Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald - September 16, 2021

Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald - September 16, 2021



Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
(On his assessment of Sunday’s game)
“That's why your press conference on Thursday so you’re not talking about Sunday's game. No, I'm just kidding. It's all about winning the game. We talked about this in the offseason, you talk about make-a-difference plays and two make-a-difference plays for me in the game were the two turnovers big early in the game. Giving us the lead, giving our offense a chance to go on and score and really put the game into our control where we can dictate the terms. And that's always the key and the fact of winning team football. I thought (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and the offense did a great job of managing the game. In that third quarter, when they started getting a little momentum, when they had scored a touchdown going into half and scored a touchdown coming out of half and we got a big, long drive there, taking them about (what) almost felt like eight minutes. It really got the defense back settle and got us a chance to finish the game. I thought it was a well executed team football game. I thought it was well executed across the board from an effort standpoint, from a physical standpoint. There’s always things you can do better. There's always things you want to do better. Those are the ways you want to learn lessons when you're a good football team. You want to go out and learn those lessons and wins, and that’s key. I thought the fact that we won the game. We get a chance to go correct some of the things that we want to correct. We get a chance to get better (at) some of the things we want to get better at. What a performance by (C Jalen Ramsey. You’re talking about a guy who's shaking the tag of a shutdown corner and going to just a football player. One of the better performances that I've seen by the young man. I know it's not saying much, but since I've been coaching him.”

(On how unique it is to have a guy like CB Jalen Ramsey who is a cornerback that is so willing and eager to be physical and make an impact)
“I think it's really fair to say that willing is an understatement. This guy absolutely embraces it and loves it and wants it. He’s able to go in and mix it up with the big boys, is able to go out and play with the skilled guys and match skill with those guys. He likes to be challenged. He likes to move around and likes to do different things. He is certainly a challenge for me when it comes to finding different ways to keep him motivated and keep him that active. And it’s also fun. It’s fun when you go into the lab on Tuesdays and Mondays and you have an opportunity to think where you can place them and where you can put them and where he could be most effective on which plays and why. I think he appreciates that. Especially when he comes into the building he’s one of the first guys in the buildings to find out, ‘Hey, what's going on this week? What are we doing? What's our match-ups look like? What's the plan?’ You got to love that from the young man. He's very unique when it comes to going in there and mixing it up. I don't know many people that can do it that way.”

(On how Ramsey seems like a quarterback in a way that he’s able to manipulate coverage and do different things and if he provides answers to certain problems as they look to evolve the defense)
“No, he's a lot of fun. You just described what I've been talking about as far as dictating terms. A lot of times on defense you've got to be reactive and you got to catch up to what people are trying to do to you. You got to go on the sideline and you've got to make adjustments. I think he makes people adjust. When he comes out and he's lined up either corners, he's lined up at the star position and he's lined up at a safety position. At times, he's lined up at an outside linebacker position (it) almost looks like. He makes people adjust to what he's doing and how they want to try to attack him or try to get around him or however you want to look at it. So he's the person that allows you to be able to go out and dictate terms.

He’s exactly what you just described him. That’s what makes it so fun as a coach. To be able to go on the sideline and talk to him. The fact that he's so smart and he's able to communicate exactly what happened when he comes off the field. (I) had no idea how calm he was in a game-type environment until last week. Both of us having those calm conversations and being (able) to look at the iPad and then just confirmed what we just talked about and what we saw. To be able bring those things to life is a lot of fun coaching him. That’s why he's the secondary mic holder if something would happen to (S Jordan) Fuller, if he got a splinter.”

(On what he liked about LB Justin Hollins and ILB Kenny Young during the game and how important they are to the defense)
“I'll start off with (IL Kenny (Young). He can't say enough about Kenny. He’s a turnover magnet. He’s been one of those guys that we talked about what his athleticism right from the very beginning, since I've showing up to campus. Watching him go out there and create that tip on the first drive. You’ve got to rewind it back, they broke up the long 41-yard run, or whatever it was, the long run and to create the touchdown saving tackle to give us the ability to vent every blade of grass was absolutely unbelievable by Kenny. Then to turn around, go and play our zone defense, bend but don't break a thousand cuts, go out there and tip the ball up in the air, get an interception by D-Lo (CB David Long Jr.) was huge and phenomenal. And then to watch him go get on the ball when it was rolling around the ground, it's like we've done all offseason. Whether the ball is rolling around with his incomplete pass, picking up the ball and demonstrating that you have the ability to recover it and go out there and make those make-a-difference plays was absolutely what we talked about, what we preach from the offseason since we've been here. To be able to go see him do those things was phenomenal. And then you talk about (L Justin Hollins. You guys asked me a while ago, ‘Who's going to rush off the other side of the opposite of Flo (OLB Justin Floyd)?’ And you got your answer in this week. He came out and he was a factor. He was violent with his rush. He was physical with his rush. He was skillful with his rush. He had the ability to go out there and drop. He played a little bit of inside linebacker. You show some of that versatility that we talked about and we love. To watch him absolutely cause a fumble, be the benefactor of the missed sack on one of those by (DL) Aaron (Donald). But at the same time, don't drop, don't miss the layup. So he went out there and he made the layup and I couldn't be more happy for those two players being those make-a-difference in that game. It was reflective on the game balls that we gave out when we got back to campus.”

