pass breakup on fourth down to give us good field position, we were able to turn that into a touchdown,
was big. I thought there were a lot of good examples of complementary football. I love working with
this group. We really challenged them coming off of the bye to just continue to stack blocks, let’s see
that development. Today was a step in that right direction. We’ll enjoy this, and then we’ve got a great
challenge coming up with the Browns.”
On if he can sense the defense developing and maturing over the last few weeks:
“Absolutely. I think guys are playing with confidence. Obviously, missing (Rams D Quentin Lake
was a big deal but I thought both (Rams S) Russ Yeast and [Rams CB] Cobie Durant stepped up.
(Rams S) John Johnson’s playing a bunch and playing at a really high level. Jordan Fuller’s leadership,
being able to have (Rams L Ernest Jones. Obviously I thought (Rams DT) Aaron [Donald] made his
presence felt, and I love the way that Cobie Turner responded after he had the penalty that ended up
enabling them to go for the two-point conversion. He’s a steady, mature beyond his years rookie, and
I’m really proud of those guys. I’ve definitely seen that over the last couple of weeks. I think the
coaching staff, (Rams Defensive Coordinator) Raheem (Morris) and the defensive coaches have done
such a phenomenal job, and I’m proud of those guys.”
On if the team’s performance gives him confidence that they can make a playoff run:
“I think what we’re interested in is taking care of our business one week at a time, and that’s what
keeps you relevant in those conversations, and our players know that. You’ve heard me say it over
and over until I’m blue in the face, consistency is the truest measurement of performance. So how
much can we consistently stack good performances on top of one another by being able to be
consistent throughout the course of the week - with our preparation, with our ability to try and put our
players in the right positions - and I thought they delivered in a big way. I was really proud of the way
that we finished that game last week. It seemed like we came out, we started off really well offensively.
Other than that first drive, I thought defensively, they made some plays too. You give those guys some
credit for making some plays to be able to extend that drive and be able to ultimately finish it off with
a touchdown and the two-point [conversion]. But it’s about one week at a time, and if we do that and
continue to get better, then I think those conversations always take care of themselves, and that’s
what’s served us well in previous years as well.”
On if he thinks Kyren Williams brings a different energy to the offense:
“What do you think? Seems high to me too. He’s a really good football player, and he’s one of those
guys, he loves competing. And when you’ve got that natural zest and enjoyment for going out there
and playing the game and you’re really productive, he’s doing a great job. I think (Rams RB Coach)
Ron Gould’s leadership from that group is on display week in and week out. Kyren is so conscientious,
he loves to compete, he’s worked really hard. He’s worked really hard just to be able to get himself
back to perform at that level. It was cool to see his family was here today. But it’s a big difference, and
I think that you’ve seen that the last two times that he’s played. It happened to be against the same
opponent, but he was playing really good football prior to that, and now let’s continue to take steps in
the right direction. But that was a big deal getting him back today.”
On how managing Kyren Williams’ snap count worked out:
“I don’t know exactly what it came out as, but I thought it was excellent by Ron to be able to get Royce
in there and it seemed like a two-to-one ratio. He ended up having 16 carries and six-for-six on his
targets and receptions, so he was really productive. But I thought Royce was as well. It seemed like it
was a good balance, kind of what we were hunting for today.”
On how the staff stuck to the limit set on Kyren Williams’ snaps while he was so effective:
“Going into it, my nature is you want to be able to ride the hot hand, but I think you want to have a
disciplined approach. And then, it’s also a credit to the trust that we have in Royce and what he’s
earned over the last month, and what he’s done. I think those two, I thought they were great
complements to each other today, I want to see that moving forward. I also thought it was great to get
Higs (Rams TE Tyler Higbee) some snaps off, both (Rams TE) Hunter Long, (Rams TE) Davis Allen.
What a big catch by Davis Allen on the third down, going down and making a big-time play to extend
what ended up being a scoring drive to Higbee. So I’m pleased with the coaches ability to be able to
get some rotations going. It looked like (Rams WR]) Cooper (Kupp) got banged up early on in the
game, I was glad that he was able to continue to compete. He affected the game in a lot of different
ways, and really our receiver group as a whole. I thought it was a great example of the selflessness
that’s on display by the leadership from (Rams WR Coach) Eric Yarber all the time. Then the guys
made their plays when they had to. (Rams WR) Tutu Atwell had two big catches, the one on the first
drive of the game, to be able to win the isolation, one-on-one on the backside on a third-and-eight, for
42 (yards) was a huge play right there.”
On what it took to install run blocking with the younger tight ends:
“It was really the same thing that we wanted to be able to have on display, in terms of being able to
not wear Kyren down. We want to make sure that we’re cognizant of, we have so much trust in Tyler
Higbee, he’s played so many snaps. But let’s also say these guys have done a great job. (Rams TE
Coach) Nick Caley gets these guys prepared. I thought Davis Allen and Hunter Long both did a nice
job stepping up, and they got the work during the course of the week. I thought their practice
performance ended up translating to game reality today. The more depth that we can have, the better
those guys will be throughout the course of the season, abd the six games that we have guaranteed
left.”
