TRANSCRIPTS: Rams-Saints Postgame Quotes - September 15, 2019

TRANSCRIPTS: Rams-Saints Postgame Quotes - September 15, 2019


TRANSCRIPTS: Rams-Saints Postgame Quotes - September 15, 2019

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(Opening Remarks)
“Great team win. I thought our defense was outstanding from the jump, I thought our special teams responded in a big way from last week. Offensively, really, was a little bit of a slower start other than when we hit (WR Brandin) Cooks on a big play. Had some good drives towards the end of the first half, but to only come away with three points on those two drives, we have to be better there. But, I loved the way that our group responded in the second half. Made a lot of big plays and ultimately, it’s about getting a win as a team, and we did that. Injury wise, (OL) Austin Blythe has an ankle (injury) – we’ll have more information on him tomorrow. (TE) Tyler Higbee has a chest contusion and he’s being further evaluated as well.”

(On what happened to DT Aaron Donald’s back)
“It just tightened up a little bit. He (DT Aaron Donald) returned and he’s feeling okay.”

(On what happened to Saints QB Drew Brees on the play he injured his hand)
“I’m not sure. I think he (Saints QB Drew Brees) just got his thumb – I hope that he’ll be okay. I’m not exactly sure, but it looked like he just had his right thumb. As a quarterback that’s pretty debilitating.”

(On if the Rams looked to capitalize when Brees was out of the game)
“I thought our defense really was outstanding from the jump. They did a great job all day and then I thought they really applied pressure to (Saints QB Teddy) Bridgewater consistently throughout the day. I think you look at the opportunities, you try to close games out regardless. But, anytime you lose a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback – a guy that’s the all-time leading passer – there’s definitely some things you feel like, ‘All right, we have to make sure we take advantage of this.’ But, I thought, really, just all day our defense did an outstanding job.”

(On what adjustments QB Jared Goff and the wide receivers made entering the second half)
“I think it’s really just getting in the flow of the game. (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Dennis) Allen and the Saints’ defense did a nice job mixing some things up, and it was really – as much as anything – me, the coaches, us settling in to give clarity to the players. I thought the players did that, I thought, really, the big play that we did make to Brandin, just to get points on the board initially when we didn’t start out great, was big. It was a great catch by Brandin and you could really see, as the game progressed, (Q Jared (Goff) got more comfortable, made big-time plays. How impressive it was for him to sit in the pocket when we were in the empty and hit (WR) Cooper (Kupp) on the in-breaking route there for the big play. He ends up making a great touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks in the tight-red area. He did a lot of really good things and I thought he continually demonstrated that mental toughness, being unfazed by some things that didn’t always go our way as well.”

(On how impressed he was by WR Cooper Kupp’s 66-yard catch and run)
“Very. He (WR Cooper Kupp) looked awesome and it was incredible. I was as impressed with Cooper as you were watching the guys without the ball and how hard they’re working for their teammate to try and get a block and spring it. The strength – he sure looks good, doesn’t he? He looks healthy to me. Man, it’s really good to be able to have him back. He made some timely catches over the middle versus some of their zone coverage structures. (Q Jared (Goff) had some things collapse around him and it’s good to have him back. He’s been outstanding.”

(On if Kupp’s moves in the open field are an indication of him being fully healthy)
“I think so. I think, really, even last week he (WR Cooper Kupp) made a bunch of plays, he just didn’t have as many opportunities with some things down the field where you get a chance to have a little bit more space. He’s looked great. It’s impressive just watching the way he attacked his rehab. He’s healthy and I think just getting back on the grass, competing with his teammates – it’s nice to be able to have him back with us.”

(On if he was concerned at halftime about only scoring six points on three trips to the red zone)
“No. That was something that we have to do a better job of. We had the one screen – I’ll be interested to look at that – that was a touchdown to (WR) Robert Woods that ended up getting called back. That really ended up hurting us and then, obviously, the turnover. We’ll look at those and I think there were some things that I could’ve done a much better job of to put our players in better spots. You got to give the Saints credit – they did a nice job tightening up there as well.”

(On how he felt OL Jamil Demby played)
“He (OL Jamil Demby) did a nice job. To be able to lose a player of (OL) Austin Blythe’s caliber, that’s a big loss for us. But he seamlessly stepped in. Until I really go back and look at the tape, but it seemed like he did a nice job just fitting in. I think (C) Brian Allen continues doing a really good job of just making great calls, the communication so that everybody’s confident with what we want to try and get done up front. (Q Jared (Goff) displayed that poise and it really was a great job by Jamil stepping in and I’m excited to really look closely at it to see how he did snap in and snap out.”

