HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On if DB-Kelvin Hayden and DE-Dwight Freeney will play on Sunday) * *
"We know it's a possibility. With both guys it will depend on what happens during the course of the week. We would hope for no setbacks or things of that nature. Hopefully, we can count on their services."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On preparing for the Titans and QB-Vince Young)
"From a schematic standpoint, a lot of their plays are similar. Vince Young adds another dimension. They (Titans) put in the option play that they are running. That's something they haven't done previously. That's a new wrinkle. He's always a threat to take off and go, particularly in third-down situations. He does bring an added dimension to the game."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On how the Titans are winning)
"If you go back and look at the comments I had about them in preparation for the Titans the first time around, you'll see they have the same personnel they won all their games with last year. They were just a hair from doing some similar things they did last year. This roll they are on right now is pretty indicative of a Jeff Fisher-coached team. They are very talented. They are very capable. It doesn't surprise us at all that they are playing so well. They are a tough bunch."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On Titans RB-Chris Johnson having 31 yards in the first meeting)
"That's a tall order to even think about to duplicate that again because here's a guy that has churned out 800 yards in the month of November. He's (Chris Johnson) on a tear right now. In great backs, you typically don't stop them. You may hold them down a little bit, but they are going to get their yards. He is going to get his yards. He's fast and quick, and right now he's on a dominant pace. What we have to do is play our techniques and fundamentals and tackle when we have an opportunity."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On Titans WR-Kenny Britt)
"For a rookie, he's doing a tremendous job. You see that he certainly has talent. He's tall. He's fast. He has real good hands. He just keeps getting better. From the first time we saw him, he's playing extremely well. Now, he's even better than he was. He is a real dangerous guy to deal with."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On his coverage units)
"I think our coverage units have done a very good job. They've been able to back teams up quite a bit. We've been able to tackle well in terms of our coverage teams. We've also been able to kick well. Let's not discount that. Pat McAfee has done a tremendous job of kicking off for us and also punting as well. Right now that's an area that has been going well for us. Like everything else, you have to prove it every week. We haven't given up on our return game. We are not as productive as we'd like. It's an area we have to keep working on. We'll keep trying to find ways to improve it."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On working out RB-Dominic Rhodes)
"Just like anything else this time of the year, you have to be prepared for any and everything. He's a guy that knows our system. We brought him in to see where he is from a physical standpoint."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On winning close games)
"I think we do gain some benefit from those tight wins. It demonstrates we can win a number of different ways. There's not just simply one blueprint. Every week is a little bit different. Each game has its own personality. Our guys have been able to adjust and come from behind and do all the things that are necessary to get a victory, even though sometimes it looks rather difficult to accomplish. Hopefully, that helps us in terms of down the road. The end of our schedule is certainly going to be tough. This week is going to be tough. Hopefully, we are developing some mental toughness along the way."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On why his team seems to start slowly)
"There are a number of different things that cause that. It hasn't been the same thing every single week. We've looked at that and tried to analyze it, but each week is different. The big thing we know we need to improve upon is make sure we keep our penalties low. In terms of the number that we have, we are improving in that area. We have to work on our turnover margin, particularly giving the ball away. We are taking it away at a pretty good rate. If you can cut back on those alone, those usually keep you fairly close in terms of ballgames to give you at least an opportunity to win. These are some good teams we are facing. They are tough teams. They are ready to play us. They come out hard. They play well. Let's not take anything away from them either."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On clinching the No. 1 seed throughout the playoffs)
"It's certainly something we are aware of. It wasn't something we placed in front of the team during pre-season that we talked about in terms of team goals. I think that Branch Rickey said 'Luck is the residue of design.' I think winning is a residue of hard work. If you can concentrate on your hard work and focus in on what you do on a daily basis, those things come. That's why I like to term, We'd like to tally them up at the end because we try to focus in on our performance more than the results. The results will come. If you are doing things the right way and take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On K-Adam Vinatieri returning and what happens to K-Matt Stover)
"At this point it's hypothetical. When he (Vinatieri) gets there and when he's healthy, we'll assess where we are and then make a determination on what's best for the team at that time."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On having the opportunity to rest starters if the Colts clinch the No.1 seed)
"It's something we are going to assess if we achieve it. That's a big 'if'. We have to get it done first. I've been here for a few years. I've had an opportunity to look at what we've done previously. It's been assessed. When we have an opportunity to revisit it again, we will talk about it. There will be a number of us who will talk about the situation. We'll see where our team is in terms of our health. The most important thing is what best suits you to be as well as you possibly can in the post-season. That's how we'll look at it. That's how we'll make a determination. We probably won't deviate too far from what we've done previously."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On half-time adjustments by the coaching staff)
"Oftentimes, our team has been able to come out (after halftime) and get re-directed somewhat because we have such an experienced coaching staff. When you look at Tom ( Moore), Howard (Mudd),Clyde (Christensen), Pete (Metzelaars) and Gene Huey, those guys have been together for a long time. They make adjustments rather quickly. There are not too many things they haven't seen. Defensively, we have a veteran staff as well with Larry Coyer, John Teerlinck, Rod (Perry), Alan Williams, and Mike Murphy. Those guys do great work. There's a book out called, 'Old Master and Young Geniuses.' It points to Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock had done most of his best work after 54-years of age. He wrote 'Dial M For Murder' and 'Psycho.' I think some of our coaches are that way, doing their best work after age 54. We are appreciative of that and benefit from that as well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On QB-Jim Sorgi and his right shoulder injury)
"There is a concern. That is something that is constantly evaluated. He was reevaluated again yesterday. We are not certain at this time. We have to take a look and see down the road how he recovers. Right now, he is recuperating. He's not doing a whole lot in terms of practice at this point."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On improving the running game)
"It's a game-by-game sort of inspection that we do. When you take a look at it there's been some stretches where we've been pretty effective. We may not have had the gaudy numbers you are looking for, but nevertheless I think you can see Joseph (Addai) may be averaging 4.3 a carry now. I think that's pretty good. He's been pretty effective running the ball in the redzone. He has had some big runs for us. When Donald (Brown) pops in there, he's done a decent job as well. In that area you can see some improvement. It's an areas we will continue to work on week-to-week. We know if we can run the ball effectively, it will blend in pretty well with what do from a passing standpoint. That's been a strength of ours."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On RB-Donald Brown)
"He understands things pretty well. He's a quick study. He continues to progress."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On Bobby Bowden)
"He is one of the finest coaches in the land. He is one of the great gentlemen in college football. He's an innovator. The first time I had a chance to coach against him was at Penn State. We played them (Florida State) in the Blockbuster Bowl. He just did a tremendous job in terms of his team. His team was daring. They were tough. All the things you love to see in football, his teams embodied that. Bobby Bowden was a guy who brought so much to college football. He believed in doing things the right way. He was a guy who had a great heart. It's sad to see him go. He's 80 years old but has a lot left in the tank. Like (Joe) Paterno, those guys are timeless. They have some much to offer."
