TRANSCRIPTS: Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips, RB Todd Gurley II, WR Brandin Coooks - Media Availability- Nov. 21, 2019
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TRANSCRIPTS: Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips, RB Todd Gurley II, WR Brandin Coooks - Media Availability - Nov. 21, 2019
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(On WR Robert Woods' status)
“(WR) Robert (Woods) is here. He’s in a good place and we are just taking it a day at a time, right now.”
(On if Woods will practice today)
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
(On if Woods will play on Monday against the Ravens)
“We’ll see.”
(On what he’s looking for out of practice today)
“We just want to continue to try to accumulate those reps. Obviously, when you just look at this team that we’re preparing for, there’s a lot of intricacies, really in all three phases that they present that end up being a really big challenge. It’s nice to be able to have that extra day of preparation, but you want to be able to see guys just improve from yesterday to today. We will start to get in on our third-down, a little bit of red-zone emphasis. It’s really just kind of taking steps one day at a time.”
(On how much of the offense opens up getting to get WR Brandin Cooks back)
“Yeah, it does. To be able to get him back, it really just adds a really good quality player back to our offense that’s consistently made plays for us. We do feel like we’ve got a handful of guys that have the ability to stretch coverage contours vertically. Getting (WR) Brandin (Cooks) back is a big boost to us. He’s been ready to roll for a couple of weeks now.”
(On how RB Malcolm Brown’s status after the Week 11 game against the Bears)
“He came out good. He’s healthy. He’s getting ready to have his first born, so he’s with his family. We are anxiously awaiting the good news that everything went well.”
(On if Brown will be here for Monday’s game against the Ravens)
“That’s the plan. Again, it’s one of those deals where sometimes those things you have a plan on when the baby is going to come, and it doesn’t always work out that way. I need to get in update on exactly where we are at with that. The plan was to get him back here on Saturday morning.”
(On if this is the first season he had to deal with more moving parts and other circumstances while game planning in comparison to previous seasons)
“Yeah, I think that’s safe to say. As you hopefully continue to accumulate experience, those things are inevitable. I think what you realize is how fortune we’ve been those first couple of years. Naturally, you just have to learn how to navigate through those different things, continue to lean on a lot of good people in this building. And then, if it is a situation where people end up missing games, it provides that next-man-up mentality. It has been a lot more moving parts though than the last couple of years. I think that is safe to say.”
(On how he felt the rest of the receiving core performed against Chicago with the absence of Woods and how RB Todd Gurley II performed in the game as well)
“The other night, I thought they did a god job. Anytime that you are missing Brandin and you’re missing Robert, that does provide a challenge. (WR) Josh Reyonlds and (WR) Cooper Kupp stepped up. They did a good job. We were in some different personnel groupings than we’ve typically seen over the last couple of years. I really thought you saw a lot of good things from (TE) Johnny Mundt and (TE) Tyler Higbee being able to provide a good physical presence and competing well in the run game where we were able to sustain some drives through running the ball a handful of times. I was really pleased and then, (WR) Mike Thomas did a nice job as well.”
(On what it meant to him to receive a game ball from the team after Sunday night’s Week 11 game)
“That’s special. Sharing that feeling of enjoyment when there is that amount of work that goes into trying to accomplish that goal collectively, it sure means a lot. You love these players and coaches. For (Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel) ‘Bones’ to do that, those are ones that you never forget. Other than a couple others, that really stands out and it’s really special.”
(On the importance of S Eric Weddle’s communication especially considering the turnover in the defensive backfield)
“Yeah, without a doubt. When you’ve got somebody like that, I think when you look at the seamless transition that some of these guys have made – where they are playing more snaps on shorter notice. I When you see (C
Jalen (Ramsey), that’s a real credit to him. Also, having (S) Eric (Weddle) on the back end, to really be an extension of the coaching staff, the ownership that he has, he truly understands big picture concepts. When you talk to him, this is a player that’s seeing it through the lens of all 22 (defensive and offensive players), not just through the framework of a safety or just the third level of the defense. I mean he understands. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. I’ve learned from him and his presence is invaluable to our defense.”
(On his decision to give the players off on Tuesday and Friday this week)
“What it was, a little bit later in the year you always rely on our sports science crew with (Senior Director of Sports Medicine) Reggie (Scott) and (Director of Strength Training and Performance) Ted (Rath) and their feedback. They just felt like one of the things that would be good and it’s good – for us as well – where you get it in like it’s a normal Sunday, but instead of really having to pull back the reins on a Friday. Let’s find two good days of a break that these guys can have off and then they come back Saturday – we’ll treat that like a Friday, but you can ramp it up a little bit with them having come off that day of rest. Just really finding two days and then it also does come into play when you’re talking about getting ready for your Thanksgiving game. The amount of days that you need to give these guys off based off the CBA. It kind of fit within a couple things that we felt like was going to be beneficial over the next month.”
