HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Peyton Manning's game) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"I know he threw for over 350 yards, and obviously we made some turnovers in situations. Like I say every week, I like to take a look at the film before I talk about anything of that nature, in terms of turnovers and what the problems were and that kind of thing. But they did get 20 points off turnovers. Obviously, that's one area that we want to make certain that we get straightened out. First half we had no penalties, second half we get penalized an inordinate amount for us. There are a number of things we need to improve upon. It doesn't just boil down to one thing. We did have our opportunities in that game. We fought back. We were down by 17, came back, took the lead, had an opportunity to do something. We just fell short."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the Cowboys) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"You have to give credit to them too. They did a nice job. They ran the ball well on us. They executed down the stretch. They were certainly operating extremely well, and we just didn't close it out."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the Eric Foster play) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"The explanation was that he used one of his teammates for leverage. I didn't see the replay. They didn't show it. I'll take a look and see if he jumped without using leverage, then it's a legal play. They said he used one of our own players. As long as he's in the line of scrimmage and jumps, long as he doesn't use a player for leverage – that's what he can't do."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the Colts' special teams in the fourth quarter) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"WR-Taj (Smith) did a nice job, obviously just coming back this week, but (he's) a guy who does have a unique skill level, particularly blocking punts. He's shown that through the years and in practice. (He) did a nice job of obviously causing the fumble. He's a guy that works hard and hustles and he's a good player."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on QB-Peyton Manning trying to do too much with all the injuries) Sunday, December 05, 2010
"I don't think so, but I know one thing it does wear on you. There is no question about that. That is one of the things you have to guard against. That is something difficult for our guys to do, and particularly in situations where they like to be able to take control. They are leaders, and they go after it extremely hard."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the hurry up offense at the beginning of the second half) Sunday, December 05, 2010
"Yes, that is one of the things we have been able to do well. In a no huddle situation, we usually move it decently. We had spurts today when we didn't, but there are times when we get in that mode, in that rhythm and its tough to handle, whatever it might be. Our challenge is to win those. We have been on the other end of that at times and that is what we have to get through. That's when we have to find a way to win and we just have to keep working at it."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on challenge of having a game on Thursday) Sunday, December 05, 2010
"Sometimes a short week is blessing in disguise because when you have a bit of disappointment we have a chance to get back on track and see the opportunity we have. We are playing division teams. It will be a tough ball game, but it comes up quickly. It also gives us a chance to get it out
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if Peyton Manning is doing things differently than in the past) Sunday, December 05, 2010
"No, he works just as hard, he does his regular routine. He hasn't changed in a number of years in that regard and in terms of what he sees and what decisions he makes. He makes good decisions. He has been a quality guy in that area without a question. I don't see him doing anything different. We have just had a little misfortune here, which we got to get cleaned up."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on frustration with close games that in the past the Colts have normally won) Sunday, December 05, 2010
"Yeah, that is typically how it is all across the board. You look at a number of games that were on today, all of them came down to the wire, a field goal that wins it at the end, a touchdown."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on WR-Reggie Wayne's performance) Sunday, December 05, 2010
"He did a lot of outstanding things for us out there, caught the ball in very crucial, tough situations. Reggie made some spectacular plays. Any time that you catch for over 200 yards, that's a pretty good days work."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on his performance the last few games) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"I really don't have a great explanation. I have made some poor decisions, poor throws. I have been throwing completions and my incompletions are interceptions and not incompletions. The times that I have not throw it to our guys, I have thrown it to them and they have been very costly. To have two interceptions for touchdowns, to put our team in the hole, I don't make any excuses. I'm continuing to throw, I'll keep throwing. I hope I throw it to our guys. I think one thing when you get on a little turnover stretch, the easy thing to do is become gun shy and stop throwing it. I can assure you I won't do that, I haven't done that and I'll continue to throw. I just need to make better decisions and better reads and throw it to our guys and not turn the ball over."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on how he has overcome poor performances in the past) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"I will just continue to work. I have just got to play better. I have just got to make better decisions and better reads. There is nothing new or different about the defense that Dallas was playing. The four interceptions, the guys were covered, the ball shouldn't have been thrown. Either need to throw it away or throw to it certainly to somebody else. That is basic football. A quarterback's job is to protect it. I am not doing a good enough job at that. I don't have any excuses, I got to do a better job."