We Have to Be Consistent | Press Conference

We Have to Be Consistent | Press Conference

you spend on the first on tape from the first game with you guys against the Colts versus the the games that they’ve played since then? Um, a lot because they had some success in some areas. So, you know, I went they want to do it again. But you also got to be prepared for what they done past us. We got to adjust to it. What was the experience like for you going back seeing some of the things that you were doing then versus the progress that you may have made since then? I just think the growth that I had just in terms of getting the ball out, giving my guys a chance. Um, and then just through that first time we played them, we see where we are, where we were when we’re moving the ball. Um, when guys are making plays for each other. Um, then we also see like when we’re not move the ball, how bad it can get. So, we just got to move the ball. Cameron, just turnovers the other day. Numbers in a lot of categories were pretty good. Are you able to separate those two things and see that maybe you know you’ve made some progress had some success in fields aside from the turnovers? I don’t I didn’t understand the question. Like there were the turnovers uh but then you also had your numbers were very good in some other categories completion rate uh some other numbers too. Are you able to separate those two and say okay despite the turnovers I’m making progress in other in other fields? Um I think we just separate wins and losses. We lost. So, we just got to try to win this week. Cam, how do you uh cope with all the the losing that’s been going on here the first seven weeks? Because I doubt you’ve done a whole lot of that in your career getting to this level. Um, it’s more really getting better. Um, I lost it every stop I’ve I was at. Uh, so the biggest thing is how can we get better faster? I think that’s the the biggest point where I’m trying to get to. And then we ought to we also got to make plays. I mean, just throughout the game, it can’t just be a sports at times. You just got to be consistent. Boy said sometimes at practice they’ll intentionally take away an option from you to force you to go to a check. How often do do they do that to you? Um, I honestly don’t know they do it. I just go through my progression and I throw it to the person. How do you feel you’re coming along as far as going through the progressions and maybe not going for that deep pass all the time when there’s stuff underneath? I think I got better at it every week. Um it also comes in to the coverage versus the play. Um and even sometimes like we have the perfect play call for the coverage but you know the defense might not give us that throw. So I think that’s where I’ve grown at is just not holding on to it, you know, for a certain amount of time in in regards of even if they’re giving me the good shot, but I have to check down right now, just take it just to keep the change moving. And then if you look at the the touchdown and chim looked like they kind of like had the defense spinning a little bit, they gave you a different little post and that how do you like are things starting to slow down for you to recognize something like that and be able to make a play in that situation? Um, it’s slowed down since I would say at least probably halfway through game one. Um, I see the coverage every play. U, I think the the biggest thing is I have to connect with the receivers. I have to throw them catch with footballs and then we also got to just make plays from a hole. We haven’t done that consistently. And I think that’s the biggest thing we’re trying to accomplish. Asking you about first match up with the Colts. How much it helped you like week up preparation for them seeing them on film second time around? What are they doing now? Maybe even better they were doing first time around. Uh, I think it it helps me a lot. Um, especially in regards to just their their blitz packages they can get to. Um, they did it to the Chargers last week. Um, they did to the Rams, the mass staff after a couple times. So, um, just got to know where the protection protection is sliding every play, every pass play. Um, then you just got to make the right read from there. When you evaluate your own less accurate passes, when you go back and look at maybe what went wrong or what caused you to not hit the guy where you wanted to, is there a common denominator in terms of what the culprit is, your feet or your eyes or whatever whatever you’re seeing yourself doing on tape? Um, really just depends on the concept of how I came out. Um and then really if my feet was there um or if I threw a side arm for where or if I threw it just um just a different way. Uh it all comes down to where I’m hard on myself cuz I want to be perfect on every throw. Um and that’s not even just having a receiver catch. It’s just ball placement. Um giving them a chance to get some yak force. Um and I think just the more I continue to stretch that on myself, it’ll help our receivers out a lot. Strepo’s got a noisy segment of the fan base that really wants to see him out there. What kind of progress have you gotten a chance to throw to him much since the season started? Do you sense he’s getting more of a chance and you think we’re going to see him