On if Cooper Kupp is okay:
“He’s gonna be okay, yeah.”
On if he has to remind the younger players to not worry about the standings:
“I’m not naive to the fact that they’re going to see these types of things. But the truth is that the only
way that you continue to stay in the hunt, or put yourself in a position to be able to get in, is by handling
your business one week at a time. So what I think is easy about it is, “hey guys, you like this feeling
and you like to be able to play meaningful ball in December and hopefully into January, well let’s
continue to take care of our business,” and those things have a way of sorting themselves out if you
just stay completely present, keep enjoying this journey, and let’s play as good of football as we
possibly can.”
On if he senses excitement within the team:
“I do. But I’ve felt that throughout the whole season, and I think they’ve been really consistent. We had
some tough, close losses where we just came up short, and a lot of good opportunities to be able to
establish and develop some grit, and to be able to continue to learn. They’ve been a fun and consistent
group in terms of the energy that they’ve brought, all of the different things that they present in terms
of the coachability, the accountability. It’s awesome to be able to see a lot of the work pay off with
some good positive results like we’ve seen in the last couple weeks. Let’s keep doing that because I
do think that there is something to be said about learning how to win, and that’s by feeling what these
things feel like and then just continuing to take steps in the right direction.”
On Rams LG Steve Avila running down the sideline with Kyren Williams on a screen pass:
“Kind of par for the course. He’s done a great job in the screen game all year. I really think [Rams
Offensive Line Coach Ryan] Wendell does a great job as a whole. He was a pretty good player in the
screen game, that was when he could throw low on people back when he was playing for New
England. But I really think Steve is doing a great job. And I thought that play in particular, [Rams LT]
Alaric Jackson did a great job of really being able to be the first one out right there. But I thought the
screen game as a whole, that’s where you see Kyren’s production, most of that was on screens today,
the offensive line has been key and critical. Then Matthew does such an excellent job of being able to
set that up, that’s not something you take for granted. I thought he had a really great day today.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams QB Matthew Stafford
On the team’s effectiveness running the ball and the energy it brought to the offense:
“It was great. I thought (R Kyren (Williams) and (R Royce (Freeman) did a great job, but obviously
it starts up front. Those guys up front did a great job moving the front and the guys on the outside
competed too. Anytime you have chunk runs like we were getting, guys on the outside have to compete
too. They did a great job of that. I thought (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) had a great plan coming into
the game. Our coaches did a great job at putting us in position to keep them guessing. Is it inside, is
it outside, is it mid-zone, is it whatever. Just trying to give them a bunch of different things to look at.
They do a good job on defense of giving you a million different looks and it’s difficult to game plan for
it and I thought our guys did a great job of that.”
On what made Kyren so effective coming out of the backfield as a receiver:
“I think he’s pretty good at it all of the time. They were playing deep on a lot of our play-action passes,
just trying to count on me throwing it down the field. I was just trying to check it down. He did a nice
job making those plays into efficient plays, if not explosives for us. Cut a couple of screen passes and
did a great job. I thought our guys did a great job getting out in front. Some of those were some
interesting looks where tackles were expecting to block somebody, the guy drops and they add onto
the screen, did a great job. Again, a lot of mix. Dropback screen, play-action screen, catching out of
the backfield off play-actions, whatever it was, he did a nice job.”
On what needs to happen downfield to make screen passes effective plays:
“Well, they’re not really allowed to throw anymore, so it’s even more difficult than it used to be for those
guys. They used to be able to run out there and just jump at a guy's legs and get them out of the way.
Now you have to have great athletes at the offensive line position, and we do. We have a bunch of
young guys that can move and are really good in space and backs that can set them up. Obviously,
our coaches do a great job at scheming them into some really good looks and those are fun to watch
as a quarterback. Just slow the rush down, and flip one to the back and watch him go for a big one is
nice.”
On being able to hit TE Tyler Higbee twice for touchdowns and the offense’s versatility:
“Yeah, it was great. I’m glad Higs got in the endzone a couple of times. Ran a really nice route on the
one and broke a tackle on the other. So that was great to get him into the endzone. I probably left one
out there, or two. Could have been a really big day, but I thought our guys did a really nice job
sustaining drives. That is a really tough defense on third down, they give you everything you could
possibly think of look wise. Our guys up front handled it. Our guys on the perimeter, if we caught it
short of the sticks, did a nice job of getting first downs after that. It takes everybody and everybody
had a nice day.”
On Kyren’s energy:
“He just loves to play. The passion he plays with is obvious. It probably jumps out on the screen when
you are watching it on TV, but being in the huddle with him is great. The guy loves to compete, loves
to play football and it’s great to have him back.”