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on how injuries have impacted the offensive performance) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"I can't point to that. I don't know the answer to that. I don't use that as an excuse, or a crutch, or not doing my job well enough. We have eleven guys on the field. We are capable of scoring points when we execute our offense and when I don't turn the ball over. Certainly we did have some punts today, but a punt is definitely better than a turnover. That is certainly something I have always known, but just something I am not following through on."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on if he is pressing) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Obviously we have to throw to move the ball right now. We know that right now. We had a couple of runs down in the red zone which we have been doing a decent job of running down in the red zone. Throwing the ball is the way we are having to move it right now. When we do move it that is how we are doing it. So we are capable of doing it, we just need to not turn the ball over. I am still making aggressive throws. The throw to Pierre (Garcon) was not an easy throw, I'm not going to lie, for his touchdown. I will continue to throw. I just got to make better reads and better decisions. If it is not going to be complete, it needs to be an incompletion and not a turnover."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the possibility of reaching the Super Bowl) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Our goal has always been to win the division. It's our first goal and we certainly have goals after that. That is still our goal. Certainly have put ourselves in a hole. We are having to sort of catch up and unfortunately have to scoreboard watch a little bit. That is not the situation you want to be in. I'm disappointed I have put our team in a hole. We have some division games left. It is a division that is tight. Like I said we have three games within the division that are certainly going to be important and we have a game Thursday. We have to swallow this, it is not an easy one to swallow, and come in tomorrow ready to work and try to go beat a Titans team that is fighting just like we are."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on the quick turnaround with playing again Thursday) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Certainly, offensively, and from a quarterback standpoint I have to play better Thursday. I can't continue to turn the ball over and expect to win. We certainly had a chance to win and had some chances there at the end. But when you do lose, you certainly do go back through the course of the game and missed opportunities and poor decisions that put your team in the hole that you might not have been down seven, you could have been up seven. So that is what you always do when you lose. When you win sometimes it is a little easier to talk about and think about the mistakes, but when you lose they certainly make a bigger impact. There is no question that four turnovers today had a tremendous impact on losing that game."
QB-PEYTON MANNING (on balancing aggressiveness and caution in his decision making process) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"It is aggressive discipline is what I always say. You are still making throws into tight coverage. You are still anticipating it, throwing it, counting on it, but sometimes when guys are covered you have to be able pull off of it and throw it away or come to another read. That is your job as a quarterback. We are still throwing the ball down the field, but you still have to protect it. The most important thing about every play is that you possess the ball at the end of that play. That is rule number one for a quarterback and I am not doing a good enough job of that."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on what needs to be done the rest of the season) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"You don't have time to mope around. We play Thursday, and this game has to be behind us by the time we leave this parking lot. We just have to keep swinging the bat. We don't have time. We play Thursday night against a divisional opponent. We have to come up and make something happen ASAP."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on the struggles of QB-Peyton Manning) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Losing period is tough. If we could have found a way to win this game than it's not as sour. It's not just him; it's all of us together. When he plays bad, we all play bad. When I play bad, we all play bad. We just have to stick together as a team and keep swinging the bat."
WR-REGGIE WAYNE (on the dropped pass in overtime) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"I was soaking wet but it's a drop. I should have just caught it with my hands. I tried to body catch it and secure it but it just slipped right out."
WR-TAJ SMITH (on the blocked punt) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Once I got off clean from the block, I just read his steps and extended my hands to block it."
WR-TAJ SMITH (on the emotional roller coaster of Sunday's game) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"It's hard because we didn't pull out the win. We fought hard and we continued to play well. Unfortunately, we got the L."
WR-TAJ SMITH (on being cut earlier in the season and now getting a chance to play) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"It's something that I have been working at. You can't predict the future but I have been doing my job 100 percent"
RB-DONALD BROWN (on how much of a challenge has it been this season with all the injuries) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Our motto here is 'Next Man Up.' That's what we go by. Whoever is next in line just has to step up and make some plays."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on if injuries are part of the reason for the recent struggles) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"We're not pointing to that. We have a season to play. Just because we've got some guys banged up doesn't mean we have to stop playing. We've just go to keep grinding and circle the wagons. It's a short week and a big divisional game coming up."
RB-DONALD BROWN (on how strange is it to be 6-6) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"We've just got to keep rallying and keep grinding. It's not going to be easy. We just have to keep moving forward."
