TRANSCRIPT: Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher (11-8-16)
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Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post Practice – November 8, 2016
(Opening Remarks)
“As you observed, we are on the next one – I think the best advantage of our schedule. Really good day today from an install standpoint. Tomorrow is a big day for us practice-wise. We’ll have a few guys limited at practice tomorrow, but we haven’t ruled anybody out. I think we’re in good shape. Good opponent, very talented – extraordinary defense against. I think they’re fourth or fifth in the league against the run. They’ve given up some big plays offensively that are pretty impressive. (R
Matt’s (Forte) playing really well. We don’t know what the status of the quarterbacks are, but we expect to see (Q Ryan (Fitzpatrick) and we expect to see him at his best, because this is an important game for them.”
(On the pass-run ratio and why the play calling is favoring the pass rather than the run)
“That’s what I was alluding to that yesterday. That we need to get more carries. The problem is, the last two weeks, London and then last week, we’re in the hurry-up at the end of the game and it’s hard to get your runs and your carries there. We probably might have 30, maybe 30-plus-hurry up snaps that were trying to cut the lead down or tie the game up – that skews the run-pass ratio. You want to be 50/50. I mean obviously, the numbers reflect it, the stats reflect it. If you can finish the game with 27 to 30 rushes, then you’re in the game and you have a chance to win it.”
(On continuing to stick with the run)
“It’s a mindset, you have to stay with it. I think (it’s) everybody’s philosophy, but ours is it’s going to be hard early, you may break one here or there, but those two-and-a-half to three-yard runs in the first quarter, you’d like to think will turn into the seven-to-10-yard runs in the fourth quarter if you’re able to continue to do it – that includes your adjustments and things. That’s the design, that’s the way we’re built, we just have not been able to do it. Again, it’s a three-phase thing – one turnover in three weeks, if we get a couple of turnovers a game defensively, and things are different, those are more opportunities for our offense. I think our defense is allowing over 40 percent conversion on third down right now, and that’s not good, you should be right at 30, 28-to-30 (percent). If we can keep that going, then that grabs a couple extra possessions, which gives you a chance to run the football.”
(On if the penalties and missed field goals on Sunday were the first time they have had a blip on special teams)
“The penalties, I disagreed with both the penalties. And the field goals, like I said, they’re 55-yarders, you’ve got a little bit of swirling wind and you would like to think (K) Greg (Zuerlein) can make them – once we get in that range, that’s my call. I could very easily have punted the ball away and he wouldn’t have missed those field goals, but we’re trying to get points. We had opportunities, we had unblocked rushers and had a chance to block a punt, and then (S) Cody (Davis) did a great job timing up that last field goal where he leaped and got his hands up. But our leaping angle or player that we’re going to leap, the ball was on the wrong hash, but we decided to do it anyway. In close games like that, you need to make those plays. I’ll give you a great example, Miami runs a kickoff back for a touchdown, they win the game, they beat the Jets last week, they found a way to make a play in the game.”
(On the special teams penalty that he was heated about on Sunday)
“I was, it was on (WR) Tavon’s (Austin) return. I saw (R Chase’s (Reynolds) hand-placement – and Chase is not going to hit someone in the back, he knows that, he knows what a legal block is and what an illegal block is. I saw his hand-placement and I disagreed with the call. The same thing once I saw (DE) Eugene’s (Sims) penalty on tape – Eugene came out and said ‘Coach, this is what I did.’ You have got to watch the tape because sometimes they’re emotional and sometimes they appear different when the player gives you his rendition. It was clear, Eugene’s a defensive lineman, he’s blocking a wide receiver, he punched him in the chest, he fell down, they called a hold – that was on Cody’s (Davis) reverse. There were a few other things there, a few other things that weren’t called, but you go on. They’re doing the best they can – last night was highly unusual.”
(On if he’s for expanding instant replay to include penalties)
“We’ve addressed it year after year after year on expanding replay to include penalties, but where do you draw the line? That’s the thing, where do you draw the line? The CFL, two years ago, they included DPI in their version of instant replay, so the coaches could challenge it – the numbers, they didn’t work out. I’m in favor of improving the quality of the officiating, I would be in favor of the eighth official, I’d be in favor of some mechanic changes that I won’t go into detail with. I think we’re still a long ways away from full-time officials. But I think we can expand some things with respect to replay. I don’t know what happened last night from a standpoint – the league office, the command center is going to get involved only with reviewable plays, they’re not going to get involved in enforcement. That may be something we want to look at.”
(On if there is any way he has seen DT Aaron Donald’s game evolve)
“The best way I can describe is just consistent week after week after week. The tackles for losses and the pressure that he’s putting on the passer, the hits on the quarterbacks, they’re just consistent week after week. It’s amazing to see him play at that level every single play – come out, catch his breath, go back in and make another play.”
(On if he thinks Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL)
“I’d vote for him. There are a lot of good defensive players in the league right now. Obviously, I’m a lot closer to him than anybody else is, but when you watch the things that he does, it’s really remarkable. We’ll see what happens, he needs to finish strong the second half of the year.”
(On if QB Jared Goff will start when he’s ready regardless of QB Case Keenum’s performance)
“When he’s ready, he’s going to start, and he’s going to play.”
