We Have to Rally Together | Press Conference

We Have to Rally Together | Press Conference

Okay, just start off. I I know you guys know this already, but uh we we traded Roger McCreary to the Rams. Okay, so just to kind of mention that to you guys and I can’t thank Roger enough uh for everything he did here for this organization. Um you know, he’s a true pro. Showed up every day. Uh did what we asked him to do. So wish him nothing but the best moving forward. Okay, moving in. Uh no updates on the injuries uh that I told you guys about after the game. We’ll kind of go and update you as the week goes on. There’s some guys like we’ve told you before that were out last week. We’ll see what their progress is this week as the week goes on. Um so that’s with the injuries and then just kind of just summarizing kind of the game the other day. Um you know unfortunately you know there’s some critical moments in games where we didn’t make certain plays. Um I I think when you look back at the game the way Cam played uh he played at a high level. He really did some really nice things in the game. you you can see the progress and the way he’s playing better that was one of the big focuses obviously you guys asked me two weeks ago um you know one thing that we wanted to do and you know have Cam play at a certain level and there’s always going to be plays uh you know when you look at the game there’s a couple throws and then you look at say man I wish he would have made him and I just like I talked to him again this morning it’s like hey listen just keep going this this was the way you need to play uh the throw he had there with 26 l 26 seconds left in the first half. Wow. That that that is that is a big time throw. And you see that and then the way they operated the next play, get down there and clock the ball. Um it’s it’s it’s outstanding and that that’s what you want to see. You want to see the development um of Cam. So, I was very pleased with that. Um the younger players on offense, they each kind of made their plays. So, uh that was outstanding. um you know the two backs the way we ran the football that was a big focus going into the game of saying we got to run the ball and I think they both had success at times and the balance of those two guys playing and and from week to week there’s going to be um you know it’s going to who’s the hot hand at times and how’s the flow of the game going how are they playing uh but but overall though we had too many missed opportunities uh in the game offensively you know I I I regret the decision I made to start the second half by not going for it there on the fourth down that that’s on me like I you know I told you guys um you know that’s that that’s on me. So I I got to do a better job with that and put the players in a position to keep that drive going. Uh defensively speaking I think once we settled down there at the end of the end of the second quarter they did a really nice job of getting a couple stops for us getting us the ball back uh to get the opportunity to go down there and get some points at the end of the half. Unfortunately, we didn’t get it, but that’s one of those things we’ve talked about before is having the ball at the end of the half, getting points, coming out in the second half. Uh, and then there’s an opportunity for us, you know, to make some one-on-one plays that unfortunately we didn’t make. But, um, like like every week, there’s going to be the good and the bad. Uh, and we came in, they’re in meetings now, uh, coaching it up. So, was was the, um, the fourth down decision in the second quarter also in Indianapolis territorial. So, was that that much different from the the one in the third quarter in your mind? Well, there’s there’s different situations that come up and I think that, you know, that one actually worked out because we got that ball back and got, you know, Cam made the phenomenal throw, then we had the down clock situation. So, it worked that one worked out the way you wanted to do to take that last shot. So, we got points. Um, so it’s it’s Hey, listen, the one I do the second half, like I said, you know, that you just look back at it and that’s one I I truly wish I had back. That’s on me. step into this role, how much do you have to balance just sort of stabilizing a young team, making sure they’re playing with the best possible fundamentals, get individual growth out of them versus maybe take a gamble here and there to try and put yourself in the best position to win a football. Well, it’s always about winning. You know, every game you go into, you’re trying to win and you make decisions and like I told you guys last week, there’s some sleepless nights as a coach when you make certain decisions and it doesn’t work. Um, you know, if you if that other that situation works different yesterday, you look you come in here and you say, “Scotty, I probably still should be aggressive and go for that.” Uh, but you get somehow it works out different, you know, you look at and there’s there’s always that side of it, too. Um there’s there’s nothing in here when you put game plans together that you’re saying one way or the other. They’re all good. You know, you think things are gonna you you call a game as a coordinator, you’re hoping things, you know, you’re thinking they’re supposed to work a certain way. Sometimes they don’t. And you have this that that’s when you look at yourself, you say, “God, I could have done that better.” Uh with the part of the growth part of it, we’re always trying to uh you’re always trying regardless of young team, whatever, you’re always trying to get better every week during the season. You know, I’ve always been a big believer and, you know, from a young young age, I was taught a long time ago as a football team, you’ll be playing your best football in December and