Transcripts - Raheem Morris, Mike LaFleur, Aaron Donald - Thursday, December 4, 2024
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Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive
Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive
Coordinator Mike LaFleur, Defensive Tackle
Aaron Donald - Thursday, December 4, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
(On what it’s been like watching OLB Byron Young and NT Kobie Turner
develop this season and continue to swap places in sack totals)
“Didn't know about the sack totals, I just kind of go about the deal and they've
really gotten better watching those guys go since they've been here. They
came in young rookies. Kobie came in, super smart, super intelligent with an
unbelievable motor. Byron just coming in really showing us stuff right off the bat
with some explosiveness being just a violent rusher and he's really developed
some of his tools to get even better and now developing as a dropper as well,
being at the outside backer position. They have been so much fun to work with
and be around. I couldn't be happier with the two young guys.”
(On lessons he’s learned from the adversity the team has faced this
season)
“You learn lessons every single week in the National Football League and I
think getting to the bye being 3-6, having a couple close games there where
that could have looked different as well, it gave you the confidence coming out
of the bye that you can do what we've done over the past couple of months. It’s
really a credit to our leadership and (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and what he's
been able to do and how he's pushed us forward. I really give him a lot of credit
for that, fighting through it. And it's not just this year, it's the years prior. It's all
your years of experience. It's going through the different situations as you go
through them when you go about your business in the National Football League
and it's a lot of fun to be able to have those moments for these guys.”
(On if he’s surprised by the level of performance he’s seen from the
rookies this season)
“Surprised would be a word I wouldn't use. I never set people's expectations
and I am happy at the development that has happened. I think we have the
best group of coaches and you’re really impressed with how (Defensive Line
Coach) Eric Henderson or (Defensive Backs Coach) Aubrey Pleasant or
(Assistant Linebackers Coach) Chris Shula or (Outside Linebackers Coach)
Joe (Coniglio) or any of these guys developing their games, (Secondary Coach)
Chris Beake. I can go on and on with the guys, right? (Assistant Defensive Line
Coach) AC (Carter) to (Defensive Assistant) Mike Harris, but I'm never
surprised what they do. I've always felt like these guys are going to come in
and we're going to try to do what they can do and then let them exceed our
expectations on the grass. Those guys have certainly done that. So surprised
would be a little off. It's more like pleasantly pleased the production and how
they've grown just something like that.”
(On if he gets to try new things in games like this Sunday where the
‘world doesn’t end’ if they lose the game)
“The world always ends if you lose a game (laughter). Everybody dies, that's
what happens, right? Every single week that's the life we live in. When you
make decisions, conscientious decisions based on being a head coach of
sitting a couple of guys, the guys that are playing, coaches included, we are all
in and we have to go win this football game. That's how we look at. It's how we
play the game. If you don't do it that way, you end up getting hurt as a player or
you end up missing opportunities as a coach and we don't want to miss those
opportunities. We're going in and then obviously there's some strategy. There
are some strategic things that go on there when you're resting a guy like (DT)
Aaron Donald, you're resting a guy like (L
Ernest (Jones) to get those guys
back to where you want them to be for when you go into the playoffs because
you were fortunate enough in this business to qualify before it mattered or
before it ended. You take advantage of those moments for certain people,
whether it be long-term players or whatever the case may be. But the guys
have got to go, we’re coaching this game as if we have to win it to get in and I
think that's the mentality you have to have.”
(On his comment last week about not getting emotionally invested in
watching the Seahawks vs. Steelers game and if that stayed true when
everyone was watching it on the plane)
“I didn't, you could ask everybody. I sat in the seat and I was trying to enjoy the
Tulsa King and while I was enjoying it, everybody started to cheer after the
game had got to that result and when it got to that result, then I joined the party.
But I didn't get emotionally invested. I stayed true to my word. I didn't let them
get me although they wanted me to, (VP Sports Medicine and Performance)
Reggie (Scott) and his staff included. It was a lot of fun. (Senior Staff Writer)
Stu (Jackson) was there, I believe, and I didn't get involved until after the fact
and after the fact we were able to celebrate and be very excited of our
accomplishment that we were able to do getting in the playoffs.”
(On what the plane ride back was like)
“It was outstanding. It was what you would think. It was a bunch of guys being
really happy at what they've been able to accomplish at that point, but not
satisfied. It was what you'd expect, a bunch of guys really proud of that
accomplishment but knowing that we still have more left, it's fun.”
(On if he sent Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin a message after the
game)
“Of course we did. Mike T was a staff member of ours this week and he did a
great job (laughter). Like I said, personally, I can't speak for everybody,
obviously people look at that and cheer for different people and I couldn't get
involved. I have too many good people that I know in Seattle and things of that
nature and definitely want the outcome to come out in my favor, but I just don't
want to put bad karma on myself. Mike T did a nice job of it. I got a bunch of
messages from a bunch of different people and Mike Tomlin definitely got one
from all of us, not just me.”
(On what the conversation was like with McVay regarding resting
defensive players)
“Really Sean initiated it with us pretty early. Really started on that plane ride,
just kind of some early thoughts and then I'm fortunate enough to ride home
with him and some more further going throughout the process until the next
morning until we had our final coaches meeting and he made his decisions at
that time. Then he called those guys to let those guys know on how he was
going to move forward and he did a really nice job. Came back and reported to
us on our normal game plan Tuesday and came to let us know that he talked to
those guys and spoke with them and when they came in, they were ready to
deal with what they had to get ready for and how they're going to prepare
themselves this week in order to get ready for moving forward. He kind of
handled that on his own. I think it was a great job, done really well and I think
he handled it great with the team. I told our team the maturity of this football
team for the coach to be able to come in and explain that to everybody and tell
them what we have to do this week, I thought it was handled really well. I
thought it was nicely done.”
