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Thursday, September 23, 2004
DT Ryan Pickett
(On the similarities between Saints’ QB Aaron Brooks and Falcons’ QB Michael Vick)
“They are very similar in ways. They are both very athletic. I think Brooks has more of an arm, and is more of an accurate passer.”
(On how the Saints will play without RB Deuce McAllister)
“Really, we haven’t even talked about that. They have a pretty good back-up running back in (Aaron) Stecker. So we need to watch for him. He’s not too far of a drop off from McAllister. He’s a very hard runner and pretty tough to tackle. He looked good on tape.”
S Rich Coady
(On starting against New Orleans)
“Anytime you get a chance to go out there and start, and play the full game, it’s always better when you’re on the field rather than on the sideline.”
(On the opportunity to hit former teammate TE Ernie Conwell)
“That would be nice. I’ve played against him in every practice for three or four years, so it would be nice to go live against him a little bit.”
(On the Saints playing without RB Deuce McAllister)
“I think they can (still run the ball). Obviously, it hurts. Whenever you have an All-Pro running back that can’t play (it’s going to hurt).”
WR Isaac Bruce
(On playing the Saints)
“We were watching some of the film from 2001. They used to be our division rival, it’s a big-time rivalry. These are games you always look forward to and they always have some excitement in it. I haven’t seen them in a while. Maybe once we are on the field it might spark something, rekindle something, and we’ll get after each other.”
(On how he and QB Marc Bulger are clicking)
“I guess preparation is meeting opportunity, and our offensive line is giving him an opportunity to throw the ball down the field. I just need to keep getting open and making plays.”
(On the Saints’ secondary)
“(Ashley Ambrose) is a smart guy, kind of like Aeneas (Williams). He’s going to be patient with you, make sure he takes the right angles, make sure he cuts you off at the top of your route, and he is going to be smart about what he does. He is going to make sure that everybody is lined up. You can pick that up watching film on him. He’s kind of a leader back there, and he makes sure everyone is where they are supposed to be. (CB Fred Thomas) is a high-energy guy. He can really get after it.”
(On if the referees have been looking for contact down field)
“They have done a good job calling it, and teams have been respecting it.”
QB Marc Bulger
(On the difference between the Rams’ first and second game)
“In some games you don’t get sacked a lot, but you get hit a lot. I can’t worry about that. We are playing fine, pass protection-wise. As long as (the offensive line) keeps doing what they’re doing, I’ll keep throwing the ball well. I just need time to do that.”
(On how he is playing)
“I’ve always said that the record is the only thing that counts. I’m 50 percent right now, so that’s not real good. After this week, hopefully I’ll be up to 66 percent and get a little better. We just need to get back on track.”
(On how comfortable he is with the offense)
“Anytime you are running plays more and more, and you get more familiar with them, it’s going to help. But I’m still making mistakes that I have to learn from. I learned from last year, and I’ll keep learning this year. It’s not getting easier, but I’m just getting more familiar with each game.”
(On if this year reminds him of last year, starting 1-2)
“Not really. You don’t want to go back and relive going 1-2. We know we have been in situations, whether we’re down in a game, or like last year starting 1-2. It’s not the end of the world, the season is still long. A couple years ago we started six or seven and 0, and sometimes there are expectations that are unrealistic. We are not panicing, we know that we can play good. There were some bright spots in the game last week where we played like a championship team, and there were times when there weren’t. If we can get off of the roller coaster a little bit, we’ll be fine.”
(On finding the team’s identity)
“I think we know we are going to be fine. You never know until week 17 what kind of team you have. We think we’ll be fine, be able to steady the ship, and win a lot of games. Every week we can sit here and talk about what kind of team we have, but as far as we know, from guy to guy in here, is that we are behind each other.”
(On the Saints’ secondary)
“They do a lot of different things. They press more than most corners, I know from watching the game a couple of years ago, they do that. I don’t think they really fear any receivers. They are real aggressive and try to make plays.”
(On if WRs Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt are in a zone)
“I think it’s just Isaac and Torry being the way they have their whole careers. Everyone forgot about Isaac last year, but he still had almost 1,000 yards. He was still running his routes the same, it was just a matter of getting Torry one-on-one. Those guys play the same every week, every season. I think we just kind of expect that.”
(On the offensive output)
“You always want to put up more points. I know we need to work on our red zone, but we are moving the ball. The offense isn’t stagnant. I definitely want to score more points and I’m sure that will come.”
S Kwamie Lassiter
(On how he feels)
“I’m good. I’m ready to play. I want to get out there and learn this defense so I can play fast and help them wherever they need help.”
(On why he was released by San Diego)
“I really never got an answer when I left there, so I couldn’t really tell you exactly why. But they made a decision and that’s it.”
(On his responsibility with the Rams)
“I’ll come in here and help out on the special teams. I should also work in the nickel package.”