then into January, you know, as the end of the year. So, you’re constantly trying to get better. And I think you see a lot of our young players both offensively and defensively, the amount they’re playing now, and defensively, you’re starting to see some younger guys play a little more uh due to injury. Um, is that you you’re seeing the plays they’re making, the way Cam played. um whether it’s Ellock, it’s Chim, it’s Gunner, you know, the plays, I mean that you see these guys getting better and that’s that’s uh I can’t say enough about the young guys that we have. They’ve done an outstanding job. How do you size up uh the players that you have to replace Roger with at the nickel? Well, you know, we just it just happened. So, the coaching staff will uh talk about, you know, how we want to address this, how we’re going to play, who’s going to play where. Uh, and it’s adjustment you have to make, but that’s, you know, any like any other change you make during the week or during a game, uh, you you got to look at the, you know, who does what best. And I think that’s something that the defensive staff will look at in the next couple days and say, “Okay, here’s the changes we need to make to put the players in the right positions and move a couple guys around, whatever we need to do.” Marcus Harris looked in the brief work he’s got. you know, he’s uh uh you know, he’s you love the way he comes out and prepares and plays, the chip on the shoulder he plays with and he you saw his you know, through training camp and the in the time that we’ve had him. Um, you know, now I’ve got to be I got a closer eye on the defense now. When I was on the offense side of the ball, I was worried more, you know, when I was just with the offense and spent a lot more time, but I’ve watched the guys and watched the whole entire team more and and you see the progress that he’s made and um, you know, so I’m excited to see him play. talk about how cornerback is one of the toughest positions to solve in season to find in season. Why is it so difficult to turn a corner? Why is it such a premium on that position? Well, you’re on an island. I mean, that’s like it. You’re somehow on Sports Center a lot, you know, whether it’s for the good plays or the bad play to get out there. Uh there there’s so many skilled receivers out there. There really are. They’re so talented. Uh it’s a challenge. You’re on you’re on an island a lot. you know, you’re out there one-on-one and you got these great talented players, uh, and there’s going to be the good and the bad of it. And so, it’s you look at the younger players, it’s like all young, I mean, it doesn’t matter what position you’re playing in this league. If you’re a young player and you’re out there, you’re the one-on-one battles, you’re going to, you know, you’re going to take your licks from time to time, but it’s just, you know, you got to you got to trust the technique, you know, trust the the thing is in this game, there’s there’s so much more that just goes in. I mean, it’s all about players going out there and and winning their one-on-one battles, but it’s this it’s the recognition and understanding like what are I mean, you’d be amazed if you were in the headset and the defense is out there and you you listen to the defensive staff call out plays and formations and what they’re doing, the tendencies and stuff like that. And that for young players, there’s so much to learn and that’s half the battle is just learning what what are the little tips that the defense that the offense is giving you, splits, formations, motions. Okay. where like in the in the game the other day, where is 84 lined up? What does that mean to you? And that all helps you, but you know, they’re they’re they’re out there on an island as a young player too. You’re just you’re so focused on doing your job, but there’s just there’s the tricks of the trade you got to learn to really help you. But it’s they’re very talented receivers out there obviously as we all know. As you’re going through like navigating the conversations with the players, you know, you trade mccur, how do you go about keeping the morale up and and not giving them the image that that you you throw in the top? Well, I’ve been in this business a long time. I’ve been in this business since 2000 and there’s a number of different things that come up and it it there’s changes happen in this business and I think the big thing is it’s an opportunity for somebody else to step in and play and that’s what you know I told the team this morning is that it it’s an opportunity for someone else to come in here and and you know and step in and it’s it’s all part of the business and we got we’re moving forward. when they made you interim coach, Mike, what what type of discussion was there from who made this decision for you to take this job about potential roster turnover that would be coming down the pike and how to deal with that? Well, you you always I’ve been in this before. I’ve been a head coach obviously before, so I understand that. Uh there was not a lot a lot of discussion u just particularly on you know getting this far down the road. I mean, we weren’t talking two weeks out when I first took this job. We were talking about, you know, what were we going to do now? You know, that Monday when they asked me to sit down and talk, we talked about, you know, what we were doing, what the plans were, and uh, you know, I had a lot to get done in a short amount of time that first week. So, um, these are all discussions I knew would eventually come up down the road. Uh, but but I didn’t I don’t, you know, as as the head coach, uh, I I understand the business and the role that I’m in and what I need to do to help this team win. So, I knew there’s there’s going there’s always uh regardless of when it is, there’s going to