(On what he sees when he looks at the Ravens offense)
“It’s fun. It poses a lot of challenges. I think that the thing that’s unique about it is so often times a lot of your defensive principles are predicated on playing 11-on-10, and you don’t have to account for the quarterback as a runner. What they do a great job of is really giving themselves the advantage. They’re recreating different angles when you’re able to not have to block somebody and read them. Then you’ve got the threat where (Ravens Q Lamar (Jackson) is a legitimate quarterback, but he’s so talented as a runner as well that you’ve got to account for that. I think that added element of the versatility he provides and then the creativity that (Ravens Offensive Coordinator) Greg Roman has put in place with a variety of personnel groupings like you’re talking about. It is fun to see. You can implement some of the different things the only difference is as much as we like the athleticism, Jared (Goff) is not Lamar Jackson (laughs). There’s a couple different things… He had a nice move against Atlanta on the bootleg that he cut back on (Falcons L Deion Jones and scored. I think we will limit those carries. I’m not seeing him spin and cut across the grain and go for touchdowns like we’ve seen Lamar do, but it is fun to see. I mean it’s impressive.”
(On what determines what time of day he schedules practice and if it’s based off of what time kickoff is)
“Yeah, sometimes it is, East coast trip – there’s a lot of things. Usually what you try to do is if you can find time to make sure that you’ve got enough space in the day to be able to get the meetings in, get the practice time that you need. But if you can find some time to maybe give them an extra hour of sleep or if you do want to bump things back so that their body clock is on the right rhythm that we want for wherever it’s at. There are some just tweaks that you naturally make. Then, really, you know like our players some of the feedback that they give when you’ve got some veteran players. Their feedback is invaluable to us. You want to be able to listen to them. If some of the things that they’re suggesting end up making sense, you’re like, ‘All right, I can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t do that.’ Where we’re ending up spending the same amount of time in the day with the meetings, but now cancelling some of those post-practice meetings and doing them the following morning really gives guys an extra couple hours that they can get out of here and be a little more fresher. I think as the season accumulates, those are important things so that you don’t feel the monotony, but you’re still able to get in the work that you need.”
(On getting to see former Rams CB Marcus Peters again and how much they're preparing for him in their gameplan)
“A lot. He’s done a great job. You look at the ball production that he has. Really throughout the course of his career, but you can see the instincts. He’s fit in really well. Happy to see him do as well as he is. He’s was a big part of a lot of things that we did well over the last couple years. Other than this week, I’m nothing but a fan of (Ravens C Marcus Peters. We are aware of him because he can make you pay if you’re not careful about where you’re going with the ball.”
Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips
(Opening Remarks)
“First thing, (Ravens Q Lamar Jackson. Everybody’s saying it – and rightfully so – he’s certainly the MVP so far this year and is having a great year. Now, their offense is scoring 34 points per game. They have a prolific running game. I was back when Earl Campbell made 200 yards in four games. This group’s averaging 200 yards a game. Like I said, way back then when I started, there were a few teams that averaged 200. Nowadays, there’s nobody even close to that. They’re what, 50 yards a game rushing more than anybody else? They control the clock and doing that, they’ve scored a lot of points. The unusual part of that is their quarterback is their leading rusher. They’re a great running team, but part of it is the quarterback makes a lot of yards rushing, too. We had a little bit of that when I was in Atlanta with (former Falcons Q Michael Vick and (former Falcons R Warrick Dunn. I don’t think we averaged near what these guys are doing. If I didn’t already, they’d give me white hair playing against teams like this – but, I’m already there (laughs).”
(On if the key defensively against teams like Baltimore is more about setting the edge)
“The problems are, a lot of times if a guy gets you – if there’s nobody there to stop him, they’re going make yardage. But, the problem with them – and even with the running back – if there’s somebody there, they might make him miss or run through him and make that yardage, too. You got to really tackle well against these people and that’s easier said than done. We’ve seen a lot of missed tackles, especially on the quarterback.”
(On if he agrees with the thought that Jackson is stronger than he looks)
“He’s a tremendous runner. But, the other part of it is they’ve made a lot of explosive plays, not just in the running game. They’ve made a lot of explosive plays in the pass game, too. That’s how they get to 34 points a game. If they’re only a running team, that would be one thing. But, they’ve made a lot of plays – especially explosive, big plays – in the passing game.”
(On the challenges from having to protect against an explosive passing and running offense)
“It gives me a headache (laughs). It’s a great challenge. It’s something that competitors – and I think our guys are – it’s something for them to step up and play well against. That’s what our challenge is.”
(On the similarities between Jackson and Vick)
“Pretty similar in a lot of ways, certainly. Both of them (Jackson and Vick) are great runners. Mike was similar that he didn’t throw many interceptions and he had that flick of the wrist that he could throw the ball downfield. Lamar is this era’s Michael Vick – maybe plus. Michael Vick-plus.”
