Coach Jim Haslett October 9

Head Coach Jim Haslett

October 9, 2008

(On if he can elaborate on what he means when he says he wants the
playmakers to touch the ball more)

"I think we've got some guys that need to touch the ball; you only have
one ball so you can only give it to one guy on every play, but there's
enough guys that if we can, you know, (RB) Steven (Jackson), and
obviously (WR) Torry (Holt), and then we have (WR) Donnie (Avery) now
involved and we have a couple other guys and as we get healthy we'll
have some more, so I just want to get the guys that I feel can make
plays, I want to give them the ball in more situations."

"We're going to try to find our playmakers different ways to get them to
the ball. There's a million different ways to get guys the ball, throw
it, pass it, kick it. Last week, we had (WR) Donnie (Avery) in the
backfield and ran a toss to him. So obviously, we're trying to get the
playmakers more touches, that's all."

(On who is going to be the holder this Sunday)

"(P) Donnie Jones is going to be the holder. The good thing about our
kicker, (K) Josh (Brown), is nothing phases the kid. He could have, well
I'm not a very good holder, but I could hold and it wouldn't bother him.
(QB) Trent's (Green) held some for him and besides being a great kicker,
the kid's a great kid. Unlike most kickers like if he's lost his holder,
most kickers would panic, but this guy nothing bothers him. I don't know
if you saw yesterday if you were out at practice he kicked a 61-yarder
on grass and made it by about five yards, the guy's got great leg
strength."

(On if there is any news about WR Dane Looker)

"No, matter of fact, he was doing his test while when we came out here
to practice so we'll know something more. Obviously, we're wishing him
nothing but the best. We don't think there's anything major, but
obviously for precautionary reasons he had to have a procedure today and
he won't play because of the procedure he had."

(On his comfort level with playing CB Jason Craft early in his Ram's
career if it helps that he knows him from previous coaching experience)

"Well, yeah he knows the defense. He played for me for four years. I
tried to recruit him for a bunch of years when he was at Jacksonville. I
think he's a great nickel and he's going to start for us and play
corner, he'll do fine. He's competitive, he's smart, he's got great
feet, great ball skills. He'll do a great job for us."

(On how things will change on game day between him and defensive
coordinator Rick Venturi in their new positions)

"I get to yell at him more. No, nothing. We've worked together for so
long, we've been together on and off since '96. I hired him in '96 to be
my linebacker coach and then he stayed there with Mike Ditka and then I
went to Pittsburgh to be the coordinator and then I came back as the
head coach and I hired him as the assistant head coach and then I hired
Ron Zuck as the defensive coordinator. So, Ron and we all worked
together and when Ron took the Florida job, Rick actually took the
defense over."

(On if he will still have the same involvement with the defense on game
days or if he will step away completely)

"I don't step away from anything completely. I've been spending more
time with the offense this week obviously and a lot of times with
special teams, but I've been in and out of the defensive room."

(On his recollection of playing LB London Fletcher and if he is still
the same guy)

"The guy still makes a lot of plays, he covers a lot of ground, makes a
lot of plays. You can tell he's smart, he's tough as nails. You try to
figure out why this is with his third team because the guy's heck of a
football player and a great leader."

(On what his experience has been playing at Washington)

"Well, I think it's a great football atmosphere first of all. They've
got 92,000 people screaming and yelling and they're dressing up as the
hogs and women and all that stuff. Then they have a band, so you have a
little college atmosphere and it really is a great atmosphere. I told
our players to go down there and enjoy it. You don't get too many of
those games, this will be like back in college. So, don't worry about
the crowd, don't worry about what happens, just go out and have fun, but
enjoy the atmosphere, you really, really do. It's a great football
town."

(On if he sees offensive coordinator Al Saunder's stamp on the
Washington offense)

"I tell you what you see, you see the running game is what they did last
year and what they did with Joe (Gibbs) and Al and then the passing game
is strictly Seattle. It's Mike's (Homgren) passing game or Jim's (Zorn)
or whoever you want to say, it's that west coast offense passing game."