be tough discussions you’re going to have in organizations, whether it’s the offseason program, training camp, through the season. That’s this is all part of the business. Winning though, go ahead, Chris. Sorry. Can I follow over? When you talk about winning though, how much tougher does it make it to win when you’re selling off assets that are starters? Well, it’s an opportunity for someone else to come and step in and play and you got to go out there and do your job. So, um it’s the like I I keep saying, it’s the next man up mentality. Someone’s got to go out there and fill that role. uh that Roger was in and and go from there. Gunner, obviously first touchdown yesterday. What have you liked about his development? Could we see more of a role for him uh moving forward? Well, with his development, I’ll say this, give Luke Stalker a ton of credit for the way he’s coached the tight end position. Uh I I love what Luke has done with those guys. I think they every tight end that’s been here, whether they’re still here or they’re somewhere else playing, I just the way Luke coaches the player, he’s he’s a former player, so he knows what it takes to play the position. Uh the detail that he goes into, he coaches him extremely hard, but he also loves him up like no other. And I think and that that’s what the players want. He cares so much about him and uh he’s a stickler for every detail. So, I think that he’s really helped Gunnar uh slow the game down a little bit so he can play faster. Uh, and I I’m really pleased with the way Luke has really coached the entire room and where the tight end position is today. Take a few more. Any uh you talked a little bit earlier about about Cam and some of the throws he made. Yeah. One that that missed was the longer one to to Iron Man. It looked maybe on the replay as if perhaps I manner had slowed in that route. What was your take on on on that play? Yeah, he slowed down a little bit at the top of the route. He just we just got that that’s a ball that’s an explosive play that we just got to continue to get out, you know, uh just you got to expect that ball thrown up over the top. So, it was a missed opportunity for us. When you look back at yesterday, how much were missed tackles, misfits a problem with the run defense? And in particular with your linebackers, do you need them to make a few more plays and not just tackles? Yeah, we missed too many tackles against a really good back from the first play on. You know, uh you see a lot of those explosive plays or big plays that happen. You know, a number of them should be three- yard gains, but that’s a great that’s a talented back, but you’ve got to wrap him up. You got to you can’t let him get out in space like we did. So, that that’s critical that we do a better job at tackling. Did you attack physically at the point of of attack? Did you lack physicality? No, I think we missed tackle. We missed tackles at times. That that’s the key thing is, you know, you’re always going to look at plays and say, “Yeah, we can have more push here, this, but I think the number one cause was the missed tackles.” Know you face the Chargers as an assistant since that’s leaving there, but anything special for you personally facing them as a head coach? You know, it’s I I can’t thank the Spanos family enough uh for the opportunity they gave me to to lead their organization. What a great family. Um, I owe them the world and it’s there’s so many great people there. Uh, I still stay in contact with a number of people there. So, it’s a great organization and I love the family, love the people, the organization. Uh, it’s the next one up and you know, you always like going against those former teams. It’s it’s kind of fun. It’s good. It’ll be great to see everybody. Uh, but it’s the next one on the schedule. So, we got to go out there and play our best game of the year against a really good team. Seems like there’s been a few games this year when the defense has has taken a while to get its footing underneath them and then kind of levels off a little bit. How much of a difference do you think it would make? Couple early stops. Oh, that’ be outstanding. I would love to see that. A couple stops early, couple scores offensively, big plays in the kicking game, you know, that that would be great. Frisk and that’s something you talk about every week is how do we get off to a fast start, you know? I think that that’s that’s the key. get out, get off to a fast start, play complimentary football, you know, all three phases together. Let’s see what happens when we do that. Obviously lessen pressure on the offense, too. It seems like a lot of times the offense immediately, you know, has to kind of play even up with with the other teams. Yeah. But, you know, I think that’s been really, you know, when you when you get down the second half by certain scores, that’s when you got to start doing, I think. But in the first, you got to kind of stay in routine and, you know, you got you got you have a game plan. You got to be careful getting away from your game plan too early. Um, it just, you know, stick to stick to your plan. Keep going. There’s a reason why we spent all this time in here and spent endless hours uh during the night of putting plans together. And I just I just think it’s great to see that that the development and the way Cam, you know, had played the past couple weeks and there’s going to be some mistakes and he’ll tell you the same thing. But I think that that you’re showing that and now we got to just we got to finish drives and make that, you know, like you mentioned the third down play. We got to make that play. We got to make those plays to put scores out scores up because, you know, we we got to score some points on offense, too. Jay, you’re on a a bit of a hot streak, three consecutive games with