sometime soon? Um, I think he’ll get opportunity play. Uh, but end day, I don’t get a chance to to call that man up. He’s one of the the best uh practice players that we have out here from receiver and him, James and Mason Kinsey. Uh, they give our defense a good look every day. So, I just know the the people who are going to continue to get brought up, they going to make some impact plays for us. And, you know, if A7 get his chance, I’m pretty sure, you know, he’ll he’ll find a way to make some plays. Said after the game that in regards to the bundles, you just need to hold on tighter. How do you go about making sure that happens? Do you do drills or uh things to keep in mind? Any anything like that to to make sure that that happens? Um, we work drills all the time. Uh then really just like I said holding on to it then not putting the offense in a bad situation and the team in a bad situation. Coach McCoy did mention you guys the whole team just working on drills to help prevent turnovers. Has that been more of an emphasis this week than uh weeks past? Um no we work it every week. Um if not more each and every week we get into the season. Um it’s a it’s a long season ahead. We still got a lot of more games. So um I think the the more I continue to clean up my mistakes is going to help the offense be more efficient. and then we’ll try to win some games out of there. What you guys need to go in with kind of, you know, an us against the world mentality this week going down the road to keep guys back up uh against a division uh opponent. Uh I just think it means everybody got to do more in the sense of our job. Um not trying to do someone else’s job, just do your job and I think a lot of stuff will take care of itself. And then they they a talented talented team the Colts are on both sides of the ball, offense and defense. Um but we just got to continue to play the way we want to play um in our locker room. And then we also got to play for each other and try to win this week. If there were times that on film that he’s seen where maybe you could have escaped the pocket, made a play with your legs, you know, when the opportunities presented itself. Is that something you’re trying to maybe do a little more consciously to to do occasionally just to move the chains? Um, I think it just depends on the situation that you get in in the game. Uh, the pockets collapsing. If I’m able to get out, I can. Um, but at the end of the day, my job is to put the put the ball in my playmakers hands. Um, and we’re doing that um at a good rate, but we need to do it at a at a higher rate. And so, I just think we all got to get better, especially myself, um, and make plays together. Cam, with Locket out of the mix now, how do you think that’ll affect just, I guess, some of your route runners and pass and what you have at your disposal and maybe who can step up? Um, I think it it’s going to be good for those guys in a sense of they get more reps um with me. They get they’ll be able to see the field a lot more. Um, and it sucks to lose a vet like Lock who’s productive everywhere he he is. Um, and I just wish him nothing but the best cuz he’s taught me so much in this short amount of time. Uh, he’s taught the receivers in a short amount of time just how he can view different coverages, how he can win off leverage. Um, and so, but it’s a it’s opportunity for those guys in the receiver room to, you know, make some more plays. can be thrown to the running backs a good bit more the last couple weeks maybe earlier in this season I guess has that been a focus for you and and maybe what have you hasn’t been a focus for me just to throw to a running back um they’re majority time they’re they’re majority of the checkdowns and a lot of just offenses around the league um but I think we just emphasized it more because our running backs they’re especially TP and Taj they’re explosive so we just got to find ways to get them the ball we going to continue to do that this week and on uh and and where he’s got this organization. Uh I work with Shane. He was on my staff in 2014 to 16 in San Diego and he did a phenomenal job for me. So it doesn’t and you see where he went from there and then from leaving the Chargers going to Philly and now being the head coach. Uh you know really proud of him. He’s done a phenomenal job. He’s a great coach. Uh he’s put a great staff together, a great team together. So, it doesn’t surprise me with his leadership uh to where they are as an organization and how they’re playing now. So, that’s a credit to him. Uh with where we currently are um with a couple injury updates for you guys, uh LJ will will miss some time moving forward. Uh Jeff will be week to week and then I’ll kind of give you you’ll kind of get an injury report later today on a number of other people like we’ve been doing and like we talked about our policy uh moving forward. And then obviously we made uh the rash removed with locket. We parted ways. I can’t thank him enough uh for who he was and what he did for his time he was here. He was a true pro. Came in, worked every day. Um and but we parted ways. And with all that being said, uh with regards to the roster and everything, it’s a great opportunity for a number of other players. Like we’ve talked about, you guys have asked questions before. It’s