On the defense being able to adjust after the opening drive and what it did for the offense:
“It’s awesome. It’s amazing. We were able to play some good complementary football today. Defense
did a great job. It’s just nice to go out on a first drive for us. Put some points on the board early. Give
them some confidence that we can go out there and play and ‘Hey, if we have to make some
adjustments along the way, you know the offense is doing their job,’ so it was nice to go out there and
get some points put on the board early.”
On if he is excited about being one game away from the playoffs:
“I think the biggest thing for us is that we have to take it one game at a time. The first nine games of
the season didn’t go the way we wanted it to go. We had some chances there to have a better record
than we do. We didn’t make those plays. We didn’t finish those games. I think last week was a true
testament to the grit and fight this team has. We found a way to win a game without playing our best
football. A bunch of guys banged up, but found a way to get it done. I got a little healthier this week.
Played a little bit better, a little bit cleaner football, and I have to continue to get better. I think it starts
with the week of practice and then you have to go out there for the three-hour window on Sunday and
execute at a high level. Obviously some big challenges coming up, but we have to take it one week at
a time.”
On how team is performing entering December:
“I think we are doing a decent job. Like I said, we aren’t exactly where we want to be, but the work
ethic, the attention to detail, the fight, all of that has been there since day one. If we have that and we
continue to have that, it’s going to serve us well.”
On the young players experiencing different ways to win and what it does for team growth:
“It’s big. At this point in the year, it doesn’t matter how you get it done. You want to come out of here
and play the way we did today every single week. The opponent has a say in that sometimes as well.
They might play a little bit better than other times. You just have to find ways to win games. Winning
the game last week the way we wanted, being able to do it a little bit different today, those are positives.
But week in and week out, it’s the story of getting to 1-0 that week and we’ve got to keep doing that.”
On what he saw on his interception and the depth of the team’s run game:
“I thought 34 (Cardinals S Jalen Thompson) made a nice play. Saw a window there earlier in the game
and tried to go back to it, but he did a nice job of squatting on it. Wish I wouldn’t have done that
obviously, it put our defense back onto the field and took away points. There’s always going to be
things to clean up. There’s some things that I would definitely want back, but it was nice to be able to
turn around, hand it off, and have those guys get a bunch of yards.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp
On how his hamstring feels following the game:
“It’s alright. Just tweaked it a little bit on the first drive, but it’s fine. I’ve got the trainers, and they
make sure I’m taken care of. I’ll push through it.”
On if the ceiling for this offense feels different with RB Kyren Williams playing:
“Yeah. When we can run the ball like that, and have guys who are able to be efficient in the run
game, it makes things so much easier. Sean (Head Coach Sean McVay) did an unbelievable job
matching up the run with the pass, the play actions, and screens. I just thought the flow of that was
really well done. It put us in some great positions to go out there and execute, and keep the defense
on their heels a little bit. It allowed us to capitalize when we were supposed to. We were able to
convert on some third downs that kept drives alive. Some fourth downs as well. When you can do
that and string drives together, you will be a tough team to beat.”
On being one game out of the playoff race:
“We’re all taking this one week at a time. We obviously know what the goal is at the end of the day.
You have to be near-sighted and say ‘what do we need to do this week to make sure we’re working
towards that goal?’ At the end of the season, we hope that things come together and it will give (us)
an opportunity to play those extra games. We’re taking it one day at a time, and one week at a time.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald
On how the defense was able to contain QB Kyler Murray:
“(DT) Kobie (Turner) had his first two sack game. Rookie guys showed up for us big time. Guys were
just playing good and flying around. Opportunities presented themselves and we took advantage of
it.”
On how much gratification he feels seeing young players step up and get their shine:
“I’m excited, I’m proud, I’m all of that. To see where they came from to where they are now. The
production they’re putting on film. They just need to keep going and keep doing it. If they can keep
playing like they’re playing, we can win a lot of games.”
On being unbeaten for several years when playing in Arizona:
“Yeah, it’s been ten years and I don’t think I've ever lost here. Wow, that’s crazy. We’re just playing
good football, and finding ways to win. We did that today from the offense to defense and special
teams. We got the job done.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Running Back Kyren Williams
On how it feels to be back:
“It feels great. It’s a blessing. When you’re out of something you love for so long—four weeks of not
being able to do what you do best, it feels good to be back in. I thank everybody— the training staff,
the coaches and my teammates for being able to be with me when I do get back and do the things
we have to do.”
On if he’s aware of how many scrimmage yards in real time during the game:
“Not really, but sometimes I’ll peep the iPad thing to see how many yards I gained on the run and
what not, but I just go out there and try to do the best I can. All my coaches ever since high school
have always told me to let the game come to me. I feel like when I do that. that’s when I’m at my
best and I can control everything that’s in front of me. Just being patient and letting it all come to me
for sure.”
