TRANSCRIPTS: Rams vs. Cowboys Postgame Press Conferences - September 13, 2020

TRANSCRIPTS: Rams vs. Cowboys Postgame Press Conferences -
September 13, 2020

Pool Reporter Clarence Hill Interview with Referee Tony Corrente
Question: Can you provide some clarification on the offensive pass interference penalty at the end of the game? Dallas Head Coach Mike McCarthy said after the game that penalty is not normally called in that situation.

Corrente: “I can tell you it was clear and obvious on the field, of a hand into the opposing player. A full arm extension that created separation. In all situations that would be called. We’re not going to allow that at any time of the game.”

Question: There was nothing from the defensive player, just clearly from the receiver?

Corrente: “Clearly. There were two officials from two different angles that had a very good look at it, and they didn’t hesitate whatsoever, it was that clear and obvious.”



Head Coach Sean McVay

(Opening Remarks)
“Great job by the team. To be able to get the win, that’s obviously what we want to be able to get done. I thought our offense slowed up in the second half, but the defense picked up the slack. That’s what team football is all about. Had a couple costly penalties, that we have to be able to avoid moving forward, but overall, I liked the way we came out. I like the way the defense settled in the game. I liked the way (K) Sam Sloman, after he missed that field goal, ended up settling himself down. I thought (P) Johnny Hekker had some timely punts that flipped the field. Ultimately that’s what we want to do, come away with the win. That’s a tough football team. We have to get a lot better and we look forward to getting ready for ‘Philly’ (Philadelphia) next week.”

(On how S Jordan Fuller’s fourth quarter play changed the momentum)
“Unbelievable play. I mean, that flipped the whole momentum of the game. You know, and really, we ended up getting a good drive going and we ended up having a third-and-2 penalty that I thought we had a chance to really capitalize, go up ten (points) there. But again, the defense came up big, but that play right there was the play of the game, arguably. I can’t say enough about (S) Jordan Fuller, his maturity as a rookie and what kind of play that was. Outstanding.”

(On what went into the decision to start RB Cam Akers)
“We felt like (R Malcom (Brown) is such a big, important part for our game-plan, but he was going to get a lot of opportunities in some of those later down situations. But he ended up carrying the load and did an excellent job. Punched two touchdowns in there, had some tough runs. You know, we have to figure out a way to convert on that third down and three, so we don’t put our defense back out on the grass. But overall, for Malcolm to have 18 carries, a tough hard earned, I think about 79 yards, a couple touchdowns, and then he made some plays in the screen game as well. So, great game learning ‘opp’ (opportunity) for a lot of our young players and (R Cam (Akers) is going to continue to get better from this one.”

(On if Fuller’s amount of playing time was based on packages for this game or S Taylor Rapp still being worked back in)
“It was based on the that way (S) Jordan Fuller performed throughout training camp. (S) Taylor Rapp is a big part of our football team, that is not going to change, but it was more a result of great things that Jordan has done from day one. I mean, he’s been making plays, he’s mature beyond his years. The way he sees things, his range, his ability to make plays, as he demonstrated tonight. So, very pleased with Jordan. He’s going to continue to get better, but Taylor Rapp is a huge part of our football team as well.”

(On what he would like to do better in the red zone)
“I’ve got to call some better plays and then also we have to do a better job of avoiding the penalties. You know, we had self-inflicted wounds. We got a favorable down-and-distance, we ended up getting an intentional grounding, that’s a drive killer. I called a bad screen in a situation there on a second down. But the good thing is, is that it’s much easier to correct after a win. We made some plays that could of cost us, but we made some plays that ended up getting the win tonight. And ultimately, it is a team game, I was really pleased with all three phases, being able to collectively contribute to the outcome while knowing that, ‘Hey, we have a lot of things that we can look at, get better,’ and that’s exactly where our focus and concentration will be moving towards ‘Philly’ (Philadelphia) next week.”

(On how important new players such as WR Van Jefferson, K Samuel Sloman, and OLB Leonard Floyd are moving forward)
“It’s going to be huge because all those guys you mention are going to be big parts of what we are trying to do moving forward. Those guys showed up. I mean, shoot, you see (OL Jachai Polite making a big-time rush and the two-minute situation at the end of the game. So, a lot of contributors. That’s exactly what you want. You want depth across the board, guys that you feel like can step up and make plays and that was what was reflected tonight. But a lot of those guys, I was very pleased with them. Man, it’s a different atmosphere here. You realize how much you appreciate the crowd, but I thought our guys, our group had great energy throughout and that’s a credit to our team leadership – the (DL Michael) Brockers, the (DL) Aaron Donalds, (C Jalen (Ramsey) had great juice, and (OL Andrew) Whitworth. Those guys, they were outstanding tonight.”