LB-GARY BRACKETT (on losing the turnover battle again) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Obviously, we were not able to come up with any. Obviously, we did not make enough plays to get a W."
LB-GRAY BRACKETT (on the level of frustration with the team) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"It's upsetting. I think we fought hard, and I don't think anyone gave up. We have a game in a couple of days so we have to get ready for Tennessee."
LB-GRAY BRACKETT (on the quick turnaround heading into Thursday) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Never glad to be playing in four days. This is still the NFL. Obviously, you still need a couple of days to recover, but it is what it is. That's what we have to do, so we have to get ourselves ready to go out to Tennessee and hopefully get a victory."
LB-GRAY BRACKETT (on having a three-game losing streak so late in the season) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Every season presents its own challenges; this season with turnovers and not coming up with any on the other side of the ball. But at the end we had a chance to win and just came up short."
LB-GRAY BRACKETT (on now being the pursuer in the AFC South race) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"We've got to win out. That's the bottom line. I think we have to win out. I don't know if we are at the point now where we are hoping for help, but I think we win out and then see how everything else plays out."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on not coming up with a stop after the score was 28-27) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"We had a good goal line stop, but I think we should have closed it out no matter what happened with the penalty. We still had an opportunity to stop them. We didn't and they obviously scored a touchdown. The offense did a nice job to come back and score a touchdown, but the ball just bounced their way."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on the struggles of QB-Peyton Manning) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"We are all in this thing together. Everybody needs to understand this, that there are plays all across the broad. It could be defense. It could be special teams. It could be offense. Those things happen and no one is perfect. We have to go out there, correct our mistakes and move on."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on the chances the Colts had throughout the game) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Yeah, we had our chances. This is the game of football and you have your opportunities to make a play."
DE-DWIGHT FREENEY (on the position of being 6-6 in the AFC South) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Obviously, I don't remember the last time; I don't think we have ever been, 6-6 (since I was here). I remember in 2002 we were 10-6. We are just going to take it one game at a time just like we have always done and try to get back to winning games."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on team's attitude heading into the short week) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"We've got to respond. The best way we know how, and that's to go back to work, work hard, and try to get a win, get a W."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on if it was shocking to lose this game after it seeming like at a couple different times they were going to pull it out) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"It's kind of disheartening when you have an ending like that, but just can't go in the tank about it."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on the offense turning the ball over and putting the defense at a disadvantage) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"You gotta stop them from scoring. It doesn't matter where you are at; you're on our one or their one, you've got to stop them. They scored. Good job by them."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on the Colts now being the hunters in the AFC South) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"You've got to stay alive, keep fighting, keep pushing. You can't get sidetracked. We know the goals we have to achieve."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on the defense not being able to force any turnovers in the past few games) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"That's kind of disheartening defensive wise. You've got to get turnovers. We've got to help our offense out. That's one of our mottos; fly around, have fun, get turnovers, but we haven't been able to do that. You have to pass the blame around."
DE-ROBERT MATHIS (on how is this team going to respond to being 6-6) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"We're going to respond, we've got to respond and we will respond. Just come back, bring your lunch pail, go to work, punch the clock. Let's go."
DT-DAN MUIR (on the game) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"It was a hard-fought game. To lose that way, it was heartbreaking, but we don't have a long time to be heartbroken. Matter-of-fact, we have less than 24 hours, and then we have to go back to work. As poor as we've been, as a whole team, we've still got a shot to win our division, and that's what we've got to do."
DT-DAN MUIR (on what the team's mindset is for the remaining games) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Our backs are on the wall, and what it's going to do is show everybody what kind of men we've got in our locker room. I can guarantee you this; we are not going to give up. We are going to continue to fight, and we are going to fight hard because that is what we do. We're going to play Colts football, and we're going to fight hard."
DT-DAN MUIR (on the offense struggling) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"The turnovers are one thing, but we didn't play perfect as a defense, either. Everybody just can't look at QB-Peyton (Manning). We didn't play good enough on defense, either.
DT-DAN MUIR (on what has to happen to stop the losing streak) Sunday, December 5, 2010
"The same thing we do every week and that's just going in there, working our butts off during the week and come out there and play. That's all we can do. We can't do anything else. We can't, no disrespect to you all, pay attention to the media. We can't pay attention to what anyone is saying. All we can do is band together like we've been doing and come out here and play. That's it."
