Post-practice transcripts from Chargers
Posted by email
Head Coach Norv Turner
Can you confirm that Rex Ryan called to clarify comments he made?
“I talked to him.”
Can you say what that conversation was about?
“It was really between he and I. I think we’ve had enough coaching drama in the league the last few days. We don’t need any more.”
Did you appreciate the call? Did you take offense to what he said?
“No, I hadn’t seen the quote. I was a little surprised by the call and then after I saw the quote I didn’t have a chance to ask him this but I was wondering if he had those rings with the ones he’s guaranteed the last couple years.”
He said today that he wants to get back to running. Do you see them doing that more going forward?
“They really are a good running team. They have had some things—the center was out—that have kept them from running the ball as well as they like to. The offensive line and the way the games have come out. We know they’re capable of running the ball. We know their backs are outstanding players. You have tackle. You have to do a great job of getting a lot of guys to the ball carrier and tackle them.”
How hard is it for head coaches to be themselves and not be compared to each other?
“The whole key for me as I’ve told you is those guys in that room, our players and the people in this building. I think we have a lot of guys that understand what we’re trying to get done and that’s the most important thing to me.”
On coming off a bye:
“The biggest concern for me and I’ve seen a couple people comment on it coming off a bye is it’s the longest period we’ve had off for a bye. We had four days off. Obviously that’s the collective bargaining agreement. We came back practiced Monday and we’re off Tuesday, our normal schedule and I just want us to get back into that game mentality. We’ve been away from it. We put the pads on for the practice tomorrow and we need to have a hell of a practice. We need to get zeroed in for the effort and everything it takes to go play a complete game. That’s where my thoughts are.”
Thoughts on LT:
“He’s extremely dangerous. They’re using him the way you thought they would when they signed him. He’s their third-down back. He does a lot of things coming out of the back field. He’s obviously an outstanding trap-draw runner. Those type of things. He’s still very elusive in the open field.”
On status of Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson:
“Again, we’re working to get them back where they can go do an entire practice. I think they both did more than they did on Monday. Hopefully, they can do even more tomorrow.”
In regards to the Raiders getting Carson Palmer, how long does it take a QB to get ready to play after resting?
“We’re not in that position. I haven’t given that one any thought in terms of what it would take. I know what it takes to get our guys ready on a week to week basis and that’s what we’re working on.”
Is there ever a right guy when a player, an icon like LT, leaves a team on good terms?
“It’s difficult. You see it around the league when it does happen. I think there is a period when there are some hard feelings and as I said at the time hopefully those go away in time.”
Do you even worry about Carson Palmer until the Raider week?
“You really can’t. A lot of things happen in a weekly basis. We’re going to play this Sunday and hopefully we come out of it intact. Our experience obviously over the last couple years, we’ve constantly have had guys fill in and we’ve had unbelievable success with guys stepping in for someone who can’t play. That’s what this league is now. You see it all around the league now as I said on a weekly basis.”
On LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene:
“They’re in different points in their career. I think they both make outstanding decisions. Obviously they are excellent runners. They carry the ball an awful lot. We know from our experience with Shone Greene, he’s a big back that you have to get bodies to, that you have to get numbers to. In a one-on-one situation, he can make you miss. He’s obviously a very physical runner that runs with great power.”
What’s your game plan for the Jets secondary specifically Darrelle Revis?
“They’re an outstanding secondary. They’re the best in the league in third down defense. That tells you something about the type of players they have. If you’re going to go there, you have to play a lot of man. Revis, he looks to me this season like he’s gotten better. He obviously had his best game against Miami the other night. You just have to be smart when you throw over there or if you do throw there.”
How many coaches do you think are neighbors with a rival head coach?
“I couldn’t answer that. It is a unique situation.”
Can you talk about the 4-1start this team has?
“The thing we’ve obviously done is we’ve been able to finish games off in the fourth quarter. We’ve been able to make plays that have allowed us to win games. That’s what you have to do in this league as I said we’ve made them in all three phases whether we’ve made a stop, whether we’ve finished a drive to take a knee at the end of the game or we’ve made critical kicks. I think that’s a big part of winning in this league and we’ve been able to do it.”