(On the offense finding a rhythm in the second half)
“I think really guys just settled in. A lot of that is the result of probably some poor play calls I had early on and then you kind of settle in, you see okay, what type of defensive structures are they activating that’s maybe a little bit different than what we’d seen. We were able to move the ball like you mentioned those last two drives in the first half, but to only come away with three points was something that we said we’ve got to do a better job of, and I think the second half represented a good job by guys closing out drives and coming away with touchdowns.”

(On how he adjusted to Brees coming out of the game)
“I think you just feel the flow of the game. It was competitive, back-and-forth, it got to 6-6 later on in that game and I think just to be able to say ‘Hey, let’s just play each play as it’s own entity, let’s get a feel for it, let’s execute better offensively, defensively continue to play at a high level,’ because it is a big loss when Drew goes out, but they were playing pretty well when he was in there earlier as well. That’s a great offense, the way that they operate, so much respect for them, and I thought really it was a credit to our defense doing a great job and I hope Drew is okay.”

(On being past this week and not having to hear about non-calls anymore)
“You know what? It really wasn’t an issue for us. This was something that our guys were singularly focused on trying to get to 2-0. We knew we had a great football team coming in here, but what happened last year, we’ve kind of moved past that. It’s a new season, there’s new challenges and we’ll enjoy this one and then got to get ready to see if we can find a way to get to 3-0.”

(On if the opening week was about getting rid of the rust and if he saw an improved team in week two)
“It’s hard to say. I think with the way that you plan and the preseason as it is, you’re usually just kind of getting some continuity because you’re not really running a lot of the things that you would normally run. If you play the guys with what’s the normal standard operating procedure, usually you accumulate about a full game’s snaps. I think the goal for us is let’s just get better every week. Let’s continue to progress as the season goes. I think today represented a step in the right direction and we’ll see if against a tough team in Cleveland on Sunday night we can do that next week.”

(On QB Jared Goff’s fumble in the second quarter)
“It was hard for me to see. I knew it was going to be a tight-contested play. Really, I didn’t get a clean look at it, but our coaches in the box, it sounded like they thought that that’s the direction that it could go.”

(On if splitting reps between RB Todd Gurley II and RB Malcolm Brown new normal for the offense)
“It’s hard to say right now. Through two games, I think they both have done a nice job. As the season continues to progress, I think we’ll really find out. Like we’ve said, each game kind of represents a different approach, but I thought both those guys did a nice job making some timely runs in times we had to have it.”

(On if he got a chance to speak with the officials about the block in the back call)
“I really didn’t because it kind of happened so quick and then you’ve got to really be able to move on and see if you can find a way to just respond from it, but I’m going to be interested to look at that and see what it was, because that was going to be a big play for us that has a chance to potentially shift the momentum sooner than what it did, but we can’t do anything about it except for take it to the next snap.”

(On how important it was for him to get Gurley II into the end zone early in the season)
“Well, I think it was important really for our team. You always want to see your guys produce and be able to be rewarded accordingly. He’s a special player, he’s been outstanding for us and I think he’s going to continue to be more and more important and as important really as he’s always been for us.”


Rams QB Jared Goff
(On what adjustments were made in the second half that allowed the Rams to score more points)
“A bunch of adjustments. I think we were kind of shooting ourselves in the foot there for a while. We had the good touchdown to (WR) Robert (Woods) that got called back. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it yet, but we thought it was a good play. That would have change the narrative in the first half, but It’s ok. I think anytime you win 27-9, you’re happy about it.”

(On what he thinks went on after the first half and how did they find their rhythm)
“It sometimes takes time. Again, I think we scored six (points) in the first half and were able to come away with a 27-9 win, and you’re happy about it no matter what. I think every game is different and this game took us a little while to find it. Frankly, I don’t think it really matters. We win, we win. If we find it early, you’d obviously love that, but anyway it happens, we are happy with it.”

(On what he was thinking when he seen WR Cooper Kupp breaking down field)
“I was shocked. I thought, he’s showing off some speed now, he looks good. He’s a great player. Broke that guy off pretty good in the open field and was able to make a play. I’m bummed he didn’t get the touchdown and I had to steal it from him, but it was a good play, really good play.”

