I Love the Way the Guys are Competing | Press Conference

I Love the Way the Guys are Competing | Press Conference

Just injury update. Dan’s getting further evaluation uh on his knee. Um Tai’s getting uh Tuttle’s getting for the evaluation for concussion and then um Lloyd is further evaluation on his foot. So those are the three injuries there. Okay. I’ll just say that uh you know it was once again Chim uh just takes this team to another level with a big play like that. What he did to energize the sideline, the stadium. Um it’s great to see him do what he does on a weekly basis and that’s the plays you need to turn and that’s what it did in that game. It energized everybody and you saw what we did after that. Um it’s an individual performance of and the blocking too with that group. Uh it’s just it’s unbelievable and it’s it’s great to see it and that you know there’s just there’s too many things during the game uh that it’s we didn’t do enough um you know plays you know the second series of the game with the penalties things like that a couple stops on defense where we just got to be more consistent because these guys fought their tails off once again to the very end. So, uh, but got to got to be more consistent throughout a game. Seemed like that, uh, just looking at it at face value that Cam was pretty poised back there for the duress that he was under in a drop back game down 20 most of the time. I love the way Cam played today. That was you you see the competitor um the ability to make play. I mean, you guys have asked, I mean, since day one about him making plays with his feet and the way he moved in the pocket at certain times during the game, uh, and just competed his tail off and some of the plays that he made, the wow plays, the scrambles as, you know, I’m sitting there, you know, saying one thing and next thing you know, here’s a big play that he makes. Uh, but just it’s taking that next step and and that’s what he’s done and we’ve been saying it um from day one. the way he competes, the way he works every day, you know, when we first came in, um, you know, in the offseason program, the early mornings, staying late, things like that, it’s starting to pay off. And, you know, it’s, we’ve said it all along as, as a young quarterback in this league, it takes some time. And it’s great to see the improvements that he’s making week in and week out. And there’s the ups and downs. There’s definitely we’re going to turn the film on tomorrow and look at some things. We’ll clean it up and say, “Hey, you got to do these things better.” Uh but just the command of the offense and some checks that he made during the game. Um he you know I really like the way he played today. Do you take any encouragement at all? Titans lost a lot of games this year by by fairly significant point spread. Last three games all one score. Do you take any encouragement at all from I just love the way the guys compete? They just keep going. They fight their tails off. It’s been that way um the entire time. the way they work, the week of preparation, the little details, the f the fine focus they had in practice this week. Uh you we got to find a way to make more plays consistently and not hurt ourselves at certain times of the game like the second series. You know, the first drive of the game, I mean, that’s a phenomenal way to start against a really good defense. The plays that we’re making, the efficiency going down there getting points to start the game, that’s that’s awesome. But then you come around the next series and you have a number of penalties and that’s those are the things against a good football team you have to avoid. Seemed like you guys seemed like you guys converted a couple of really key third downs today. A lot of that going to the tight ends and coming out of the slot. Was that something that you guys saw on tape or is that something working on practice and decided to implement? Well, as we talked about coming out of the bye-week, that was one of the things we said was a a big focus is third down and it’s it’s players making plays and that’s I think, you know, I don’t know the numbers. I haven’t looked at a stat sheet. Um, so I don’t know exactly what we were, but I think there’s a number of big plays with guys just going out there and making plays and that and that’s what the game’s all about, I think. And, you know, a lot of that has to do with Cam, you know, with his feet making plays and then, uh, guys, you know, creating separation against a good defense. So, um, you know, happy with those guys making the plays and the conversions. And you had seven fourth downs. You converted five of those. What do you think? It’s pretty good. That’s pretty good, right? Now, you know, it’s been a hot. Yeah. You think so? It’s been hot. It’s been hot with who? With who? With who? I could name I have play calls, too. We could call this place. No, we named them special. Go ahead. What what I want to ask you though, all jokes aside, is like, were you guys making that decision to go for it a lot earlier in the process as opposed to I’m going to give you this. We’ve answered this question a number of times and you get in the flow of a game. You do certain things. Uh there’s a certain aggression you take at times and you you go for it. You do certain the flow of the game. And there’s certain times and when I don’t do it sometimes and it doesn’t work or it it turns the other way, I kick myself in the ass at times. you lose sleep over it. Um, but we went in there with the approach we were going to take, the aggressive approach that we wanted to have and the players executed for the most part, not not the entire time. Uh, there was the one, you know, that we did not get in there. That was critical. Um, but it’s, you know, give them all the credit in the world for executing it that early fourth and one that got stuck. Did that like give you any doubt or hesitation? Well, I knew it was coming. I knew it was going to come in here and you guys ask a bunch of questions on it. So, uh, no, we we got to actually get better. You know, we we were aggressive in the third and one. We had a good matchup with Gunner that we thought could be a big play in that situation. Uh