sacks. What’s what’s clicking for you? Um, just hunkering down on my my technique and my focus on the film. Um, I’m a guy that’s a film junkie, so I watch people across the league. Like, I watch my film. I go back and watch the guys I played with or just some popular guys who are good rushers around the league just to just try to pick up something. You’ve seen Jarvis traded, now Roger traded. you’re on a one-year deal. Is it hard to not look over your your shoulder right now? No, because as long as I’m an NFL locker room and I can provide some service, I don’t have anything to worry about. Uh I let the that part of the of that side take care of itself. Um but right now my focus is on living and breathing being a Tennessee Titan. Do you guys talk about the deadline as players as a locker room? No, but we aware of it. I mean I feel like Twitter like forces me to watch it even though I put like not interested. I just want to watch something funny of it. So you see it what most went wrong uh in the run defense yesterday when you guys went back and watched um it’s a bunch of stuff from you know just not like having each other’s back or you know I think the obvious one is miss tackles uh misfits um but it was a bunch of stuff that you know from top to bottom from safety to D line we just got to be better at encouraging that that you guys still had the three sacks without Jeff yesterday as well who’s kind of been a leader in that regard seems like you guys in general been getting better at getting after the quarterback last. Yeah, we took we took pride in that. Um especially because I think we when he got hurt the coaches kind of it wasn’t like a a loud challenge, but it was some type of challenge there and uh you know, we know we’re capable of and right now things are clicking, you know, but it’s only what for me it’s only been three games. I’m not like pat me on the back, I need to hang my jersey in the rafter type thing. It’s cool. Like I’m I’m glad I’m doing it. I want to continue to do it. as you guys trying to pick up the effort on the defensive side of the ball. Is it as simple as finding more of those fits and and making sure you tackle or do you guys need more guys to make plays defensively? I think it’s both. Um we just got to rally together. You know, you see the good teams across the league, you know, you see somebody run the ball, you see a whole bunch of guys running to it, not just like two or three or four. Like you see damn near 10. And that’s what we need to be. We need to be violent with chasing the ball. I mean, myself included. I mean, I have my moments where I’m like, you know, dang, that’s a big play. I I slow up. I need to keep running and trying to chase the ball, too. So, you got to just band together, be a real defense and be hunters. Is it hard to uh to hear or see or be part of watching a guy score six touchdowns against you in two games the way Taylor did? Yeah, it means it’s this is competitive. I’m I’m overly competitive. Um, and I can say the guys are too, where you don’t want to see the same guy scoring. You don’t see anybody scoring period, but the same guy, it makes it I think two times worse. And we just got to be better. I don’t know if you’re ready to look ahead or not, but you got the Chargers and Joe Alt. I don’t know if you played against him and and where you put him up in the league. I know he’s he’s among the very best. I don’t know. I don’t know where to put him in the league. Um right now he seems like a top five possible tackle. We got a big challenge. Um this is where the film work is going to come in even more in depthly. you know, the better the player, but the more you got to you got to watch him and see who who beat him with this move. Can I make that a part of my repertoire as well coming Sunday? And um I mean, all I know right now is that he’s a hell of a player and he’s young and the future is bright for him. You talked about your attitude personally when you see some guys get moved. do understand the business in the league, but is it difficult when the locker room, you’re one and seven, you see some of that to make sure that everybody in the locker room is still brought in and isn’t giving up on the season? Yeah, I think older guys, I think we have a good understanding how it goes. But, you know, younger guys can get to like, oh man, it’s a lot going on. This guy got traded. I was just playing with him, now he’s out. So, you know, we got to be a positive reinforcement, you know, for ourselves, but especially young guys, too, as they, you know, take a part of this new journey. Seems like there’s been a few games this year where the defense has has given up maybe scores in the first drive or first couple drives then kind of levels out after that. I guess maybe first why do you think that is and and to how much of difference would it make to get some early stops like like on the first? Yeah, early stops are are huge momentum swings. It’s been the little small momentum changes that happen throughout the game that that kill us. like, you know, we’re playing good football, sound football, and then boom, a 80 yard run or just something just bust like huge. And you kind of just want to those explosives to not be 80 yards. You know, hopefully just 20 you can get them down. You can continue to drive because, you know, those those big 81s are are definitely momentum killers and, you know, they’ve they’ve killed us throughout these throughout these weeks, but we got to keep finding ways. As long as they’re life, as long as there’s a chance we can make it, I mean, we we got to do our job. As one of the threats in the locker room, Dr. What do you see as maybe some some reasons to point to for for hope that there are W’s out there to be gotten? Um, I see a lot of positive reinforcement from young guys. I mean, the