going to be the next man up mentality. And you look back as a, you know, as a coach and you look at players and you you always talk to them about preparing and being ready. Uh, very similar like to like what Mason did last week. You know, we talked all week long or all year long here about how you never know when your numbers going to be called. Mason stepped into the game in a special teams role and play a little bit on offense and that’s exactly what we’re looking for moving forward with everybody else. regards what position you are. Uh it’s a unbelievable opportunity and that’s all you can ask for as a player and um with that I’ll open up to questions. Is Steve an IR candidate? Um you know we’ll evaluate that and we’ll keep you posted as we go. With with Lockett being gone slot position like how much of an opportunity does that open up for a guy like uh Chim DK? Well, you know, Chim, as you you all know, his role has increased the past couple weeks and as the season went on and you see the production, the big play he made the other day in the game. Uh, so he he’s made the most of that opportunity. So, it’s great. And now it’s going to be opportunity for others also um with where our roster is right now and with um it’s an opportunity for some other guys to step up. You’ve seen I mean you’ve seen Cam now up close and all and in the situation that the team is in and he’s in with struggling. He’s pretty evenly keeled guy, but how do you keep him from getting frustrated as a young player? Well, I you know I think I had a great talk with Cam yesterday and the great thing about him is he wants to be great. You know, we back in the offseason program, you guys heard about him being here early in the morning, leaving late. He bust his tail. It’s He’s a young player and like all young players, there’s the ups and downs and um you know, a great example is Pton Manning. You know, he had the ups and downs a rookie year. You know, other players, you know, my first year with Trevor uh in Jacksonville in a new system. You know, it’s his second year. Uh there there’s ups and downs. I’ve had a number of other quarterbacks I’ve coached too. The first year in the system, there’s thing there’s the good and the bad and but as a rookie in the NFL, there is so much to learn. there is so much to learn and I think like that that’s the great thing about him. He stays so even ke during the games and it just you know you talk to him on the sideline you coach him through things uh you just help him get better every single day and that’s what I’ve that’s why I told him you know since the first day he was he was in here when I first talked to him because he asked me some questions about some things I said just hey try to get better every single day and that’s every young player you’re trying to get better uh there’s a lot to learn at this level um and he’ll just continue to get better every week. How much might Bryce Oliver, and he’s been talking like he he’s felt he’s ready for for a couple weeks. How much might he be able to give a boost to the receiving core when he’s when he’s back in when he’s ready, he’ll be ready to go out there. And it’s he’s another one of the players that when he’s ready to go, we’ll put him out there. And uh we we know what we he can do. And it’s just a matter of him getting healthy to be able to go out there and play because you want to make sure everyone’s ready to go. You know, I always talk about with the players is a return to play policy and we just got to make sure these guys are dialed in and ready to go so they can play and be the best player they possibly can be when they’re ready to go. What do you feel like he he can add? Well, he’s experienced. He’s played um you know, he’s he’s has position flexibility. He’s that bigger target, you know, and we see when we given him opportunities this year and his numbers been dialed up and there haven’t been a ton of them, but when we’ve asked him to do certain things, he’s done a nice job for for us. And in the kicking game, you know, he’s He he’s one of our core players in the kicking game. First time Cam’s facing a team for the second time, how much will that help him? Maybe in preparation, maybe learn from some things first time around. Yeah, like I’ve said a number of time, there’s nothing like experience and it’s when you see a team uh for the second time, you have a better understanding for the player and they’ve had some changes on their roster also. Uh, but it’s just you have a better feel and it’s like, you know, you talk about a young player like Cam at the quarterback position, there’s certain you play certain schemes and you have an idea, but till you go out there and it changes and it it picks up a little bit, you know, you see the disguises, you see how players are, you know, and a lot of the good players, they keep their little notebooks and they write things down. So, he’ll go back and look at his game plan from last time and look at and say, “Hey, here’s some things I saw. Here were some indicators.” So, um, you know, but they they’ve got a great defense, so he’s just going to go out there and execute the system. It’s the time of year where trade deadline rumors start swirling. Not talking about specific rumors, but do you address that with the team? Do you talk to players about