they made a good play on it and then we went back. We we got to that but that’s those that’s those are the things I’m telling you earlier that we’ve gota we we got to convert those things. That that’s that’s how you win games. You critical times there’s critical m you don’t know you don’t know when it’s going to be. You don’t know a first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, sometime the fourth quarter that it you you’ve gota you got to make those plays. You got to somehow dig down deeper and just convert it or you know you got we got to just find a way to get done. It feel liberate to finally go on some of those to get some results. Oh, I’ve done it plenty of times in my career. So, uh it’s but it was great. I knew it’s going to put a smile on your face. I knew that for sure for a fact. I just I knew it. I I you were the first person I thought of when we converted. I was like, “Oh, I can’t wait to see him. I I don’t have to listen to him on Monday anymore. It’s not that, you know, question all week long.” But it’s great. But I I I love I just these guys pay their tails off. They really did. I love this football team. Resto did uh in his first opportunity. You know, there’s some plays uh you know, I asked Cam last night what the overunder was or I can’t I shouldn’t say that, but that way. But I said, “How many balls is he going to uh catch?” And you know, he made his comment and I’m like, “Okay.” Uh wish every receiver caught that many. Uh but you know, I think I’ll watch the tape and really look at it and see. I know there’s a couple adlibs in there. Uh but just, you know, I I’d say this all those guys, you know, strep, pro, and Mason to where they were at the beginning of the season and you see how hard they worked every single day to help our defense and then when they would fill in offensively because they never knew and you know, obviously Mace and Pro had been up before this and that, but it’s just that’s that’s what this game is all about. making the most your opportunities, especially a young player like him that he got an opportunity to finally dress today and goes out there makes some plays and it’s just you feel that that’s what it’s I mean I’m so happy for those guys because you get rewarded for all the hard work and that doesn’t always happen in this business. You know, you depend on what team you’re on and the injuries and all those things come into play and then you know see some of the linemen come in today. We had two guys go down and next thing you know here comes two other guys that step up and that’s the way it’s been the last couple weeks and we just keep going up and down the field at at certain times and it’s just that’s the reward and that’s what I keep telling you guys. I love this football team. I love the way they work. They’re unselfish. They love playing together. U but it’s about winning and we got to find a way to make more plays to win one of these games. Just a quick follow if I could the the adlib stuff. There’s clearly something with Cam and Restreo there. Can that be a benefit to you guys moving forward given that those situations will happen? They probably have something in their helmets communicating with each other, talking back and forth. Uh, you know, I think it’s just he Cam’s probably thrown more balls to him than anybody else, you know, so I think that he there’s the I mean, if you looked at the sideline a couple times, I looked back there one time and it was like, you know, Strep was there like right in his ear sitting on the corner of the bench and just talking to him and I’m like, “Okay, this is interesting.” Uh, but that’s the relationship they have, you know, and that’s they’ve had a lot of success playing together. I think it’s just great to see him playing at this level together. Uh, just just pleased with the two of them and the way they work and and really what you love about him too is is the love for the game. I mean, strep really, he loves the game of football and, you know, you guys deal with them all the time. Uh, but just the way he approaches it, he’s unselfish and you know, he was told what he needed to do to kind of continue his development with the kicking game and things like that. And once we told him that, he was in there living in there to trying to figure a way because he has a burning desire to get out there like he did today. Mike, the challenge defensively of trying to defend a guy like Jackson Smith and Jigba, uh, he he had a season high today. He’s going to make plays. He’s one of the best in the business. Uh, look at the numbers all week in and week out. Um, you know, I’m good friends with Clint Kubak. Uh, we worked together in Denver and his dad coached me way back in 95 in Denver. So, I’ve known the family for the long time. So, Clint and I were talking. It’s like what a special player he is. Some of the things you watch and um you know, you watch the third down conversion they’ve had this year, some of the throws that Sam makes to him, it’s like, you know, he he’s a special player and it’s like you don’t see many guys like that make some of those conversions and tight great coverage. It’s like where else you want the defender to be the corner and here he is. They’re making these plays. So, uh, but a very explosive player and you got to try to minimize, you know, you know, they’re going to make their plays, but you just got to try to minimize the numbered things. If you look at the two like super explosives, you had the matter like getting matched up with a safety. Was that something like you guys expected or was that something new, different? Well, they’re they’re always that’s the game of football. You’re always going to try to get a matchup. You’re always going to say, “Hey, where can you go? Who can you attack? How you going to do it?” Uh, but that that’s every week. I think there’s always going to be matchups and and I think Clint does a great job of that having obviously watched all the defensive cutups and things like that. That’s what they do. They’re going to try to get the matchups formationally shifts, motions, and try to create those opportunities for you. That’s what Cam obviously supplemented the run game, but what’s going