Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – September 23,

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – September 23, 2016

(On whether the quarterback depth chart is the same as last week):
“Don’t know yet – have to wait and see. Trust – come to the game.”

(On whether all three quarterbacks will be active):
“One will be inactive.”

(Remarks):
“We healed up. It was good to see the guys on the field. Yesterday’s day off was good, great. A lot of energy today. Now we’re going to deal with the travel. They understand what it takes to get ready for Sunday – we’re in a good place. Very unfortunate, what happened last night with the Bucs. I understand that they released him (TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins). It’s just a great example, players need to make better choices, you know – hurt the football team.

(On whether Steferian-Jenkin’s release will shift the game planning)
“We have to look at things from a defensive standpoint, because they have had four tight ends on their roster – one just got released, and the other’s been designated as out. They’re down to two, so you have to anticipate different things.”

(On whether the status of RB Doug Martin impacts the game plan – may or may not play)
“They can run the football, like I’ve been saying all week – that’s our biggest concern going defensively, in addition to (Q Jameis (Winston). Whoever is back there is going to carry it and understands the courses and the footwork. They’re productive group and they have depth. The best way to describe it to you, is if (RB Doug) Martin’s going to bust one for ten (yards), then all the other guys will probably bust one for eight (yards). They’re not that far behind him.”

(On how WR Nelson Spruce, WR Pharoh Cooper and CB E.J. Gaines are looking for Sunday)
“They’re all making the trip.”

(On the defensive adjustments made when facing a bigger quarterback like Winston as opposed to a smaller quarterback like QB Russell Wilson)
“Our focus with (Q Russell (Wilson) was his scrambling ability and his legs – unfortunately for him, he didn’t have that. But Jameis has the ability to pull it down and run and extend plays. They do a great job getting him on the edge. He’s a really good, accurate passer on the run. He can improvise – make the plays down the field, off schedule. You’ve got to keep him in the pocket and collapse the pocket as quick as you can.”


Rams Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams – Post Practice – September 23, 2016



(On how CB Troy Hill played last week)

“He played well. I didn’t know anything about him, and I mentioned him, a little bit, coming out of training camp – needed to see him under fire. I saw him in the spring practices and he was doing really good in the spring practices, but needed to see him in the games of the preseason for contact. Then last week, he got thrown in the fire in a hurry and he adapted very well. He’s got a few plays he’d want back, but he did play well and it says good things about him.”



(On how the challenge this week with Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston is different than last week with Seahawks QB Russell Wilson)

“I have a lot of respect for Jameis, especially after we played him last year – we had a lot of contact on him last year. Right, wrong or indifferent, those great leaders at the quarterback position are tough guys, too. He’s a legitimate tough guy in our league. He took a lot of contact in our game and he kept on going. Even last week, (Buccaneers Head Coach) Dirk (Koetter) was answering a question about why he had him in in the end of a game – because Jameis wanted to play. The good players want to do that all the time, that’s why Russell played last week, good players want to play. I have a lot of respect for him, he’s fearless on how he goes about the approach of playing that position. I think he’s very well-coached – I know a lot of those coaches on that staff, I have coached with before, I have a lot of respect for those guys. We have got our work cut out for us, we’re going to have to play well.”



(On what it does for the chess match during the game when he has familiarity with Tampa Bay’s coaching staff, especially Dirk Koetter)

“Every game turns in to a game of its own. People want to play into, too much, the analytics of everything is objective – no, it turns into a subjective game every single snap. All of a sudden, you have injuries, you have people that change out plays, and then all of a sudden you see the score dictate what you can do offensively and defensively. The fact that I’ve been in the fire with him a couple times helps a little bit, but they probably think the same thing about me, too, because we went against each other in practice all those times. Dirk Koetter is a very, very good football coach. I always teased him about the fact that he could coach defense, too, because that’s the way he coaches offense – because he’s no-nonsense, he’s very aggressive in his ways, he’s very detailed in his ways. I have a lot of respect for him. They do a really good job of adapting the offensive concepts to the skillsets of their players similar to what we try to do, too.”



