HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on LB-Nate Triplett being ready to play on special teams against Dallas) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"We'll see. One of the things you will find is that a lot of them adapt pretty quickly. That's what they do. Oftentimes it is just a matter of terminology. Hopefully, we can get him up to speed quickly."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how injuries stress the roster, i.e. special teams) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"That's pretty much where it has an effect. From top to bottom, just the amount of work an individual has to do, whereas with everybody in good health they may not be required to do as much in terms of special teams. What we try and do is spread it out a little bit so nobody is getting worked too hard or to an extreme. That takes some balance because not only is it a matter of playing the ballgames, but it is also practice as well. All of those things have a cumulative affect, so we try to minimize it as much as we can."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on DB-Justin Tryon being the kick returner this week) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"There s that possibility. It looks like he will be the guy. Obviously, DB-Cornelius (Brown) has done it for us, too. So both those guys are certainly candidates."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on WR-Taj Smith helping out in special teams this week) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Certainly. He's been a guy that is really, really familiar with what we do from a special teams standpoint and someone that we'll count on. So he may be able to lighten the load for a couple of guys here or there."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on players doing what they are supposed to do and not feeling like they have to do more) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"I think it is always something you have to address. We talk often about it doesn't have to be anything extraordinary. All you have to do are the ordinary things. Do your job and really don't worry about anyone else's. That is really the task. Oftentimes you do get into that mode where you think you have to do something extra to get us over the hump, but obviously the reality is that sometimes, less is more."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if Coach Caldwell worries about QB-Peyton Manning in that regard) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"He's been around. He's been through the grind before and he understands what it is all about. So really it is the younger guys more so than anything else that don't understand."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how fortunate the team feels to be in the position they are in) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"It is just like anything else. I think it is just how you look at it. For us, we still have an opportunity. Yes, we are fortunate, but we still control our own destiny as well. It has been that way for a couple of weeks now. It just depends on how you look at opportunities. We do have an opportunity. We do have a great one ahead of us. Our task is to take advantage of it. I was telling the guys that obviously a lot has to do with how you look at things. I was reading a couple of articles, I don't know, a while ago. They talked about there is a number of people who come into our country that were new citizens of the country, and how they have prospered from an economic standpoint. They start their own businesses and the growth and development and yet we have people that live in our country that seem to be stagnant. The reason being is that the person coming in looks at this opportunity a lot differently than those that have been here for a long time. You see young people that come into the country that start their own businesses, grow and prosper and develop, where there are young people that maybe within the country that don't see the opportunity the same way, things exactly the same way, yet the opportunity is still there for them. So it just depends on how you look at the opportunity you have. We have a great opportunity. I think it is all of the other stuff around. People frame what they want to frame in terms of how it looks, but it depends on how we look at it, it depends on our focus, it depends on how we look at the opportunity. That is what really makes a difference."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how Coach Caldwell wants the team to look at the position they are in) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"That it is a great opportunity. That it is an opportunity for us to certainly control our own destiny, and obviously that starts this weekend. It is a very, very important ballgame for us, like they all are. The next one up is extremely important and we have a very, very talented team that we have to face. So we have to play well and take advantage of the opportunity."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how the leaders are motivating the team) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"I think that oftentimes we try to talk to them about certain aspects of how to look at things and view things. I've always said, and I'll continue to say, that this is not an inspiration by exhortation. Most of our guys are pretty intrinsically motivated, but you still need to give them some direction. You need top pick them up every once in a while, and that's my job. Obviously, our veterans are guys that understand it, but I think that there are still a lot of guys that still need to hear it and talk about it. We need to address some issues that we address on a weekly basis, but the real object is to get better. I think it is better to show than to tell. The proof is in the pudding. We have to go out and play better than we have played, more consistently."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on talking about playing more consistently being easier said than done) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"When you look at it, you look at the last game. For example, we came out and started extremely well, we started fast and ended up the half playing like we should play. I think our defense was pretty consistent throughout the game to be honest with you. We just have to get more consistent across the board. It's tough to win a game, period. You have to be able to play more consistently over a longer period of time and that is what we are trying to piece together. Certainly we have some difficulties within that. There are some things that are challenging to us, but they are not insurmountable. They are just obstacles that we have to find a way to work around."