(On S Eric Weddle getting a lot of attention this week because of his Baltimore connection and what Weddle has brought to the Rams and if it is any different from what he expected)
“Well, we expected a lot from (S) Eric (Weddle). Especially communication-wise with the rest of the players to be able to help in those areas. Not only his play, but also his communication skills – they are even better than I thought. He does a great job of anticipating things and before-hand saying, ‘Hey, they might do this, check.’ He’s talking to the people, communicating to the people what might happen. A lot of times it does happen. He’s on top of the game that way.”
(On what he has seen out of CB Troy Hill and CB Nickell Robey-Coleman over the last five weeks)
“I think (C Troy (Hill) has certainly played well. (C Nickell (Robey-Coleman) has played well for us since we’ve had him. Troy’s gaining more and more confidence every game. He’s certainly got an ability He’s got a good knack, or he’s able to play off-man and pressed-man. That gives you a little advantage at cornerback, because you can press and play zone, or you can play off and play zone, but he can do both of those. He’s coming along and I think he certainly played well last week and ever since he started. Again, they’ve got (Ravens WR Marquise) Brown out there who’s a big-time deep receiver, so we’ve got to be aware of him all the time.”
(On how he thinks Head Coach Sean McVay has been able to handle the defense going up and down this season as such a young coach)
“I think (Head Coach) Sean (McVay)’s done an outstanding job. If you saw after the game last week, the team basically gave him a game ball because he keeps pointing them in the right direction and he’s done a great job with that. One thing that’s come up, I guess, about Eric Weddle and so forth – I’ve never really given info to the teams that I’ve coached for before. You know the Broncos, the Bills, the Texans, the Cowboys, the Chargers, the Falcons, the Eagles and the Saints and the Oilers. I’m not going to give any to the Oilers for sure (laughs). But we’ll all be getting ready for this ball game. Actually, all those teams probably fired me too, so maybe that’s why I didn’t like them (laughs). Actually, I do appreciate all those teams giving me a job. I’m thankful for that.”
(On if there is something about the way Weddle communicates on the field that)
“Like I said, it’s anticipation of things that are going to happen and what adjustments we’re going to have to make I they go in motion quick or if they change formations and all those things. A lot of guys know what to do when everybody is static. He anticipates those things and says, ‘Hey, if it goes in motion, be ready for this. If he doesn’t go in motion, we don’t have to do it.’ Those things he does better than most of the guys I’ve ever been around.”
Rams RB Todd Gurley II
(On having WRs Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods in practice on Thursday)
“It felt good. It felt good getting those guys back. (WR) Brandin (Cooks) has been around pretty much and (WR) Rob (Woods) (has been out) a couple days, but he’s back. Good to see him around.”
(On how he’s felt this week after a season-high 25 carries last Sunday against Chicago)
“Yeah, it’s fine. A little sore, but I’m cool.”
(On if the offense can use the run-heavy approach it used against Chicago when playing Baltimore on Monday)
“We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.”
(On if he grew up as a fan of the Baltimore Ravens)
“Yes sir.”
(On some of his favorite players growing up)
“(Former Ravens S) Ed Reed – favorite player of all time. Favorite player of all time. (Former Ravens R Willis McGahee, (former Ravens R Jamal Lewis and obviously (former Ravens L Ray (Lewis), (former Ravens TE) Todd Heap, all those guys. (Former Ravens LBs) Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs, more of the defensive guys. (Former Ravens Q Steve McNair when he went there for a couple years.”
(On what he liked most about Reed)
“Greatest of all time. He made his presence known when he stepped on the field. One of my friends that passed away, he was a Steelers fan. We used to always go back and forth about who was better him (S Ed Reed) or (former Steelers S) Troy (Polamalu). He had more touchdowns than some running backs, just always taking it back to the house. They’ve got a player in (Ravens C Marcus Peters, just like him, right now. He’s been doing pretty good ever since he left us.”
(On what it will be like lining up against CB Marcus Peters on Monday)
“It will be fun, definitely going to be exciting. Looking forward to it.”
(On if Head Coach Sean McVay has the same demeanor through the ups and downs of the season)
“It’s been pretty much the same approach – just trying to stay positive and just keep taking it game-by-game.”
(On if he has followed Peters games with the Ravens)
“When you’ve got two pick sixes, it’s hard not to see that. We still stay in touch. If he ever needs anything from me I’ve got family there, I’d definitely look out for him. That’s my guy. He’s going to always be my guy. I definitely still stay in contact with him.”
