HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on advice for younger players on the speed of the playoffs) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"Other than just verbalizing it, that's always the key. One of the things that we talk about all the time is the energy level is just up a little bit more. It's not like they don't see a lot of great speed from week to week because you do. It is just something about the playoff atmosphere that I think is pretty unique, and some of the guys have not had an opportunity to experience it. So we talk about it. We tell them what it's going to be like, but there is no way you can actually replicate that phenomenon. And the other thing too is, I think it is important that you realize as well that I walk into those meeting rooms early in the morning and there is LB-Gary Brackett in there with a group of guys, there is OL-Jeff Saturday in there with offensive linemen, there are guys after practice. One of the things around here is that the work ethic is just not confined to one particular area. I think you see that with a bunch of our guys. Early this morning I saw (Special Assistant to the Defense) Rod Perry in there with three of the corners who are relatively new around here also. So there is a lot of transfer of information. It doesn't just sit in one particular area. I think that's something you should probably know and understand. It is something that has made a huge difference around here over the years because it is not something that just started. This is something that is a culture. It is a way in which our guys prepare for a ballgame. They take it seriously and they are extremely studious."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the job TE-Jacob Tamme has done filling in) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"He has done a real fine job obviously. He has come in and been able to be a real force for us week in and week out. Some of it that he is doing is not a surprise to us because we've had an opportunity to see him in practice. We knew he was a very, very fine route runner, but oftentimes you don't get a real sense of what they will do under game conditions until they are actually out there playing. His opportunities obviously increased greatly due to injury, but he has done an unbelievable job stepping in and playing particularly well. He has caught the ball well, he runs after the catch. He had become a real special teams force for us early on and I just think he kept getting better and better each and every year. I think his activity on special teams helped him, to be honest with you. Now he has certainly been catching the ball well for us and running well. Now he has a new challenge this week. He has some man-to-man matchups with some very good cover guys. It will be fun to see him get out there and see what he can do."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Coach's relationship with Colts Owner Jim Irsay) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"He is without question a very, very knowledgeable individual. Anytime that you are working for someone who has intimate knowledge of what you are doing on a daily basis, I mean he has had an opportunity to work at almost every position in this organization. He kind of worked his way up through the ranks. He understands exactly what we are doing out on the practice field and has a good sense of those things. It does not take you very long to explain to him what you are doing and what you are thinking. He is also a guy that will let you have a bit of autonomy in terms of letting you do your job and he tries to give you all of the resources you need to win. Obviously, he's about winning championships. That's what this organization is all about. That's what he is all about. So he is a task master in that regard, but a great guy to work for."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on what interactions between Caldwell and Irsay are like) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"I talk to him, he comes to practice one day a week at least and I visit with him at that time. Obviously before the games I have an opportunity to visit with him a little bit. Most of the time his interaction, he talks to (Colts President) Bill
(Polian) everyday, constantly. I think they are in constant communication and oftentimes Bill is kind of the go between on the days I don't see him, but for the most part we have steady communication. We don't have set meetings on Mondays or anything of that nature like they are done elsewhere in some other organizations."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on DL-Eric Foster and the energy he brings) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"He is a vibrant guy and that is just his personality. He is one of those guys that loves what he is doing. He has great passion. He comes to work everyday with a smile on his face and you never see him in a situation where he is down about whether or not it is his opportunity to play or whatever it might be. He is an extremely versatile guy, so he is important to our team and he does so many different things; plays special teams, plays on the defensive line, plays defensive end, obviously plays fullback for us some as well. He touches all phases of our operation and I think everybody would probably have the exact same description of him just in terms of how passionate he is, how much he loves the game and then also how well he does his job. He is a guy that when you look at his size, you would be amazed that he could go in and play a three technique inside and take care of his duties, but he certainly can."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he thinks other teams respect the Colts' run game) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"I am not certain what other teams think. You would have to ask them in that sense. Our job is to make them respect it, that's our job. Our job is to run the ball and move the ball and certainly give us the ability to lend some balance to our offense. Whether or not they fear or respect it, that doesn't matter. What matters is production. After that ballgame is over, let's tally it up and see how effective we were. That's the real key. They (numbers) are what they are. You can sense that maybe we've been getting better. We've seen pockets of progress all the way through the fall and just incremental, and sometimes they did not always reflect in the numbers. Now we are starting to see a little bit more consistent play. Like I always say, it is a new challenge, a new team, it's playoffs and we are starting from scratch, so let's see how we do."