(On how he feels about his defense preventing explosive plays moving
into the playoffs)
“Not very good right now. We've given up way too many, right? That is a
circumstance of a bunch of different things. It's some individual losses,
sometimes it's a schematic issue, sometimes it's a bust, a mental error, and we
have to cut those things down, right? We've been fortunate to start off games
really well and play really well throughout and then give up some explosive
plays towards the end. We've been able to hang on to win those games and
last week was really too close for anybody's comfort. It doesn't matter who
you're playing. If you want to continue to move games moving forward, you
have to play better than that. We have got to clean that area up.”
(On why he thinks giving up explosive plays towards the end of games
has become a pattern)
“The thing I would say that most stands out to me and you try to address is
usually when you play a simpler defense and play back and your four-man rush
can’t get there as quickly, it doesn't look the same in the back end. The
coverage has to hold up longer, the rush is not getting there. It's kind of a
combination of rush and coverage and we have to get better on those
situations. And we improved this week because we have to finish this game off
and get some of those things done, but still have to get better to that level.
That's something that you can constantly work on. That is the beauty of it,
right? The constant moving on and getting better throughout playing football
while you're going to the playoffs and it's something that we can definitely
address.”
(On if improving in those areas on defensive can be done in ‘above the
neck’ stuff)
“Everything in this game is above the neck. You stole my own saying from me,
but this is an above the neck, right? When you're talking about that, you're
talking about the knowledge of what they're going to do and what you're going
to do and then how do you prevent scrambles? How do you prevent explosive
plays? How do you prevent when a quarterback has time to hold onto the ball
because you can't get that perfect rush that you need, when you're trying to sit
back and play smart. Sometimes it's easy to the next day, ‘We should have
blitzed them.’ That's great, but you still put some people in harm's way with
explosive play and how do you find that healthy balance? I'm never going to
complain about our offense scoring a bunch of points and giving us a big lead
and us giving up a couple explosives. It is what it is, right? We'll live with those
battles and we'll get better in those moments.”
(On if they build confidence because of the way they win games as
opposed to guys saying ‘here we go again’ when things start to go
wrong)
“I don't think I've ever heard anybody say the, ‘Oh boy, here we go again’
mentality, because…and I mean you're right, probably because we're winning
the games, right? They become teachable moments. I guess that's what you're
trying to say there. When you win those games in those tight situations,
whether you jump out on New Orleans or really balling and just playing like the
‘85 Bears up until three and a half quarters, and then they start rolling back on
you, you hold on and then the same thing happens I think versus Washington.
They put in (Commanders QB Jacoby) Brissett and he comes in, he looks like
(former Q Tom Brady in his prime. You get that thing done and then you go
out and play a hard battle last week versus the Giants. I think when you're able
to win those games, you give yourself confidence, you give your team
confidence, you give everybody confidence, and you have those teachable
moments that we're brought up and able to implement throughout the week.
That's why weeks like this, weeks like next week, all those things have to be
brought into the fold. We call them peeling off band-aids in our room and I get a
lot of opportunities to peel off band-aids this year, in particular with a young
football team.”
Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur
(On preparing QB Carson Wentz for this week)
“Good. Obviously yesterday was just a walkthrough day. I thought he did a
great job with the plan that we got going into this thing. I thought all the guys
did. Obviously, there's going to be a few new faces out there. Like I said, just
off of yesterday and then today's walkthrough, they're all prepared.”
(On what he’s seen from Wentz since his arrival to the team)
“Yeah, he's done a great job with the look squad and doing a lot of the same
stuff that we've seen from afar. This is a guy that's played some high-level ball
in his career and he believes, and so do I, that he still has a lot of that out there
for him. So he's shown… the guys have a lot of confidence in him because they
get to see him particularly on Thursdays over these last seven to eight weeks,
or however long he's been here since the bye. And so they know that, hey, they
better do their part because he's going to do his and guys will be ready to go.”
(On preparing while knowing different players will be playing for both
teams)
“Yeah, obviously it's different than your typical week but it wouldn't be right if we
weren't putting our best foot forward as coaches for all the other guys that are
getting their opportunity. You hold all these guys in such high regard for what
they put their bodies through all year. And there's going to be guys that do a lot
behind the scenes for the look squad and stuff like that that probably deserves
an opportunity, but, it's the NFL. It's tough to get out on that field, you know? So
as a coach myself, you do whatever you can to make sure that you're putting
your best foot forward for these guys.”
(On if he expected RB Kyren Williams to rush for 1,000 yards this season)
“Yeah, he was producing pretty early. To sit back, I think I've answered this
before in terms of you knew you had a back dating all the way back to OTAs,
but then when the pads got on training camp, you knew that there definitely
was something there. And we’ll see when the lights are on on Sundays if it was
going to carry over and certainly it has. To say that he was going to have one of
these kinds of years, you never know. But this is his standard now and he
brings it every week and couldn't be prouder of a young man.”
(On where Williams has improved the most as a runner)
“He's always been a good runner, right? Dating back to… he was a big-time
recruit. He goes to Notre Dame. He's a good runner there. He just hadn't done
it on Sundays yet, part of it because he was injured a little bit. But I think as the
year has gone on, his confidence in the blocking scheme and how to set up
some of those blocks up front, he's always been natural at that dating back to
the first game of this year but it's just gotten better. He's trusted it more and
more and that's where you just see… sometimes he's hitting it downhill a
hundred miles an hour. Other times he's setting it up, being patient and I think
that's just him getting so comfortable with the scheme with the guys in front, the
continuity. Every week it seems to get a little better for him.”