(On how many times he hit Washington Head Coach Jim Zorn in his career)

"You know what, I don't know. I played Jim I want to say just one time
and that's when they had (Steve) Largent and they had a pretty good team
and I don't know if I ever got to him at all. But here's a guy that
played a long time in the league. Understands the game, understands the
players and he'll be fine as a head coach because players respect guys
that played in the league and understand what they've gone through. So,
he'll do a nice job there; he is right now obviously."

(On what makes Redskins RB Clinton Portis a threat)

"I wish I knew. He's a guy they say weighs 205 (lbs.) and he plays like
he's 240 (lbs.). He's got great vision, great cut-back ability, good
hands, and probably one of the best, if not the best blocker as a
running back in the NFL, so he's got the whole package. And (RB) Ladell
Betts is a heck of a running back, so they've got a really good one, two
punch."

RB Steven Jackson

October 9, 2008

(On how he feels about the emphasis the offense has on getting
playmakers the ball)

"I am just going to take it day-to-day. It is one of those things where
you hope that the game stays close enough that we can utilize all of our
playmakers and allow for (WR) Torry Holt, (WR) Donnie Avery, and anybody
else that is able to make big plays touch the ball."

(On if he feels that the team is starting over after the bye week)

"That is definitely the mindset. We talk about breaking the season down
into four quarters. We are down one quarter and it did not fair well. We
are looking at this next month and come out trying to get back to .500
in our season. Lucky enough that the guys who are leading in our
division are not too far ahead of us. If we can get things rolling, get
guys to play to their capabilities, I think we will be fine."

(On if the team looks ahead at the different opponents coming up)

"Me personally, I don't know about everybody else, I look at it
week-to-week. I think, with this new season, you see teams that you
thought would be easy later in our schedule that are not going to be
easy. We have a team that is red hot this week and are now on a
four-game winning streak and we have to take care of them. If you take
your mind off them and look ahead it is not going to farewell for us. We
definitely have to go into a hostile territory and play well."

(On what he sees in Washington Redskins' LB London Fletcher)

"He is a high energy guy and they allow him to run sideline-to-sideline
and make a lot of tackles. So (LB) London (Fletcher) is definitely a guy
that I have to account for. Me personally, I have to make sure I know
where he is at on the field at all times, even when running or passing.
He is one of their playmakers on defense and I definitely have to be
tuned in to where he is at."

(On what he thinks of the Washington Redskins)

"They are a NFC East team that is pretty good right now."

(On if there is more time for the offense to get to know Coach Jim
Haslett now that he is the head coach)

"He's been here now going on his third season and this is the most I've
really had a chance to see him, be around him. It's new but at the same
time, he's making sure that, like he said, that we run the ball for four
quarters, we get our guys on offense the ball throughout the game and
not just in spurts or in halves."

(On if he feels that this is the freshest he has been this year
especially coming off the bye week)

"I'm fine. You are never as fresh as you are coming into a season, but I
feel good going into this week. That bye did very well for me
personally."

(On working under offensive coordinator Al Saunders and him being
relentlessly positive)

"He's very positive. Coach (Al) Saunders made sure that we don't dwell
on the things that we're doing badly and he also points out things that,
how close we are to being a 30-point, 35-point, 28-points-a-game team. I
really like him. I really like dealing with him, but the thing I like
most about him is that he makes sure that he continues to make us chase
a carrot. He always gives you a goal to shoot for."

(On even though he is second in the league in yards from scrimmage if he
thinks he's flying under the radar)

"I'm actually disappointed in my own performance right now. To be No. 2
I think is lucky. Once we get on a roll, my offensive line is doing a
great job, especially the last two games and I need to help them out
more to put up bigger yards on the ground. Once we get that going, I
don't think we'll be flying under the radar. I'm really disappointed in
my first four games and I'm really going to come out really strong these
last 12."

(On what specifically he is disappointed in)

"I just think it's carries that I leave some yards on the field. It's
not one specific thing, it's just when you go back and look at it Monday
morning, you're like, 'ah man I could have probably gotten five more
yards on that.'"

(On what he thinks of his receiving so far this season)

"You know what, Coach (Al) Saunders does a great job of allowing me to
line up as receiver, split me out in the backfield and different looks
for the defense that I haven't done, I guess, since I've been here. I'm
definitely on track in receiving, but I am a running back so I love
those running yards as well."