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on where RB-Dominic Rhodes has helped in that regard) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"Dom is certainly a guy that understands our system well. He has been able to come in and give us a bit of a lift there because of the fact that there wasn't always a whole lot of turnaround time in terms of getting him prepared to go. So he was able to come right in and give us some help within a week or so. Dom is also a very versatile guy. He's got good vision. He is one of those guys much like we were describing with DT-Eric Foster where he is a guy that certainly loves the game, has great passion for it. You hear him before you see him in most cases. I think he loves being around the guys, but you can see once he walked in the door that there was a bit of a spark that came along with him. He brought a lift, I think, to everybody. He's effective."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on DE-Dwight Freeney and DE-Robert Mathis being stabilizing forces with all that's happened around them) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"Nothing's changed. I've been here for however many years, nine years or so, same guys. They work hard, are diligent and take care of their bodies and perform on Sundays or Saturdays, whenever we play. That's what they do. They are still effective pass rushers that people have to be concerned with, and you know they go out every week trying to prove that."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if there is anything this team needs to do to get a playoff run going) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"I don't look that far ahead. Next month does not concern me, the next game does, and what we have to do is what we've been doing. We have to play effectively and don't make a whole lot of mistakes. We can't turn the ball over, we have to be able to stop the run, we have to be able to run the ball and we have to handle the opposition's return game in terms of kickoff return and punt return. I think that gives it to you kind of in a nutshell. Those are the things that we look for on a weekly basis. This week is no different. It is a very, very talented team that we are facing. They are very difficult to handle in all of those phases. That's what we look at more so than anything else. We just look at this next week, this next game and go at it that way."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he has any reaction to Rex Ryan's comment that the Colts are more vulnerable this year) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"No sir. Everybody looks at everyone and makes there own assessment of who they think they are, and everybody is entitled to their opinion."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Colts players not caring about what comes out in the New York media and if the Colts organization seeks those types of players out) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"We have had a variety of personalities and we do not try to squelch personalities around here and things of that nature. We allow guys to speak their mind in that regard. Our culture is just what it is. We've been a team that's trying to concentrate on a job that we have to get done and we worry about little else."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he is misunderstood by the fans and media because he is not as emotional as some in the media or on the sidelines) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"I am not real certain. I do not think that is something I should really be concerned about. I think the fans are concerned about what kind of product you put on the field more so than anything else. That's what they want to see, good solid football played well and they want you to win. How you get it done is up to each and every individual. Everybody does it a little bit differently. You have different styles and things of that nature and what do they say, 'There are several ways to skin a cat?' I choose to do it the way that I do it, do it my way and know what I am judged by. I am not judged by necessarily whether or not I give a dissertation or great oration or am quotable or not quotable. That is not what they judge us by. They judge us by what we do out there on the football field. If that was the case, I have a lot of ministers in my family; I think I could put on a pretty good sermon from time to time. I just think we try to work with our guys and make certain we get them in the best possible position to win, and that's really what matters. I've been around the block a little bit. I'm 55 and getting ready to turn 56 in about a week, so I have always believed in narrowing things down to the lowest common denominator. The other stuff really doesn't matter. What matters is winning. Now, how do you get there? That's the way we look at it."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he is encouraged by DT-Dan Muir's return or discouraged by DT-Antonio Johnson's absence) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"I am encouraged by Dan coming back. He was able to get a little bit done and we will see how it goes the rest of the couple of days here. Mook, I am concerned about everybody, but Mook, hopefully he can increase his activity here in the next couple of days and we will see. We will see how he looks."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on why K-Adam Vinatieri has remained consistent for so long) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"Talent, work ethic and certainly an understanding on how to take care of his body. He has got a great veteran mentality in that regard. His longevity is based upon the fact that not only is he good, not only is he extremely accurate, but he is always a real professional in terms of how he goes about taking care of himself. He is very settled. He is not prone to do anything in extreme and he functions in the clutch, consistently."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he has an update on DB-Kelvin Hayden or LB-Clint Session) Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"No update at this point in time. Nothing further."
