Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald - November 4, 2021

Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald - November 4, 2021


Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
(On his first impression of OLB Von Miller)
“It’s really early to talk about that. He came in really excited, really emotional. You could tell his character based on how he left his current situation. To have the remorse, to feel for the city, the genuine regret of leaving the city, talking about players and how they feel about how they play for their fan base. He definitely showed that. And then he got here and landed in L.A., he decided that he's a Ram. He told us that he was appreciative to be here and couldn't wait to be here and all the stuff that we talk about. But, just talking about the guy and how that reaction went down was one of the greatest things I think I've witnessed when you talk about trading for a player or acquiring a guy and all those types of things. But really early to talk about who he is. Really early talking about all the things. He's in a cycle right now of learning everything what we call it, how we call it, different things, different teammates, all those people, but he's fitting in really well.”

(On the example of how Miller acted when he got traded and why it struck his heart)
“It’s always different. When you're talking about the NFL, we didn't have many trades. It wasn't a trade league – that was more of an NBA thing. Now, currently, we do have some of these trades, some of these acquisitions that happened mid-season that football players are really not accustomed to because of the – not to say that basketball doesn’t have – but the family atmosphere and the things you generate over the time. Being around different players in places that you've been and how they go about their business, it's one thing to switch from year to year, but when you switch mid-year, it’s different. It was cool to see a player that's played this well in our league and played this great for so long to have that kind of emotion. I think that was really cool.”

(On what his reaction was like when he was told they were trading for Miller)
“Just like probably anybody else that's going to coach. It's the same reaction I probably had when they said you're going to come to L.A. and coach (DL) Aaron Donald, (C Jalen Ramsey, we're going to acquire (OL Von Miller. It’s like, ‘Wow! Isn't that exciting? Isn’t that impressive?’ You're talking about coaching great players in our league and great players in our game. You got to have a certain respect for that as coaches and you got to have a certain amount of appreciation for your organization to be willing to go out and do whatever it takes to go win. And I love being here. I love that atmosphere. I love the bright lights. The lights are particularly more bright today it seems like up here in this press conference.”

(On if he anticipates Miller playing on Sunday)
“We’re going to take it day to day. He is coming off of a little snafu that he had there at the end of the game. We all saw it. (It) was all very well-documented. He's out there at practice right now. We'll see what he can do and we'll take it (day to day). (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott) will make the right decision moving forward, along with (General Manager) Les (Snead) and everybody else involved with decision making. When it comes to injuries, you don't always leave that to the players because sometimes you got to protect them from themselves. But we'll go out and make the best decision for our team and what's best moving forward.”

(On the big picture of what Miller can do the rest of the season and how that helps him)
“That is a trick question (laughs). Von Miller will help anybody. When they talk about calling defense, he makes plays come to life – similar to a lot of the guys that we have. A lot of things have been given credit for moving Jalen around. I don't know if that's credit for Jalen and I know there's credit to me, but I know those are great players. When you put them in certain spots, they're going to make plays and he's no different. He's one of those great players in this league that you can move just about any way. You can do whatever you want to do with him, whether it be dropped, whether it be rush, whether it be just go out there and talk about our philosophy, he certainly embodies that. I think the first time I spoke to you guys ever in the in-person forum, we talked about mentally and physically affecting the quarterback. And he certainly fits that part of your philosophy.”

(On DL Sebastian Joseph-Day being one of the top in the run-stop win rate and what was his reaction to finding out Joseph-Day was a sixth-round draft pick considering his caliber of play)
“It was great. I could just go back to the first day that I met Bash (DL Sebastian Joseph-Day) here on site and you come in the building, he’s a big, imposing figure. He’s a big guy. And then you get a chance to watch him move. You can see he can move, he can rush the pass, he can do certain things, he can do different things across the board. He can line up with AD, which can be just as intimidating at times. All those things I really love about it. I did not know the win rate of the stats, but I know he's playing well. I know he's playing well enough that we'd like to put him out there in those situations. Last week it was hard going out without him. But it was great to see his teammates step up and do some really good things that he wasn't there. I'm just happy he's back and going back this week.”