(On if missing the blocks on a couple of big runs was a byproduct of not playing in the preseason or schemes)
“You never want to make that excuse. Our practices are pretty tough. Our practices are pretty hard. The tackle we had wasn't a missed tackle, it was shoot awareness. And what I mean by shoot awareness, it was losing your fit on the cup. (C Darious Williams should have been on the left side, Fuller should've been on the inside and at most, the 41-yard run is a seven-yard to eight-yard run if they make the tackle. The things up front that happened was, you decided not to throw hands and you make a decision to jump around a block. You’ll hear Henny (Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Eric Henderson) talk about hitting blocks. We didn't hit blocks. So those things are coming with calculated guesses at times and shoot awareness. Those are all things that you can clean up. So when we talk about cleaning up certain things without being too technical, it just all goes down to being in the right spot when your time is called. So, making your fits, being in the spot to make your hits and all those types of things, all the cliches you hear coaches say, are some of the things that we can get better at and we will get better. We actually got better throughout the game, which was awesome.”

(On what his gut reaction was when the second play was the 41-yard play)
“It's really funny for me because I thrive in adversity. So, when it happened, I thought, ‘Good, let's go get a turnover.’ That was the first thought that crossed my mind. Not because of a cocky or an arrogant thing, it's just that you have to find ways to make people calm. And at that point on gameday, I feel like my job is to be the calming factor for those guys. So that was the first thing I said on the (sideline). ‘Hey, let's go get a turnover right here. Let’s end this drive, get the ball back for offense, right?’ No panic. Let's not try to find out what happened, what went wrong in that play because you can't fix it. The only thing you can correct is your red zone defense moving forward. And they did. And that was the first thing that went across my mind. And I wasn't thinking about my legacy as defensive coordinator in the second play. We talked about this with a bunch of guys, and I don't think egos involved in football. That was not an ego-driven game. That was a well-played game in a well sought out game, well fought game against a very good football team to go get a win.”

(On what Jordan Fuller is like communicating in the headset)
“If you know Jordan, you know he's a really calm individual and nothing seems to shake him. Giving him a call 60 yards away from all his other guys, he finds the proper guy to relate a call to, to get it to the other ten guys in the grass and to make sure we get everything communicated. He has no issues with adversity, to get a little bit early, to find out where he’s going to be in the field as far as placement, to be able to get some signals to some of the other guys so they can get involved as well as be able to help them out a little bit. He's one of those calming influences. He's one of those people that's very fun to work with. He'd rather talk to you after the fact, as opposed to during the fact. So, being around him, it's just like being around him every day in practice. He thinks about what he's doing, he puts it through a little cycle in his own head and he comes back with a nice little answer on how he's going to get things better, and he always has a good solution for me and whatever he wants to do and whatever he figures that thing is.”

(On QB Carson Wentz and the Colt’s offense)
“You're talking about another playoff team. Well coached football team by (Colts Head Coach) Reich and what they're able to do. Really physical with the two backs that they're having there in the backfield. 28 (RB Jonathan Taylor), 21 (RB Nyheim Hines) coming at you with all different types of different ways. I think these guys got a lot of receptions in their hands as well as carries. You're talking about Carson Wentz coming over with his new team, coming back from a little bit of adversity in the zone with his ankle last week. So, you’re sure he's going to play better. Getting some more practice reps, being able to prepare for a team the right way. And you're talking about a guy that potentially won an MVP, all-league one year. So, I'm really looking forward to this team. They have one of the better fronts that we will play in the National Football League led by (OL Quenton) Nelson. Look forward to that match up with him and Aaron Donald. When those opportunities happen, talking about from a fanfare. But a really well coached team, a team that's been proven, been to the playoffs. Like the Rams, like us. And I can't wait to go out there and compete against them.”