(On the offensive priority for this year)
“Putting these guys in the best position to be successful every week and every
week's going to be a little bit different. I feel like we've gotten in a pretty good
rhythm since the bye week, obviously last week. We were a little bit off in some
aspects, some uncharacteristic things since the back half of the season. But
again, it's not like a set goal that we're trying… we just want the best from these
guys every single week. And as coaches, we're trying to do whatever we can to
lay out a blueprint and let these guys go play fast and play physical and play
free and play with great energy and I think they've done that and it starts with
(Q Matthew (Stafford) and it bled through the rest of these guys.”
(On what is needed for a player to get more reps both in practice and in
the game)
“Sometimes it's just an opportunity and (WR) Demarcus (Robinson), you'd have
to ask him, but I think he'd be the first one to tell you that this is a different
system than he's been in. Obviously it's his third one. I don't know how many
coordinators he had in Kansas City, but he was in Kansas City quite a while. It's
a much different system than ours. Baltimore a year ago was a much different
system than ours. And so just getting familiar with it, comfortable with it,
understanding how Matthew sees things let alone what us as coaches. And he
did, he got more and more comfortable and I've been on record to say I was
just so proud of him because every single day he came in. You could tell how
bad he wanted to be out there. I've had conversations with him about how bad
he wanted to be out there. But once he got on the practice field, he just brought
it every single day and then he got his opportunity and made the most of it.”
(On what it's like going against 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan)
“Oh, you got so much respect for that guy as a coach, as a person, as a friend,
as a father, as a family. He's awesome and he's done so much for me and my
career and my personal life. He'll always be someone that is like family to me
and I mean that. When you turn on the tape, his teams they speak to you. They
play as physical and as tough and with as much energy as anyone out there.
And so you know when you play the Niners, you better bring your A game. And
what I love about our team is our guys aren't really worried about anyone else.
They're worried about themselves and going out and playing their game. And I
think you've kind of seen that each and every week with our guys, how they've
grown and the confidence that they have. So I know this one's going to be a
little bit different. I'll never look forward to what may or may not happen in a few
weeks. Not really concerned about that. But again, to answer your question,
just a lot of respect for not just Kyle, but everyone in that building, how they do
things.”
(On going into a game with Wentz who has started a lot of games
compared to another quarterback who has played as a backup)
“Well, Carson's played a lot of football, right? A lot of the other backups and I
don't want to date back to last year and stuff because I wasn't here, but they
hadn't played as much ball as him. Again, Carson's played some high-quality
football in his career and there's a reason he was a top pick and stuff like that.
And again, for him to be able to get comfortable… I think (Pass Game
Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach) Zac Robinson and what they've done
behind the scenes every single day. They don't skip a day. They don't skip their
process. When we go through the walkthrough and Matthew goes through his
45 minutes because as a starter you get all those reps, they go through it and
they do it on air, both Zac, (Asst. Head Coach) Jimmy Lake, Carson. And then
when he gets his chance with the scout team and stuff like that, the guys see
what he's capable of and Carson's very confident in himself. So it'll be fun. And
I'm really happy for him because I know he's put in the work to put his best foot
forward and we'll see what happens on Sunday.”
(On if there’s a different feel preparing Wentz as opposed to other
backups we’ve had on the roster this year)
“Yeah, I don't know. I'm not even worried about any of that and I don't think our
guys are. They're just ready for this opportunity and we're a different team too
all around them compared to that Green Bay game. We're a much healthier
team. I think the identity that we were starting to establish in that mid part of the
season has really taking a whole different turn since that bye week. That game
had so many other factors than just the quarterback. But to answer your
question, and again I know Carson's ready to go and the guys are ready behind
him.”
(On Head Coach Sean McVay as a boss)
“The man. That's the first thing that came to my head. No, he's urgent. He's fair
to these guys. He's smart. He's an incredible leader because he listens and he
knows how to captivate a room. And it's not just because of how he says
things. It's what's coming out of his mouth. And he puts a lot of time and effort,
in not only the schematic aspect of it, but the leadership. He's the leader of an
organization in terms of being the head coach and being kind of the face of it,
you know? So it's been a really fun year. I don't want this thing to end anytime
soon. None of us do. We still got a lot of growing. There's still a lot of things
we're going to be able to do as a team that's out in front of us. But there's a
reason he's been as successful as he has with really now a lot of different
groups.”
(On what OL Steve Avila has done to improve and the impact he’s made
from such a young age)
“You're right though, when you're not talking about the o-line usually that's
more of a good thing and we don't mention him that often because he's doing
his thing and he's one of those guys that if you watch from week one to now,
the improvement, and just the consistent improvement... and I've told him this
and I've told it in front of the group. It's not just what he's been doing on
Sundays. It’s his consistent approach to get better in practice and his practice
habits have gotten better since the beginning of the year. He's practicing like a
pro and then you see it out there. He has a zest for playing this game. Don't let
his smile and demeanor fool you for not being a tough guy. He's very much a
tough guy. He just loves life and he loves playing ball and he's got a nastiness
to him that, again, if you just look at him, he looks like the nicest guy you've
ever met but then he blocks these 330-pound men every single week and he
does a dang good job at it. He's part of that crew, that young crew that you're
proud of because of how they've extended and how much work they've put in
and how much better they've gotten.”
Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald
(On how it feels to have 10 Pro Bowl selections in 10 seasons)
“It's a blessing so I’m excited about it, but I've still got a lot more work to do.”
(On if there’s anything he added to his game this season or if he’s doing
anything differently)
“Just working, trying to find ways to make my plays when they present
themselves. Obviously, having a young group, just trying to bring guys along
and do my part to be a leader so that's about it.”