(On what he sees in the Ravens’ defense)
“Kind of what the Ravens’ defense has always been. Hard-nosed, good linebacker play, some big guys up front. Then, you got some dogs back there, but (Ravens S Tony) Jefferson went down, but you got (Ravens S) Earl (Thomas III), (Ravens CB Marlon) Humphrey’s. Humphrey’s is always attacking the ball. (Ravens CB Marcus Peters) ‘M.P.’, (Ravens CB Brandon) Carr, just (Ravens C Jimmy Smith, they’ve got some experienced players and some good players. They’re hot right now, they’ve got it going on. It’s always been tough to run the ball against the Ravens, honestly. That’s what they harp on. Hard-nose football, getting it done, running the ball on offense.”
(On if the primetime football games provide extra juice when he’s out there)
“Nah. Actually, they’re cool, but I’d rather just get the game over with. Just go onto the next week.”
(On what it was about the win over the Bears that made it so satisfying)
“We needed it. Especially an NFC game. Kind of just would have been if we would have lost that, it just would have kind of, I mean it wouldn’t have been downhill, but it just would have been a disappointing loss. You definitely need those, those NFC games for sure. We need this game as well, but those divisional NFC opponent games you just really have to go out there and win those games.”
(On if has been surprising to him about how good the NFC division has been this year especially the Rams’ division with the 49ers)
“Nah, I feel like it’s been that way since we’ve been in the league. If it wasn’t for the Patriots, I feel like NFC teams would win every Super Bowl (laughs). It’s kind of always been that way. It’s always that one team each year. Obviously, kind of like last year with our year. You have the Panthers, you have the Eagles, you have the Falcons. It’s always like that one team that makes a run. That’s kind of the 49ers – they got the juice and somebody just kind of got to take it away from them. They’re doing a hell of a job.”
Rams WR Brandin Cooks
(On finally being able to get back to playing and knowing what he had to go through to get back on the field)
“Absolutely, just extremely blessed to play this game. To be able to come back out here with the guys and prep for another game. I don’t take that for granted, that’s for sure.
(On going back to Pittsburgh a couple times for further evaluation)
“You know what I think one of the biggest things that I learned, concussions (are) a case-by-case thing. To be able to go there and get some information from Dr. (Micky) Collins in Pittsburgh was extremely helpful. I’m just thankful for the team – putting me in the right position and looking out for my best interest. Taking every step I need to take so I’m comfortable going out there on the field.”
(On how concerning it was for him to sustain two concussions in a span of a month)
“To very honest with you, not really concerning at all. I understand that it’s one of the things that’s part of the game. At the end of the day, what’s going through my mind is like, ‘Okay, let’s get some answers.’ Then figuring out what’s going on. It’s a blessing that I don’t have ever have symptoms after. But at the end of the day, once again, I think it’s one of those things that’s a case-by-case thing. Mine was very unique and just thankful once again to be able to go and get answers and the team helping me out with that.”
(On if the doctors noticed anything that may trigger his concussions or if it’s just a contact type issue)
“It’s one of those things that, without going into detail – I think going out there really being able to get some of those answers and being comfortable coming back and playing. I think at the end of the day it’s just one of those things that’s such a grey area. Really just focusing on what I can do to be able to prevent some of those as best as I can.”
(On if he ever considered stepping away from football or retiring throughout this entire process)
“Absolutely not. No doubt about it. When it happened that never went through my mind. Even now it’s not going through my mind. I’m just thankful for a great team around me for me to be able to comfortable coming out here to play.”
(On if the possibility of him stepping away from football was raised to him by doctors or people close to him)
“No. Not at all.”
(On some things that he can do to manage concussions)
“You think about it from a standpoint that there’s so many systems that’s going on throughout the body. Some of those, the better that you can train and stay on top of. It’s just like any muscle the more that you train it the stronger that it can become. Other than that, I just think it’s an anomaly. It’s part of the game and you just never know, right?”
(On if he had a change with any of his equipment or if he got a different helmet)
“I mean, I got a new helmet, but other than that, everything else is the same.”
(On if he got a new helmet or a completely different styled helmet)
“New helmet.”
(On who he has leaned on the most throughout this process)
“My wife, for sure because that’s who I go home to. Seeing her comfortable going to those meetings with me – being at ease. It’s such a blessing. When you go home that’s who you’re dealing with the most as far as questions asked. To see her comfortable and to see her not as concerned is definitely helpful in getting me through this time for sure.”
(On if anyone should be concerned if he suffers another concussion)
“You know, it’s one of those things that I’m taking game by game. But, no I don’t think you should be concerned because I’m not.”
(On the emotions in seeing himself and WR Robert Woods going through a tough time that kind of supersedes football)
“Just extremely blessed to be back out here and play this game. It’s a gift from God, so anytime that you can come back out here and step on the field, you’re extremely thankful.”
(On returning to a game like this knowing that he’s a threat and he can change what Baltimore does defensively)
“I think first and foremost, you talk about guys who stepped in while I was out – (WR) Josh Reynolds, special guy, special receiver, and made a ton of plays these last three weeks. I think he brings that same dynamic to this offense and he’s been doing such a great job, and now I’m just going to continue to just do my job the best way I can and do what’s asked of me, that’s for sure.”