Thoughts on the team:
“Obviously I’m excited about our team. The fact we’re playing so many young players and paying a lot of them even though they’re not starting, I think you just expect those guys to keep getting better.”
Linebacker Takeo Spikes
Thoughts on LT:
“I just think in the end when it all said and done, if his career would stop today he will be ranked as one of the best. He has all the stats to prove it. Everybody who had the opportunity to watch him play, his play really speaks for itself.”
You have played in a lot of different places. Some people think it’s a challenge to go from one coast to another. Is there any merit to that?
“To be truly honest with you I really don’t put too much weight into that. I believe in the power of the tongue so you have to be careful what you put out there. What I do believe is it’s all about any given Sunday…dealing with the match-up of the teams. So it’s all about who is better on that day regardless what the other factors are, what they may be. Everybody has to go play.”
I know you weren’t here in 2007 but what are your thoughts on Rex Ryan’s comments:
I think you answered the question. I wasn’t here. You could either look at it two ways I guess. You can look at it as being disrespectful or you can look at it as saying it is a slap in the face for the organization, his organization, for not getting the players that he needed. It’s how you look at it. Either the glass half full or half empty.”
You did use some quotes from Adrian Peterson as motivation. Will Rex’s words motivate you guys?
“No. I stay amped up. I don’t need much. I don’t need much at all. Norv probably handled that already. Our main focus right now is number five. That was first time I heard of that. I really don’t care about it. We know what position we’re in right now. We know we’re going up against a good football team. We know what’s at stake.”
Knowing the kind of guy Rex is, do you put any credence into what he said knowing he may have just said that to stir you guys up?
“No. I don’t want to talk about Rex Ryan. I don’t care about all of that. We got to play. At the end of the day, players play. I’ve never seen a coach come in between the white lines.”
Are there any similarities between Ryan Mathew’s and LT’s style of play?
“Yes, both are slashers. They’re speed to power guys. They’re guys who will set you up with a lot of speed. They will make a defender think they will run past them. They can switch it over to power to run over you. They’re versatile coming out of the back field. They’re very efficient catching the ball. In that similarity, I do see that.”
What’s the key to a defense against a good tight end?
“Don’t let them catch it. You just have to tie a lot of things in with different calls and understand personnel that’s on the field. You have to understand tendencies. That’s the big thing. Just understand where guys are because at the end of the day you’ll have certain guys that are going to make plays because it’s just who they are. In the big grand scheme of things, we have to understand where players are.”
On focusing on LT in the red zone after Rex said they would give LT chance to score:
“I think it goes back to tendencies. Knowing what player shows up down in the goal-line area. If he’s in the game and he said that, I think first of all he wants to get a chance to get seven points and if he’s in the game then he’s going to try to give him the ball. Will all of our attention be focused on that? No. Some of it, yes.”
Thought on Antonio Gates:
“It’s always good to see Gates back at practice. Certain guys have that aura about them. They can just show up with their presence. The presence alone makes everybody fell better whether it’s bringing everybody together and having that reassurance that certain plays are going to work just because certain plays are designed for certain people.”
On it being frustrating not having him play:
“I’m on the defense side of the ball. I want everybody to play but if you can’t play, you can’t play. I’m never in the business to question any man on whether or not he can play or not. I’ve been through injuries. I know how it is.”
Does it help you with other tight ends covering him in practice?
“No doubt. To go through a training camp covering Gates, that’s the best work you can get. You can’t simulate it. I don’t care how much film you can look at and try to critique yourself during the offseason. To be able to go against him at practice, they are priceless reps.”
Thoughts on Shonn Greeene. Is he a little faster, stronger? :
“He has both. He’s a very good football player. He’s very strong between the tackles. He’ll take it outside. A guy who can move. Very strong. A power guy and the way that they use him, the one-two punch with LaDainian it works out very well. You guys know that. It’s what they’ve been doing this past year. I respect his game.”