(On if it was eerie or weird on the field tonight with no fans)
“It was. You appreciate the ebbs and flows and the big plays and the excitement from the crowd and how much energy they bring. So, that was kind of what I was alluding to in my last comment. I was really pleased with the energy we had from our sidelines, but man when that’s the only thing you’re hearing, when Dallas made a couple plays and you hear just from their sideline, it is. Eerie is a great way to be able to describe it. But what a cool thing to be able to get a win for Mr. (Owner/Chairman E. Stanley) Kroenke tonight in this beautiful venue that he built.”

(On what he’ll remember the most about opening the building tonight besides the win)
“I think the win is definitely – that atmosphere in the locker room is something that you can’t get enough of. That’s what you love so much, is being able to work hard towards a common goal and achieve it with people that you care and love so much. So, it’s one step in the right direction. We have a lot of work to do, but I think I’ll remember the silence too. I mean, this was a different atmosphere, but the magnitude of this stadium is something that you truly cherish, it’s a blessing and we want to make sure we take advantage of every opportunity we get to compete here.”

(On if it was a conscious decision by the team to not be on the field during “Lift Every Voice and Sing”)
“No, you know what, we finished our warmups like six minutes early and just for the guys to stand in the endzone, that was what it was. No disrespect in the least bit. That was not part of the plan. I didn’t realize, that’s 100 percent on me, didn’t realize the timing of it. So, our guys were kind of standing out there for forever. That’s 100 percent on me, no excuses about that and that was definitely not planned. Moving forward, those things, I will make sure that I do a better job of getting that situated, in terms of when we finish up warmups, if that’s something that they do in Week 2 moving forward.”

(On the defense proving themselves to be the backbone of the team tonight)
“I thought the defense was the backbone of the team tonight in crunch time. I thought the offense did a great job in the first half, we petered out a little bit in the second half. Special teams, when they had their opportunities did a nice job of contributing. I liked the way ‘Sam’ (K Samuel Sloman) responded after the early missed field goal. But ultimately it is about the team, I thought the defense picked up the slack in the second half to ultimately close it out and that was a big deal.”

(On the way the team was able to get long, clock-eating drives)
“We did. I would’ve really liked if the last drive was a little bit longer, then putting our defense back out on the grass. They were in some favorable situations that we felt like we could be able to get out on the edge. I can’t wait to look at this tape because I know there is a lot of things we can get better at. But ultimately, I did like the way that we came out. I think we had great tempo in that first drive. I thought we were able to sustain it, really, I’ll be interested to go back and look at the one turnover that we did have. Looked like we kind of had some hands to the face, but ultimately, I have to see the film and be able to look at it. We have to take care of the football. We can’t do that, but a lot of good things and a lot of things that we can clean up.”

(On what he thought about QB Jared Goff’s performance tonight)
“I thought he did a nice job. I thought he made plays in a timely situations. I love the throw when we were kind of backed up against our own endzone, but he made the play in the play-action to (WR) Cooper Kupp. Thought that was a big-time ballsy throw and then he made some big third-down conversions. I thought he managed the situation. I thought he did a great job getting us in and out of some of the right looks. So, overall, very pleased. I’ll be interested to look at that one play because those are the things that we have to be able to avoid, but if there was something in his face, then that’s something that we got to be able to see that as well.”

(On how important it was to get off on a positive note instead of going into Week 2 with a loss)
“I think it was big. And it's just one game though, so there's a lot of football to be played, but there's a lot of work that goes into this to be able to start off in the right direction, especially in the first game at SoFi (Stadium), that was a big deal. And we know what a good football team Dallas (Cowboys) is. I bet they're going to win a lot of football games this year. (Dallas Head) Coach (Mike) McCarthy does a great job and you can see they're a tough unit on all three phases and got a lot of respect for some of their players. You see why they're special guys.”