--RAMS--
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(On WR Robert Woods' status)
“(WR) Robert (Woods) is here. He’s in a good place and we are just taking it a day at a time, right now.”
(On if Woods will practice today)
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
(On if Woods will play on Monday against the Ravens)
“We’ll see.”
(On what he’s looking for out of practice today)
“We just want to continue to try to accumulate those reps. Obviously, when you just look at this team that we’re preparing for, there’s a lot of intricacies, really in all three phases that they present that end up being a really big challenge. It’s nice to be able to have that extra day of preparation, but you want to be able to see guys just improve from yesterday to today. We will start to get in on our third-down, a little bit of red-zone emphasis. It’s really just kind of taking steps one day at a time.”
(On how much of the offense opens up getting to get WR Brandin Cooks back)
“Yeah, it does. To be able to get him back, it really just adds a really good quality player back to our offense that’s consistently made plays for us. We do feel like we’ve got a handful of guys that have the ability to stretch coverage contours vertically. Getting (WR) Brandin (Cooks) back is a big boost to us. He’s been ready to roll for a couple of weeks now.”
(On how RB Malcolm Brown’s status after the Week 11 game against the Bears)
“He came out good. He’s healthy. He’s getting ready to have his first born, so he’s with his family. We are anxiously awaiting the good news that everything went well.”
(On if Brown will be here for Monday’s game against the Ravens)
“That’s the plan. Again, it’s one of those deals where sometimes those things you have a plan on when the baby is going to come, and it doesn’t always work out that way. I need to get in update on exactly where we are at with that. The plan was to get him back here on Saturday morning.”
(On if this is the first season he had to deal with more moving parts and other circumstances while game planning in comparison to previous seasons)
“Yeah, I think that’s safe to say. As you hopefully continue to accumulate experience, those things are inevitable. I think what you realize is how fortune we’ve been those first couple of years. Naturally, you just have to learn how to navigate through those different things, continue to lean on a lot of good people in this building. And then, if it is a situation where people end up missing games, it provides that next-man-up mentality. It has been a lot more moving parts though than the last couple of years. I think that is safe to say.”
(On how he felt the rest of the receiving core performed against Chicago with the absence of Woods and how RB Todd Gurley II performed in the game as well)
“The other night, I thought they did a god job. Anytime that you are missing Brandin and you’re missing Robert, that does provide a challenge. (WR) Josh Reyonlds and (WR) Cooper Kupp stepped up. They did a good job. We were in some different personnel groupings than we’ve typically seen over the last couple of years. I really thought you saw a lot of good things from (TE) Johnny Mundt and (TE) Tyler Higbee being able to provide a good physical presence and competing well in the run game where we were able to sustain some drives through running the ball a handful of times. I was really pleased and then, (WR) Mike Thomas did a nice job as well.”
(On what it meant to him to receive a game ball from the team after Sunday night’s Week 11 game)
“That’s special. Sharing that feeling of enjoyment when there is that amount of work that goes into trying to accomplish that goal collectively, it sure means a lot. You love these players and coaches. For (Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel) ‘Bones’ to do that, those are ones that you never forget. Other than a couple others, that really stands out and it’s really special.”
(On the importance of S Eric Weddle’s communication especially considering the turnover in the defensive backfield)
“Yeah, without a doubt. When you’ve got somebody like that, I think when you look at the seamless transition that some of these guys have made – where they are playing more snaps on shorter notice. I When you see (C
Jalen (Ramsey), that’s a real credit to him. Also, having (S) Eric (Weddle) on the back end, to really be an extension of the coaching staff, the ownership that he has, he truly understands big picture concepts. When you talk to him, this is a player that’s seeing it through the lens of all 22 (defensive and offensive players), not just through the framework of a safety or just the third level of the defense. I mean he understands. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. I’ve learned from him and his presence is invaluable to our defense.”(On his decision to give the players off on Tuesday and Friday this week)
“What it was, a little bit later in the year you always rely on our sports science crew with (Senior Director of Sports Medicine) Reggie (Scott) and (Director of Strength Training and Performance) Ted (Rath) and their feedback. They just felt like one of the things that would be good and it’s good – for us as well – where you get it in like it’s a normal Sunday, but instead of really having to pull back the reins on a Friday. Let’s find two good days of a break that these guys can have off and then they come back Saturday – we’ll treat that like a Friday, but you can ramp it up a little bit with them having come off that day of rest. Just really finding two days and then it also does come into play when you’re talking about getting ready for your Thanksgiving game. The amount of days that you need to give these guys off based off the CBA. It kind of fit within a couple things that we felt like was going to be beneficial over the next month.”
