CHICAGO *BEARS VS. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS POST-GAME QUOTES 9/7/08 *
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HEAD COACH LOVIE SMITH (general comments) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"This is the way you want to start off your football season. Going in to the game we wanted to establish the run on the offensive side of the ball and we were able to do that. (QB) Kyle Orton did a great job in making plays on offense, and how about (RB) Matt Forte – first game out! We've seen flashes of that in the pre-season and throughout training camp. I thought our offensive line did a super job of opening up the holes for all of our running backs to be able to push the power back. On the defensive side of the ball, the defense hadn't played as well through the pre-season and if you really look at the pre-season, you know you really can't look at the pre-season and see exactly what you have. You have to get to the first game. I think they really stood up. This is the first time we've been healthy all at the same time. So, our first goal was to score, and that score by the defense was big. Throughout they played pretty hard the entire time and that is what we are used to seeing. Special teams wise we did some good things, made a couple of mistakes. We had the normal first game mistakes that you normally have. Overall, of course we are pleased. It is huge getting a win on the road like that. Injury wise, we are in pretty good shape. Nothing serious came out of the game."
HEAD COACH LOVIE SMITH (on throwing to multiple receivers) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"It was kind of the plan. We heard about how we don't have a one receiver so that's why we have to spread it out to all of them. We do have a lot of weapons. (TEs) Desmond Clark, Greg Olsen, to all of our receivers. Kyle did a good job of getting the ball to our running backs."
HEAD COACH LOVIE SMITH (on what this kind of win does for the team) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"To me, it's one win. You don't win championships the first quarter of the season but you still would like to get a lead. And, of course we like being 1-0 right now instead of being 0-1. But as much as anything it was the way we played. How we were able to win the football game. We'll enjoy this tonight but realize we have another big game coming up against Carolina next week."
HEAD COACH LOVIE SMITH (on the defensive game plan) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"Well, (TE) Dallas Clark you can look at him a couple different ways. He has that look and ability of a receiver, when you think of him you don't think of him as being an end line blocker. So that allowed us to do that we just looked at it as a three receiver set which allowed us to put another defensive back out on the football field."
HEAD COACH LOVIE SMITH (on RB-Matt Forte) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"He has excellent speed, after he gets out in the open. He has that knack of making you miss. He has quick feet, catches the ball out of the backfield. He's just been a real pro since he's been here. It will be fun to watch him grow."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on the opening snap) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"It was loud. It was loud and I don't know exactly what happened but we had to get the snap that's on me and we didn't have any issues the rest of the game."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on the team's level of confidence) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"We really ran the football on them and we're a running football team. I don't know any numbers but we had to have been close to 200 yards rushing the football. So anytime we do that and control the clock and make key plays in the passing game, we are going to be right there. Defense played great, special teams played great, and we moved the football still. That's how we are going to win games. We are a three-phase football team and it was a total team effort."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on coming through on third downs) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"That's big for us to convert on crucial third downs. They have a great defensive line. It has caused us a lot of issues in past games. So, we are sticking with the run game and then when we had to make key third-down plays we threw the ball. The guys up front did a great job of protecting and the receivers did a great job of catching the ball."
RB-MATT FORTE (on the Bears' offense) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"We hit on all cylinders, running and throwing the ball. Running is going to help the pass and as long as you keep running the ball well, it will keep helping the pass."
RB-MATT FORTE (on his performance) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"I did well out there. I just can't take the credit. The offensive line blocked well and the receivers blocked well down the field and Kyle (Orton) made good decisions with the ball."
LB-LANCE BRIGGS (on fumble recovery for touchdown) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"Peanut (CB-Charles Tillman) made a great play. Came in, knocked the ball carrier and got us all in the end zone."
LB-LANCE BRIGGS (on the Bears' game plan) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"Just be aggressive. Be aggressive and get the ball. We will override our mistakes with our all-out effort."
LB-LANCE BRIGGS (on what the first win means) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"We're 1-0. We have more wins than we do losses right now. So it was a positive. Right now it counts."
CB-CHARLES TILLMAN (on the Bears' game plan) Bears vs. Colts Post-Game Quotes 9/7/08
"Just start fast. That was one of the biggest problems in the pre-season. We didn't start fast. We started fast and we were victorious. Our defensive line played well. I have to give praise to the coaches. They did a great job of putting us, the players, in situations for us to make plays. I really can't explain how or why we turned the switch on. I'm just glad we did turn it on because it counts now. One down and fifteen to go."