On if he was surprised with the ease he played with after coming off an injury:
“Not really. I was saying on Friday that I’m an artist and this is my canvas. This is really what I love
to do. During those four weeks I wasn’t playing but I was still in it. I was still in practice, I was still
watching the film and doing everything as if I was playing but I wasn’t playing. I’m not surprised
because this is what I love to do, but like I said I thank everybody for being a part of what this win
was today.”
On if it’s different watching big plays on the sideline versus being apart of them on the field:
“1000%. When you’re out there seeing the bullets fly, it’s a little different from being on the sideline
and just watching from behind. You can just feel it more when you are out there with your
teammates going through it. Today was fun because I was finally able to be back having fun and
doing what I love.”
On what the O-Line did well today:
“Especially on the gap-scheme runs and the dune blocks up to the linebackers, they were staying
tight and staying thick on the D-lineman and the three-technique and allowing me to do what I do
best. That’s making decisive decisions based off of the linebackers and that’s what I was doing
today. I was really just trying to manipulate the linebackers and follow the blocks of my O-line.”
On what he likes about screen passes:
“The ball. I love the ball, but specifically on the screens it’s that green grass. When I caught the ball,
I saw nothing but green grass and (OL) Steve Avila in front of me and I almost had a smile on my
face before I even caught the ball. Being able to make plays in the open space. I love a lot of green
grass and I like just being able to play football.”
On what it meant to have his family in the stands:
“My mom is here, my sister she’s here, my uncle from Miami is out here, my aunt is out here and my
cousins are out here. The last time I saw my mom was the Seattle game. I haven’t seen her in I don’t
know how many weeks, so just being able to see my mom again and my sister and just being able
to—they know how much I love this and they know how much I put into this to get to where I am
now. It’s a win for all of us. It’s a big win for all of us for sure.”
lOn if his family was here because it was Thanksgiving or because he came off injured
reserve:
“They were just here because that’s family. Thanksgiving was this past week but they were just here
because they wanted to come to a game and this was the only game they were able to come to so
we made it happen.”
On if his energy rubs off on his teammates:
“They’ll come up to me and tell me to just keep doing what I’m doing. In the huddle it makes a lot of
a difference when you are in there or what not. Like I said, I don’t do anything on purpose. I don’t try
to do that to uplift them. This is who I am. I love doing this and when I get out there I’m able to just
play free and be who I am.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Outside Linebacker Michael Hoecht
On keeping the Cardinals offense off the field:
“I thought we had a good game plan and I thought we had to get our feet settled a little bit. A couple
missed tackles on the first drive of the game while people were sort of getting dialed. I think after that,
we settled in, got our plan underneath our feet and it was good complementary football. Huge credit
to the offense and special teams today because they did a great job keeping us off the field, extending
drives, scoring points, and that makes our job a lot easier. When we can all play complementary
football in three phases, good things happen.”
On what the Rams defense did to slow down Cardinals QB Kyler Murray:
“You’ve just got to be mindful of edges. He’s dynamic. He likes to scramble. He likes to duck under
guys. You’ve just got to rush with vision, rush with violence. As much as we can keep him in the pocket,
that’s good for us.”
On whether Murray looked like his old self:
“He can still run. I think in that Houston game, he ran a good amount. They got caught with some weird
penalties in that game. He can definitely still move and so we’ve got to do a good job every time we
play him. You’ve got to collapse pockets down. You’ve got to keep him contained in there, and then
our back end will cover.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Inside Linebacker Ernest Jones IV
On what the Rams defense did to bottle up the Cardinals offense:
“I think after that first possession, we were able to kind of settle in and get our wind up under us and
get used to what they were trying to do to us. We were able to go from there and dominate the rest of
the game.”
On what the key was to stopping Cardinals QB Kyler Murray:
“Just not letting him extend drives. Just keeping him (contained) as good as we can, go three-and-out.
Just get him off the field. That was the key to the game. Just don’t allow him to continue to steal drives,
steal possessions.”
On whether Murray looked frustrated:
“We couldn’t tell. They were probably all a little frustrated. We were playing some good defense out
there today.”
“On whether Murray looks like his old self:
“I believe so. I believe once he gets the speed of the game back down, he’ll be back doing what he
knows how to do best.”
On whether he sees flashes of the old Murray:
“Oh yeah. I believe so. I definitely think so. In my eyes, he’s sitting back there more. He’s sitting back
there, going through his progressions. He’s always had that speed. So, once he gets the opportunity
to get out of there, I’m pretty sure he’ll be causing a lot of people problems.”
#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
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
Opening statement:
“Great team win. I’m really proud of our group. Obviously, I thought [Rams RB] Kyren’s [Williams]
energy and production was outstanding. That’s the kind of player that he’s been for us. You end up
getting him back and I think he really picked up where he left off the last time that he played. Overall,
I thought [Rams QB] Matthew (Stafford) did a great job managing the game and I thought the offensive
line was outstanding, being able to be really productive in both phases, both the run and the pass.