(On what Buccaneers RB Charles Sims does differently than Buccaneers RB Doug Martin)

“All of those backs play the running back position well. They do different things in protection, they do different things in the run game. But he’s very solid, he’s protected the ball well, he’s physical and there’s really not any weakness about him when you put him into the protection part of it, he can protect. And he does a good job in their route concepts when they want the back involved.”



(On if he had concerns about DE Robert Quinn working through his injury issues and where he thinks he is now)

“Until you get back into the heavy-volume contact, you don’t really know. I’ve said this, I think, when we started the training camp here, I think (head athletic trainer) Reggie Scott is as good as there is in the league and then our head coach does a great job with protecting players’ bodies. Everything that we did building up and leading up to full-scale contact was right and he passed each and every test. And then, once the confidence was instilled in the player, you don’t see any setbacks, he’s ready to play and he played very well last week. He played really well every single snap that he was in this year – and it was quite funny, in the opening game of the year, the very first play that he played, he got kind of influenced in the block of a misdirection play and it kind of snapped his helmet back, it was kind of the first time he got smacked in the face like that this whole year, and he says, ‘You know what, I’m ready to go.’”



(On DB Lamarcus Joyner playing with a broken toe)

“Here’s the deal on that, that’s what you’re supposed to do. If you’re on the golf tour, maybe you take a day off, but you don’t do it in this league. Russell Wilson didn’t take a day off and Lamarcus doesn’t take a day off. The reason he’s here is we saw that in him. It doesn’t surprise me at all, he’s a very strong-willed, tough kid and that’s the nature of our business. When you’re not that way, you’re not very good.”



Rams Running Back Todd Gurley – Post Practice – September 23, 2016

(On if the game against the Bucaneers’ last season holds any significance)
“It was a Thursday night game, so it was a pretty cool game. Color rush game, and the 1,000-yard game, I guess that was a pretty good night for us. The offense was actually rolling that night. I kind of remember that game for sure.”

(On if he’ll miss not wearing the color rush uniforms)
“Oh yeah, for sure. But, we’ll get them sooner or later.”

(On catching the ball out the backfield)
“Yeah. Obviously, we haven’t had too many chances in the game. Just keep working on it every week. Once it opens up, it’ll open up. So, I’m not too concerned. Just keep practicing on it, and just try to get better at it.”

(On the key for the offense to get into the end zone)
“Just do us. Finish, we got to finish. Obviously, being in the red zone is going to be very hard. It’s limited space. Just got to go out there and execute. It’s simple, just have to put points on the board.”

(On how inspiring it is for him to see the defense play so well)
“It’s always inspiring. You kind of get out there, and you just start playing for them, because they’re always on the field. They’re just like, ‘Come on man, these guys are doing a great job for us. So, we need to do a great job for them.’ It’s all about the team coming together. Once they do good, we want to do good, as well.”

(On if there’s anything he needs to do this week to ensure he has a great performance)
“Just grind it out. The (offensive) line is going to do a great job, I feel. (Q Case (Keenum) is going to do a great job, receivers, everybody. We just need to do our job, and just play as one, and just execute.”

(On if defenses are focused on him more this year, in comparison to last)
“I don’t know, you tell me. Obviously, they know we’re going to run the ball. Every team, their job is to not get ran on. Teams have been doing a pretty job with containing us. Like I said, we just have to go out there and win our one-on-ones, and run the ball.”

(On if there are more defenders in the box this year, in comparison to last)
“Yeah, it’s crazy. I’m like, ‘Man, that’s 12 people on the field!’ It’s definitely a lot of people, but it is what it is. Sometimes, that’s a good thing, because if you get past the first level, then you’re gone. But, you have to get past the first level first. We know what they’re going to do. They’re definitely going to stack the box, but, like I said, it all comes down to executing at the end of the day.”