(On how did preparing for the Titans change with their running back situation)
“I don't think you can change preparing for Tennessee because of what happened at running back. I think their head coach (Mike Vrabel) and the offensive coordinator (Todd Downing) and their offensive philosophy just in general remains the same. They're hard-nose, tough bunch of guys. I'm sure that o-line is getting cranked up. I'm sure that they're well coached by (Offensive Line Coach) Keith Carter, a guy I know well. I know what he's talking about. He's talking about winning on our side of the line of scrimmage and we're talking the same thing about winning on his side of the line of scrimmage. I think the game will be won up front. I think the game will be played up front, it always will. (Tennessee R Derrick Henry has run for a lot of yards in this league, but he hasn't done it alone. And you've got to add that tight end group into it too. They've done a great job at blocking out there and they were swaying in those guys. Their coaching staff and what they've been able to do has been impressive over the last couple of years, particularly this one. I think that challenge to be given to us. We didn't know who the Cleveland running back (D’Ernest Johnson) was a couple of weeks ago that went out there and ran all over – so, another team – (but) we don't want to fall victim to that. We got to go out there and play the philosophy of this team, the mentality of this team, we got to match it and we got to do better.”

(On the Rams’ Super Bowl potential and what does he know mid-season and what does he still need)
“I don't think you ever say, ‘If you still need anything,’ when you’re talking about a coach. Our job is not to create excuses, our job is to go out and find reasons to ‘why.’ And the reasons ‘why’ were no different when we acquired Von, were no different than what we’ve done in the beginning of the season. We talked about winning the championship. We haven't been shy about that. We haven't shied away from that topic. We want to go out and do it and we don't take it for granted. We don't think we're saying it in an arrogant way. There's no spot in football for arrogance. But what we got to do (is) go out there and you've got to keep acquiring people and whatever it takes for us to get better. Our front office, our head coach, they've shown the bold and daring moves that they've continued to do since we've been here, Sean’s been here, really probably started with Les was here. But those types of moves that you know your organization is putting it all in and going in every day.”

(On acquiring everyone that they’ll acquire, how does he asses what he has and what he still needs)
“Like I said, it was a championship aspiration before. So, I don't think those things will change based on getting another great player. We’re going to go out and try to be our very best self every single day. I don't know what you want me to say when it comes to that. It didn't change overnight. It certainly won't change (with) getting another really good football player. We want to go out there and do the very best we can, but it starts this week winning one game at a time versus a very good Tennessee Titans football team.”

(On how DB Darious Williams is looking and what does it mean to get him back)
“It's a ‘jog-thru’ around here. He made it through the jog-thru – made it through well. I'm really looking forward to getting out there today, going through our practice and getting through the modes. We’ll see. We've had a bunch of people step up in his absence. He’s busy as he's biting at the bit to get back. I can't wait to see him go out there and get a chance to get some full speed reps.”

(On if he expects to continue to be creative in using different players structurally since he knows a little bit more about how they can play)
“I love that fact. When you can put different people out there and send guys out there and keep them fresh, you get better results. Last week was a great example of it. We were able to go out there and we're able to affect the passer and different personnel groupings, whether it be dime, whether it be penny, whether it be some of those different people that you talked about putting in there forming the shells over the back, forming different aspects of our game, being able to grow on different parts of it. The more you show, the more you can do and the better you are, the more you can move forward. And these guys, they adapt quickly, and they pick up different things very fast. I'm very excited about the amount of people who've been able to play, particularly at the end of the game. Find (out) more about people that wouldn't play normally. That’s been fun and it's been fun to play with those multiple pieces.”

(On where Miller fits in the defense)
“You can do whatever you want with a guy like Von. He’s done a lot of football. He's done a bunch of things. Right now, I'm going to say he's probably in the fit-in mode, so you get him into the fit-in mode and then after you get him comfortable, you get him to learn what he needs to learn from a base standpoint, then you go play with those toys. You don't leave them in that packaging that you got them in. You let them go out there and you let them explore and do some different things. So, I'm really excited about that along with our coaches. There are already things being done to go with the skillset. I’ll give you a funny story. I remember when he came out in the draft, and I was at a four-three team then. I was the head coach and we talked about Von. That possibly (he would) not be a fit because he wasn't a four-three and he was an outside backer. I said, ‘You change the scheme,’ and I meant it (laughs) with everything, every being that I had, and I feel no differently about what he'll be able to do for us.”

(On how much he anticipates DL Aaron Donald seeing a decrease in double and triple teams due to Miller)
“That’s going to be up to the offensive coordinators. The people that want to put four hands like we constantly hear every single week on Aaron Donald, they're certainly invited too. I'm sure the other guys look forward to it, just as Flo (OLB Leonard Floyd) has. Flo enjoys that. And people in the pass. When you play with a great player like Aaron Donald, you got to know it's going to garner a bunch of attention and that's going to leave you susceptible to a few one-on-one’s and when you get your opportunity, you got to take advantage of them. Now you got a couple of players up there that have gotten some more attention than going to some of those sessions that Flo has and he has in the pass, being Von, and we'll see. Things change on a week-to-week basis and get a bit of look out there and see what's going on and change your calls as well.”