that sort of stuff coming out or do you kind of just trust them to handle their business and know not to worry? Well, you I mean, we have open communications with players about everything. You know, I want to overcomute overcommunicate with the players. Uh, but our number one focus right now is this weekend. everything else will take care of itself down the road. Uh but it’s just our focus right now is going to Indie and finding a way to win the game and you know players I’ve got open door policy players and I talk about a lot of things um that they’re always welcome to come in and talk about things and I think that’s the way it needs to be. You have to have open communication and be upfront with players and like you guys ask about hard coaching the air day. It’s just you be brutally honest with players and um but we are our number one focus right now. We’re not worrying about down the road. It’s about this week. That’s the number one thing. Mike, what are some of the things you guys are implementing in practice to help Cam with with ball security? Well, that’s this is nothing new. Cam knows right now the number one thing he has to do is take care of the football. There’s he’s been playing football a long time. I I think he’s hurt. I mean, every meeting, you know, all these things you always talk about ball security opponents you’re playing. You show them videos every week. We talk about it. You see how teams try to strip balls, not just the quarterback, but other positions. So, they see all that. There’s drills every day in practice. that that’s that that starts as you a young kid. So, he he understands the importance. He can’t put the ball on the ground in the pocket. You know, he the ball’s, you know, it’s it’s critical that we don’t turn the ball over, especially against a good team like this. Go ahead. I’m sorry. You mentioned last week how great of a practice week it was for the team. Are you changing anything this week operational wise? And if not, then how do you make sure you address what you need to address for the Colts? Well, I think the great thing is is that we kind of laid the foundation last week for how we’re going to practice. Um, and practice just like every game plan, every week. Things are going to change depending on the health of your team, what type of team you playing. Um, when do you stay in pads, when you take pads off, you know, there’s there’s so many things that go into it. But the great thing is last week, you know, we laid the foundation for how we’re going to practice moving forward and we can kind of clean some things up whether it’s Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Uh, here’s what we need to do. here’s what we’re going to do different. Uh there might be a little tweak this week um with, you know, one of the two days um moving forward on how we’re going to do things, but uh they they really know now how we want to do it, the tempo we want to go and but there will be minor changes every week depending on, you know, the situation and where we are in the season. Where are you as far as the quarterback’s freedom to check in and out of plays cuz like that the the touchdown to DK Cam said he almost checked out of it but didn’t. I got it didn’t. Yeah. Why would you want to do that? I mean, just execute the play call. I mean, it was great, great route. No, um, you know, I think freedom to check at the line of scrimmage comes with experience. And there’s certain times where uh like in certain game plan, I’ll say certain game plan, there’s more of it. There’s certain looks that when teams I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give too much away here, but there teams that do certain things like if you see this, get to this like alerts. Yeah. A number of or if he just checks a play on his own. Uh and he’s done that in the past, but it’s like the big thing that I want with Cam is trust the system. Okay. Trust the system. Go ran a play in Carolina years ago when I was a lot younger. We were in the same play five plays in a row. And all the players were wondering why, Dan Henning, why would you call it five plays? Well, because the quarterback knows we’re going with the ball. They didn’t stop it the first time, so keep running it. And we threw a touchdown pass the fifth time on the fifth play and the rest is history. But it’s like the quarterback’s job is to do to take advantage of what the defense is given. If it’s a bad play, throw the ball away, whatever that is. Um, so you want them to do that at certain times, but number one, trust the system and then we will coach you through things through a game plan. Uh, but I don’t ever want to take it away from him, say he can’t do it, because if there’s certain something that comes up, I want him to get to it. And that’s part of coaching and that’s part of the growth of a quarterback at this level because he’s done it a couple times before and it’s been phenomenal, but I don’t, you know, you don’t want to do too much of it. Um, but he always has that in his hip pocket. Cam’s accur Cam’s accuracy has been up and down at times this year. Do you think there’s a difference between quarterbacks who have an accuracy issue and quarterbacks who have inaccuracy manifest as a result of footwork in their eyes? And and which of those do you think Cam’s inaccuracies