HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on challenging the offensive line) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"Every week I think it is part of our job as coaches to make certain we emphasize what we think are some of the most important factors in a particular game or a situation. That's what we try to do from time to time. There is nothing unusual or out of the ordinary, nothing special, but I do think we have a group of guys who do respond, particularly when they know something has got to change in terms of getting us to the point where we are better in some areas. Our offensive line did a tremendous job over the last few weeks of taking it upon themselves to find a way to be very consistent in that phase. I would attribute most of it to those guys playing together well. They have good solid leadership and I think we are seeing some of the results of their hard work."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the last two weeks being an ideal offensive balance) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"I can say this, it has been a good balance because it's worked for us. We've run the ball better and we have not had to rely on the pass as much. I think that's good. I think every week dictates a little different requirement from your unit because of the fact in which the way a defense plays. Our offense is still based on what we see. The old Tom Mooreism of, 'I don't care what you play as long as I have the chalk last,' and that's how we function. There are games where we will throw a little bit more. There are games where we will run a little bit more. It just depends on what we see, but I will not deny the fact that our balance has been pretty good over the last couple of weeks."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on LB-Clint Session increasing his intensity this week) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"Yes I do anticipate that. Hopefully, we will get a good gauge and see how he does. The last couple of weeks he has been ramping up in his activity level and that will continue this week as well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Pro Bowl voting thoughts) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"I can say that the guys that made it, it is quite an honor for them. I do think that they are well deserved. It is a well-deserved honor. QB-Peyton (Manning) has been playing well and DE-Robert (Mathis), DE-Dwight (Freeney) and WR-Reggie (Wayne), I think all of them have certainly demonstrated that they are indeed Pro Bowl caliber players. I do not get into much of the voting portion of it, but I do think guys like DB-Antoine (Bethea) have been playing extremely well. I think there are a number of guys that have played well that do not necessarily get recognized, but let's not detract from the guys that did get voted in. Yet, it does not diminish the contribution others have made to our team as well that I think are playing very, very well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on what the run defense has done better over the last three weeks) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"We have done a better job of gap control. I think we've been a little better tacklers the last couple of weeks and that is all across the board. So I think those things in itself will assist and help (us) get in a position to make a few more plays, and I think we have done that."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the make it, take it approach being the message this week) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"It is. We are still in the same position. Nothing has changed and we still have to win."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Philadelphia's loss as a motivational tool) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"We try to use every possible angle to try and get their attention to make them kind of see things the way that we do. Our guys are pretty astute. That certainly is a perfect example of you can't take anything for granted. There are no assurances in this game whether you are at home or away, what your record is, all of those things. I mean you look at (it), I am not certain many people knew who QB- (Joe) Webb was. He came in as a wide receiver for them and they moved him to quarterback and he is the third guy and not many folks would think he would have the kind of performance that he had last night. He played well and made some big plays in that game. So yes, I do think that's certainly a great example to utilize, and we use every one we can when necessary."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if the team makes the playoffs and if they will appreciate the playoffs more this time around) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"I probably would like to talk about that after that is done because we are not there. We've got to earn our right to get there and I think when you talk about those things, you know me, I do not like gazing down the street. You are asking for problems. I really do think so. What we have to stay focused in on is Tennessee gets our full attention. They are a good football team. They have a talented group, a very good football coach, they will be well prepared and will be excited about the opportunity. We have got to get ready."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on appreciating being in a position to be in the playoffs again) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"We have an opportunity, and it is our job to get ourselves in a position to prepare to take advantage of it."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on DB-Mike Richardson contributing this Sunday) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"There is a possibility that we could use him and hopefully he will be able to help us in special teams. We will work hard at that. Just like anything else, I think guys that, he's been around a little bit, and when you do find guys that have actually had some playing experience that, I know I have said this before but I will repeat it again, at times it is a transfer of a name that you call a particular coverage or front or whatever it might be because pretty much everybody in this league is fairly familiar with the basics in terms of football 101 type things. So they adapt and adjust fairly quickly."