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on having heard back from the league about the no-call on WR-Reggie Wayne) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"I have not yet. I would anticipate I would hear something soon."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how often the league says they missed a call) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Anytime they view it that way. They will say, 'Hey, we just missed that call." I think they are forthright in that regard."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if there is any advantage with the AFC South schedule this week) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"I'm not certain that we've considered that we are at an advantage at any point in time during this stretch. Let me put it this way, as the response could be a long one, but this won't be. The only thing that we have to worry about really is the here and now. That's what we try and focus in on. I have to look down the road a little bit and try and set the schedule and know what we are going to do so on and so forth in these kind of situations, but we try and certainly refrain from that in terms of looking at a corporate view for our players and coaches. We try to just stay focused in on what we can control, right here and now, getting ready for this ballgame, period. That's really what we try and get accomplished."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Dallas as an unknown) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"No one has ever doubted the fact that these guys have a talented team. It's certainly one that almost at every position they have a real formidable guy who can play the game. Physically you are going to see one of the best looking teams you have seen in a long time. They are big and fast and they are playing some inspired ball right now. They are playing well. So, we have our work cut out for us. I think both teams obviously have a lot to play for and we'll see who can play more consistently."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how the defense changes with LB-Gary Brackett on the field) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Obviously, you can't discount his leadership, his experience and he's a guy that the guys have relied upon for a number of years getting them in the right spot and the right place. Now I want you to understand a couple of things. LB-Pat Angerer has done a very, very good job in there. He's a young guy that a lot has been placed on his shoulders, and he is learning and developing, but he has also been able to make plays. I do think that he has certainly stepped in and done a nice job. Gary has been around and you can't discount his years of experience and his leadership, and he is one of our captains. There is a lot that he brings to the table whenever he returns."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on an update on WR-Austin Collie) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"He is going to do a little bit in practice today and then we'll kind of see how he responds. So the doctors are still monitoring. As soon as, like every other week, when we get an idea of what his status is going to be, we will certainly get that out quickly."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on LB-Kavell Conner) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Kavell for a young guy has played, I think, tough and hard-nosed football. He has certainly been a guy that has helped us. He has a good sense, I think just instinctively, of where to go. A lot of it right now I think he is playing on instinct. His knowledge of what we are doing is obviously growing day by day, but he has been a pretty good force and he just keeps getting better. That's that thing that you look for. He's not going to be perfect, but he continues to get better."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on rookie linebackers playing side by side) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Yes, that's not an easy thing to do in this league, particularly with some of the different looks that they have to face week in and week out. They have been able to do a pretty good job as a tandem in there."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if LB-Kavell Conner will start on weakside if LB-Clint Session does not come back) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"There are a few combinations that we could work with in that regard, but with regard to Clint coming back, if he comes back he is going to start at WILL. We will kind of see. We do not want to move Kavell. He is learning and he is developing and we certainly don't sense moving him to another spot, but keeping him right where he is."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on LB-Phillip Wheeler playing well) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Wheeler played extremely well. He played tough, he played hard and that's a good thing. We have good competition in there, but we have a pretty good mix which gives us some flexibility, too."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on differences Coach Caldwell sees on film from Cowboys before the coaching change to now) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"It is one of those things where there is about that (Coach spreads his thumb and index finger apart very narrowly) much difference between winning and losing. You will see spurts where they play very, very well all throughout the year, when you look back from the first game on. It is just different things that happened where it was a miscue or turnovers or whatever it might have been because those things just cloud the issue because of the games that they ended up losing. They have talent coming out of their ears now. The thing that you see in obviously the two wins that they had was that they played consistently well and they have simplified a bit on defense. That is one area I can tell you where you see a difference. They are simpler. They are not as multiple as to what they do. They let their guys line up and play and they have done a really good job in that area."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the Cowboys turnover differential) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"I think this is usually what you see. Once you can get on the plus side of that ledger your victory total usually goes up."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if a head coaching change can make a difference) Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"All you do is look at them. They are playing better. They are playing well. Who knows what the reason may be, but they look like a better football team playing more consistently well. I don't think there is any question about that. So what you do is look at each case, case by case, and make a determination from there."