(Rams TE) Tyler Higbee made a handful of contributions. I thought (Rams R
Royce Freeman, whata great run that he had. He had a bunch of great runs throughout the course of the day, but I thought
his last touchdown run, running through a free hitter on the backside - who is an excellent football
player who I have tremendous respect for - to be able to finish that off, it was a really good job. Then
I thought defensively, I thought we did an excellent job after we settled in after their first scoring drive
where they got the two-point conversion. I thought the stop that (Rams S) Jordan Fuller had on the
pass breakup on fourth down to give us good field position, we were able to turn that into a touchdown,
was big. I thought there were a lot of good examples of complementary football. I love working with
this group. We really challenged them coming off of the bye to just continue to stack blocks, let’s see
that development. Today was a step in that right direction. We’ll enjoy this, and then we’ve got a great
challenge coming up with the Browns.”
On if he can sense the defense developing and maturing over the last few weeks:
“Absolutely. I think guys are playing with confidence. Obviously, missing (Rams D
Quentin Lakewas a big deal but I thought both (Rams S) Russ Yeast and [Rams CB] Cobie Durant stepped up.
(Rams S) John Johnson’s playing a bunch and playing at a really high level. Jordan Fuller’s leadership,
being able to have (Rams L
Ernest Jones. Obviously I thought (Rams DT) Aaron [Donald] made hispresence felt, and I love the way that Cobie Turner responded after he had the penalty that ended up
enabling them to go for the two-point conversion. He’s a steady, mature beyond his years rookie, and
I’m really proud of those guys. I’ve definitely seen that over the last couple of weeks. I think the
coaching staff, (Rams Defensive Coordinator) Raheem (Morris) and the defensive coaches have done
such a phenomenal job, and I’m proud of those guys.”
On if the team’s performance gives him confidence that they can make a playoff run:
“I think what we’re interested in is taking care of our business one week at a time, and that’s what
keeps you relevant in those conversations, and our players know that. You’ve heard me say it over
and over until I’m blue in the face, consistency is the truest measurement of performance. So how
much can we consistently stack good performances on top of one another by being able to be
consistent throughout the course of the week - with our preparation, with our ability to try and put our
players in the right positions - and I thought they delivered in a big way. I was really proud of the way
that we finished that game last week. It seemed like we came out, we started off really well offensively.
Other than that first drive, I thought defensively, they made some plays too. You give those guys some
credit for making some plays to be able to extend that drive and be able to ultimately finish it off with
a touchdown and the two-point [conversion]. But it’s about one week at a time, and if we do that and
continue to get better, then I think those conversations always take care of themselves, and that’s
what’s served us well in previous years as well.”
On if he thinks Kyren Williams brings a different energy to the offense:
“What do you think? Seems high to me too. He’s a really good football player, and he’s one of those
guys, he loves competing. And when you’ve got that natural zest and enjoyment for going out there
and playing the game and you’re really productive, he’s doing a great job. I think (Rams RB Coach)
Ron Gould’s leadership from that group is on display week in and week out. Kyren is so conscientious,
he loves to compete, he’s worked really hard. He’s worked really hard just to be able to get himself
back to perform at that level. It was cool to see his family was here today. But it’s a big difference, and
I think that you’ve seen that the last two times that he’s played. It happened to be against the same
opponent, but he was playing really good football prior to that, and now let’s continue to take steps in
the right direction. But that was a big deal getting him back today.”
On how managing Kyren Williams’ snap count worked out:
“I don’t know exactly what it came out as, but I thought it was excellent by Ron to be able to get Royce
in there and it seemed like a two-to-one ratio. He ended up having 16 carries and six-for-six on his
targets and receptions, so he was really productive. But I thought Royce was as well. It seemed like it
was a good balance, kind of what we were hunting for today.”
On how the staff stuck to the limit set on Kyren Williams’ snaps while he was so effective:
“Going into it, my nature is you want to be able to ride the hot hand, but I think you want to have a
disciplined approach. And then, it’s also a credit to the trust that we have in Royce and what he’s
earned over the last month, and what he’s done. I think those two, I thought they were great
complements to each other today, I want to see that moving forward. I also thought it was great to get
Higs (Rams TE Tyler Higbee) some snaps off, both (Rams TE) Hunter Long, (Rams TE) Davis Allen.
What a big catch by Davis Allen on the third down, going down and making a big-time play to extend
what ended up being a scoring drive to Higbee. So I’m pleased with the coaches ability to be able to
get some rotations going. It looked like (Rams WR]) Cooper (Kupp) got banged up early on in the
game, I was glad that he was able to continue to compete. He affected the game in a lot of different
ways, and really our receiver group as a whole. I thought it was a great example of the selflessness
that’s on display by the leadership from (Rams WR Coach) Eric Yarber all the time. Then the guys
made their plays when they had to. (Rams WR) Tutu Atwell had two big catches, the one on the first
drive of the game, to be able to win the isolation, one-on-one on the backside on a third-and-eight, for
42 (yards) was a huge play right there.”