young guys are always coming in smiling. I don’t know if that’s them being naive or, you know, or or something else. But I I do I do feel the the positivity. No one’s in the locker room soaking. Everyone’s still talking to each other, still being friends, still being brothers, cuz we know we we all we got. We all we got and we got to find a way to sit together throughout these weeks just trying to win games. Like, yeah, we’re practicing hard. Yeah, our preparation’s good, but we got to turn that preparation into wins. And being sad and not talking to each other, that’s not going to help. I guess what’s clicking for you as you start to find your footing on the offense as well as special teams? Yeah, I think it’s just continuing to work, right? Like this is uh process and it’s you know, how do I find a way to get better? How do we find a way to get better each and every day? And um you know, I think success can always come and you know, right when you want it, but just continue to work and and push. a little bit of a coincidence that you’ve taken off since the coaching change or is there something that that Mike and and the change has has helped uh allow you to kind of blossom a little bit more on offense? No, I mean I don’t think that that necessarily has is what to do with that. At the end of the day, we still got the same players on the field that are out there trying to make plays. It’s just um you know, being able to um you know, continue to work and grow, right? Like uh you know, whatever opportunities we have um on Sundays, just making the most out of it. One change that we have seen is for I think first five, six games, all of your catches were at or behind the line of scrimmage. How much different is it for you to be able to use your speed and and get downfield to open things up? Yeah, Joy, I mean, me and Cam had conversations about it. Um, utilizing downfield, utilizing middle middle field. So, um, to get those opportunities in the game to to have the things that you could learn from, right, connecting um, I think it’s going to be really beneficial for me and him moving forward and, um, you know, help the team move the ball. Draymond just said that one of the things that gives him a little bit of optimism is that the young guys are still coming into the building smiling. What is causing the smiles? Like where is the positivity coming from you and the young guys? Oh, I mean we’re blessed. You know what I mean? I think that when you when you’re around this group of guys um you know we work our tails off. We’re not getting the results we want obviously which is frustrating but um you know I’ve been given so much. This is my dream to represent um you know an organization like this to to be at this level right. know, um, who am I to to come in the facility without a positive mindset? You know, my my goals, you know, be in Tennessee a long time and to win a lot of football games. Um, and you know, I think the way that it starts just continue to be locked in the process and try to get better every single week. And, um, the best way to do that is to have a smile on your face. I know you’re not in it for individual honors, but that you continue to lead the league in allpurpose yards. I don’t know if that’s something you thought was possible before the season, but but where do you stand on on how you’ve been able to produce in that regard? Yeah, I mean I don’t I never really even thought about that to be honest. Obviously, it’s um it’s a cool cool thing that that happens, but um at the same time like I’m only there because my teammates are blocking me on on kickoff return um straining from me. Um the success on the offense um you know Cam doing a great job of giving me the ball. Um you know, I think it’s it’s something that you can look at and be like, “All right, this is cool.” but also um when you look at it too much, it can cause complacency and um I have a lot of stuff that I need to improve on to help this team win games. I know you guys are looking to put together a four quarter complete game, but where are you seeing Cam make progress here in the last couple weeks feels like the offense is at least starting faster. Yeah, I think that um you know when you’re looking at at film um you have to you know be critical but also like the first half um of the of the Patriots game. Then this past week I felt like we were able to move the ball outs um you know how do we finish drives? How do we make sure that we’re ending um drives and points? You know there was five or six drives out there um this past week that we probably should have got points on. It’s um frustrating because you don’t get it but it’s also like all right you’re in position to get it. So now what’s the next step um to getting better? seems like all all the fourth round picks uh this year as well as Cam developed a pretty close relationship pretty quickly. How encouraging was it, you know, to see something like Sunday where where all three of you guys are making an impact in the in the passing game and you know, is that something you guys continue to talk about as you came in together? Yeah, I mean we put a lot of time in a lot of early mornings um you know, watching film. So to see it come to start to come to fruition um is pretty cool. I know how much work those guys put in. Um how high character guys they are. So, um, anytime I see Gunn or Alec, Cam, really anybody on the team have success, it’s it’s a really positive thing, and I’m excited to continue to play with those guys.

Titans Interim Head Coach Mike McCoy, OLB Dre’Mont Jones, and WR Chimere Dike address reporters on Monday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park.

00:00 – 14:42 Interim HC Mike McCoy
14:43 – 20:06 OLB Dre’Mont Jones
20:07 – 24:02 WR Chimere Dike

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