(On if he thinks the decision to not play him on Sunday is a good one and
will help him in the long run)
“Obviously, you want to play. You want to be out there but after talking to (Head
Coach) Sean (McVay) and looking at the big picture, it makes sense to make
sure guys are where they need to be, certain guys and being as healthy as you
can and get ready to make this run we're about to make.”
(On why he believes NT Kobie Turner should be the Defensive Rookie of
the Year)
“I think the production that he's been putting out. I don't look at other defensive
rookies as having success but I think he's the top guy, right? Do y'all know?
Honestly, I'm asking. Yeah, I think he's just a productive guy when you talk
about playing a run stout, making tackles for loss, he does that, putting
pressure on the quarterback and affecting the quarterback, he does that,
making sacks, he does that. So I think it's kind of a no-brainer type of thing,
right? He's just been playing some good football for us, making a lot of plays
and it's one of the things that when you put the body of work in and you
deserve certain things and that's something that I feel like he deserves so you
just got to keep working.”
(On if Turner is able to produce the way he does because of the attention
he draws)
“Well, that’s what he’s supposed to do. You get the one-on-one opportunity,
that's what it's for. If somebody wants to focus on one guy, the next guy is
supposed to step up and make plays and he’s been doing that so he's just
doing his job like he's supposed to do it at a high level. He's just got to keep
working, continue to get better, not be satisfied. But right now he's having a
pretty good season so I’m proud of him but like I said, still got a lot more work
to do.”
(On how he’s seen Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Eric
Henderson reach the younger players as a more experienced player
himself)
“I think it's just being on top of guys, not letting these guys be satisfied or
comfortable, being on them but at the same time, when they do things right,
you praise them. I think it's just the work ethic you got, the things we do, the
repetition things we do that seem annoying and like why are we doing this? But
they help us at the end of the day to be the guys and be the players we want to
be and that's again, credit to the guys who are going out there playing the
game, being confident, having that confidence of seeing the production that
they’re having and doing it week in and week out. It’s just a good group man, a
bunch of guys that love playing football, that are having fun and are flying
around, playing with a lot of confidence and that's why we're in the position
we’re in today.”
(On if it’s important to him to show the younger guys that you still have to
show up and do the “annoying” things)
“Well, yeah you’re tired but it’s going to make you better, right? So at the end of
the day, I'm still a player. I still need to not allow myself to be satisfied or
comfortable either so even when I don't want to do it, I do it right? Because it
ain't going to do nothing but make me better. When you got a coach like Coach
‘Henny’ that you trust, you know what he's going to bring to the table, you know
what he can do to take your game to another level, you trust this process and
you just trust that what you're doing is going to help and obviously over the past
few years, seeing the success, seeing the things pay off, you just trust it.”
(On the conversations he’ll want to have with the guys while he’s on the
sideline on Sunday)
“Whatever I see out there, just trying to give them their feedback. If they ask me
questions, just trying to give them any little tips I can give them, obviously help
them with the rotation stuff at times and just trying to do my part to help these
guys to have success this week.”
(On if he noticed McVay being more hands on and immediately making
corrections during this season’s training camp compared to previous
years)
“Yeah, I could see that. I’ve seen that for sure. Definitely when things weren’t
going how they needed to be, he’d bring it up a lot more and make sure that
you don't want to take none of this stuff for granted. If it feels like it's just a
walkthrough or it's just a jog through because at the end of the day, all this
matters. This is what’s going to get you better, definitely having a young group
and guys being locked in and still having our focus to practice like it's still full
speed practice even though it's a walkthrough.”
(On what it means to him to still be contributing to a playoff team who a
lot of people didn’t think would make it this far)
“It means a lot. Obviously, having a young group that’s coming into the season,
you don't know what to expect. You’re kind of hesitant about not knowing
what's going to happen, but obviously practicing and seeing how these guys
are flying around making plays and then it's like, you get excited about it and
then you start seeing it translate into the football games and seeing the success
we start having as a team. That's just hard work paying off, right? My dad’s
been telling me all my life, ‘You put the body of work in and good things are
going to come from that.’ I think this group’s been doing that and when you live
off ‘hard work pays off’ and you got a bunch of guys who are putting that work
in, it feels good to reap the benefits of the success and being where we’re at
right now. But again, we’re in there. We’re in the door now and now we got a lot
more work to keep going and we’re chasing something.”
(On what’s stood out to him about LB Ernest Jones this season and how
he’s found his voice and become a vocal leader)
“He’s been playing lights out, man. I love playing with Ernest. I love the energy
he brings. I love the leadership he brings. I love how he flies around. I got the
opportunity to play with a lot of good football players, but I think if he can
continue to play, continue to do what he's doing, he can be a special player,
man. I've been saying that since his rookie year. We saw what he was doing
his rookie year, he helped us win the Super Bowl so I ain't got nothing but love
and respect for him and his ceiling is high as long as he keeps putting the body
of work in and not allow himself to be satisfied. He can be a great one.”
--RAMS--
#HelmetHornsMatter
“Well, the color is good, I like the metallic blue,” Youngblood recently said while laughing, via NFL Journal. “The horn is terrible. It looks like a ‘C.’ When I first saw it on the logo I honestly thought it was a Charger logo.
“Now when I see it on the helmet, it just isn’t a ram horn. There is no distinct curl like a mature ram horn. I don’t know how the Rams could get that wrong. That is your symbol and it has been for what? Seventy years or more? Longer than I have been alive? It’s just not us, it’s not the Rams.”---Mr. Ram Jack Youngblood
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2024 02:48PM by Ramsdude.
Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive
Coordinator Mike LaFleur, Defensive Tackle
Aaron Donald - Thursday, December 4, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
(On what it’s been like watching OLB Byron Young and NT Kobie Turner
develop this season and continue to swap places in sack totals)
“Didn't know about the sack totals, I just kind of go about the deal and they've
really gotten better watching those guys go since they've been here. They
came in young rookies. Kobie came in, super smart, super intelligent with an
unbelievable motor. Byron just coming in really showing us stuff right off the bat
with some explosiveness being just a violent rusher and he's really developed
some of his tools to get even better and now developing as a dropper as well,
being at the outside backer position. They have been so much fun to work with
and be around. I couldn't be happier with the two young guys.”
(On lessons he’s learned from the adversity the team has faced this
season)
“You learn lessons every single week in the National Football League and I
think getting to the bye being 3-6, having a couple close games there where
that could have looked different as well, it gave you the confidence coming out
of the bye that you can do what we've done over the past couple of months. It’s
really a credit to our leadership and (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and what he's
been able to do and how he's pushed us forward. I really give him a lot of credit
for that, fighting through it. And it's not just this year, it's the years prior. It's all
your years of experience. It's going through the different situations as you go
through them when you go about your business in the National Football League
and it's a lot of fun to be able to have those moments for these guys.”
(On if he’s surprised by the level of performance he’s seen from the
rookies this season)
“Surprised would be a word I wouldn't use. I never set people's expectations
and I am happy at the development that has happened. I think we have the
best group of coaches and you’re really impressed with how (Defensive Line
Coach) Eric Henderson or (Defensive Backs Coach) Aubrey Pleasant or
(Assistant Linebackers Coach) Chris Shula or (Outside Linebackers Coach)
Joe (Coniglio) or any of these guys developing their games, (Secondary Coach)
Chris Beake. I can go on and on with the guys, right? (Assistant Defensive Line
Coach) AC (Carter) to (Defensive Assistant) Mike Harris, but I'm never
surprised what they do. I've always felt like these guys are going to come in
and we're going to try to do what they can do and then let them exceed our
expectations on the grass. Those guys have certainly done that. So surprised
would be a little off. It's more like pleasantly pleased the production and how
they've grown just something like that.”
(On if he gets to try new things in games like this Sunday where the
‘world doesn’t end’ if they lose the game)
“The world always ends if you lose a game (laughter). Everybody dies, that's
what happens, right? Every single week that's the life we live in. When you
make decisions, conscientious decisions based on being a head coach of
sitting a couple of guys, the guys that are playing, coaches included, we are all
in and we have to go win this football game. That's how we look at. It's how we
play the game. If you don't do it that way, you end up getting hurt as a player or
you end up missing opportunities as a coach and we don't want to miss those
opportunities. We're going in and then obviously there's some strategy. There
are some strategic things that go on there when you're resting a guy like (DT)
Aaron Donald, you're resting a guy like (L
Ernest (Jones) to get those guysback to where you want them to be for when you go into the playoffs because
you were fortunate enough in this business to qualify before it mattered or
before it ended. You take advantage of those moments for certain people,
whether it be long-term players or whatever the case may be. But the guys
have got to go, we’re coaching this game as if we have to win it to get in and I
think that's the mentality you have to have.”
(On his comment last week about not getting emotionally invested in
watching the Seahawks vs. Steelers game and if that stayed true when
everyone was watching it on the plane)
“I didn't, you could ask everybody. I sat in the seat and I was trying to enjoy the
Tulsa King and while I was enjoying it, everybody started to cheer after the
game had got to that result and when it got to that result, then I joined the party.
But I didn't get emotionally invested. I stayed true to my word. I didn't let them
get me although they wanted me to, (VP Sports Medicine and Performance)
Reggie (Scott) and his staff included. It was a lot of fun. (Senior Staff Writer)
Stu (Jackson) was there, I believe, and I didn't get involved until after the fact
and after the fact we were able to celebrate and be very excited of our
accomplishment that we were able to do getting in the playoffs.”
(On what the plane ride back was like)
“It was outstanding. It was what you would think. It was a bunch of guys being
really happy at what they've been able to accomplish at that point, but not
satisfied. It was what you'd expect, a bunch of guys really proud of that
accomplishment but knowing that we still have more left, it's fun.”
(On if he sent Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin a message after the
game)
“Of course we did. Mike T was a staff member of ours this week and he did a
great job (laughter). Like I said, personally, I can't speak for everybody,
obviously people look at that and cheer for different people and I couldn't get
involved. I have too many good people that I know in Seattle and things of that
nature and definitely want the outcome to come out in my favor, but I just don't
want to put bad karma on myself. Mike T did a nice job of it. I got a bunch of
messages from a bunch of different people and Mike Tomlin definitely got one
from all of us, not just me.”
(On what the conversation was like with McVay regarding resting
defensive players)
“Really Sean initiated it with us pretty early. Really started on that plane ride,
just kind of some early thoughts and then I'm fortunate enough to ride home
with him and some more further going throughout the process until the next
morning until we had our final coaches meeting and he made his decisions at
that time. Then he called those guys to let those guys know on how he was
going to move forward and he did a really nice job. Came back and reported to
us on our normal game plan Tuesday and came to let us know that he talked to
those guys and spoke with them and when they came in, they were ready to
deal with what they had to get ready for and how they're going to prepare
themselves this week in order to get ready for moving forward. He kind of
handled that on his own. I think it was a great job, done really well and I think
he handled it great with the team. I told our team the maturity of this football
team for the coach to be able to come in and explain that to everybody and tell
them what we have to do this week, I thought it was handled really well. I
thought it was nicely done.”
