HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how short-lived the celebration of the division title is) Monday, January 3, 2011
"I think it certainly just depends. Ours don't last very long. I do know for a fact there was one guy over here watching film already last night after the game was over with getting ready for the next opponent. That's typically how it works around here. They celebrate rather quickly and then focus in on the next challenge, and we have a big one ahead of us this weekend."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how close was LB-Clint Session to playing) Monday, January 3, 2011
"He did not have a setback. Progress is just slow at this point."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on challenges the New York Jets present) Monday, January 3, 2011
"They are a very talented team. We had to kind of look ahead and prepare a little bit. We didn't necessarily delve into it much, but with a short week, you better get some work done prior, which we did. Looking at them, obviously, they are a talented group that runs the ball extremely well. I think they are averaging somewhere around 135-140 yards a game rushing. They have some very good backs in (RB-Shonn) Greene and (RB-LaDanian) Tomlinson. They are both fresh and run well. They have a good offensive line that is talented. They have a quarterback that is mobile and a lot of weapons to throw to. He's got a lot of guys. (TE-Dustin) Keller is playing well for them. He is doing a great job of getting the ball to (WR-Braylon) Edwards. They spread it around. I think there is about four different guys that have somewhere around 52-55 catches, so that tells you he is spreading the ball around quite a bit. They give you some issues there. From a defensive standpoint, they pose as many problems as anyone. They give you a variety of different looks. They have a real good understanding of what they want you to do and how they want you to react to what they are doing. They have guys that play the positions on the outside in man-to-man situations that can smother you. They have a real solid return game. They lead the league in drive start average. Obviously, (WR-Brad) Smith is doing a great job, in terms of kickoff return. When you look at that corporately, you understand that is a heck of a good football team."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if it feels like a fifth straight playoff week) Monday, January 3, 2011
"You probably noticed, I'm always reluctant to use that term. I never use that term, playoff, before this week. You've got to earn your right to play in the playoffs. You may refer to a certain mindset, but this is the playoffs. This is what you work for, and it's certainly the beginning of a second season. Now, you feel everything kind of kicks up a notch or two. Although I think our guys are very intense and focused when it comes to this time of the year, you are playing the best of the best, and you better be ready to go. Our guys usually step up another notch or two."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on appreciating what the Colts did to get to this point) Monday, January 3, 2011
"No question about it. It shows the great commitment and resolve that our men had going out on the field in certainly some adverse situations and being able to overcome it. We were at a point there where we were 6-6, but the great thing about it is that we really had control of our own destiny. They took the challenge and said, 'Hey, let's do something about it. We're going to string four together. That's what we have to do. We're going to get it done.' And they did so. I think you have to attribute a lot of that success or some of that success, I should say, not only to the players that play the game, but also the guys that coach them, get them ready to go, making certain we had clarity in what we were trying to teach. Our personnel department did a great job. We had to do a little juggling from week-to-week dealing with personnel. All-in-all, I'm very, very proud of what these guys accomplished. It wasn't easy, but the great thing about it now is that is behind us and it's a brand new season. We can start all over again."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if momentum carries into the playoffs) Monday, January 3, 2011
"I think a little momentum going in is helpful. I just think it depends on what your situation is. Our situation is that we had to win. It's a little different situation for teams that were already in place, already had everything locked up and had nothing to gain from it. You look at it totally different. Even going into the playoffs, those two or three games, depending on what you decided to do with your squad, serves a purpose for you at that particular point in time. For us, today and now, is a good thing because without that momentum we probably wouldn't be where we are standing."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on message to the team when they were 6-6) Monday, January 3, 2011
"Really just to do the things we were doing, but do them a little bit better. Nothing more than that. Just kind of focus in on the things we were having difficulties with at that particular point in time when we hit that lull. We'd turned the ball over quite a bit. We'd been a team that always had the fewest penalties in the league or top-five fewest penalties. We had a few more penalties than we'd like, and we weren't doing the basic things. We weren't running the ball nearly as well as we'd like, and we weren't stopping the run. That was kind of our challenge to see if we could get things turned around. I think the guys did a good job in that regard."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how critical was the team's ability to run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense to the success of the team in the last three games) Monday, January 3, 2011
"I think it's very important because one of the things you find out, particularly once you get to this stage, there is probably going to be very few teams that don't have a real strong running game and very teams that don't have the ability to stop the run. That's what playoff teams look like. You also see that they don't turn the ball over much, in terms of their turnover margin. Those are the things you better make certain you have a real sound grasp of because that's what you are going to face, teams that do it better than anybody else. That's key to us, I think, playing a little bit more consistently well in those areas. I think it helped us to notch a few victories on the way."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the Jets corners in comparison to the Colts corners) Monday, January 3, 2011