(On what he sees when he looks at the Ravens offense)
“It’s fun. It poses a lot of challenges. I think that the thing that’s unique about it is so often times a lot of your defensive principles are predicated on playing 11-on-10, and you don’t have to account for the quarterback as a runner. What they do a great job of is really giving themselves the advantage. They’re recreating different angles when you’re able to not have to block somebody and read them. Then you’ve got the threat where (Ravens Q
Lamar (Jackson) is a legitimate quarterback, but he’s so talented as a runner as well that you’ve got to account for that. I think that added element of the versatility he provides and then the creativity that (Ravens Offensive Coordinator) Greg Roman has put in place with a variety of personnel groupings like you’re talking about. It is fun to see. You can implement some of the different things the only difference is as much as we like the athleticism, Jared (Goff) is not Lamar Jackson (laughs). There’s a couple different things… He had a nice move against Atlanta on the bootleg that he cut back on (Falcons L Deion Jones and scored. I think we will limit those carries. I’m not seeing him spin and cut across the grain and go for touchdowns like we’ve seen Lamar do, but it is fun to see. I mean it’s impressive.”(On what determines what time of day he schedules practice and if it’s based off of what time kickoff is)
“Yeah, sometimes it is, East coast trip – there’s a lot of things. Usually what you try to do is if you can find time to make sure that you’ve got enough space in the day to be able to get the meetings in, get the practice time that you need. But if you can find some time to maybe give them an extra hour of sleep or if you do want to bump things back so that their body clock is on the right rhythm that we want for wherever it’s at. There are some just tweaks that you naturally make. Then, really, you know like our players some of the feedback that they give when you’ve got some veteran players. Their feedback is invaluable to us. You want to be able to listen to them. If some of the things that they’re suggesting end up making sense, you’re like, ‘All right, I can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t do that.’ Where we’re ending up spending the same amount of time in the day with the meetings, but now cancelling some of those post-practice meetings and doing them the following morning really gives guys an extra couple hours that they can get out of here and be a little more fresher. I think as the season accumulates, those are important things so that you don’t feel the monotony, but you’re still able to get in the work that you need.”
(On getting to see former Rams CB Marcus Peters again and how much they're preparing for him in their gameplan)
“A lot. He’s done a great job. You look at the ball production that he has. Really throughout the course of his career, but you can see the instincts. He’s fit in really well. Happy to see him do as well as he is. He’s was a big part of a lot of things that we did well over the last couple years. Other than this week, I’m nothing but a fan of (Ravens C
Marcus Peters. We are aware of him because he can make you pay if you’re not careful about where you’re going with the ball.”Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips
(Opening Remarks)
“First thing, (Ravens Q
Lamar Jackson. Everybody’s saying it – and rightfully so – he’s certainly the MVP so far this year and is having a great year. Now, their offense is scoring 34 points per game. They have a prolific running game. I was back when Earl Campbell made 200 yards in four games. This group’s averaging 200 yards a game. Like I said, way back then when I started, there were a few teams that averaged 200. Nowadays, there’s nobody even close to that. They’re what, 50 yards a game rushing more than anybody else? They control the clock and doing that, they’ve scored a lot of points. The unusual part of that is their quarterback is their leading rusher. They’re a great running team, but part of it is the quarterback makes a lot of yards rushing, too. We had a little bit of that when I was in Atlanta with (former Falcons Q Michael Vick and (former Falcons R Warrick Dunn. I don’t think we averaged near what these guys are doing. If I didn’t already, they’d give me white hair playing against teams like this – but, I’m already there (laughs).”(On if the key defensively against teams like Baltimore is more about setting the edge)
“The problems are, a lot of times if a guy gets you – if there’s nobody there to stop him, they’re going make yardage. But, the problem with them – and even with the running back – if there’s somebody there, they might make him miss or run through him and make that yardage, too. You got to really tackle well against these people and that’s easier said than done. We’ve seen a lot of missed tackles, especially on the quarterback.”
(On if he agrees with the thought that Jackson is stronger than he looks)
“He’s a tremendous runner. But, the other part of it is they’ve made a lot of explosive plays, not just in the running game. They’ve made a lot of explosive plays in the pass game, too. That’s how they get to 34 points a game. If they’re only a running team, that would be one thing. But, they’ve made a lot of plays – especially explosive, big plays – in the passing game.”
(On the challenges from having to protect against an explosive passing and running offense)
“It gives me a headache (laughs). It’s a great challenge. It’s something that competitors – and I think our guys are – it’s something for them to step up and play well against. That’s what our challenge is.”
(On the similarities between Jackson and Vick)
“Pretty similar in a lot of ways, certainly. Both of them (Jackson and Vick) are great runners. Mike was similar that he didn’t throw many interceptions and he had that flick of the wrist that he could throw the ball downfield. Lamar is this era’s Michael Vick – maybe plus. Michael Vick-plus.”