(On how he feels about his defense preventing explosive plays moving
into the playoffs)
“Not very good right now. We've given up way too many, right? That is a
circumstance of a bunch of different things. It's some individual losses,
sometimes it's a schematic issue, sometimes it's a bust, a mental error, and we
have to cut those things down, right? We've been fortunate to start off games
really well and play really well throughout and then give up some explosive
plays towards the end. We've been able to hang on to win those games and
last week was really too close for anybody's comfort. It doesn't matter who
you're playing. If you want to continue to move games moving forward, you
have to play better than that. We have got to clean that area up.”
(On why he thinks giving up explosive plays towards the end of games
has become a pattern)
“The thing I would say that most stands out to me and you try to address is
usually when you play a simpler defense and play back and your four-man rush
can’t get there as quickly, it doesn't look the same in the back end. The
coverage has to hold up longer, the rush is not getting there. It's kind of a
combination of rush and coverage and we have to get better on those
situations. And we improved this week because we have to finish this game off
and get some of those things done, but still have to get better to that level.
That's something that you can constantly work on. That is the beauty of it,
right? The constant moving on and getting better throughout playing football
while you're going to the playoffs and it's something that we can definitely
address.”
(On if improving in those areas on defensive can be done in ‘above the
neck’ stuff)
“Everything in this game is above the neck. You stole my own saying from me,
but this is an above the neck, right? When you're talking about that, you're
talking about the knowledge of what they're going to do and what you're going
to do and then how do you prevent scrambles? How do you prevent explosive
plays? How do you prevent when a quarterback has time to hold onto the ball
because you can't get that perfect rush that you need, when you're trying to sit
back and play smart. Sometimes it's easy to the next day, ‘We should have
blitzed them.’ That's great, but you still put some people in harm's way with
explosive play and how do you find that healthy balance? I'm never going to
complain about our offense scoring a bunch of points and giving us a big lead
and us giving up a couple explosives. It is what it is, right? We'll live with those
battles and we'll get better in those moments.”
(On if they build confidence because of the way they win games as
opposed to guys saying ‘here we go again’ when things start to go
wrong)
“I don't think I've ever heard anybody say the, ‘Oh boy, here we go again’
mentality, because…and I mean you're right, probably because we're winning
the games, right? They become teachable moments. I guess that's what you're
trying to say there. When you win those games in those tight situations,
whether you jump out on New Orleans or really balling and just playing like the
‘85 Bears up until three and a half quarters, and then they start rolling back on
you, you hold on and then the same thing happens I think versus Washington.
They put in (Commanders QB Jacoby) Brissett and he comes in, he looks like
(former Q
Tom Brady in his prime. You get that thing done and then you goout and play a hard battle last week versus the Giants. I think when you're able
to win those games, you give yourself confidence, you give your team
confidence, you give everybody confidence, and you have those teachable
moments that we're brought up and able to implement throughout the week.
That's why weeks like this, weeks like next week, all those things have to be
brought into the fold. We call them peeling off band-aids in our room and I get a
lot of opportunities to peel off band-aids this year, in particular with a young
football team.”
Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur
(On preparing QB Carson Wentz for this week)
“Good. Obviously yesterday was just a walkthrough day. I thought he did a
great job with the plan that we got going into this thing. I thought all the guys
did. Obviously, there's going to be a few new faces out there. Like I said, just
off of yesterday and then today's walkthrough, they're all prepared.”
(On what he’s seen from Wentz since his arrival to the team)
“Yeah, he's done a great job with the look squad and doing a lot of the same
stuff that we've seen from afar. This is a guy that's played some high-level ball
in his career and he believes, and so do I, that he still has a lot of that out there
for him. So he's shown… the guys have a lot of confidence in him because they
get to see him particularly on Thursdays over these last seven to eight weeks,
or however long he's been here since the bye. And so they know that, hey, they
better do their part because he's going to do his and guys will be ready to go.”
(On preparing while knowing different players will be playing for both
teams)
“Yeah, obviously it's different than your typical week but it wouldn't be right if we
weren't putting our best foot forward as coaches for all the other guys that are
getting their opportunity. You hold all these guys in such high regard for what
they put their bodies through all year. And there's going to be guys that do a lot
behind the scenes for the look squad and stuff like that that probably deserves
an opportunity, but, it's the NFL. It's tough to get out on that field, you know? So
as a coach myself, you do whatever you can to make sure that you're putting
your best foot forward for these guys.”
(On if he expected RB Kyren Williams to rush for 1,000 yards this season)
“Yeah, he was producing pretty early. To sit back, I think I've answered this
before in terms of you knew you had a back dating all the way back to OTAs,
but then when the pads got on training camp, you knew that there definitely
was something there. And we’ll see when the lights are on on Sundays if it was
going to carry over and certainly it has. To say that he was going to have one of
these kinds of years, you never know. But this is his standard now and he
brings it every week and couldn't be prouder of a young man.”
(On where Williams has improved the most as a runner)
“He's always been a good runner, right? Dating back to… he was a big-time
recruit. He goes to Notre Dame. He's a good runner there. He just hadn't done
it on Sundays yet, part of it because he was injured a little bit. But I think as the
year has gone on, his confidence in the blocking scheme and how to set up
some of those blocks up front, he's always been natural at that dating back to
the first game of this year but it's just gotten better. He's trusted it more and
more and that's where you just see… sometimes he's hitting it downhill a
hundred miles an hour. Other times he's setting it up, being patient and I think
that's just him getting so comfortable with the scheme with the guys in front, the
continuity. Every week it seems to get a little better for him.”