(On being in the red zone three times in the first half and coming away with six points and if ever questions the situation the team is in)
“No. I think we’ve been in a lot of situations now with (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and this offense as a whole – whether it’s good or bad, indifferent, it’s all good learning and good to just push through and move forward. Obviously, we want to come away with touchdowns in the red zone, that’s something that is a priority for us. We did at the end of the game, we were able to flip the switch towards the end of the game and make it happen.”

(On when OL Austin Blythe went down and OL Jamil Demby came in on how he thought they did)
“(OL Jamil) Demby did a good job. He stepped in their really good. I think he had one play he’d like to have back, other than that, he did a great job. He may have to be in there for a little bit longer, hopefully we can get (OL) Austin (Blythe) back at some point, pretty soon. He’s going to do a great job, I’m excited for it.”

(On if the play to Kupp before the half loosened up things)
“I think anytime you’re able to hit those balls down the field, it definitely gives you that confidence booster moving forward. Me and him are so much on the same page. At this point, we think intuitively with each other. What’s the word? Telepathy (laughs). I don’t know If it’s quite that far, but we are on the same page right now as well as the other receivers.”

(On how the defense did against the Saints)
“Hell of a day, hell of a day for them. I know (Q Drew (Brees) was out. Even so, the way they did their thing and put pressure on the quarterback and made plays in the backend, tackled well. When they do that, it makes our job easy. It’s really exciting for them moving forward.”

(On what he was seeing or hearing when he fumbled the ball)
“I wasn’t hearing anything or seeing anything. I though it was a fumble. I was hoping they would call it incomplete, but out of my hands I thought it was a fumble. We might have got away with one.”

(On the long pass to Cooks and why doesn’t he do it more often)
“Yeah, we should huh? Those are fun. It was a good play, something we talked about throughout the week, just taking a shot early. We were able to catch one of their guys flatfooted and (WR) Brandin (Cooks) did the rest. Just laid one out there for him and he made a good play.”

(On if the play to Cooks was drawn-up or did he wing it)
“Not quite that loosely. There is a lot of practice that goes into where we want to hit that ball and where we want to throw it. I think we got that matchup we wanted and was able to take advantage of it.”

(On if he’s ever had the same connections in college as he does with the Rams receivers)
“Absolutely. I think at every level you kind of have that. I’m lucky to have that with about three or four guys right now and it’s a special thing. I think furthermore on (WR) Cooper (Kupp), we do give him a lot of freedom with his routes. Being able to be on the same page when he does have that freedom is huge.”

(On what went through his mind when he heard QB Drew Brees was out)
“Honestly, I didn’t know until (Q Teddy (Bridgewater) came in the game. I’m thinking about him and I told him I’m hoping for the best and I am. I’m hoping that he comes back. He’s a great player for the league, the face of the league and somebody that we need in the league. I’m hoping for the best for him.”

(On what it means to start the season 2-0 heading to Cleveland)
“It’s been great. I think anytime you can win a game on the road like we talked about last week and then, have a tough opponent like the Saints come in here and put a complete game together and get a win, it’s awesome. I feel good, got a good opponent in Cleveland new week, at Cleveland going to be another tough one but we will show up ready to play.”



Rams WR Cooper Kupp

(On if he expected the game plan to turn into such a good day)
“If we put the game plan in and we didn’t expect it to work we would probably be in a pretty bad place. We go into the week with an expectation, go out there and execute it. I thought we did well. They showed us some things early on that I don’t think we expected. Had to make some adjustments and credit to them I think they’re a great ball team. They played hard and we were able to make some adjustments and get some things going.”

(On the long play that was almost a touchdown and the work he put in in the offseason)
“Sure, that’s part of it. Just being able to get back and be healthy. I think if you go back and watch the film. I think more than anything you see (WR Robert) Rob Woods and (WR) Brandin Cooks flying down the field as I’m running, they’re getting huge blocks 40, 50 yards down the field. I think that’s just a testament to the team we have, the camaraderie we have. We want to play for each other play in and play out. I think that’s what makes the team special. We got 11 guys that don’t just want to do their job well but want to go above and beyond. I think that play beyond anything else just shows how much guys care for each other and are willing to play for each other.”