(On if he was still with the Buccaneers when he was looking at drafting Miller)
“I was at Tampa. It was funny. It was hilarious. I never forget it was a scout sitting there, was the GM was (former Buccaneers General Manager) Mark Dominik and the time, myself, (former Buccaneers Director of Player Personnel) Dennis Hickey. ‘I don’t know if he’s a scheme fit?’ ‘I can tell you what, he is. We'll find out what to do and what to change.’ He never made it to us, but it is what it is.”

Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell
(On if it’s surprising that QB Matthew Stafford is firmly in the MVP discussion)
“For me personally, no. Just because I can still remember the process in which I was kind of, ‘Hey, take a look at this guy on tape and let me know what you think’ type thing. Real general, nothing specific, but just watching him and we have the ability to look back like on inventory, just past the previous seasons we can go back and see a lot of ball and watch a lot of things. But just the way he played the position. The way you could tell he led that group there (in Detroit) and a no flinch mentality. But just the pure ability to play the position, both from an above the next standpoint of his mental capacity and then also just the physical ability to throw the football inside, outside the pocket as the dynamic quarterback that he really is. I knew it'd be a great fit, but then when you actually get him in the building and you start really meeting with him and finding out just how deep his football knowledge goes. And then his willingness to be able to apply his talent, to stretch the field like we've been able to do. His willingness to stand in there and then you can't give enough credit to the guys around him for helping that transition in that huddle being so smooth.”

(On what his reaction when he learned of the OLB Von Miller trade)
“I had a smile on my face right away because I know no matter what AFC, NFC, going back to the years coaching in this league since he's been a player in this league, everybody knows about (OL Von (Miller). Everybody knows how he impacts the game, in so many different ways. He gets credit for the pass rusher and the elite, hall of fame level pass rusher that he is, but he impacts the game when you're an offensive coach playing against him in so many ways. So knowing that we'd be able to pair him with obviously (DL Aaron Donald) AD, but (OL Leonard Floyd's playing great ball. Those guys all up front are playing great ball on the defensive side. And then the back end, knowing that the skillsets we have back there, you really start thinking about the type of impact they're going to have on our team. But thinking as I coach here and get to just watch them from the same sideline and not have to go against them.”

(On what happened or didn't happen with former WR DeSean Jackson when he was here and how they will go forward without him)
“From a standpoint of what didn't happen and what did happen, I have nothing but positive things to say about the (former WR) DeSean (Jackson) when he was here. I thought as far as being a teammate and his impact on us was, like I said, a real positive. I just know it being kind of a mutual thing at the same time. We're really excited about the guys that are here, those young guys, and obviously starting with (WR) Cooper (Kupp) playing better than anybody in the league right now. (WR) Robert (Woods) has had a tremendous impact and then (WR) Van (Jefferson) has continued growth. We're seeing it snap in and snap out, just like last week. The focus moving forward is just on the continued growth of what we're doing offensively and really incorporating every single guy we have capable to go be an eligible. Whether it's a tight end, receiver, running back, you guys have seen where we're actively trying to spread the field and get everybody involved in the pass game. That's kind of where we're at. So excited about the opportunity this weekend and got a really good defense coming in to play against us. We know how well coached they are, their scheme, but also really, really good players over there. So we'll need all of our guys this weekend to go be effective.”

(On if WR Robert Woods is on a pitch count at all)
“Yeah, you guys have seen it. We ask our receivers to do a lot. Whether it's the run game or maybe it's not even blocking in the run game, sometimes it's those fly motions and how the different ways in our phases of offense, we try to apply pressure to the defense. That takes all 11 being on board. So, if we can take some of those snaps off of Cooper, Robert or Van in any way, shape or form with some guys, some young talented guys that we feel really good about, I think it's a great opportunity for some of those guys to get in there, but we could be in the huddle one minute and then not huddle again for 10 plays. So they've got to know much more than just those specific plays. They've also got to be able to fit into a lot of the different things we do from a tempo standpoint, no huddle standpoint. So it puts a lot on their plate, but they've been growing since the first day they got here. I do think that'll be big over the course of the season. We ask a lot out of those guys. So it will be big for us.”