(On the offensive priority for this year)
“Putting these guys in the best position to be successful every week and every
week's going to be a little bit different. I feel like we've gotten in a pretty good
rhythm since the bye week, obviously last week. We were a little bit off in some
aspects, some uncharacteristic things since the back half of the season. But
again, it's not like a set goal that we're trying… we just want the best from these
guys every single week. And as coaches, we're trying to do whatever we can to
lay out a blueprint and let these guys go play fast and play physical and play
free and play with great energy and I think they've done that and it starts with
(Q
Matthew (Stafford) and it bled through the rest of these guys.”(On what is needed for a player to get more reps both in practice and in
the game)
“Sometimes it's just an opportunity and (WR) Demarcus (Robinson), you'd have
to ask him, but I think he'd be the first one to tell you that this is a different
system than he's been in. Obviously it's his third one. I don't know how many
coordinators he had in Kansas City, but he was in Kansas City quite a while. It's
a much different system than ours. Baltimore a year ago was a much different
system than ours. And so just getting familiar with it, comfortable with it,
understanding how Matthew sees things let alone what us as coaches. And he
did, he got more and more comfortable and I've been on record to say I was
just so proud of him because every single day he came in. You could tell how
bad he wanted to be out there. I've had conversations with him about how bad
he wanted to be out there. But once he got on the practice field, he just brought
it every single day and then he got his opportunity and made the most of it.”
(On what it's like going against 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan)
“Oh, you got so much respect for that guy as a coach, as a person, as a friend,
as a father, as a family. He's awesome and he's done so much for me and my
career and my personal life. He'll always be someone that is like family to me
and I mean that. When you turn on the tape, his teams they speak to you. They
play as physical and as tough and with as much energy as anyone out there.
And so you know when you play the Niners, you better bring your A game. And
what I love about our team is our guys aren't really worried about anyone else.
They're worried about themselves and going out and playing their game. And I
think you've kind of seen that each and every week with our guys, how they've
grown and the confidence that they have. So I know this one's going to be a
little bit different. I'll never look forward to what may or may not happen in a few
weeks. Not really concerned about that. But again, to answer your question,
just a lot of respect for not just Kyle, but everyone in that building, how they do
things.”
(On going into a game with Wentz who has started a lot of games
compared to another quarterback who has played as a backup)
“Well, Carson's played a lot of football, right? A lot of the other backups and I
don't want to date back to last year and stuff because I wasn't here, but they
hadn't played as much ball as him. Again, Carson's played some high-quality
football in his career and there's a reason he was a top pick and stuff like that.
And again, for him to be able to get comfortable… I think (Pass Game
Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach) Zac Robinson and what they've done
behind the scenes every single day. They don't skip a day. They don't skip their
process. When we go through the walkthrough and Matthew goes through his
45 minutes because as a starter you get all those reps, they go through it and
they do it on air, both Zac, (Asst. Head Coach) Jimmy Lake, Carson. And then
when he gets his chance with the scout team and stuff like that, the guys see
what he's capable of and Carson's very confident in himself. So it'll be fun. And
I'm really happy for him because I know he's put in the work to put his best foot
forward and we'll see what happens on Sunday.”
(On if there’s a different feel preparing Wentz as opposed to other
backups we’ve had on the roster this year)
“Yeah, I don't know. I'm not even worried about any of that and I don't think our
guys are. They're just ready for this opportunity and we're a different team too
all around them compared to that Green Bay game. We're a much healthier
team. I think the identity that we were starting to establish in that mid part of the
season has really taking a whole different turn since that bye week. That game
had so many other factors than just the quarterback. But to answer your
question, and again I know Carson's ready to go and the guys are ready behind
him.”
(On Head Coach Sean McVay as a boss)
“The man. That's the first thing that came to my head. No, he's urgent. He's fair
to these guys. He's smart. He's an incredible leader because he listens and he
knows how to captivate a room. And it's not just because of how he says
things. It's what's coming out of his mouth. And he puts a lot of time and effort,
in not only the schematic aspect of it, but the leadership. He's the leader of an
organization in terms of being the head coach and being kind of the face of it,
you know? So it's been a really fun year. I don't want this thing to end anytime
soon. None of us do. We still got a lot of growing. There's still a lot of things
we're going to be able to do as a team that's out in front of us. But there's a
reason he's been as successful as he has with really now a lot of different
groups.”
(On what OL Steve Avila has done to improve and the impact he’s made
from such a young age)
“You're right though, when you're not talking about the o-line usually that's
more of a good thing and we don't mention him that often because he's doing
his thing and he's one of those guys that if you watch from week one to now,
the improvement, and just the consistent improvement... and I've told him this
and I've told it in front of the group. It's not just what he's been doing on
Sundays. It’s his consistent approach to get better in practice and his practice
habits have gotten better since the beginning of the year. He's practicing like a
pro and then you see it out there. He has a zest for playing this game. Don't let
his smile and demeanor fool you for not being a tough guy. He's very much a
tough guy. He just loves life and he loves playing ball and he's got a nastiness
to him that, again, if you just look at him, he looks like the nicest guy you've
ever met but then he blocks these 330-pound men every single week and he
does a dang good job at it. He's part of that crew, that young crew that you're
proud of because of how they've extended and how much work they've put in
and how much better they've gotten.”
Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald
(On how it feels to have 10 Pro Bowl selections in 10 seasons)
“It's a blessing so I’m excited about it, but I've still got a lot more work to do.”
(On if there’s anything he added to his game this season or if he’s doing
anything differently)
“Just working, trying to find ways to make my plays when they present
themselves. Obviously, having a young group, just trying to bring guys along
and do my part to be a leader so that's about it.”