(On how it felt to be back)
“It feels great. Just to be able to play this game again is a blessing. All the glory to God. being able to come back and when you go through this adversity. To have the team around me that I did. To have the guys in this locker room encouraging me day in and day out. Going through the recovery is a grind. But when you’re coming into work each day and you’ve got these kind of guys to come in and encourage you, it makes things much easier. All of our training staff, our strength staff, they kept us on point with things. Really a blessing to be around the people that I am.”



Rams WR Robert Woods
(On the adjustments he made in the second half to unleash more)
“Be ourselves. Execute. We kind of were not executing early in the first half. Really seemed like we were on the field, getting off, punting, not executing and finishing our drives. Three points here and there. Really just coming here at half time making the right adjustments, being more physical, getting the runs and explosives came with it. And breaking tackles of course.”

(On Cooper Kupp saying it was like a movie after his big catch)
“It’s fun going out there and seeing your player in open space. You already know what we’re all going to do once he gets the ball in space, so its really just like just keep our guy up, keep him running as long as he can he’s going to make more guys miss. Seeing him throw the stiff arm. Me and (WR) Brandin (Cooks) flying in, knock two guys out, got back up, keep blocking, got another one. Just racing trying to get in the inzone, but really just describes this team as really selfless. We see it as we all scoring as us running, so we’re blocking we’re all trying to find the inzone. We celebrate as a team and that play was just describing this receiver group, this team, selfless, fight for your brother and find a way to win and find a way to score.”



Rams T Andrew Whitworth
(On going to the Superbowl and missing Cooper Kupp play)
“No question. (WR) Cooper Kupp is an extremely good football player. His attention to detail and the run game is the most special I’ve ever seen in a receiver I’ve ever been around in my lifetime. His attention to detail on that, he wants to come up with concepts of how he’s blocking more. What things could be more effective. You don’t have very many receivers that are wired that way. Then also have the ability to separate and are special in the passing game as well. He’s a very special part of our offense and I couldn’t say that we wouldn’t be any more happy than we can to see him have success.”

(On the Rams being a special team)
“I think just really the week in and week out culture we have that exists here that starts a long time ago. It started from day one that (Head Coach) Sean McVay took over. The message he sent us that it was going to be about being family and communicating with one another and being real with one another. You’ve got to have alligator skin cause if you’re in this locker room we’re going to give you a hard time for anything and everything. We’re going to find ways to lighten it up and not let guys be serious or take themselves too serious. Most importantly were going to go out every week because of that and just have fun. Everybody shoot your shot, everybody give it what you’ve got. Take chances. Be aggressive. Wherever the chips fall who cares? We’re not scared of anything.”


Rams LB Clay Matthews
(On being part of back-to-back sacks, and if that was a positive momentum switch)
“Yeah, we were doing – especially defensively – we were doing a great job kind of keeping them in check. And I know I think it was 6-3, 6-6 – whatever it was in the third quarter when that turned. I think we kind of pinned them down there and – you’re right – back-to-back sacks, and I think (WR) JoJo (Natson) had a nice return follow-up and you could kind of feel the momentum changing. You figure – you know, with a team in which we have and obviously what they were dealing with, that it was only a matter of time before our offense just got rolling, and that’s exactly what happened. But you know – that’s how it is sometimes. We’d love to blow out every team 50 something, nothing – but, we stayed the course defensively. I don’t think we gave a touchdown, correct? Right, so yeah – we were tremendous against that offense and our offense – you give them enough time they’re going to put points on the board and that’s exactly what they did.”

(On if it is special having his first home win at the Coliseum where he used to play for USC)
“I mean it’s always nice to start the season off 2-0, 1-0 – you find yourself in an early hole it’s kind of tough to dig yourself out of. But, coming back home was obviously very nostalgic for me. I had a blast playing here last year when I was with Green Bay, but now obviously being a part of the Rams organization, with all the improvements and just feeling like I was back home – continuing the clichés, it’s nice to come full circle. So, it’s fun. I’m having a blast. We’ve got a great team, great venue and real happy to get this win.”


Rams S John Johnson III
(On RB Todd Gurley)
“(R Todd (Gurley) is a strong-minded dude. He’s got so many people pulling at him – the media, fans, whatever it may be, so I’m happy for him.”

(On if they get caught up in all the hype)
“No, we don’t get caught up in that. Todd is a true professional. He’s a competitor and we know he’s going to do the right thing. So, we don’t really get caught up in it. We just trust that he’ll be ready to go when it’s game time.”



Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
(Opening Remarks)
“Obviously, it’s a disappointing loss. I thought in the first half, it was kind of a defensive game. Field position game. We were comfortable with that, certainly being on the road. I think when we watch this tape tomorrow, we’re going to be disappointed with tackling, we’re going to be disappointed offensively, with how we played, particularly up front, penalties. This will be a hard film to watch for the guys.”

(On how disappointing the call on the fumble was)
“You can’t focus…the things we can control as coaches are the things that I just alluded to. When we get poor officiating or we get an awful call like that, we can’t control that. Our focus this week is going to be on cleaning up the penalties and making sure we got the right guys on the field, too.”

(On if it looked like a fumble to him)
“Listen, I just finished telling you.”

(On describing when he saw Saints QB Drew Brees get hurt and what communication Brees was giving him as he was standing on the sideline)
“It was the thumb. Right away when he attempted to throw, he was having pain with it. It wasn’t anything elaborate.”

(On if they did X-rays on Brees at halftime)
“We’ll give you an update when the time comes up.”

(On how much he had to change his gameplan after Brees went out)
“Nope. We didn’t have to change a lot.”

(On if Brees needs an MRI)
“I’m sure we’ll go through the whole medical procedure. We’ll give you an update, two days.”

(On what he liked about Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater coming into the game)
“When we watch this tape, (Saints Q Teddy (Bridgewater) came in ready to go. The guys surrounded him. Particularly, the penalties that we faced all of a sudden, first-and-20. I thought he was ready to play. He’s a pro, he knows how to win. He knows how to win in this league. I didn’t think we played particularly well around him. When we watch that tape tomorrow, it’s not going to be pleasant for some guys.”

(On how much of a struggle for the offensive line to defend)
“Just watch the game. I thought we got whooped up front.”

(On if there was any thought after Brees went out that he would do more with Saints QB Taysom Hill)
“It was going to be difficult to try to do that. I felt real confident in Teddy and do feel confident. The hats Taysom’s wearing, we got thin at receiver. The last quarter of the game, he was the third receiver. We’ve got a receiver goes down during pregame, right after we turn in the inactives, so we’re down one receiver. Then (Saints WR) Tre’Quan (Smith). We felt comfortable with our plan, especially with Teddy.”

(On it being a tough film to watch)
“Absolutely it will.”

(On if he can pull any positives out of this game)
“Not right now I can’t.”

(On how much more difficult it becomes for the team when the No. 2 quarterback is thrust into the starting position)
“If you’re not playing well up front, I don’t care if it’s your Hall of Fame guy or your number three guy. It’s going to be difficult. We got to play better up front. Too many penalties, too much pressure, too many minus runs. You’re going to see all of this on tape. I watched it.”

(On if he felt like Bridgewater and the players were going to be able to get into the pocket offensively in the second half after they were able to drive it down long and still looking for the field goal)
“There’s a sequence there that went quickly, 14 and 21. At some point, you got to answer when you’re playing a good offensive team. It’s hard to do that if you’re firs- and-20. It’s hard to do that if you’re getting called for holding. It makes it more difficult for the quarterback and everyone.

(On if it would have been hard to use Taysom since it was Bridgewater’s first game)
“I don’t know that that would have been anything of significance”

(On if staying on the West Coast for the week will help him with being able to focus)
“We’ll see.”

(On what it felt like to sign his five-year extension and be in New Orleans for another five years)
“That’s a side note. It’s a part of our business. I would say I’d much rather answer that question on better circumstances, but enjoy coaching this team. All of us got to do a better job this week, myself included.”

(On any updates for Saints WR Tre’Quan Smith and Saints G/T Andrus Peat)
“Nothing on those guys. I know Tre (Tre’Quan) was getting an X-ray on his ankle. Nothing on (Saints G/T) Andrus (Peat).

(On if he initially thought that Brees would be able to come back in or if he knew immediately that he could not play)
“It was hard to grip the football. There wasn’t that thought unless we were just going to run hand-offs every play.”


Saints QB Drew Brees
(On what happened to him)
“I hit my thumb on (Rams DT) Aaron Donald, so we’ll see.”

(On what the play call was when he got injured)
“It was to (TE) Jared Cook. On a third-down play.”

(On if he expects to play next week)
“I’m not sure. We’ll see.”