(On what specifically poses a challenge for the Rams when it comes to disrupting the fluidity of the offense)
“You have to get them off-schedule. If you could find a way to get any offense off-schedule, but particularly this one because of how ball control can be with the two backs. If you get these guys off-schedule and force them to do a couple of things that they don't want to do. Like they got off-schedule last week in a second half, you'll have an opportunity to dictate the terms. If we can find a way to get these guys off-schedule in order to go out there and dictate terms, I like our chances with the branch.”

(On if he was upset when Montgomery broke off that run)
“Honestly, it's funny you say that, but you can ask people. It's in that moment, you’re really thinking about how do you prevent them from scoring? And when (IL Kenny (Young) made the play, for me, it was, ‘That was an awesome play by Kenny.’ And find out what's next? You get caught up in the emotions of being upset. The next thing you know, you're down seven-nothing and you got a problem.”

(On what has to be better after reviewing what happened)
“I don’t you believe me when I say, ‘stats are for losers.”

(On if after reviewing, he feels like they played great run defense)
“No, there's never that. That's why you say you go back and review those things. You didn't play up to the standard that we're capable of playing when it comes to run defense. And you go out and you correct those things, and that's what this week of practice is for. That's what our prior weeks of practice were for. And now you get a chance to go out there and you get a chance to open it up right from the beginning. So, to be honest with you, you just go evaluate and you go re-emphasize the things that you already talked about and let the guys go out there and fix it. Your job as a coach is to identify problems, and that was our job to identify them. Now, you're writing about the problem. So right now, I got to identify it. We identified it, now it’s the player's job to fix it.”

(On if he is expecting the running backs to be targeted as many times as they were last week in Seattle)
“No. Not if you look at those. Stats are for losers, from last year (laughter). Their running back, one of them, I think Nyheim (Hines) I think he caught about 70 balls last year and that's very unique for a running back. So, when you are talking about receptions and you are talking about handoffs, you're talking about the two guys who's going to carry the load. How do you want to look at it? So, it's not shocking to me if they want to get the ball in their hands. You're talking about a very good football player. You're talking about a guy that moves like a receiver, runs like a running back, has the ability to play with ultimate toughness. You can play them both together. You can find packages to get them out there together and do different things. So, it wasn't shocking to any of us. I think these guys are prepared to have a breakout season with those two backs. Both being very good, (RB Jonathan) Taylor from Wisconsin, he's a load. He has been a load; he was drafted as a load and now we'll all get a chance to recognize how special 21 is.”

Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell
(On key takeaways from QB Matthew Stafford’s performance on Sunday)
“Overall his command was excellent. I remember talking with you guys last week about how he had not played this year in a game for our offense. His ability to take his game prep from the week to the stadium on Sunday, and kind of be that calming influence. Things didn't always go perfect, but his ability to just move on to the next play, execute what we wanted to at a really high level, and make some really, really good throws. I thought the guys around him, all 11 in the huddle for the most part, we were really pleased at how even for a lot of those guys not playing in the pre-season, they were once again ready to roll and were really positive.”

(On if there was anything O’Connell saw from Stafford that he wanted to build on or improve on)
“Anytime you're looking at a quarterback in the NFL pocket, I thought he was pretty good for the most part throughout the night, but there were a couple snaps in there where we went back and looked at it together. ‘Hey, we can quiet down our lower half here, better ball security there.’ There's always something from a fundamental standpoint, especially when they had a pretty significant pass rush. I thought our offensive line did a phenomenal job. (R Darrell Henderson had some great blitz pickups as well. For him sitting in there, trust in that. It's not like he left the pocket, but just some urgency without it seeming frantic at times. That comes from just playing the position and being in those game settings. We try to simulate it as much as we can in the individual standpoint. The look teams did a tremendous job last week simulating that Bears defense. They're doing a great job this week as well, but as much game-like as we can make it for them, that'll start to really be a snap-in and snap-out positive for them.”