(On if the loss of Jackson changes the offensive philosophy)
“No, I don't think so. You guys have seen it. All three of our ‘starters’ have gone – we use the phrase ‘gone up on the defense’, ‘gone vertical’ and that's important. We don't just want one guy or this formation, it's only this guy going vertical. I think the elements of our offense where we've been able to apply the most pressure this year is really all of our eligibles (TE) Tyler Higbee, (R Darrell Henderson (Jr.) you saw against the Giants. We want to take advantage of matchups when they're there, but we want all five of our eligibles at times being able to go vertical. It opens up everything you do underneath, but also taking advantage of what (Q Matthew (Stafford) does best as well.”

(On what he has noticed about WR Jacob Harris, WR J.J. Koski and WR Ben Skowronek’s development)
“Yeah, starting out with (WR) Ben (Skowronek). I mean he's a guy that normally when you see Cooper Kupp walking around the building, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Ben right behind him, in meetings sitting next to him, even when the quarterbacks meet sometimes Cooper's in there a lot, I'll walk in and see Ben in there. He's just done a tremendous job. I learned a long time ago as a rookie, it's better to be seen and not heard. He's really been like that from a standpoint of just being a sponge. And then when he's called upon and you really don't know, ‘Does he really know what to do?’ He's gone in and checked that box every single time. And the oh by the way, he's there's a reason why he's here. When you evaluate him before the draft, the talent that the, he's strong, his size, catches the ball real well in a contested catch situation. So he's brought a lot of really good things that I think more than just filling in, he can actually provide some elements for us as a bonus to those other guys. And then (WR) Jacob Harris, the physical talent that he has, big target can absolutely fly. He's feeling healthy, which is really good, going back to getting dinged up and training camp. So we're excited about that. And then (WR) J.J. Koski is one of my personal favorites, getting to call him some plays in the pre-season. I just remember the feeling I always had of knowing, ‘Hey, he's going to know what to do’. And then he can go win his individual one-on-one match-ups. He's factor in the run game, really understanding kind of that role Cooper plays and Robert plays in the run game from a physicality standpoint. So I know that's a lot, but all three of those guys, that's a really long answer to say, ‘Excited about them.’ They all kind of do their own things from a skillset standpoint. And every single day, they step out on this field it's about growth and having the confidence to go make an impact.”

(On how he can tell when a young receiver has turned the corner and has become ready for more responsibility)
“A lot of times we see guys, we show pass pictures and you can explain a route all day long, but when you start seeing guys within the confines of how we coach, (then) put their own spins on things, their own way to separate at the top of routes, their own way to finish plays in those contested situations. Those just lead you to believe that this guy's confident and he not only knows what to do, but now he's using his own skillset to apply that, to kind of take it to the next level. And that's what you need to do in the NFL. These defenders are too good, they're so well coached. They play with great leverages, if you don't have that extra little bit, that we've seen guys like Robert and Cooper put on the top of their routes, or maybe it's just a release versus press, things like that. The production might not get to that point because either the rhythm and timing of the snap gets thrown off and Matthew (Stafford) progresses, or you just don't win. And then that might affect the next route and the next route. So he's consistently doing everything we're asking, but he's also starting to really embrace how he can personally kind of take his game to the next level.”

(On what kind of test do the Titans present)
“They play really, really hard. Upfront they throw a lot of different looks at you, from some different personnel groups. So, you can get five bigs in there. You can get dime groupings on third down or second down, known passing situations where they can do a lot of different things out of those that we really have to be on top of. Man, zone, pressure-looks, all these different things and they've got really good personnel. There's a reason why (Titans S Kevin) Byard was the player of the month in the AFC, defensively, because he's made a lot of plays. It doesn't take long watching the tape to see him flying around. The linebackers jump out to me as active. (Titans L David Long (Jr.) is a guy that jumps off the tape of running around sideline to sideline, putting pressure on us as an offense. So we got to have a plan for not only them individually, but collectively because they are so well coached and they're going to have a good scheme for us.”

(On what he would do if he had to scheme against Miller, DL Aaron Donald and CB Jalen Ramsey)
“There's only so many screens and draws and trick plays you can call before you eventually got to drop back. At that point you got to figure out, you really have to prioritize and figure out who you want to leave individually blocked. Which from the sideline I've looked out and seen just about every way to block (DL) Aaron Donald possible, slide the line, try to help with the back, try to do all those different things. I'm sure the guys in Denver would probably say the same thing about Von. You've seen every way to block that. But the one thing I do know is you can't do both those things at the same time. And then, ‘Oh, by the way (OL Leonard Floyd might be playing some of his best ball.’ From my perspective I'm happy they're on our team. I'm hoping maybe we'll cut out some OTAs or things next year, so we don't have to (see them), maybe we'll just go separate so we don't have to worry about that. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But offensively we love seeing those guys on the field together, in the huddle at the same time when we look out there. And there are a lot of other guys on that defense and playing really well too, that will only be able to elevate their games with guys like that upfront.”

