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Was this loss easier to take?
“No loss is easy to take, but you can see more positives and so you would have more of a brighter outlook on the future. We really feel that we’re on the cusp of getting on a roll.”
Are there any solutions to getting a better pass rush and more sacks?
“We need to have a better pass rush period. We need to get more pressure on their quarterback.”
Are there personnel or scheme solutions?
“We’ve had four man rushes and tried to cover and we’ve had blitzes that have not gotten to them. We’ve tried both avenues. We obviously have to try to get better and feel better about the plan as a player and execute it better.”
Have you talked to Steve Spagnuolo about altering personnel or tweaking schemes?
“As I spoke the first day I came up here, this is a we game. This is a we situation. We are working together as a group and as an organization to get these things fixed. As I also said, the defense is coaching the defense. Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) has the defense, Greg McMahon has the special teams and Pete Carmichael is coaching the offense. I have an offensive line to coach. I motivate the team and we work as a group in all the other areas.”
How much does it come down to players executing a little better?
“In the history of Steve Spagnuolo as we’ve talked in the past, he has made little tweaks. If you would watch the defense, see the way they tweak and the way they align or execute the defense, there are little tweaks in each formation or each thing that the offense does. That’s where his defense has been good in the past and that’s what we have to get better at of understanding that clearly so we can execute what he wants done.”
Was not running the ball as much a product of
“It really was. We ran it 19 times and not very effectively, but at the same time it took a little pressure off of Drew when we did it and that’s the goal and at the same time, Drew was so hot, it made no sense not to put the ball in his hands.”
Is the running game a disappointment and does
“It’s hard to say disappointing when you have almost 500 yards of offense, so when you have something that’s working, you go with it and stay with it. We had one game with 162 yards of rushing and then we had three others where we have not. Sometimes it’s a product of the game and sometimes it’s a product of who’s hot.”
Do you look back at the goal line play calls where there were three pass plays and wish you would’ve tried to run the ball?
“No, we had five passes that we were ready to call inside the three-yard line that we thought were outstanding and then we had four run-pass checks that we liked. So we had the plays on that we wanted to call and we were ready to execute, but just didn’t execute at that time.”
Is it harder or easier given the fact that you know you have good guys in the locker room that want to get this turned around?
“That’s a great question because if you don’t have great guys when you’re in this situation, we would not be in these games. The guys would have quit, but the fact that we have great guys and the leadership in the locker room is allowing us to improve. I say it again, it’s not good enough. 0-4 is not good enough, but you can see it coming. You can see we’re on the cusp of breaking out. We went to Lambeau Field with every intention in our locker room to win that game and had a chance to win it, and we didn’t quite make a play here or a play there at the end of the game that we had been making. This team is all in and they are on the cusp of becoming a very productive winning team.”
Can you talk about
“Yes, I feel like (Marques) Colston’s progression has gone from very slow in the beginning of the year to a little better, a little better and then I felt like last night he was finally back.”
Would you say he was one hundred percent going into this game?
“It seemed like it.”
Can you explain the receivers struggling with the catches and dropped balls so far this season?
“It doesn’t make sense to any of us because if you look at just
Do you think it’s better that you’re playing in a primetime game with a lot of people watching and knowing that the guys are going to be ready to get out of this hole?
“Anytime you can play on the main stage, as a competitor you want to be on the main stage. That’s where we’ll be this weekend and we’re looking forward to it and we’re planning on going in ready.”
Do you feel like the pass protection yesterday was the best you’ve seen all season?
“Yes, I thought it was a big challenge. We all thought it was a big challenge going into Green Bay with the noise and with their talent. We talked about it last week and the guys really worked hard on it, the running backs, everybody. Like I always say, it comes down to 11 guys on offense when you’re talking about protection because the guys were getting open quicker, the running backs were doing a good job of picking up their blitzes, and the offensive line had a much better game protecting.”
Can you talk about the irony with playing the Chargers this weekend as they the only team since the expanded playoff format to start 0-4 and still make the playoffs or are you blocking out that?
“We’re definitely tunnel vision on this week beating San Diego. That’s all we care about.”
Can you talk about Drew Brees going after a significant record this weekend?
“It’s very similar, although this is a very significant record that he’s going for at this point, very similar to the Dan Marino yardage record. Drew (Brees) being the team guy that he is, wasn’t as aware as the guys around him were last year when he broke the record. I feel like it will be that same feeling for him. He’s a team-first guy, so he’ll do what it takes to try to win the game, but at the same time this is a significant record that we all hope can be achieved.”
Is it more difficult preparing to play a team like the Chargers since you see them so much less frequently than other teams?
“When you are familiar with players you’re going to play against, it is easier but it’s no different from any other situation in the NFL. You go, you prepare, you do the best you can to know their strengths and weaknesses and you go from there.”
How do you deal with Joe Vitt coming back emotionally?
“This isn’t about me. It’s not about Joe (Vitt). It’s about the organization, team and players. It’s a group effort. It has nothing to do with me and how I feel about that.”