"One of the things I can tell you is they are a very determined group. They are not household names like the guys we are going to face obviously, who are very well known and have great reputations that are well deserved because they can play. But I think you will find our guys are scrappy. They are going to fight hard. They are going to play tough and they are going to do whatever it takes to win. From week to week that is our real challenge. Sometimes we have had different guys playing different spots and DB-(Justin) Tryon and DB-(Jacob) Lacey and DB-Cornelius (Brown) have done a nice job of playing the defense in a way in which we want it played."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on DB-Kelvin Hayden's return) Monday, January 3, 2011
"I could not at this point in time. I could not give you any real update on it, but I know he is healing and getting a little bit better, but I could not give you an update regarding his status."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if Hayden's injury was the same as before) Monday, January 3, 2011
"Yes, nothing has changed there."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how the Colts will handle their running backs heading into the playoffs) Monday, January 3, 2011
"Similar to what we have been doing the last few weeks. They all get a little action and we see who gets hot along the way. We spread it around. We've got three good backs that can play. Obviously we've got more than that with RB-Mike (Hart) whenever he gets back. RB-Javarris (James) runs the ball well, so we are fortunate at this point to have some healthy guys at that position."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on biggest difference in QB-Peyton Manning over the last four games compared to the three game stretch where he "struggled") Monday, January 3, 2011
"I know I addressed this before, but I will do it again. What you call struggling, I think you have to look at it and temper it a little bit because every time an interception showed up it was obviously in the byline behind his name, but he wasn't always the cause of it. So my point is he wasn't playing as badly as everybody (said). Every time I hear somebody (say), 'He was struggling here or there,' there were a lot of other people struggling that maybe didn't run the route right or the protection scheme broke down where he couldn't throw the ball where he wanted and things of that nature. I didn't see so much of the struggle as you saw, so I don't want to answer the question in that regard, but all I can say is he is playing like he usually plays; steady, he's accurate, he does a good job just in terms of getting us into the checks we want to get into and he helps us put points on the board."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the dropped passes yesterday and the causes) Monday, January 3, 2011
"Besides saying there were too many? That's just something that we have to work at because those are the things that stall drives, stop drives, and is something we concentrate on a daily basis. We keep track of it daily. We talk about it daily because it is so important and because of the fact that we put the ball in the air a significant number of times. I think our guys do a pretty good job overall, but we have got to get better. There is no question about that because that will make you struggle sometimes when you shouldn't have to struggle nearly as hard and that certainly will stop drives."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if the dropped passes and if the players were trying to do too much) Monday, January 3, 2011
"It could be. Oftentimes it could be because a guy takes his eyes off the ball just at the last minute just because he is thinking about obviously running with the ball before he catches it and things of that nature. These guys are professionals. They are very, very talented men that are out there because of their ability to catch the ball, and I think you will see that won't be a hallmark with us. We've usually been fairly steady-handed, but obviously yesterday wasn't quiet like we would like it."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if there are any lasting memories of the AFC Championship last year that he would like to share) Monday, January 3, 2011
"No sir, I don't, none that I would care to share. I do have some memories, but none that I care to share because last year is last year and this year is this year. I would rather stay focused on what we need to get done this year. Last year does not make a bit of difference in terms of our preparation, nor does it have any bearing on the outcome of this game, but what does is our focus, our commitment and our resolve. All of those things are extremely important, and it starts with me first. So if I am one of those guys that gazes back and dreams and all of those things, I think our team does not have any other recourse but to follow. So I try to refrain from it if you don't mind."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on what jumps out at him with regard to Jets QB-Mark Sanchez from last year to this season) Monday, January 3, 2011
"You can see that he is much more familiar with his opposition. It is probably a worn out and over-used phrase with how the game slows down, but you can tell that he is not nearly as in a hurry to do things. He does them with a lot more confidence. He always has been a very, very talented guy. You could see that when he came out of college, but now he's putting it all together and has put his team in position to do some great things. That's the biggest thing you see with him. He has a lot of confidence and his team believes in him."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on LB-Gary Brackett's penalty being a concern if it warrants more than a fine) Monday, January 3, 2011
"I think our league is fair and equitable. They will look at it and make a determination on what should be done and we'll adjust to whatever that is. If we do not agree with it, we will appeal and we will take it from there. It is what it is, right?"