falls into? The combination of all those to be honest with you. Um when you there’s certain throws you look at through the entire season and I made this point to him yesterday. You can’t miss those throws. Those are the ones you have to hit in at this level. Okay. and then there’s going to be tight window throws or there’s going to, you know, we all see a wide open receiver running the middle field, but now all of a sudden there’s 300 something pound in his face and he and you miss it. So there’s there’s those things too or we don’t always see um there was a play in the game the other day that there’s a wide open receiver but he couldn’t see him because of the push of the pocket and someone might be standing directly. So that stuff happens. Um and then there are times like you mentioned about the footwork. I to me that’s one thing I’ve been on him from day one is is it all starts with your feet. So get your feet going the right way and trust me there’s going to be times where he has to move and your feet aren’t going to be set. You’re moving around. Uh so really to go back that’s a long-winded answer but it’s kind of a combination of all the things you mentioned. Picking up on some of that, Brian had talked about him as a hunter and Nick has talked repeatedly about, you know, the temptation to to go for something when maybe there’s something short and convenient available that marches it. Where are you with him on kind of picking your spot to to push versus taking the the short thing that would help build the drive, get you into second two? I like completions. Completions. If you throw it deep, complete it. If you take a shot, take it, take it. But if not, if it’s not there, do the next best thing. Because there’s plays that are designed uh that you want to take that shot, you want to be aggressive. But I think he’s learning that it’s a lot easier to play the game in second and short and third and short than it is in second or third and long. So there’s And then I think as you get experience too, it’s where is it in the game? What’s the score of the game? What’s the field position? There’s so many other factors that come into it and it’s it’s like you know if the downfield throws there we want you to be aggressive and take it but when in doubt I mean look what happens when we check the ball down underneath this year what happens more often not our skilled players make the first guy miss so if that that’s a learning u thing for him also going back with experience of when to take those shots and when not and the key the most important thing for me with him is just trust the system and go through a progression if the downfield throws the first part of the progression, no problem. That’s what we that’s your coach to do. It’s just don’t make things up and chase plays. Don’t just make the plays that are there. Don’t chase plays cuz he’s going to make a ton of plays cuz I’ll say this, the one ball early on that he’s rolling right earlier in the year, throws the ball all the way back across the field to Ellach. That’s just a player making a play. And that that’s what players need to do. They need to go out there and go make plays. that’s what the game’s all about. So, he’s going to make a lot of great plays like that. And that’s just him natural talent going out there playing the game. So, that’s a great example of him throwing the ball downfield and making it happen. So, you don’t want to take the aggress the aggression away from the player, but you also always want to make sure that we’re trusting the system, going through a progression, and just hey, learning that second, short, third, and short is a lot easier than long down. Are you seeing progress on that front? Last two here, guys. Are you seeing progress when you when you work with him during the week on on taking what’s there when you feel like it needs to be taken? And yeah, I think and that’s one thing of we’ve talked about as a staff too is um take things away from him in practice. You know, early on you try to say, okay, hey, let’s get going. Let’s show him progressions and things like that. Uh but then it’s might be a walk through. Okay, just take this play away so that he does check it down. And I think he has done a better job with that. What’s kind of your philosophy overall on at this point in the season of starting to incorporate more young guys? We saw with DK Winston maybe ready to start giving you something to start incorporating younger guys in to kind of get a longer look. We’re trying to win every game we play. We’re going to put a game plan together uh and go out and do what’s best for the team to win. Uh, but I’ve got no problem uh with our coaching staff and we talk about all the time if you think certain guys should play in certain personnel packages, rotate guys in, I got no problem with that. It’s just a matter of what is the best, how do we find a way to win this weekend and it mixing guys in for x number of snap. I got no problem with that. All right, thank you all. All right, we’ll see youall later.

Titans Interim Head Coach Mike McCoy and QB Cam Ward address reporters on Monday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park.

00:00 – 08:06 – QB Cam Ward
08:07 – 22:51 – Interim Head Coach Mike McCoy

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