(On was there was a balance to getting his rookie kicker live reps in a game and going for it on fourth down)
“There was. I'll never claim to be perfect with some of my decision making. You always look inwardly as well. So, we have a self-scout, where we’re correcting our players, but I've also got to make sure that I'm cognizant of some of my decision making. But there was a lot of being mindful of making sure that, you try to get (K) Sam (Sloman) in some good situations. And I think in a lot of instances it was like, ‘Hey, we still have confidence to let you come out and punch this thing in.’ And we felt like that was the right decision at the time. I'll go back and definitely be able to critique myself on some of those. There was a couple that I definitely thought about it, even at the end there. But just feeling the flow at the end of the game that the defense had such good momentum, felt good about punting it back, but, a lot of good things to be able to look at tonight.”



QB Jared Goff

(On the third-quarter drive and distributing the ball)
“We had a couple of big third downs there and picked them up. I think we were for almost every drive – I don't know if we punted – once maybe. I mean, we really, really were moving the ball well, and every drive felt really good. The thing that was kind of biting us a little bit was not finishing those drives with touchdowns and that one did. That's how ultimately we wanted those first three or four to finish with were just like that. But yeah, it felt good. It felt like we had been kind of getting stalled in that red-zone area, we're able to finish one off there.”

(On the interception he threw and if he got hit in the head by a defender)
“I don’t know how much I'd be allowed to say about that, but I talked to them and I said, ‘Hey man, like, I mean, if there's ever one, I think that would be it.’ Those guys are in their first game, just like we are and things happen. If I had to guess, I think that's a penalty, but at the same time, I understand that they're human.”

(On the vibe of the game)
“It was very galvanizing, I think. To kind of be only out there by yourselves, knowing that we're at home, but at the same time, it's us and them and there's no one else in the building and it's really mano-a-mano. I thought it was really cool that we could really, throughout the game hear, our sideline. I told those guys, I thought it was really cool being able to make big plays and here our guys kind of erupt and could hear like individual voices, I heard (P) Johnny Hekker almost the whole game yelling in between plays and it was fun. It was a different type of fun without the fans, but it was still fun.”

(On the new players on the roster and how they stepped up tonight)
“In particular, on offense, (R Cam (Akers) and (WR) Van (Jefferson), they really showed tonight why we like them and why they've done such a good job in training camp. Cam was in there for a lot of those reps at running back and did a great job. And then Van, obviously that ball down the sideline was huge on third down and blocked really well. And, um, did some other things in the pass game that were really good. Ultimately, I mean, in the run game, (R Malcolm Brown was kind of our, our bell cow and did a job.”

(On the opening of the new stadium)
“It was a special day. I think we'll look back on this a long time from now and realize, the importance of it. It was a special day to be here everything that's led up to it. Obviously, know the commitment that (Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke) Mr. Kroenke has made. It was really cool to go out there and to get a win and, and really play well on all facets of the game. To have big plays here, have mistakes here, but really play the team and get a win and be excited about it.”

(On his movement outside the pocket today)
“It felt good. I think I may want to have that last one back where I tucked it in ran just with what we saw with some of the guys down the field. But other than that, I thought I played well and moved around a little bit. And like you mentioned, moved the pocket. I thought (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) did a great job calling the game today and kept me on my feet, kept me moving around and felt pretty good.”

(On describing the red-zone stalls)
“I mean, one of them, I got us a 10-yard penalty. That's, that's never going to help. I believe we had another penalty on another one. It's really the stuff that shoots ourselves in the foot. I don't think I can think of one specific thing that was overarching all three of them, but I'm sure all three drives had a play or two that shot ourselves in the foot when we were rolling and really can't have that. That's, you know, early season stuff that we'll clean up and hopefully next week we can finish in the endzone a lot more.”

(On S Jordan Fuller)
“(S) Jordan (Fuller) is a great player, man. He's an exciting player to watch. He's challenged me in training camp. I mean, being a rookie and being able to be as long as he is and as smart as he is. He does a lot of stuff in our defense that really fits him and he's a tremendous player. I thought through training camp, he did a really good job. He had a really good job. He picked me off early in training camp and, I was like, okay, this kid can play. He's, he's smarter than most rookies. I'm excited he's on our team.”

(On his reaction to WR Cooper Kupp’s contract extension)
“Very excited for him. He deserves it. It's always a good thing when teams can reward good players who do the right thing and approach things the right way. I think here at the Rams, we've done that and it's really good to see that again with (WR) Cooper (Kupp) and obviously on the heels of (C Jalen's (Ramsey) deal. It's exciting for me, I know I get to have him for however many more years his deal is, I believe it's a three-year extension. So, this year plus three, or I don't really know how that works, but it'll be fun.”

