HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on assessing the Titans first four games) * *
"Certainly, we didn't envision it (an 0-4 start). We've had difficulty in each game. I think each game takes on its own personality, and at least in the first three we could sit down and look at it and say, 'Well, we had a chance if we did one thing here or one thing there or avoid this situation.' We had opportunities in the first three. Then, last week, we took turns with mistakes and just let that one get out of hand. So, here we are. We're going to put them all behind us and just get back to work and focus on our next opponent."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on how you recover from an 0-4 start)
"It's not about coming back. It's about getting better as a football team right now. It's not dwelling on the past. It's not about playoffs. It's not about anything other than, come to work to win and do the best you can and prepare like a pro and try to win the next game."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on if it helps that the team has overcome tough early season starts before)
"You can draw from the experience, but year-to-year each team is different. This is a good team. It's a good locker room. It's a good group of guys. They're focused, they've been focused, it just hasn't worked out for us."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on the Titans defense)
"We've given up more plays than we should on defense for various reasons, playing on short fields, difficulty in communication, playing young players. You learn from it, and you just try to do your best and move on."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on the Indianapolis Colts)
"The Colts are clearly playing really, really good football right now. I think QB-Peyton (Manning) has been the best I've seen him in the last few years. The organization does a great job with their depth. When someone goes down, someone else comes in and plays, and they don't miss a beat. They're a very well-coached, very disciplined, very productive team right now."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on assessing the AFC South through four weeks)
"Well, I thought before the season started that we would see improvement from all the teams, and obviously, I was 75% right. I think the other three teams in our division improved, and we have a lot improvement to do ourselves."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on playing teams familiar with each other)
"I don't think anybody is going to be thinking about the record at kickoff. We've had some good matchups over the last few years. There is familiarity. There are no surprises. This is just a matter of going out and executing, making breaks and hoping the ball bounces your way."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on the Titans winning two out of the last three games against the Colts in Nashville)
"Our team is going to go in expecting to play well each and every week. Again, the familiarity is a good thing at kickoff. That's provided we've got our group on the field at kickoff. If we're playing a couple of young corners, then certainly it becomes more of a challenge for us."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on QB-Kerry Collins)
"Kerry has made the throws to put us in position to win the first three weeks. He's played well. Kerry is not the issue. These are team losses. I think Kerry has a good feel for what we are doing. Certainly, I know Kerry will have his work cut out for him this weekend."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on if there is any sense of desperation with his team)
"You've got to keep things in perspective, and what you do in keeping things in perspective is you must at this point eliminate any playoff expectations and those kind of things, because that kind of thing becomes crippling, and it becomes a one-week-at-a-time thing. What you do, is (instead) dwell on improvement as a football team and having fun and getting back to the same point where we were last year with the same players. You just keep working, and you work your way through this. All those things that you talk about, the desperation and this and that, those are all things created outside of the building. Inside the building, we're just coming to work and doing the best we can."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on RB-Chris Johnson)
"He's off to a good start. Chris is really no different from anybody else on this team. I think we can all do a bit better, but he is off to a really good start his year. He has that big-play potential every time he touches the football."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on WR-Austin Collie and WR-Pierre Garcon)
"Clearly, in a short period of time, they've gotten on the same page with Peyton. They are where they need to be, they're making plays, they're effective, willing blockers. You don't see mistakes. I think that is very impressive. Everybody should be commended for the job they've done. It's not uncommon to see young players come in and play well in their program."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on QB-Vince Young)
"He's doing well. He's preparing every week to play, and he's doing well. I thought he had a real good camp, and he's prepared to play if we have to call on him."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on the Colts-Titans rivalry)
"I think it's a great division. All four teams are uniquely different. That's what makes the division exciting. You play one team one way, and you have to come back the next week and play another team the other way. There are different philosophies, different methods, to trying the win the football game based on the opponent you're playing. We like to think most of the games have been exciting. There were a few years there where we struggled, and weren't as competitive as we would have liked. I think there is a great deal of mutual respect between both teams. It's usually a very exciting game."
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER (on roughing the passer penalties and if they're being called correctly)
"I didn't see the play (in the New England game). I'd just say this, Mike Pereira has a handle of the officiating department, and there is a human element in the game. There are always going to be things in this game, as the scrutiny intensifies over the years with our electronic capabilities, there are always going to be things we disagree with. I think if we can just accept the fact that there is a human element, and when you go to replay and you frame-by-frame-by-frame a review, it's going to be looked at differently than it is in real time. They're working to become more and more consistent, and I'll leave it at that."
* *
QB-KERRY COLLINS (on handling the 0-4 start)
"Obviously it's been frustrating, but we're looking forward to coming back to work this week and putting the game plan in and getting ready to play a good football team."
QB-KERRY COLLINS (on Coach Jeff Fisher saying Collins has made the throws to be a winning football team, but the team needs to better as a whole)
"And I appreciate that. But the bottom line is, it's our job to win. We've had chances to make plays to win the game in a couple of games and didn't do it. While I appreciate that, the bottom line is that we haven't been able to get that done, and it's frustrating, but we're still together and we're still looking forward to this week."
QB-KERRY COLLINS (on a win against the Colts would not make things not seem so bleak)
"I know this, that winning takes care of a lot of problems in this league. Certainly, it's going to be a huge challenge for us. The Colts are playing great. Both sides of the ball, they're doing what they have to do and doing it well. We understand that we've dug ourselves a hole, that the bottom line is just get back to work and try to get one the next week."
QB-KERRY COLLINS (on how the NFL can change so quickly and the thin line between winning and losing)
"It really is, and it comes down to two or three plays lots of times. Unfortunately, we haven't made those plays this year, where last year we did. It's a good lesson to know that each year is different, just like each game is different. Just because we had success last year doesn't guarantee we're going to have success this year. But we have guys in here who know what it takes to win, we just have to go do it."
QB-KERRY COLLINS (on Jeff Fisher being steady)
"He definitely is very steady. There's a message that he always has, and it's always positive and it's always upbeat. He makes no illusions about where we are, but one thing that's great about Jeff is whatever happened the week before, he puts it behind him and moves on. And I think this team does that. Regardless of what our record is right now, we're not worrying about what's happened before. We're worried about what we need to do this week."
QB-KERRY COLLINS (on Fisher saying the Titans are still a good team and if younger guys need reinforcement)
"Obviously you get off to the start we've gotten off to and everybody hears the criticism and, 'What's wrong with the Titans?' and that sort of thing. It's nice to have that kind of coach where he says, 'Hey, don't listen to that stuff, don't believe what everybody is trying to tell you. We have the guys in here to win.' We're focusing on trying to get better and better, and it's going to give us a chance to win each week. And that's a great message to send."
QB-KERRY COLLINS (on RB-Chris Johnson taking it to the next level)
"He has. I think a lot of times you see improvement from a guy's first year to his second year, they know what to expect, have a little bit more confidence, especially if they had success their rookie year. I see that in Chris. Obviously, his talent is as good as anybody I've been around. Now, I think he gets it just a little bit more, and I think that's allowed him to be the great player he is."