(On how different the offensive line’s challenge is blocking for somebody like Stafford)
“It's really, not even just Matthew, because I think he does a tremendous job trying to play in rhythm. When we say one or two hitches, he normally has the ball out. Really, it’s when you're trying to push the ball down the field a little bit more. That's where maybe what used to be a three-step drop in the gun or a five-step drop, now we're taking a little bit more extended drops. Those are a little deeper. We're trying to hitch up into a place, a predetermined depth in that pocket, where the alignment expects us to be. Really that was where we saw some great lateral movement from him. They don't just always straight rush. Sometimes you get some games or stunts or pressures, where the actual home base of the pocket, where you want to be, might not be right behind the center. That is that feel of not looking at the rush, but that is that innate ability to kind of slide ever so slightly one way or the other, climb. Maybe kick back every now and then just to find that sweet spot in the pocket that our guys up front are doing a great job giving them. When you are trying to push the ball downfield, drop back game and the play pass game, there's absolutely a necessity to be able to hold it in a click longer to let our guys work downfield.“

(On what in particular did he saw out of OL Rob Havenstein)
“I just think his overall ownership of what (Offensive Coordinator Kevin) Carberry and (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) are really asking of him and the rest of the offensive line coaches. We've got a great group. They're all so talented, but they're coachable as well. I think we talked a lot about Matthew last week being that way and playing at such a high level, but also being open to coaching. That is what we're trying to do. We're trying to give all 11 of those guys who ever is in there, the best possible chance to execute that particular play, run or pass.

Then we move on to the next. Rob (Havenstein), since I got here, I just cannot say enough about how steady he's been, but also consistently playing at a high level. When he takes his preparation, his focus in meetings. We had a meeting earlier today and I remember his engagement in what we're doing. When you're speaking to the group, you always notice that. You always notice his feedback in a real positive way. I think that's an example of maybe not a guy with a ‘C’ on his chest, but in my mind there's an imaginary one right there when I look at guys like that because of his impact on our offense.”

(On if we can expect to see RB Sony Michel with a larger role and if you can teach quarterbacks to roll left and back to the center of the field)
“Yeah, so it's a really good question. And my answer is you can teach it all you want, but at the end of the day you still have to be able to go out and do it in a way where you flip your hips on that ball. You're judging a lot. The visual of what that looks like when the receiver is running away from you on an angle – there's green grass to be found. But to be able to throw the football there in stride, be able to judge a lot of different things, feeling a lot of different things, while doing it all on really one hitch at the top of your drop to help the cell – it's special. There's evidence on tape of some really special quarterbacks doing that, but it is not something you could just show a cut up of and just go call it and expect everybody to be able to execute it the level (Q Matthew (Stafford) does. It's really something. (R Sony (Michel), I think the answer is still (R Darrell (Henderson Jr.). It was a different kind of game, and I don't know if (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) explained that earlier this week, but we hit the big passes – real short drives and more scoring points – but really not one of those games that we're accustomed to where you're getting five, six, seven carries in a drive to kind of find that rhythm of when you want to expell Darrell, when you want to get Sony going. So, I think it's one of those things by the game it could vary – a ton of carries to what he got the other night. And I think Sony's okay with that, just knowing how the game went. But definitely always as well as (R Jake (Funk), I think you can see all three of those guys at different times.”

(On preparing for the noise ahead of game against Colts)
“Me personally, as a player, I got to be a part of the AFC championship game there, as well as just knowing, you can just get a feel for it when you watch the TV copies and it's a special place from a noise standpoint, especially when we're on offense. I think it goes back to when (Former Colts Q Peyton (Manning) was there. They were very well-educated fans because you can hear a pin drop when their offense is on the field. And then the second year your group runs out there, you realize that there is 70 plus thousand there, and they know when the communication is at a premium, they know when to crank that noise up. So, it's going to be a challenge. We are practicing, obviously, for that. But this is something that you prepare for going back. Our equipment guys and our staff here do a great job giving us noise. You guys can probably hear it some days. I'm sure people in the neighborhoods of Thousand Oaks (CA) can hear it. But we're simulating that as best we can. And that's one thing where you talk about experience at the quarterback position, but also experience at the tackles – those guys being further away from the ball and just how those guys handle it. It has been really good work so far, but I guess we'll find out on Sunday.”

(On the emotions he experienced after Stafford completed a 67-yard touchdown pass to WR Van Jefferson)
“Me personally, I stand kind of on a little bit distance from the ball to be able to get the kind of a vantage point through the defense. So luckily, the cameras don't normally catch my reactions, but maybe my wife and son were the only people that noticed I was very, very excited and there was some visual evidence of that to be the case. Obviously, it's the beginning of the year. It's something we've kind of rehearsed. We've talked a lot about some of those opening plays and then for it to work out for a touchdown on your third play – Matthew to (WR) Van (Jefferson) – when you know the work Van has put in to be in that situation, you know the work our group has put in, and it's a lot of real positive feelings. And then everybody comes over to the sideline. We take a look at it, two or three pictures on the (Microsoft) Surface tablet, defense gets the ball back, it's time to go back on the field. So, it's short-lived, but the emotions are this is hard – activating some of the things you want to do and the success you want to have versus NFL defenses. You're going to see some celebrating when we have that kind of success.”