(On what was working for the offense tonight)
“We had a good plan. We had a really good plan coming in and I thought the O-line did a great job up front, creating that push for us for the run game. Anytime we can run the ball like that, our whole offense opens up and we're able to do basically anything we want. So, it starts up front and they did a great job moving the line of scrimmage and keeping us on track. I think that's the name of the game for us.”

(On the momentum and confidence gained from moving the ball on offense)
“It felt good to be able to start that way and be able to move the ball the way we did it again. I think it starts in the run game and what we were able to do running the football with all these guys and being up-tempo, being fast. It's part of what we wanted to do coming into the game, put them on their heels a bit early and we were able to do exactly what we wanted to do early, and it felt really good.”

(On the offensive pass interference called on the Cowboys later in the game)
“What did I think about it? I thought it was great.”

(On if he thought it was legitimate)
I mean, I'm sitting on the sideline. I haven't seen a replay yet, but yeah. I don't want to say anything I can't say, but yeah, I thought it was a great call.”


RB Malcolm Brown

(On scoring the first touchdown at SoFi stadium)
“It’s exciting. We had a good game plan going in. If those guys call my number, I just have to be ready. That’s my mindset, it’s going to stay my mindset throughout the year. I really just got to show love to the big dogs up front. They make it easy on me. Just to get two tonight, and have that first one at SoFi, it’s exciting. I feel like it may live forever. It was cool.”

(On if this win meant any more to him being from Texas and playing the Dallas Cowboys)
“Yeah, for sure. Growing up, a lot of us Texas guys are Texans and Cowboys fans growing up and everything like that. So being able to perform the way I did with the help of my teammates and knowing everybody’s back at home watching, it was fun, man. I know I probably got a whole bunch of texts and calls and stuff that I have to return. It was fun, it meant a lot to me.”

(On how the third-quarter drive where they went up to 20 points and finished off with a run looked similar to how the team functioned a couple years ago)
“For sure. That’s how we want to function. We’ve got a lot of stuff to clean up. We’ll get in there tomorrow and see the film and everything. But yeah, you’re right. That’s the way we want to function as an offense. I feel like that was a great drive for us and we just want to continue that and sustain that as much as possible throughout the whole season.”


CB Jalen Ramsey

(On the intensity he brought tonight and his experience playing in SoFi Stadium)
“Yeah, it’s definitely a little bit different with no fans, honestly. You have to create your own energy but that’s something we pride ourselves on doing anyway. That’s something I pride myself personally on doing is bringing a lot of energy, heart and passion for the game and try to be contagious and the best for my teammates. I feel like we did that for the most part. There is ups and downs, ebbs and flows of the game that we had to overcome and I feel like we did a good job of that. It was a tough game just like we knew it would be, Week 1 against a good Cowboys team, but we just persevered, we kept fighting and we were able to come out with the win.”

(On what he’s going to remember most about tonight)
“It’s a difficult time right now for not only us, but the world and it’s hard to pick something other than the win. I feel like we persevered through a lot of obstacles throughout this whole year and came out with a win to start the season off 1-0 which is what matters, the win.”

(On his impressions of SoFi Stadium)
“We’ve been in the stadium a couple times for scrimmages, so it’s always amazing when we come here. I wouldn’t even call it a stadium, I would call it like a whole complex or something. It’s super nice, they did a great job on it. Locker room’s nice, field’s nice, training room, literally everything from top to bottom. By far the best stadium in the NFL. Very impressed with it, not only tonight, but the other two times I was able to be in here as well.”


DL Aaron Donald

(On the play of CB Jalen Ramsey and S Jordan Fuller tonight)
“Big time plays, that’s what you want from those guys. Big time plays when we needed them the most. I think they did a great job. Overall, we stuck together, we kept playing and we found a way to win the game.”

(On what it felt like to play his first game in SoFi Stadium)
“It was good. It was fun. A little quiet, but at the end of the day we’re still out there playing football competing. So overall it was definitely different not having that crowd behind you, but still at the end of the day it was still football. To play here for the first time and come away with a win against a good team, it’s good. We still got a lot of for improvement to get better, but at least we get to do it off a win.”

(On how he felt about S Jordan Fuller making a big play in the fourth quarter)
“That was huge. Again, he is a young guy that stepped up for us and made a big play for us to help us win this game. He’s out there on that field playing for a reason, to make plays like that and help us. So, anytime you see that, you’re excited, you’re pumped up. It’s one game and he’s going to continue to get better, we going to continue to get better as a team. So, like I said, it’s just something to be excited about and get ready to keep getting better.”

--RAMS--

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