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Thursday, August 12, 2004
(On the weather conditions)
“I love it, I think it’s great, it’s terrific. Football weather. It’s easier on the players. If we played in 90-degree heat with that kind of humidity, that would be a different thing, then we would have to condition for it. Obviously there’s a psychological toughness that goes with training in that kind of weather, but we can get that with the way we practice. All it does is wear your body down a little bit.”
(On if he’s pleased with the way camp is going)
“I am. I’m really concerned with our offensive line, we’re down to just a few bodies in there. We may only have six or seven available tomorrow. So that does concern me, we’ll just have to see.”
(On G Adam Timmerman’s condition)
“I don’t know, I don’t know if he’ll be up or not. (Chris) Dishman has got spasm’s in his back, so we’re down to the last few standing.”
(On DT Damione Lewis’s performance in camp)
“Good. Obviously when he’s healthy, and not having problems with his ankle, he does pretty good. He’s had a real good camp, and a good practice with the Bears. That inside pass rush is so hard to find, he looks like he’s got some of that going for him.”
(On what he expects to get out of the first pre season game)
“The execution part of it. These games are usually so full of errors, we spend so much time with those things. I would like to see one step further then we were a week ago, in terms of the crispness of it. Eliminate the mistakes, and be sharp. I would like to see them play fast.”
(On how important it is to win the pre season games)
“I like to win everyone of them, I think every coach does with the guys you are playing. Obviously you can choreograph it to keep your ones in for the whole game, and win if you feel like you have to win all of them. We still need to look at some players, but it is still very competitive.”
(On if the play calling will change due to the offensive line injuries)
“We’ll just kind of have to get a feel for how they’re doing when we’re in there, you just have to adapt to it. I feel good that the guys, knock on wood, if we can stay healthy, will be alright. Scott Tercero and Grant Williams are doing terrific jobs. We’re getting down to the Red Cross time.”
(On if RB Marshall Faulk will play on Thursday)
“No, Marshall will not play. He’s not physically ready to play yet and that’s the reason he won’t play.”
(On if practicing the Bears will have a bearing on the outcome Thursday)
“I think you just do what you do in (the preseason). There is very little game-planning going on. You just try to get your protection and running game squared away, they types of blocking, the defense, getting guys lined up, and going to the ball, the coverages. As always, it’s about us, that’s the way we look at it. But especially in the preseason, about the execution and trying to eliminate the mental errors and get better skill wise.”
(On how a young player can get his attention)
“Making plays in situations where he can stand up and be accounted for. If you put any young player out there and he makes a play, you say, ‘Wait a minute, now.’ That’s on either side of the ball and on special teams. That’s what happened with Kevin Garrett last year. For a while there he just disappeared, then we put him on special teams and he went down there and did a tremendous job, and now he’s in the thick of things.”
(On the weather conditions)
“I love it, I think it’s great, it’s terrific. Football weather. It’s easier on the players. If we played in 90-degree heat with that kind of humidity, that would be a different thing, then we would have to condition for it. Obviously there’s a psychological toughness that goes with training in that kind of weather, but we can get that with the way we practice. All it does is wear your body down a little bit.”
(On if he’s pleased with the way camp is going)
“I am. I’m really concerned with our offensive line, we’re down to just a few bodies in there. We may only have six or seven available tomorrow. So that does concern me, we’ll just have to see.”
(On G Adam Timmerman’s condition)
“I don’t know, I don’t know if he’ll be up or not. (Chris) Dishman has got spasm’s in his back, so we’re down to the last few standing.”
(On DT Damione Lewis’s performance in camp)
“Good. Obviously when he’s healthy, and not having problems with his ankle, he does pretty good. He’s had a real good camp, and a good practice with the Bears. That inside pass rush is so hard to find, he looks like he’s got some of that going for him.”
(On what he expects to get out of the first pre season game)
“The execution part of it. These games are usually so full of errors, we spend so much time with those things. I would like to see one step further then we were a week ago, in terms of the crispness of it. Eliminate the mistakes, and be sharp. I would like to see them play fast.”
(On how important it is to win the pre season games)
“I like to win everyone of them, I think every coach does with the guys you are playing. Obviously you can choreograph it to keep your ones in for the whole game, and win if you feel like you have to win all of them. We still need to look at some players, but it is still very competitive.”
(On if the play calling will change due to the offensive line injuries)
“We’ll just kind of have to get a feel for how they’re doing when we’re in there, you just have to adapt to it. I feel good that the guys, knock on wood, if we can stay healthy, will be alright. Scott Tercero and Grant Williams are doing terrific jobs. We’re getting down to the Red Cross time.”
(On if RB Marshall Faulk will play on Thursday)
“No, Marshall will not play. He’s not physically ready to play yet and that’s the reason he won’t play.”
(On if practicing the Bears will have a bearing on the outcome Thursday)
“I think you just do what you do in (the preseason). There is very little game-planning going on. You just try to get your protection and running game squared away, they types of blocking, the defense, getting guys lined up, and going to the ball, the coverages. As always, it’s about us, that’s the way we look at it. But especially in the preseason, about the execution and trying to eliminate the mental errors and get better skill wise.”
(On how a young player can get his attention)
“Making plays in situations where he can stand up and be accounted for. If you put any young player out there and he makes a play, you say, ‘Wait a minute, now.’ That’s on either side of the ball and on special teams. That’s what happened with Kevin Garrett last year. For a while there he just disappeared, then we put him on special teams and he went down there and did a tremendous job, and now he’s in the thick of things.”
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