On not letting Mark Sanchez get in a rhythm:
“It’s the same for every quarterback. You don’t want to let him get into a rhythm especially at home. You want to keep the crowd out of the game and at the same time it’s the momentum. What I see on the film, it’s the momentum. When they generally have momentum, he’s the guys that’s making the momentum go. So we understand that.”
How is it to play in New York?
“Everybody is watching. Everybody is watching. Someone always told me it’s the perception. Perception really takes over. Perception is half way around the world before reality takes one step out of bed. Whatever you put on the field that day and if it’s a great performance that’s what New York is going to run with.”
Quarterback Philip Rivers
On difficulty for Carson Palmer to jump in midseason to run an offense:
“It depends. I don’t exactly know how complex…how much they put in new week-to-week. From what I know it’s almost the same system he ran in Cincinnati, and that we run here from a terminology standpoint. Carson is a sharp guy. I imagine it won’t take him long. He’ll be ready go.”
On defending his head coach after what Rex Ryan said:
“I could sit up here and do that. I’m not going to. I think everybody knows what I think of Norv, and what everybody in the locker room thinks of him. I’d prefer to talk about the game.”
On the Jets:
“They do what they feel gives them the best chance to win. That’s what every team in the league does. We know what a challenge it’s going to be to go up there and win. I’m looking forward to it. It’s a great defense. Looking forward to the new stadium. Looking forward to the whole bit.”
On the extra time to prepare as a result of the BYE:
“We are going to be geared up and ready to go. With the way the BYE is set up now with four days off, it really gives you some time to rest and mentally get geared up for 11 (games) in a row, and hopefully and handful more after that. It’s hard not to get excited for this game. Not for any reason for years past or anything like that. Anytime you go to New York and you’re playing a team that’s back-to-back in championship games it’s exciting.”
On his approach with Revis:
“We have a great deal of confidence, I do, in our receivers. But at the same time (he) has earned a great deal of respect and you have to be smart. That’s kind of how we handled Nnamdi (Asomugha). I think with Nnamdi, he’s a guy we played twice a year for a bunch of years. You don’t go against this group as much so you’re not as familiar. You haven’t seen a bunch of different things. You can’t watch a lot of different game tapes from when you’ve played them. He’s a great corner. So you don’t throw to Revis’ side? It’s not like you’re going to the other side of a guy that can’t play. He saw him up close. Saw him make a bunch of interceptions and go the other way with them. That whole secondary is a good group and that’s why they’re ranked where they are in pass defense.”
On if Revis is the best corner in the league:
“He’s definitely up there. I don’t know how you decide. There are a lot of guys. He certainly is up there at the top. I haven’t been able to go against him—not I, we—as much. Certainly going against Nnamdi, when you go against him that many times, your respect for him from a personal standpoint, you’ve seen him up close. I haven’t had as many game reps against Revis. You’ve seen enough to know what kind of player he is.”
On playing in New York being a big deal…do you share that opinion:
“Yeah. There’s a lot of football history up there in general with both the Giants and the Jets. It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”
On having Gates back practicing:
“It was good to have him back. He looked good. Anytime you add a player of his caliber, a guy we all know very well, you add him in the mix it’s certainly a positive.”
On going against LaDainian Tomlinson:
“It’ll be different seeing him. Obviously I’ve seen him on TV and watched him, and it’s weird every time you see him in a different uniform. But I think seeing him up close for the first time…having been a year and a half or so removed…it’ll be good to see him. Couple of guys over there…Cromartie…it’ll be different seeing them, going against them. Had many reps with those guys out here on the practice field and in games.”
On difference between Tomlinson and Ryan Mathews:
“It’s hard to compare runners unless you can see it from inside their helmet. How they see it. How they think. But certainly I had a great view for a lot of LT’s runs for those six years I was here and four years playing with him. Both good runners.”
On what LT did when he was here:
“A great deal. They hadn’t won very many games around here for a long time and he had a great deal in getting the whole thing turned around. It was great being his teammate and I hate that we didn’t win it when he was here. I’ve told him that many times. It was fun playing with him.”
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