(On S Eric Weddle getting a lot of attention this week because of his Baltimore connection and what Weddle has brought to the Rams and if it is any different from what he expected)
“Well, we expected a lot from (S) Eric (Weddle). Especially communication-wise with the rest of the players to be able to help in those areas. Not only his play, but also his communication skills – they are even better than I thought. He does a great job of anticipating things and before-hand saying, ‘Hey, they might do this, check.’ He’s talking to the people, communicating to the people what might happen. A lot of times it does happen. He’s on top of the game that way.”
(On what he has seen out of CB Troy Hill and CB Nickell Robey-Coleman over the last five weeks)
“I think (C
Troy (Hill) has certainly played well. (C Nickell (Robey-Coleman) has played well for us since we’ve had him. Troy’s gaining more and more confidence every game. He’s certainly got an ability He’s got a good knack, or he’s able to play off-man and pressed-man. That gives you a little advantage at cornerback, because you can press and play zone, or you can play off and play zone, but he can do both of those. He’s coming along and I think he certainly played well last week and ever since he started. Again, they’ve got (Ravens WR Marquise) Brown out there who’s a big-time deep receiver, so we’ve got to be aware of him all the time.”(On how he thinks Head Coach Sean McVay has been able to handle the defense going up and down this season as such a young coach)
“I think (Head Coach) Sean (McVay)’s done an outstanding job. If you saw after the game last week, the team basically gave him a game ball because he keeps pointing them in the right direction and he’s done a great job with that. One thing that’s come up, I guess, about Eric Weddle and so forth – I’ve never really given info to the teams that I’ve coached for before. You know the Broncos, the Bills, the Texans, the Cowboys, the Chargers, the Falcons, the Eagles and the Saints and the Oilers. I’m not going to give any to the Oilers for sure (laughs). But we’ll all be getting ready for this ball game. Actually, all those teams probably fired me too, so maybe that’s why I didn’t like them (laughs). Actually, I do appreciate all those teams giving me a job. I’m thankful for that.”
(On if there is something about the way Weddle communicates on the field that)
“Like I said, it’s anticipation of things that are going to happen and what adjustments we’re going to have to make I they go in motion quick or if they change formations and all those things. A lot of guys know what to do when everybody is static. He anticipates those things and says, ‘Hey, if it goes in motion, be ready for this. If he doesn’t go in motion, we don’t have to do it.’ Those things he does better than most of the guys I’ve ever been around.”
Rams RB Todd Gurley II
(On having WRs Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods in practice on Thursday)
“It felt good. It felt good getting those guys back. (WR) Brandin (Cooks) has been around pretty much and (WR) Rob (Woods) (has been out) a couple days, but he’s back. Good to see him around.”
(On how he’s felt this week after a season-high 25 carries last Sunday against Chicago)
“Yeah, it’s fine. A little sore, but I’m cool.”
(On if the offense can use the run-heavy approach it used against Chicago when playing Baltimore on Monday)
“We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.”
(On if he grew up as a fan of the Baltimore Ravens)
“Yes sir.”
(On some of his favorite players growing up)
“(Former Ravens S) Ed Reed – favorite player of all time. Favorite player of all time. (Former Ravens R
Willis McGahee, (former Ravens R Jamal Lewis and obviously (former Ravens L Ray (Lewis), (former Ravens TE) Todd Heap, all those guys. (Former Ravens LBs) Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs, more of the defensive guys. (Former Ravens Q Steve McNair when he went there for a couple years.”(On what he liked most about Reed)
“Greatest of all time. He made his presence known when he stepped on the field. One of my friends that passed away, he was a Steelers fan. We used to always go back and forth about who was better him (S Ed Reed) or (former Steelers S) Troy (Polamalu). He had more touchdowns than some running backs, just always taking it back to the house. They’ve got a player in (Ravens C
Marcus Peters, just like him, right now. He’s been doing pretty good ever since he left us.”(On what it will be like lining up against CB Marcus Peters on Monday)
“It will be fun, definitely going to be exciting. Looking forward to it.”
(On if Head Coach Sean McVay has the same demeanor through the ups and downs of the season)
“It’s been pretty much the same approach – just trying to stay positive and just keep taking it game-by-game.”
(On if he has followed Peters games with the Ravens)
“When you’ve got two pick sixes, it’s hard not to see that. We still stay in touch. If he ever needs anything from me I’ve got family there, I’d definitely look out for him. That’s my guy. He’s going to always be my guy. I definitely still stay in contact with him.”
(On what he sees in the Ravens’ defense)
“Kind of what the Ravens’ defense has always been. Hard-nosed, good linebacker play, some big guys up front. Then, you got some dogs back there, but (Ravens S Tony) Jefferson went down, but you got (Ravens S) Earl (Thomas III), (Ravens CB Marlon) Humphrey’s. Humphrey’s is always attacking the ball. (Ravens CB Marcus Peters) ‘M.P.’, (Ravens CB Brandon) Carr, just (Ravens C
Jimmy Smith, they’ve got some experienced players and some good players. They’re hot right now, they’ve got it going on. It’s always been tough to run the ball against the Ravens, honestly. That’s what they harp on. Hard-nose football, getting it done, running the ball on offense.”(On if the primetime football games provide extra juice when he’s out there)
“Nah. Actually, they’re cool, but I’d rather just get the game over with. Just go onto the next week.”