(On if he got X-rays)
“I did. I got X-rays, but I’m meeting with a specialist here very soon too. We’ll see what he says.”

(On if it was encouraging to him that the injury may not be serious)
“I have no idea. I really don’t.

(On if there’s a level of optimism or if he really doesn’t know)
“Yeah, I really don’t know at this point. There’s only so much you can do here other than just having the doctor look at it on the sideline. I’m going to see a hand specialist and get his opinion and we’ll see what the next steps are.”

(On if he is concerned)
“Yeah, I am concerned. I’m hoping it’s not too significant.”

(On what Donald said in their exchange on the field)
“I can’t remember what he said.”

(On if it’s safe to say that it’s the toughest time he’s ever had gripping a football in his career)
“Yes.”

(On when he is meeting with a specialist and if it is in Los Angeles)
“It should be today. Yes.”

(On how he is processing the injury and if he’s trying not to think of the worst)
“Yeah, I’m trying not to. Again, I’m hoping for the best and just preparing for whatever the next steps might be according to the evaluation.”

(On his evaluation of QB Teddy Bridgewater)
“I thought he did great in a tough circumstance, you know. I thought, offensively, we never really got much of a rhythm going. Penalties and certain things. Whenever we did something good, we’d set ourselves back with something else. You know, we lost a receiver in pregame and then we lost (WR) Tre’Quan (Smith) in the third quarter, or the beginning of the fourth there. So we were down to two receivers there at the end of the day. I don’t know if you guys saw (Q Taysom Hill running a bunch of routes out there. So, it was a tough set of circumstances all the way around.”

(On if it is more of a thumb injury or wrist injury)
“It’s my thumb.”

(On if he knew right away)
“Yeah.”

(On how difficult it was to stand on the sidelines)
“It’s very difficult. It’s very difficult not to be playing. I’m not used to that. I don’t want to get used to that.”

(On if that was the first time he ever got injured during a game)
“Yeah, you have situations. You hit your hands on stuff all the time, right? On helmets and different things. You might get jammed thumbs, jammed fingers and different things where it swells up and what have you. This felt like something a bit more significant and prevented me from gripping the ball.”

(On if it was a break or a ligament issue)
“I don’t know. We’ll see. Again, I don’t know until I see the specialist, but you guys will be the first ones to know.”



Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater
(Opening Statement)
“That was a tough one to lose. We’ll have to get back to work and get the opportunity to watch the tape, see what we did wrong and try to move forward. Obviously, we have to do better and be more disciplined. We had too many penalties today. We have to do better on third downs and just keep drives alive. The rest will take care of itself. Today was one of those days where we had to fight through adversity and this team was really tested. The beauty of this league is we get another opportunity next week. This coaching staff will push us and this locker room will continue to push each other and hold each other accountable moving forward.”

(On if there was anything QB Drew Brees or anyone said to him before he went into the huddle)
“(Q Drew (Brees) always tells me just take completions. Completions are good. When you’re going into a game in situations like that, you’re just trying to get into rhythm, just play fast and not think too much.”

(On if worked with the first team offense at all this past week)
“I work with them on Wednesdays. So I had the opportunity to go over some of the base gameplan on Wednesday and get some work with those guys.”

(On if it was tough to get into a rhythm today)
“Not really. The toughest part about it is just the negative plays. Every time something good might have happened, we had a penalty. So we kind of shot ourselves in the foot and we stalled drives, but it wasn’t too hard to get into a rhythm today.”

(On if he expects to start next week)
“I don’t really know. I think (Head) Coach (Sean Payton) may have given you guys an update and I’m pretty sure the training staff and everyone will talk and come up with a plan moving forward.”

(On how prepared he is if he needs to start a number of games)
“You know, it was just great to get the opportunity to go back out there and play football again. It sucks that it had to happen the way that it did. I appreciate every opportunity I get to play this game. Everyone in that locker room, we cherish the game and don’t take it for granted. So I’m just grateful for the opportunity that I had today.”

(On how close he feels to being in the comfort zone with this offense)
“Oh we’re very close. I think you just look at the tape, see what we did well, see what we didn’t do well and move forward. We all have strengths and weaknesses and we try to major in doing the things that we’re good at. Hopefully we can just continue to do that.”

(On how he feels right now in his second year in the offense)
“I’m feeling pretty good. I have a year under my belt and I’m excited.”