On what it took to install run blocking with the younger tight ends:
“It was really the same thing that we wanted to be able to have on display, in terms of being able to
not wear Kyren down. We want to make sure that we’re cognizant of, we have so much trust in Tyler
Higbee, he’s played so many snaps. But let’s also say these guys have done a great job. (Rams TE
Coach) Nick Caley gets these guys prepared. I thought Davis Allen and Hunter Long both did a nice
job stepping up, and they got the work during the course of the week. I thought their practice
performance ended up translating to game reality today. The more depth that we can have, the better
those guys will be throughout the course of the season, abd the six games that we have guaranteed
left.”
On if Cooper Kupp is okay:
“He’s gonna be okay, yeah.”
On if he has to remind the younger players to not worry about the standings:
“I’m not naive to the fact that they’re going to see these types of things. But the truth is that the only
way that you continue to stay in the hunt, or put yourself in a position to be able to get in, is by handling
your business one week at a time. So what I think is easy about it is, “hey guys, you like this feeling
and you like to be able to play meaningful ball in December and hopefully into January, well let’s
continue to take care of our business,” and those things have a way of sorting themselves out if you
just stay completely present, keep enjoying this journey, and let’s play as good of football as we
possibly can.”
On if he senses excitement within the team:
“I do. But I’ve felt that throughout the whole season, and I think they’ve been really consistent. We had
some tough, close losses where we just came up short, and a lot of good opportunities to be able to
establish and develop some grit, and to be able to continue to learn. They’ve been a fun and consistent
group in terms of the energy that they’ve brought, all of the different things that they present in terms
of the coachability, the accountability. It’s awesome to be able to see a lot of the work pay off with
some good positive results like we’ve seen in the last couple weeks. Let’s keep doing that because I
do think that there is something to be said about learning how to win, and that’s by feeling what these
things feel like and then just continuing to take steps in the right direction.”
On Rams LG Steve Avila running down the sideline with Kyren Williams on a screen pass:
“Kind of par for the course. He’s done a great job in the screen game all year. I really think [Rams
Offensive Line Coach Ryan] Wendell does a great job as a whole. He was a pretty good player in the
screen game, that was when he could throw low on people back when he was playing for New
England. But I really think Steve is doing a great job. And I thought that play in particular, [Rams LT]
Alaric Jackson did a great job of really being able to be the first one out right there. But I thought the
screen game as a whole, that’s where you see Kyren’s production, most of that was on screens today,
the offensive line has been key and critical. Then Matthew does such an excellent job of being able to
set that up, that’s not something you take for granted. I thought he had a really great day today.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams QB Matthew Stafford
On the team’s effectiveness running the ball and the energy it brought to the offense:
“It was great. I thought (R
Kyren (Williams) and (R Royce (Freeman) did a great job, but obviouslyit starts up front. Those guys up front did a great job moving the front and the guys on the outside
competed too. Anytime you have chunk runs like we were getting, guys on the outside have to compete
too. They did a great job of that. I thought (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) had a great plan coming into
the game. Our coaches did a great job at putting us in position to keep them guessing. Is it inside, is
it outside, is it mid-zone, is it whatever. Just trying to give them a bunch of different things to look at.
They do a good job on defense of giving you a million different looks and it’s difficult to game plan for
it and I thought our guys did a great job of that.”
On what made Kyren so effective coming out of the backfield as a receiver:
“I think he’s pretty good at it all of the time. They were playing deep on a lot of our play-action passes,
just trying to count on me throwing it down the field. I was just trying to check it down. He did a nice
job making those plays into efficient plays, if not explosives for us. Cut a couple of screen passes and
did a great job. I thought our guys did a great job getting out in front. Some of those were some
interesting looks where tackles were expecting to block somebody, the guy drops and they add onto
the screen, did a great job. Again, a lot of mix. Dropback screen, play-action screen, catching out of
the backfield off play-actions, whatever it was, he did a nice job.”
On what needs to happen downfield to make screen passes effective plays:
“Well, they’re not really allowed to throw anymore, so it’s even more difficult than it used to be for those
guys. They used to be able to run out there and just jump at a guy's legs and get them out of the way.
Now you have to have great athletes at the offensive line position, and we do. We have a bunch of
young guys that can move and are really good in space and backs that can set them up. Obviously,
our coaches do a great job at scheming them into some really good looks and those are fun to watch
as a quarterback. Just slow the rush down, and flip one to the back and watch him go for a big one is
nice.”
On being able to hit TE Tyler Higbee twice for touchdowns and the offense’s versatility:
“Yeah, it was great. I’m glad Higs got in the endzone a couple of times. Ran a really nice route on the
one and broke a tackle on the other. So that was great to get him into the endzone. I probably left one
out there, or two. Could have been a really big day, but I thought our guys did a really nice job
sustaining drives. That is a really tough defense on third down, they give you everything you could
possibly think of look wise. Our guys up front handled it. Our guys on the perimeter, if we caught it
short of the sticks, did a nice job of getting first downs after that. It takes everybody and everybody
had a nice day.”