(On how he celebrated the touchdown)
“There might've been a fist pump, maybe a jump. You might not have noticed the jump. I could relive it for you, but it just wouldn't feel right right now in this setting. But no, I was very, very excited – very, very excited.”

DL Aaron Donald
(On what makes Colts G Quenton Nelson a good guard)
“Well, they just have a good offensive line. You can tell their coached well. They play with good technique. They’ve been playing with each other for a while. So, that shows. They just got a great technique.

(On what he has seen from Nelson over the past two years)
“He plays hard. He plays through the whistle and that's how you play the game.”

(On if it’s weird being asked questions about going against the offensive line)
“No, I knew y'all were going to be asking all types of stuff, so I knew. But it is what it is.”

(On if he knew that the Colts were the only team that he doesn’t have a sack against)
“I never played against them (laughter). I came back the day of the game, so I didn't get to play. So, it’s my fist time playing the Colts.”

(On if he is eager to add the Colts to the list)
“I'm eager to go out there, play the game, and win the game. So that’s what I am eager to do.”

(On what he was doing on the sideline when WR Van Jefferson caught the first touchdown)
“I was excited. We’re talking about this (*motions*)? That boy steady. He was hot. That boy was hot.”

(On what it was like as a defensive player seeing the offense score)
“It was fun. It’s exciting. Anytime your guys are out there feeding off the ball and they’re scoring a lot of touchdowns and scoring points, man, it's fun to watch.”

(On Colts QB Carson Wentz)
“He's a big quarterback that could make a lot of good throws. He can make things happen with his feet. He isn’t going to let you get him down easily. We just have to come with it and try to find ways to get him to the ground.

(On if he feeds off of the quietness when they silence the home ground the same way he feeds off the noise of opposing teams)
“It's a different feel. You got the crowd behind you at home and we’re playing away. It's more of a “it is what it is.”

(On what he draws energy from)
“Just playing the game. That's it.

(On what challenges the Colts run game brings)
“They’ve got two great backs that can make a lot of things happen with their feet. I think a lot of things run through them, so we just have to play gap sound, do a lot better than we did last week, and we will do. So, we got a big test, but we’re ready for it. And we’re playing against good back.”

(On what the problem was with the run defense was last week)
“Just missing tackles. That's what it comes down to is just missing tackles and little things here and there. First game of the season – it's going to happen, but we played those things up and we’re going to be better.”

(On having a cornerback like CB Jalen Ramsey who is physical and wants to big in the action)
“It's different. I was watching film and seeing him coming up in a box, hitting off with some linemen and holding the ends. (There isn’t a) player like him in the National Football League. He can do it all. He’s a special talent. He loves the game. He plays with a lot of passion. He flies around and he's a playmaker. So I'm just happy he's on our team.”

(On how he’s gotten to know him and his personality over the past few years playing with him)
“A lot. He's a great teammate, great guy. Like I said, he plays with a lot of passion. You could tell he cares about the game and cares about his performance the way he does things and that shows. So that's why he's able to play at a high level like he does.”

(On how he’s watched Ramsey grow into a veteran leader given his experience and age)
“You could see him. I could see him. He helps the young guys a lot more. He’s definitely a vocal guy and he speaks up a lot. He's leading. He leads by example. He leads by what he says. Me, personally, I like playing with a guy that plays with passion like that. I love playing with him.”

(On being one of the best road teams in the NFL since Head Coach Sean McVay took over)
“Just going out there playing a game, that's what it comes down to. You get a game plan, you prepare for it, you stick with your team, your players, your guys out there playing with you, and you just go out there and perform.”

(On LB Justin Hollins’ sack and what he said to him)
“I don't know what was going on out there. I was just letting plays just slip out my hand. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ So I've been working (on) my grip all week (laughs). Making sure that everything will be good. I changed my gloves (laughs). (I’m) not (letting anyone) get away no more. I missed the play, but he cleaned it up. I was more disappointed in myself but happy for him. He had a day. He showed what he can do. He made plays when they presented themselves. And that’s what it's about. It (is not) about one guy or two guys at any time, you want to see guys show up and make big plays like that and play their best games yet. He (is) going to get that much better because it's only Week 1 going into Week 2. So, you like to see it. You love to see it.”

--RAMS