HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (General Comments) Monday, September 14, 2009* *
"We've always had two captains in Peyton Manning and Gary Brackett, and we would select special teams captains on a weekly basis. This year we did it a little differently. Peyton and Gary have been with us a long time. We value their leadership. We also selected two special teams captains as selected by their peers. The two are K-Adam Vinatieri and DB-Melvin Bullitt. They are two guys that certainly do a great job in terms of our special teams. That type of leadership is indeed vital for us."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (General Comments) Monday, September 14, 2009
"You're not a good as you think you are when you win, and you're not as bad as you think you are when you lose. You can see how many things happened during the course of the game that could have gone the other way. Overall, all our effort was good. I think our energy was good. We just executed inconsistently in certain key situations. I was pleased with the way in which the guys fought. We had a lot of young players that played in the game that performed well. They have to continue to get better to withstand the rigors of this league. There were some things that got accomplished yesterday."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On the status of WR-Anthony Gonzalez) Monday, September 14, 2009
"Right now I really don't know completely. Today is the day when guys come back in and it gives our trainers and doctors the opportunity to review them and have MRI's and that nature. That's the process we are going through right now. We'll have an opportunity to sit down with him in detail and get all of the facts before we make any announcements. I won't meet with the doctors until a little bit later on in the day. When that happens and we have something we can share with you and be accurate, then we will do that. We'll know for sure when I get all the details. You might remember TE-Dallas Clark about three years ago when we made the Super Bowl run, he was a guy that was right on the border and suffered an injury. You (media) thought he would be out and then he was able to play next week. I withhold any comment until we have the opportunity to look at it from all sides."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On the Colts receivers) Monday, September 14, 2009
"We are certainly pleased with their performance and the way they are progressing. They did a nice job in the game. They fought hard. They caught the ball when they had the opportunity and they blocked pretty well. They still have a ways to go, but we were pleased with what they were able to accomplish. They learned the offense. They continue to learn and get better. We feel good about where they are. Typically, you have young guys that you are afraid to put in the ball game. Both of those guys (WR-Pierre Garcon and WR-Austin Collie) can play, and both can function in the system very well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On WR-Marvin Harrison possibly coming back) Monday, September 14, 2009
"You never say never in any circumstances. We'll take a look at all available options that indeed do exist. If the possibility does exist, then we would make a decision from there."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On the possibility of bringing up another receiver) Monday, September 14, 2009
"We'll have to do something. We also have a number of tight ends that flex out and can play a hybrid type of position. (Jacob) Tamme does it and obviously Dallas (Clark) can do it. We have some flexibility there. It just depends. Every situation is a little bit different. Every year is a little different. Don't box us in."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On if there were problems with sunlight at Lucas Oil Stadium) Monday, September 14, 2009
"You may have to ask some of the players about it. It did not seem to bother them. In terms of going light- to-dark, they have pretty well-trained eyes. They were able to function pretty well in that environment. We had one guy that lost the ball on a punt return. I think T.J. (Rushing) had a little bit of a problem. Other than that, the guys did not complain about it."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On having the roof open at the stadium) Monday, September 14, 2009
"I like it. That's what it's for. On a nice day like yesterday, it's a great opportunity for us when it's really nice to open it up and play in a fabulous facility and utilize all of its flexibility."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On special teams downing the ball at the one yesterday) Monday, September 14, 2009
"That was a big play. Anytime you have a team that has to start within the 10-yard line, that is a big plus. It forces you to become a lot more conservative from an offensive standpoint. If you can play good, solid defense, you can make them punt the ball back and, hopefully, get some good field position. I do think we were able to control the field position at that point. Overall, the special teams, I think, were solid. I think the guys did a good job in terms of covering. Our return game, RB-Chad Simpson did a good job of returning the ball. He had a couple of nice runs in particular when we needed it to try and get good field position. We felt good about that. It was one of those areas we didn't have any penalties. That is very important. Our guys did a very good job of handling their responsibilities."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On the two short-yardage plays that failed) Monday, September 14, 2009
"In both cases it was a technique problem. (It was) just one or two guys maybe not taking care of their assignment, just almost getting it done, but not quite."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On the Colts run defense) Monday, September 14, 2009
"I think the guys did a very good job, maybe one of the times we held (Maurice) Jones-Drew to under 100 yards. He's had some real fine days against us. Ninety-seven yards is nothing to sneeze at, but I think we kept him contained. We didn't shut him down to below 50 (yards). I'm not certain with a guy of his talent that you are able to do that. Our guys were able to hang in there and not give up a lot of explosive plays and keep him boxed in as much as possible."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On having two kickers all season) Monday, September 14, 2009
"I'm not certain there are a whole lot of things in this league you can do all year. There are always adjustments and changes and things happen to your roster. You have to have some flexibility. There's not a team in this league that gets started completely healthy. Every week I'm learning and learning quickly it's a juggling act. You have to fill needs and spots. Sometimes it takes one guy and sometimes it takes two. There are some complex issues you have to deal with."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On when DT-Ed Johnson will return) Monday, September 14, 2009