On Kyren’s energy:
“He just loves to play. The passion he plays with is obvious. It probably jumps out on the screen when
you are watching it on TV, but being in the huddle with him is great. The guy loves to compete, loves
to play football and it’s great to have him back.”
On the defense being able to adjust after the opening drive and what it did for the offense:
“It’s awesome. It’s amazing. We were able to play some good complementary football today. Defense
did a great job. It’s just nice to go out on a first drive for us. Put some points on the board early. Give
them some confidence that we can go out there and play and ‘Hey, if we have to make some
adjustments along the way, you know the offense is doing their job,’ so it was nice to go out there and
get some points put on the board early.”
On if he is excited about being one game away from the playoffs:
“I think the biggest thing for us is that we have to take it one game at a time. The first nine games of
the season didn’t go the way we wanted it to go. We had some chances there to have a better record
than we do. We didn’t make those plays. We didn’t finish those games. I think last week was a true
testament to the grit and fight this team has. We found a way to win a game without playing our best
football. A bunch of guys banged up, but found a way to get it done. I got a little healthier this week.
Played a little bit better, a little bit cleaner football, and I have to continue to get better. I think it starts
with the week of practice and then you have to go out there for the three-hour window on Sunday and
execute at a high level. Obviously some big challenges coming up, but we have to take it one week at
a time.”
On how team is performing entering December:
“I think we are doing a decent job. Like I said, we aren’t exactly where we want to be, but the work
ethic, the attention to detail, the fight, all of that has been there since day one. If we have that and we
continue to have that, it’s going to serve us well.”
On the young players experiencing different ways to win and what it does for team growth:
“It’s big. At this point in the year, it doesn’t matter how you get it done. You want to come out of here
and play the way we did today every single week. The opponent has a say in that sometimes as well.
They might play a little bit better than other times. You just have to find ways to win games. Winning
the game last week the way we wanted, being able to do it a little bit different today, those are positives.
But week in and week out, it’s the story of getting to 1-0 that week and we’ve got to keep doing that.”
On what he saw on his interception and the depth of the team’s run game:
“I thought 34 (Cardinals S Jalen Thompson) made a nice play. Saw a window there earlier in the game
and tried to go back to it, but he did a nice job of squatting on it. Wish I wouldn’t have done that
obviously, it put our defense back onto the field and took away points. There’s always going to be
things to clean up. There’s some things that I would definitely want back, but it was nice to be able to
turn around, hand it off, and have those guys get a bunch of yards.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp
On how his hamstring feels following the game:
“It’s alright. Just tweaked it a little bit on the first drive, but it’s fine. I’ve got the trainers, and they
make sure I’m taken care of. I’ll push through it.”
On if the ceiling for this offense feels different with RB Kyren Williams playing:
“Yeah. When we can run the ball like that, and have guys who are able to be efficient in the run
game, it makes things so much easier. Sean (Head Coach Sean McVay) did an unbelievable job
matching up the run with the pass, the play actions, and screens. I just thought the flow of that was
really well done. It put us in some great positions to go out there and execute, and keep the defense
on their heels a little bit. It allowed us to capitalize when we were supposed to. We were able to
convert on some third downs that kept drives alive. Some fourth downs as well. When you can do
that and string drives together, you will be a tough team to beat.”
On being one game out of the playoff race:
“We’re all taking this one week at a time. We obviously know what the goal is at the end of the day.
You have to be near-sighted and say ‘what do we need to do this week to make sure we’re working
towards that goal?’ At the end of the season, we hope that things come together and it will give (us)
an opportunity to play those extra games. We’re taking it one day at a time, and one week at a time.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald
On how the defense was able to contain QB Kyler Murray:
“(DT) Kobie (Turner) had his first two sack game. Rookie guys showed up for us big time. Guys were
just playing good and flying around. Opportunities presented themselves and we took advantage of
it.”
On how much gratification he feels seeing young players step up and get their shine:
“I’m excited, I’m proud, I’m all of that. To see where they came from to where they are now. The
production they’re putting on film. They just need to keep going and keep doing it. If they can keep
playing like they’re playing, we can win a lot of games.”
On being unbeaten for several years when playing in Arizona:
“Yeah, it’s been ten years and I don’t think I've ever lost here. Wow, that’s crazy. We’re just playing
good football, and finding ways to win. We did that today from the offense to defense and special
teams. We got the job done.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Running Back Kyren Williams
On how it feels to be back:
“It feels great. It’s a blessing. When you’re out of something you love for so long—four weeks of not
being able to do what you do best, it feels good to be back in. I thank everybody— the training staff,
the coaches and my teammates for being able to be with me when I do get back and do the things
we have to do.”