(On what it was about the win over the Bears that made it so satisfying)
“We needed it. Especially an NFC game. Kind of just would have been if we would have lost that, it just would have kind of, I mean it wouldn’t have been downhill, but it just would have been a disappointing loss. You definitely need those, those NFC games for sure. We need this game as well, but those divisional NFC opponent games you just really have to go out there and win those games.”
(On if has been surprising to him about how good the NFC division has been this year especially the Rams’ division with the 49ers)
“Nah, I feel like it’s been that way since we’ve been in the league. If it wasn’t for the Patriots, I feel like NFC teams would win every Super Bowl (laughs). It’s kind of always been that way. It’s always that one team each year. Obviously, kind of like last year with our year. You have the Panthers, you have the Eagles, you have the Falcons. It’s always like that one team that makes a run. That’s kind of the 49ers – they got the juice and somebody just kind of got to take it away from them. They’re doing a hell of a job.”
Rams WR Brandin Cooks
(On finally being able to get back to playing and knowing what he had to go through to get back on the field)
“Absolutely, just extremely blessed to play this game. To be able to come back out here with the guys and prep for another game. I don’t take that for granted, that’s for sure.
(On going back to Pittsburgh a couple times for further evaluation)
“You know what I think one of the biggest things that I learned, concussions (are) a case-by-case thing. To be able to go there and get some information from Dr. (Micky) Collins in Pittsburgh was extremely helpful. I’m just thankful for the team – putting me in the right position and looking out for my best interest. Taking every step I need to take so I’m comfortable going out there on the field.”
(On how concerning it was for him to sustain two concussions in a span of a month)
“To very honest with you, not really concerning at all. I understand that it’s one of the things that’s part of the game. At the end of the day, what’s going through my mind is like, ‘Okay, let’s get some answers.’ Then figuring out what’s going on. It’s a blessing that I don’t have ever have symptoms after. But at the end of the day, once again, I think it’s one of those things that’s a case-by-case thing. Mine was very unique and just thankful once again to be able to go and get answers and the team helping me out with that.”
(On if the doctors noticed anything that may trigger his concussions or if it’s just a contact type issue)
“It’s one of those things that, without going into detail – I think going out there really being able to get some of those answers and being comfortable coming back and playing. I think at the end of the day it’s just one of those things that’s such a grey area. Really just focusing on what I can do to be able to prevent some of those as best as I can.”
(On if he ever considered stepping away from football or retiring throughout this entire process)
“Absolutely not. No doubt about it. When it happened that never went through my mind. Even now it’s not going through my mind. I’m just thankful for a great team around me for me to be able to comfortable coming out here to play.”
(On if the possibility of him stepping away from football was raised to him by doctors or people close to him)
“No. Not at all.”
(On some things that he can do to manage concussions)
“You think about it from a standpoint that there’s so many systems that’s going on throughout the body. Some of those, the better that you can train and stay on top of. It’s just like any muscle the more that you train it the stronger that it can become. Other than that, I just think it’s an anomaly. It’s part of the game and you just never know, right?”
(On if he had a change with any of his equipment or if he got a different helmet)
“I mean, I got a new helmet, but other than that, everything else is the same.”
(On if he got a new helmet or a completely different styled helmet)
“New helmet.”
(On who he has leaned on the most throughout this process)
“My wife, for sure because that’s who I go home to. Seeing her comfortable going to those meetings with me – being at ease. It’s such a blessing. When you go home that’s who you’re dealing with the most as far as questions asked. To see her comfortable and to see her not as concerned is definitely helpful in getting me through this time for sure.”
(On if anyone should be concerned if he suffers another concussion)
“You know, it’s one of those things that I’m taking game by game. But, no I don’t think you should be concerned because I’m not.”
(On the emotions in seeing himself and WR Robert Woods going through a tough time that kind of supersedes football)
“Just extremely blessed to be back out here and play this game. It’s a gift from God, so anytime that you can come back out here and step on the field, you’re extremely thankful.”
(On returning to a game like this knowing that he’s a threat and he can change what Baltimore does defensively)
“I think first and foremost, you talk about guys who stepped in while I was out – (WR) Josh Reynolds, special guy, special receiver, and made a ton of plays these last three weeks. I think he brings that same dynamic to this offense and he’s been doing such a great job, and now I’m just going to continue to just do my job the best way I can and do what’s asked of me, that’s for sure.”
--RAMS--
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Shaky | 298 | November 21, 2019 02:57PM |