"I'm not sure. We sent in a roster exemption on him. I'm not sure how those things fall in line. He will be back soon."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On league policies) Monday, September 14, 2009
"Our league has a lot of policies. I think there are policies there for a reason. There is typically a history of something that may have occurred in previous years. It's my job not to question them, but to make certain that we abide by them more than anything else. That's the stance I take on that."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On playing prime-time road games) Monday, September 14, 2009
"That comes with the fact our team has played extremely well over the years. We have a number of marquee players and a talented group of guys that surround them. I think they typically put on a good performance."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On going back to Miami for the first time since Super Bowl XLI) Monday, September 14, 2009
"It was a great time and a different team for the most part. We have a real challenge ahead of us playing Miami, so we'll be focused in on getting ready and getting in position to play our best down there."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On DE-Robert Mathis being perceived as a specialist) Monday, September 14, 2009
"I'm not certain how people perceive him. I think that is up to them to make their statements. We perceive him as a guy who can play every down. Robert may not be as big as other guys, but he has some special God-given talents and abilities that give him the kind of punch and power that he needs to handle his responsibilities on run downs, and he is an extraordinary pass rusher. He plays with a lot of effort and energy."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On teams defending the Wildcat offense last year) Monday, September 14, 2009
"Initially, it was something that was foreign to most teams in preparation. It caught them a little bit by surprise, I think, more than anything else. It does create a few problems if you haven't worked with that type of offense before. We had some experience with it because QB-Vince Young, when he was first with Tennessee, they ran a version of that where it was more dangerous because he could throw the ball. Miami has Pat White. They certainly have that ability as well. We will have to look at that situation and prepare for it. This sport is data-driven. We take a look at all the data and the percentages that they work it. We try to make sure we can match up and how much we prepare for it. It wouldn't make sense if they did it one percent of the time and we practice for it 98 percent of the time. We try to balance things out as much as we can."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On DB-Jerraud Powers) Monday, September 14, 2009
"He has a maturity beyond his years. He doesn't get rattled. He has a lot of poise. He's smart and is an extremely hard worker. He's a dedicated guy. He watches his film closely. He's analytical and he has physical tools. You put all that together and you have a good mixture. The thing I want to tell you, though, is he's young. He is going to make some mistakes along the way. He will have his moments. That is what will happen with most young players in this league. He played like we expected him to play. He played solid and did a nice job. He broke on the ball well. He did a nice job out there for his first time out."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On how many times the Colts ran the stretch play) Monday, September 14, 2009
"I would think about four times. We did not run it as much as we have in the past. It has a lot to do with what the opposition does to us. It depends on their front and how they tend to attack us."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On DT-Eric Foster making blocks on offense) Monday, September 14, 2009
"He wears so many hats. He's a guy that is very versatile. He did a nice job. When he's assigned someone to put a hat on, he typically does. We've been pleased with what he's been able to do. He can catch the ball and is obviously tough and aggressive."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On receiving the game ball from Colts owner Jim Irsay) Monday,
"It was great. Anytime you can get a win in this league, it's a thrilling experience. We don't take it for granted. It is tough to win a game. That's something you learn and learn quickly in this league. I don't care who you are playing, you have to be able to perform well. The players make the difference in the ball games. Those are the guys who win the game. Coaches don't play."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On talking to Tony Dungy) Monday,
"I heard from him several times. We talked before via text message. Sometimes that's the quickest way to go back and forth to one another. I text messaged him a couple times afterwards. I watched him a little bit in-studio last night. I sent him a text message and told him he did a great job. He has a great quick and resourceful mind. He analyzes things extremely well. He brings a whole lot to the table. He'll be fun to watch. It's true football knowledge there. He understands it and he can verbalize it."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On Tony Dungy giving away any Colts secrets) Monday, September 14, 2009
"He knows the system inside and out. There may be a time or two he might dispense a little bit more knowledge than the average person. That's his prerogative."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On returning calls after the game last night) Monday, September 14, 2009
"I accepted a couple. I didn't return any. I would have been on the phone quite a while. Last night I had a cell phone full. My family was here and my mother-in-law and my father-in-law along with my kids were all here. We decided to spend a little more time together than talking on the phone."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On WR-Anthony Gonzalez's injury) Monday, September 14, 2009
"It was a non-contact injury. He was just starting to his left and just went down."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (On playing in Florida and then Arizona at night) Monday, September 14, 2009
"It's going to be a challenge. I'm focused in on this one right now that we have coming up. This one in itself will be tough. There will be a little heat and humidity to deal with. We hope the temperature gauge will go up around here so we get a little work in. It's difficult on the road. You have crowd noise to deal with and a very talented football team that is well-coached and well-designed to win games. The next week is a different animal all together. I like to stay focused on the task at hand."