On if he’s aware of how many scrimmage yards in real time during the game:
“Not really, but sometimes I’ll peep the iPad thing to see how many yards I gained on the run and
what not, but I just go out there and try to do the best I can. All my coaches ever since high school
have always told me to let the game come to me. I feel like when I do that. that’s when I’m at my
best and I can control everything that’s in front of me. Just being patient and letting it all come to me
for sure.”
On if he was surprised with the ease he played with after coming off an injury:
“Not really. I was saying on Friday that I’m an artist and this is my canvas. This is really what I love
to do. During those four weeks I wasn’t playing but I was still in it. I was still in practice, I was still
watching the film and doing everything as if I was playing but I wasn’t playing. I’m not surprised
because this is what I love to do, but like I said I thank everybody for being a part of what this win
was today.”
On if it’s different watching big plays on the sideline versus being apart of them on the field:
“1000%. When you’re out there seeing the bullets fly, it’s a little different from being on the sideline
and just watching from behind. You can just feel it more when you are out there with your
teammates going through it. Today was fun because I was finally able to be back having fun and
doing what I love.”
On what the O-Line did well today:
“Especially on the gap-scheme runs and the dune blocks up to the linebackers, they were staying
tight and staying thick on the D-lineman and the three-technique and allowing me to do what I do
best. That’s making decisive decisions based off of the linebackers and that’s what I was doing
today. I was really just trying to manipulate the linebackers and follow the blocks of my O-line.”
On what he likes about screen passes:
“The ball. I love the ball, but specifically on the screens it’s that green grass. When I caught the ball,
I saw nothing but green grass and (OL) Steve Avila in front of me and I almost had a smile on my
face before I even caught the ball. Being able to make plays in the open space. I love a lot of green
grass and I like just being able to play football.”
On what it meant to have his family in the stands:
“My mom is here, my sister she’s here, my uncle from Miami is out here, my aunt is out here and my
cousins are out here. The last time I saw my mom was the Seattle game. I haven’t seen her in I don’t
know how many weeks, so just being able to see my mom again and my sister and just being able
to—they know how much I love this and they know how much I put into this to get to where I am
now. It’s a win for all of us. It’s a big win for all of us for sure.”
lOn if his family was here because it was Thanksgiving or because he came off injured
reserve:
“They were just here because that’s family. Thanksgiving was this past week but they were just here
because they wanted to come to a game and this was the only game they were able to come to so
we made it happen.”
On if his energy rubs off on his teammates:
“They’ll come up to me and tell me to just keep doing what I’m doing. In the huddle it makes a lot of
a difference when you are in there or what not. Like I said, I don’t do anything on purpose. I don’t try
to do that to uplift them. This is who I am. I love doing this and when I get out there I’m able to just
play free and be who I am.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Outside Linebacker Michael Hoecht
On keeping the Cardinals offense off the field:
“I thought we had a good game plan and I thought we had to get our feet settled a little bit. A couple
missed tackles on the first drive of the game while people were sort of getting dialed. I think after that,
we settled in, got our plan underneath our feet and it was good complementary football. Huge credit
to the offense and special teams today because they did a great job keeping us off the field, extending
drives, scoring points, and that makes our job a lot easier. When we can all play complementary
football in three phases, good things happen.”
On what the Rams defense did to slow down Cardinals QB Kyler Murray:
“You’ve just got to be mindful of edges. He’s dynamic. He likes to scramble. He likes to duck under
guys. You’ve just got to rush with vision, rush with violence. As much as we can keep him in the pocket,
that’s good for us.”
On whether Murray looked like his old self:
“He can still run. I think in that Houston game, he ran a good amount. They got caught with some weird
penalties in that game. He can definitely still move and so we’ve got to do a good job every time we
play him. You’ve got to collapse pockets down. You’ve got to keep him contained in there, and then
our back end will cover.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
Rams Inside Linebacker Ernest Jones IV
On what the Rams defense did to bottle up the Cardinals offense:
“I think after that first possession, we were able to kind of settle in and get our wind up under us and
get used to what they were trying to do to us. We were able to go from there and dominate the rest of
the game.”
On what the key was to stopping Cardinals QB Kyler Murray:
“Just not letting him extend drives. Just keeping him (contained) as good as we can, go three-and-out.
Just get him off the field. That was the key to the game. Just don’t allow him to continue to steal drives,
steal possessions.”
On whether Murray looked frustrated:
“We couldn’t tell. They were probably all a little frustrated. We were playing some good defense out
there today.”
“On whether Murray looks like his old self:
“I believe so. I believe once he gets the speed of the game back down, he’ll be back doing what he
knows how to do best.”
On whether he sees flashes of the old Murray:
“Oh yeah. I believe so. I definitely think so. In my eyes, he’s sitting back there more. He’s sitting back
there, going through his progressions. He’s always had that speed. So, once he gets the opportunity
to get out of there, I’m pretty sure he’ll be causing a lot of people problems.”
#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
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ramsdude | 221 | November 27, 2023 01:10PM |