(Opening Remarks)
“As you observed, we are on the next one – I think the best advantage of our schedule. Really good day today from an install standpoint. Tomorrow is a big day for us practice-wise. We’ll have a few guys limited at practice tomorrow, but we haven’t ruled anybody out. I think we’re in good shape. Good opponent, very talented – extraordinary defense against. I think they’re fourth or fifth in the league against the run. They’ve given up some big plays offensively that are pretty impressive. (R
Matt’s (Forte) playing really well. We don’t know what the status of the quarterbacks are, but we expect to see (Q Ryan (Fitzpatrick) and we expect to see him at his best, because this is an important game for them.”(On the pass-run ratio and why the play calling is favoring the pass rather than the run)
“That’s what I was alluding to that yesterday. That we need to get more carries. The problem is, the last two weeks, London and then last week, we’re in the hurry-up at the end of the game and it’s hard to get your runs and your carries there. We probably might have 30, maybe 30-plus-hurry up snaps that were trying to cut the lead down or tie the game up – that skews the run-pass ratio. You want to be 50/50. I mean obviously, the numbers reflect it, the stats reflect it. If you can finish the game with 27 to 30 rushes, then you’re in the game and you have a chance to win it.”
(On continuing to stick with the run)
“It’s a mindset, you have to stay with it. I think (it’s) everybody’s philosophy, but ours is it’s going to be hard early, you may break one here or there, but those two-and-a-half to three-yard runs in the first quarter, you’d like to think will turn into the seven-to-10-yard runs in the fourth quarter if you’re able to continue to do it – that includes your adjustments and things. That’s the design, that’s the way we’re built, we just have not been able to do it. Again, it’s a three-phase thing – one turnover in three weeks, if we get a couple of turnovers a game defensively, and things are different, those are more opportunities for our offense. I think our defense is allowing over 40 percent conversion on third down right now, and that’s not good, you should be right at 30, 28-to-30 (percent). If we can keep that going, then that grabs a couple extra possessions, which gives you a chance to run the football.”
(On if the penalties and missed field goals on Sunday were the first time they have had a blip on special teams)
“The penalties, I disagreed with both the penalties. And the field goals, like I said, they’re 55-yarders, you’ve got a little bit of swirling wind and you would like to think (K) Greg (Zuerlein) can make them – once we get in that range, that’s my call. I could very easily have punted the ball away and he wouldn’t have missed those field goals, but we’re trying to get points. We had opportunities, we had unblocked rushers and had a chance to block a punt, and then (S) Cody (Davis) did a great job timing up that last field goal where he leaped and got his hands up. But our leaping angle or player that we’re going to leap, the ball was on the wrong hash, but we decided to do it anyway. In close games like that, you need to make those plays. I’ll give you a great example, Miami runs a kickoff back for a touchdown, they win the game, they beat the Jets last week, they found a way to make a play in the game.”
(On the special teams penalty that he was heated about on Sunday)
“I was, it was on (WR) Tavon’s (Austin) return. I saw (R
Chase’s (Reynolds) hand-placement – and Chase is not going to hit someone in the back, he knows that, he knows what a legal block is and what an illegal block is. I saw his hand-placement and I disagreed with the call. The same thing once I saw (DE) Eugene’s (Sims) penalty on tape – Eugene came out and said ‘Coach, this is what I did.’ You have got to watch the tape because sometimes they’re emotional and sometimes they appear different when the player gives you his rendition. It was clear, Eugene’s a defensive lineman, he’s blocking a wide receiver, he punched him in the chest, he fell down, they called a hold – that was on Cody’s (Davis) reverse. There were a few other things there, a few other things that weren’t called, but you go on. They’re doing the best they can – last night was highly unusual.”(On if he’s for expanding instant replay to include penalties)
“We’ve addressed it year after year after year on expanding replay to include penalties, but where do you draw the line? That’s the thing, where do you draw the line? The CFL, two years ago, they included DPI in their version of instant replay, so the coaches could challenge it – the numbers, they didn’t work out. I’m in favor of improving the quality of the officiating, I would be in favor of the eighth official, I’d be in favor of some mechanic changes that I won’t go into detail with. I think we’re still a long ways away from full-time officials. But I think we can expand some things with respect to replay. I don’t know what happened last night from a standpoint – the league office, the command center is going to get involved only with reviewable plays, they’re not going to get involved in enforcement. That may be something we want to look at.”
(On if there is any way he has seen DT Aaron Donald’s game evolve)
“The best way I can describe is just consistent week after week after week. The tackles for losses and the pressure that he’s putting on the passer, the hits on the quarterbacks, they’re just consistent week after week. It’s amazing to see him play at that level every single play – come out, catch his breath, go back in and make another play.”
(On if he thinks Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL)
“I’d vote for him. There are a lot of good defensive players in the league right now. Obviously, I’m a lot closer to him than anybody else is, but when you watch the things that he does, it’s really remarkable. We’ll see what happens, he needs to finish strong the second half of the year.”
(On if QB Jared Goff will start when he’s ready regardless of QB Case Keenum’s performance)
“When he’s ready, he’s going to start, and he’s going to play.”
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Shaky | 561 | November 08, 2016 07:58PM |