(On if he thinks the decision to not play him on Sunday is a good one and
will help him in the long run)
“Obviously, you want to play. You want to be out there but after talking to (Head
Coach) Sean (McVay) and looking at the big picture, it makes sense to make
sure guys are where they need to be, certain guys and being as healthy as you
can and get ready to make this run we're about to make.”
(On why he believes NT Kobie Turner should be the Defensive Rookie of
the Year)
“I think the production that he's been putting out. I don't look at other defensive
rookies as having success but I think he's the top guy, right? Do y'all know?
Honestly, I'm asking. Yeah, I think he's just a productive guy when you talk
about playing a run stout, making tackles for loss, he does that, putting
pressure on the quarterback and affecting the quarterback, he does that,
making sacks, he does that. So I think it's kind of a no-brainer type of thing,
right? He's just been playing some good football for us, making a lot of plays
and it's one of the things that when you put the body of work in and you
deserve certain things and that's something that I feel like he deserves so you
just got to keep working.”
(On if Turner is able to produce the way he does because of the attention
he draws)
“Well, that’s what he’s supposed to do. You get the one-on-one opportunity,
that's what it's for. If somebody wants to focus on one guy, the next guy is
supposed to step up and make plays and he’s been doing that so he's just
doing his job like he's supposed to do it at a high level. He's just got to keep
working, continue to get better, not be satisfied. But right now he's having a
pretty good season so I’m proud of him but like I said, still got a lot more work
to do.”
(On how he’s seen Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Eric
Henderson reach the younger players as a more experienced player
himself)
“I think it's just being on top of guys, not letting these guys be satisfied or
comfortable, being on them but at the same time, when they do things right,
you praise them. I think it's just the work ethic you got, the things we do, the
repetition things we do that seem annoying and like why are we doing this? But
they help us at the end of the day to be the guys and be the players we want to
be and that's again, credit to the guys who are going out there playing the
game, being confident, having that confidence of seeing the production that
they’re having and doing it week in and week out. It’s just a good group man, a
bunch of guys that love playing football, that are having fun and are flying
around, playing with a lot of confidence and that's why we're in the position
we’re in today.”
(On if it’s important to him to show the younger guys that you still have to
show up and do the “annoying” things)
“Well, yeah you’re tired but it’s going to make you better, right? So at the end of
the day, I'm still a player. I still need to not allow myself to be satisfied or
comfortable either so even when I don't want to do it, I do it right? Because it
ain't going to do nothing but make me better. When you got a coach like Coach
‘Henny’ that you trust, you know what he's going to bring to the table, you know
what he can do to take your game to another level, you trust this process and
you just trust that what you're doing is going to help and obviously over the past
few years, seeing the success, seeing the things pay off, you just trust it.”
(On the conversations he’ll want to have with the guys while he’s on the
sideline on Sunday)
“Whatever I see out there, just trying to give them their feedback. If they ask me
questions, just trying to give them any little tips I can give them, obviously help
them with the rotation stuff at times and just trying to do my part to help these
guys to have success this week.”
(On if he noticed McVay being more hands on and immediately making
corrections during this season’s training camp compared to previous
years)
“Yeah, I could see that. I’ve seen that for sure. Definitely when things weren’t
going how they needed to be, he’d bring it up a lot more and make sure that
you don't want to take none of this stuff for granted. If it feels like it's just a
walkthrough or it's just a jog through because at the end of the day, all this
matters. This is what’s going to get you better, definitely having a young group
and guys being locked in and still having our focus to practice like it's still full
speed practice even though it's a walkthrough.”
(On what it means to him to still be contributing to a playoff team who a
lot of people didn’t think would make it this far)
“It means a lot. Obviously, having a young group that’s coming into the season,
you don't know what to expect. You’re kind of hesitant about not knowing
what's going to happen, but obviously practicing and seeing how these guys
are flying around making plays and then it's like, you get excited about it and
then you start seeing it translate into the football games and seeing the success
we start having as a team. That's just hard work paying off, right? My dad’s
been telling me all my life, ‘You put the body of work in and good things are
going to come from that.’ I think this group’s been doing that and when you live
off ‘hard work pays off’ and you got a bunch of guys who are putting that work
in, it feels good to reap the benefits of the success and being where we’re at
right now. But again, we’re in there. We’re in the door now and now we got a lot
more work to keep going and we’re chasing something.”
(On what’s stood out to him about LB Ernest Jones this season and how
he’s found his voice and become a vocal leader)
“He’s been playing lights out, man. I love playing with Ernest. I love the energy
he brings. I love the leadership he brings. I love how he flies around. I got the
opportunity to play with a lot of good football players, but I think if he can
continue to play, continue to do what he's doing, he can be a special player,
man. I've been saying that since his rookie year. We saw what he was doing
his rookie year, he helped us win the Super Bowl so I ain't got nothing but love
and respect for him and his ceiling is high as long as he keeps putting the body
of work in and not allow himself to be satisfied. He can be a great one.”
--RAMS--
#HelmetHornsMatter
“Well, the color is good, I like the metallic blue,” Youngblood recently said while laughing, via NFL Journal. “The horn is terrible. It looks like a ‘C.’ When I first saw it on the logo I honestly thought it was a Charger logo.
“Now when I see it on the helmet, it just isn’t a ram horn. There is no distinct curl like a mature ram horn. I don’t know how the Rams could get that wrong. That is your symbol and it has been for what? Seventy years or more? Longer than I have been alive? It’s just not us, it’s not the Rams.”---Mr. Ram Jack Youngblood
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2024 02:48PM by Ramsdude.
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ramsdude | 75 | January 04, 2024 02:48PM |