DL Aaron Donald
(On what his initial reaction was when he heard about the LB Von Miller trade)
“I was excited. There were a lot of smiles. Definitely pumped up about it. Add him to the mix, what he can bring, type of player he is, is going to help us. It’s huge, so I'm definitely excited to have him with us.”

(On how excited he is that Von Miller will take some players off of him)
“A lot, a whole lot. I feel like (when) you have an added talent like that with the players we got like (OLB Leonard Floyd) Flo, myself, and even (DL) Greg (Gaines) (has) been rushing good, the certain look we’ll be able to give, it’s going to be hard for teams that are trying to focus on one person because you've got so many good players. It should be fun. We still got to go out there, compete, and make it happen. But we got a great opportunity to do some great things.”

(On if he can picture what the possibilities look like)
“It's a lot we can do, but I can picture it for sure. Just a lot of plays being made, hopefully.”

(On what the energy level and eagerness is like collectively as a group)
“It's good. You get a feel for it just hearing the different game plans we got. Seeing a little bit of stuff we got to do in walk throughs and that practice get you excited to see when it's live action what it’s going to look like. So, it should be fun and that's all I'm going to say. It looked real good on paper, but we still got to go out there and make it happen.”

(On what having so many guys accumulated up front does for the flexibility in the backend in terms of coverage)
“We work hand in hand. They help us, we help them. We know what we can do up front as far as putting pressure on the quarterback, giving them opportunities in the backend to make plays. And when they’re locking things down it gives us the opportunity to get after the quarterback. So, we work as one.”

(On Von Miller crying happy tears that he is able to play with a player like him)
“Happy tears. Once I seen it, I ain't stopped smiling yet. As you come into this league, you get to see a lot of good football players, meet a lot of good guys and you wish you get the opportunity to play with them one day, and this is a guy that I wish I would have had the opportunity to-- didn't think it would be possible, but we’re here now. I'm just happy and glad he's with us.”

(On what Von Miller can bring in terms of leadership)
“Well, he’s going to bring leadership, he has experience so he can help a lot. He can help me as well when it comes to that. So, you try to learn from any way you can. He’s been in this league a long time having success, and he’s still having a lot of success. So, I'm going to pick his brain and try to learn from him, then we’re going bring that to the group. We’re going to try and grow, build that bond together and hopefully create some great things together.”

(On if it’s safe to say that the defense will have a different swagger now)
“I feel like we had a good swagger, but adding him to the mix is definitely going to help us out a lot. Just what he brings, he's a special talent, so add that to the mix of what we got already, its going to be a special force.”

(On how much adding Von Miller helps them get to the Super Bowl)
“Well, it ups the odds for sure. He’s going to be able to make a lot of plays for us. So, like I said, it looked real good on paper, but we still got to go out there and compete, make it happen, make the plays and a lot more football left. But we know the ultimate goal is to be playing that last game of the season and trying to be a world champion.”

(On when the last time he felt this happy was)
“I don’t know. Probably when my baby was born (laughter). I've been cheesing, I can't stop smiling.”

(On what it was like for him watching the young guys meet Von Miller for the first time)
“I ain't seen nothing. You got to ask them. It just looks normal to me. Spot each other up, we talk a little bit here and there. So, you got to ask the guys how they felt, but I'm pretty sure they were like, ‘that's Von Miller.’ So, got to ask those guys, though.”

(On having another star coming into the building)
“Yeah, I'm pretty sure they were excited just to meet him and meet him in person. But I'm more excited that he's here with us and he’s going to help us win some games.”

(On his reaction to the loss of RB Derrick Henry and what impact it will have)
“Well, he's a big part of that offense. Obviously, he'd been productive year in and year out, so we know what he can do. But they still got some other backs that could make things happen, so our mindset is to still play physical, stop the run and get opportunity to rush the quarterback.”

(On if he was disappointed to see that Derrick Henry was out considering many fans were looking forward to the challenge)
“No, I wasn’t disappointed (laughter). I hope he’s fine though. I’m praying for him, but I wasn’t.”

--RAMS--