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Richardson contributing on special teams being like most other teams in that regard) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"Hardly any of that changes. That is pretty much the same. You play a spot and they will tell you, 'Hey, I played L1 or I played L5 or I played the wing,' and a lot of things are fairly consistent in that regard."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Titans DB-Cortland Finnegan) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"Tough, passionate, just a gritty guy that runs well. He is quick, savvy and he's a very, very good football player."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on reputations and whether they are deserved or not) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"In this particular case I think his reputation does precede him just because of the fact that he is a good player. Do not take that guy for granted now. He is all over the field. He's tough. He's not going to back down from anybody. He plays the game the way it is meant to be played and that is tough and fiery and he's excited about what he is doing. He is a good player."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on what is more impressive; 400 touchdowns, 208 consecutive starts or a possible nine consecutive playoff appearances) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"There is a lot of things we do not take for granted in terms of (Manning's) performance, but one of the things, and it is not the only thing, let me highlight this; oftentimes people look at consecutive games played for a quarterback and they look at that as if that's supposed to happen that way, but the fact of the matter is it takes a very, very tough and determined individual to be able to string a number of them together like that. Meaning that you have to play with some issues from time to time. Meaning that he is a very, very tough person not only physically, but also mentally, and that I think is very, very difficult to do. When you look around the league and start to make comparisons and see who is even close to where he is, you can look at Peyton and you can look at QB-Brett Favre. You look at that record and obviously it's quite a feat."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on how he thinks Tennessee will approach this game) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"I do not spend a whole lot of time trying to figure out what they are thinking because first of all, more often than not I am probably going to be wrong. Besides that, even if I knew, what could I do about it? We spend more time on what we do, what we can do, what we can control. We know they will be excited about playing us. We know they will be tough and it is going to be a hard-nosed game. We know that obviously we can expect anything in the ballgame. We have had an experience similar to this a few years back. So history tells you that you better be ready for any and everything. Our job is to play well and certainly rely on our fundamentals and techniques to get us into position to win."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he sees the same level of energy for the team as he did on Week 1) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"Yes. I do not think there is any question about that. The season is long and arduous and it's difficult. It's taxing on you both mentally and physically. It requires an immense amount of resolve to maintain a real steady pace, and that's why I think that you have to always be a little careful in this league about peaks and valleys. If you get too high, oftentimes there at the top of that hill, on the other side there is a downside. So if you can stay more even-keeled, you stand a much better chance of being able to see all of those things you are referring to. The energy level is more consistent. The effort is more consistent and those kinds of things. That has kind of been our hallmark around here for over the years that we have always had a fairly steady team in terms of just making certain that we are not too high and not too low, and therefore I think you see that our standard of play does not change a whole lot."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if Indianapolis tweaks things according to the style of an opponent's running back) Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"Certainly, because they have different assets that they bring to the game and you have to be aware of what they like to do. Some of them are really fine cut-back runners that are always looking for an opportunity to cut back, so you better make certain that whomever is responsible for the cut-back lane is in position. You can't over-run it because if you do you are going to let him out. He is going to see it and have real fine vision; or you may have a guy who is a slasher who likes really trying to keep the ball front side and finding the seam in the front side and really staying in it and will kind of power his way through it. The unique thing about RB-Chris (Johnson) is the fact that he does both. A guy with real good vision, which he has, can find a seam in front of him. There were actually a couple of runs we were looking at this morning where he finds a seam, hits it and takes it to the house or he can wind it back on you in a cut back lane. Just wherever that seam is or wherever that soft spot is it has always been amazing to me that good backs find them. You get one guy that is out of place, who is not where he is supposed to be, overlaps in a gap, two guys in a gap and he is gong to find that soft spot. It is just that these guys are blessed with some unbelievable gifts, and the gift of vision is one that I think people underestimate in terms of real quality running backs. And when you couple that with speed, he gets in those seams pretty quickly. So yes, to answer your question, we do have to certainly make note of it and adjust for a guy's running style."