on with the running back? We got to be more efficient. I got to I got to watch the tape to be honest with you. Um because I you know I don’t have as you in my role now I don’t always uh communicate as much every single play with the offense and I’m talking the defense I’m talking with bones things like that. So uh you know I’ll have a better answer for you tomorrow after I watch the film and really evaluate to see it. Um you know I’m not looking at the iPads as much anymore. Things like that DK return you watch the film but how did that how did that kind of play out from your vantage point? Oh I love it’s got an it’s explosive play. We talked about it all week long, you know, the way he just went, you know, ran all the way across the field down the sideline and just the awareness of players to make keep the blocks legal knowing the opportunity that we had and then there was one guy left and it was just it’s just a young player energizing the franchise and the fans. Uh so happy for him, but just great execution. Uh you know, Bones and Stew do an outstanding job putting the plans together and the players did an outstanding job executing. Think the one thing too g give the players all the guys the other 10 guys all the credit in the world but you when you have a special returner like that it makes you want to do your job that much better because you know you don’t want to come in on Monday morning and look at the tape and say I was the one that missed that one little it’s just it doesn’t take a lot and because he makes the first guy miss often and then he does what he does like two young defensive backs that have stepped into big roles so far for you Marcus and Kevin made some pretty key plays today. Um, you know, they of course they weren’t good with their fair share of plays, but seems like they stepped into those roles and kind of solidified them a little bit for you. Can you speak to them and how they played today? They’ve done an outstanding job and there’s going to be, you know, with all young players, um, rookies, there’s going to be a developmental part, a growth part, some growing pains, things like that that you’re going to go through. And I think I’ve heard uh the coaches a number of times say, don’t make the same mistake twice. You’re going to make some mistakes. You’re going to get beat. I mean, like the question about 11, a special player, he’s going to make some plays. It’s just you learn from it. Um, you know, I think the great thing with Kevin is Hook’s back there with him to help him and uh to lead. Um, and so that’s the big thing is the more they play together on the back end, the communication part of it is is a lot better. And I think both the players, they’re starting to recognize things a lot quicker. And it’s not, you know, you learn, you know, not just playing part of it, but you know, the week of preparation, you know, how do you watching film, looking for keys, all those little things and that’s just that’s just being a young player, but they’ve got very very bright futures. So, you love the way they work. Um, you know, you see the way they work in practice and, you know, give the coaches credit for the success those two have had. You know, they’ve done a phenomenal job of of helping these guys get to where they are and there’s a lot of football left. So, I just look for him to get better as time goes on. Um, I mean, the only thing that matters, the win or loss. So, that that sums it up. But it’s just really the the biggest thing with us offensively, we got to be better in the middle of the games. Um, continue to have just penalties, you know, from just us as a group. So that’s the that’s the biggest thing that we got to we got to harp on. We got to focus on going right when you guys were productive. What went wrong? I think what was going right is just everybody playing on time. Myself getting the ball out, receivers winning and man coverage in zone knowing where to sit. Um O line did a fantastic job um just in run game in and pass protection. I just think where we want where we’re wrong was just the the penalties um self-inflicted inflicted wounds and you know that’s unfortunately you know what just continues to happen. How much did 90 yard a spark for you guys in the second half? It helped us a lot. Um that’s a that’s a allp pro right there. So you know it’s a it’s special to have him just as a teammate but just know him off the field. Um the way he takes care of himself you know his everyday routine what he what he does to be a pro. So, you know, everything that’s, you know, going right for Chim, he deserves it. Um, and, you know, I’m glad, you know, he’s able to get two touchdowns today. Last week, you made it seem like, uh, your running lanes and stuff were created largely from the way the Texans rushed. Um, I don’t imagine you got exactly the same looks today and stuff that you still found room room to run. It seems like a trend now. What uh what helped you find that stuff again today? Um, just feeling the pocket. um getting better at and just knowing where I need to set up every play. Um and then also being able to play, you know, on time and have a clock in my head to to get the ball to my playmakers or whether I need to, you know, scram around. But, uh I just got to continue to, you know, do what I need to do to help the offense, you know, be successful. Is that right? Yep. Um I really had my mind made up on what I wanted to do. Uh that’s really give the ball to Chig, but the end crashed out, crashed down. Um and really I just had to, you know, make a play to make up for what I did wrong and we end up scoring. Talk about that clock in your head getting stronger and getting better in the pocket. How do you think you’ve been able to do that? Why do you think you kind of owe the success in the pocket and timing? Um just really all the work we do in the facility. Uh Coach Bo uh you know, you know over there helping me out uh Nick. So, you know, all the all the guys we all, you know, do a part in, you know, trying to do as best for myself to, you know, help put the team in a good situation. And I just say just continue to watch in the pocket on film, working with my quarterback coach, u you know, just