(On if he had any nerves)
“Not at all. You get the opportunity to sit back and get the feel for the rhythm of the game, the flow of the game. When you’re sitting back and watching, you get to pick up on some of the tendencies that they’re displaying. If you get the opportunity to go in, you have some insight on what to expect moving forward.”

(On what adjustments did they make at halftime)
“Well, we were still in the game. We know that we can’t leave these games in other people’s hands. We have to take care of our business inside the white lines. Today, we didn’t do that in all three phases of the game. We just have to come back next week and fix it.”

(On what the Rams did differently against the run today)
“Honestly, I think they were just more physical. We knew that it was going to be a physical battle and we knew that the most physical team would walk away with a win. It showed on the stat sheet and it showed on the scoreboard.”


Saints T Terron Armstead
(On what was going through his mind when QB Drew Brees left the game)
“I honestly didn’t know until I got to the sideline and (Q Teddy (Bridgewater) went to take snaps from (C) Erik (McCoy). I just went to check on (Q Drew (Brees), but next guy up to try and go out there to win the game.”

(On what changes amongst the offensive line when Brees leaves the game and Bridgewater comes in)
“I mean of course a lot changes, the Saints offense is Drew Brees for sure. He’s been doing this for a long time. So, of course a lot changes, terminology, tempo, but Teddy was good. He was comfortable, confident in the offense and in himself. We were able to move the ball but then we’d move forward or a penalty or negative play would take us back and that was kind of the story of the entire game.”

(On how he handles the fumble call that was picked up and returned for a touchdown but initially ruled an incomplete pass)
“It’s tough. It’s a tough one. Huge momentum swing, lot of energy that was awarded to us and kind of sucked out and you have to try to go make a long drive. It’s tough for sure but we can’t hang out hat on any one play. It’s a long game and we had opportunities. We just came up short.


Saints DE Cameron Jordan
(On putting bad calls in the past and hitting the reset button)
“Look, this is a 16-game season. When it comes down to it, there were so many penalties in the game on both sides of our defense and offensive side of the ball, we have to be able to control what we can control. We have to be able to get off the field. We played a great first half, to come back and let things go the way that they did, two explosive plays, easily over 100 yards in the second half, that stuff should never happen. That’s the stuff we have to focus on as a defense.”

(On overcoming Drew Brees going out and if it was challenging)
“It was something that we have overcome as a team, it’s something that going into halftime we felt like we were well within reach on what we wanted to do as a team. For the game to end the way it did, the next two quarters that’s something that you can’t be proud of. You have to look at how it happened. You have to look at the penalties and explosive plays that happened, you have to look at your defense and defenders. You have to look at your offense, if Drew is down it’s on the defense. I take that upon me, I take that upon the D-line. I don’t know how many times we hit (Rams Q Jared Goff, I don’t know how many times we sacked him, but it wasn’t enough. We have to create more turnovers.”

(On if it’s a domino effect if the offense can’t punch it in the endzone)
“Absolutely not, this is something as a defense you have to take pride at being able to get the ball back and we didn’t do that. It’s not a domino effect, it’s just something that we have to get better from. We have to learn from our mistakes. Clearly, we have to tighten up somethings. When we had the amount of penalties that we had, how many penalties did we end up having in a crucial situation for us?”

(On what he saw and liked from QB Teddy Bridgewater)
“It was an adjustment, so I have to watch the film. I saw that he put us in position to score. We put up nine points on the board, and nine points should have been decent enough as you accounted a 10-point swing, but we can’t. At the end of the day it’s 27-9 and that’s something that we have to focus on, that’s something that I have to get better from. We have to get faster on the defensive line, we have to turn those pressures into sacks.”



Saints LB Demario Davis
(On what he saw on the sack-fumble play the Saints made on defense)
“We’re just taught when we see a live ball, we go for it and we score. Those are just the habits we train and so it was a live ball, he scooped it up, we scored, that’s all I know. The next thing I know the offense was on the field.”

(On how demoralizing that call might have been)
“I mean that’s part of the game. Of course, a scoop and a score for a touchdown changes the momentum of the game, so that’s a big play but for whatever reason, the offense was on the field so you just take it in stride and next play.”

(On an officiating miscue affecting them for the third game in a row)
“That’s above my head. I can’t call or do anything about that so I just control what I can control. I think that’s all you can do at this point.”


--RAMS--