on days I can and, you know, just trying to be better, you know, every day I can. Go ahead. on that trying to to develop the writing this year. What part? Say it again. How long when you talk about the the timing and you know trying to have the clock and all of that stuff. How long this season have you started to focus on that in in your running ability? Uh I focus on every game. Um I think the biggest part about watching the rush, how whether it’s a D tackle or defensive end rush is how much width they can get. Um, but also, you know, not putting my tackles in a bad situation to where they give up an easy sack that end up being on me. So, I just think you just got to it just takes countless hours of watching just how you think it ends up um in the game, but also watching about how it could end up. So, you just got to watch different situations. Uh, yeah, we’ve done that before. um we work it and it was great to have him on the field with me. Um someone who I have a you know a good bond with on and off the field. Um and you know he he made a couple plays for us. I know some plays that you know he wish he won back. Um but every time you know he steps on the field he always comes with the same mindset as he does practice. Um and I think that’s you know having him on the field is going to help our receiving core. Um then along with the other guys who play well today. You mentioned the work you guys do after practice sometimes you have to run it over and over and over again. What are some of the things where you tell him that there’s a reason why you got to have that repetition? Whereas there’s times where he feels that it’s right, but but you don’t. Um because from a quarterback sense, whether a receiver is tied or not, I’m a quarterback who I want full speed. That’s how, you know, I just go about my business. Um especially at the end of practice, I just think the more you can do outside of, you know, just mandatory practice stuff, that’s the that’s the things that’s going to end up helping you, you know, each and every week. pushing for maybe some more fourth down attempts. What did you think of the number that you guys went for today and how you converted? I think it was five to seven. Um it’s just it’s just, you know, the situation that we put oursel in. You know, we had to go for those four downs just cuz we were trailing. Um but I mean I’m a competitor. We’re backed up fourth down for the inches. I want to go for it. I want to always have the ball, you know, in the in my hands and offensive line hands up front. Um and they going to continue to lead the way. So, you know, just us being, you know, successful on fourth down today, just something that we got to continue to train upwards. Number even in spite of the record, how much hope? Uh, it gives a lot of hope. Um, because we know the problems um and we’re we’re fixing the problems, but at the end of the day, a lot of stuff is only one person can control. um whether that’s myself in my position or a defensive guy at their position, you know, every person has that right to control it. And that’s the that’s the biggest thing is trying to trying to flip the switch now. Um trying to, you know, get a couple wins, you know, to get us a little jump start, but I just think, you know, the the rookies, you know, the draft class we made was a pretty good draft class. You know, we continue to got to try to get better. Was that a pass you hit to Gunnar left? Yep. and Gunonna. He did a good job not running, just sitting in his zone. Um, but you know, I’m just I’m glad he caught it. How much confidence I guess you have to have to try in the NFL? Um, I mean, you just got to prepare the right way every week to attempt stuff like that. Um, watch a certain amount of film. Um, even before the game, you got to watch film just to, you know, you know, you know it. And when it happens in the game, you kind you can kind of control stuff. Um, and Gunner, he’s one of those guys who’s real savvy in space. Um, he just he knows where to get to. He knows what I’m thinking all the time. Um, he made a great catch. Obviously, some some positive moments in this game. As you mentioned, didn’t win. What’s the balance of the lines where you want to take some pride in improvements and good things happening, but acknowledging it’s just not good enough. Um, the the only thing I would say is just it’s a loss. Um, and we have to continue to try and win games, but dig oursel out of the hole that we’re in. Um, but at the end of the day, we get better every week and we got to emphasize, you know, getting better now, getting better, getting better faster. Um, and that starts tomorrow. So, we just got to continue to get back to work, you know, try to win next week. You guys offense was on the field for almost a quarter longer than Seattle. So, in talking about those types of improvement, what does that say about how you guys are figuring out how to sustain drives and I just think it means we didn’t do enough. Uh we didn’t score enough points to win the game. And you know, having the ball for a long period of time really means nothing if you if you don’t score points. So, you know, we just got to finish drives with kicks, finish drives with with six points. You know, put Joey Slot there a couple more times and, you know, find ways to, you know, help the defense out win some games. The only guy outside of you who has more than two touchdowns this year for for the offense. What what is the fix to that to get more guys to kind of involved in that scoring? You think? Uh I think the fix would be just everyone taking accountability. Um everyone in the facility, myself, uh and we we know we got a lot of things that we got to fix, but I just think the the more we continue to play team football like we like we have been and continue to push each other every day and make plays in practice so it shows up in the game, I think, you know, by next week we’ll be able to score a couple more points.

Titans Interim Head Coach Mike McCoy and QB Cam Ward address reporters at Nissan Stadium after Week 12 vs. the Seattle Seahawks.

00:00 – 14:00 Interim HC Mike McCoy
14:01 – 22:38 QB Cam Ward

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