(On helping the defense get some takeaways)
“We haven’t talked much about that, but it comes with the territory. First of all, on defense, we would like to stop the run, and then force teams to pass. We want to make teams one-dimensional, and everything else will take care of itself. That’s when the balls start coming. Once you get a few picks, then they come in bunches.”
(On defensive coordinator Larry Marmie)
“Larry is a good guy, and has always been a good friend, as well as coach when I was in Arizona. I don’t know what he told (Coach Martz) to get me in here. I know I was just out and they need some help at safety.”
(On playing with S Aeneas Williams again)
“It’s going to be great playing with him again because his study, work ethic, and all I remember is him making plays in Arizona. Watch his work ethic, he doesn’t let up. He brings so much to a team, to a game, and his on-the-field performance is above most.”
S Adam Archuleta
(On RB Deuce McAllister not playing)
“He’s one of the better running backs in the NFL, so obviously it helps us out for him not to be in there. Anybody in this league can play, and anybody can do a good job. So we expect the guy who’s going to step in for him to give us his best shot too.”
(On the team playing so different from week to week)
“It’s early in the season, and just like any other team, we’re trying to work our way through the season, and trying to establish our identity. We didn’t play well last week, that’s behind us, we just have to keep improving, and go to work.”
(On the rivalry between the two teams)
“It will be fun to get back into it. It’s kind of two different teams now, a little bit different personnel, but I still think there’s a little bit of bad blood there. It’s going to be physical out there.”
DT Tyoka Jackson
(On not having any turnovers)
“When your not getting things done, you have to emphasize it, and that’s what were going to do. We’re going to try harder in practice to get it done, and then we’re going to go out and play like that, and hopefully we can turn this around. When you get turnovers, your chances of winning go sky-high, so in this situation over-emphasizing is not an issue. If we’re disciplined in playing the defense properly, we can get interceptions. We just have to work and emphasize it, and it will start to come.”
(On the absence of RB Deuce McAllister this week)
“He’s one of the best three or four backs in the league, so it’s going to have a huge impact on what they’re trying to do. I know Aaron Stecker, I played with him in Tampa, and I know what kind of competitor he is. He’s a tough guy, he’s going to run hard, he’s going to be physical, and he’s going to come out here and prove something, that he can play in this league. They obviously gave him an extension for a reason, and we have a lot of respect for him. If we come out and don’t think he can run the ball, he’ll run up and down the field on us. If we come out and give the respect that is properly due to him, then we’ll be fine.”
(On QB Aaron Brooks)
“He’s a guy that can run it and throw it. He’s not a guy that looks to get as many yards down the field running the ball as (Michael) Vick does, but he can move around and avoid the rush. He has a big arm, just like Vick, and he’s trying to become a pocket passer like Vick. He’s a little bit older, he’s seen a little bit more, and has a little bit more experience. We’ve seen him before many times, so we know exactly what he is, and he knows what we are, so it’s not going to be one of those trick them games, it’s going to be one of those who out-executed the other guy.”
(On his style of play)
“I like to be aggressive when I can, as well as make smart decisions. I want to put the team in position to win, make plays, and play fast.”
DE Bryce Fisher
(On what they are going to do to stop the rushing game)
“When we get in position to make tackles, we have to make them. We have to do a better job of hustling to the ball, because a lot of those plays, we missed a tackle and there wasn’t another guy there to help out his buddy. We need to play seven, eight, nine, ten guys to the ball every play.”
(On last year leading the NFL in turnovers and this year not having any so far)
“I don’t know what the difference is, I think it’s a matter of us, when we have the opportunity to make the play, we have to do it. Obviously, our stat numbers are down, and for a defensive linemen, the majority of the time that we get to cause the turnovers is when we hit the quarterback, and if we’re not hitting the quarterback, then it’s harder for us to get turnovers, and we have to do that.”
(On how important the 12th man is on a home game)
“It’s huge for the defensive line to get off a little quicker on the ball than the offensive line. It’s important for us to play with emotion, and sometimes the crowd helps us make sure that we keep our emotion level were it needs to be
DT Ryan Pickett
(On the similarities between Saints’ QB Aaron Brooks and Falcons’ QB Michael Vick)
“They are very similar in ways. They are both very athletic. I think Brooks has more of an arm, and is more of an accurate passer.”
(On how the Saints will play without RB Deuce McAllister)
“Really, we haven’t even talked about that. They have a pretty good back-up running back in (Aaron) Stecker. So we need to watch for him. He’s not too far of a drop off from McAllister. He’s a very hard runner and pretty tough to tackle. He looked good on tape.”
S Rich Coady
(On starting against New Orleans)
“Anytime you get a chance to go out there and start, and play the full game, it’s always better when you’re on the field rather than on the sideline.”
(On the opportunity to hit former teammate TE Ernie Conwell)
“That would be nice. I’ve played against him in every practice for three or four years, so it would be nice to go live against him a little bit.”
(On the Saints playing without RB Deuce McAllister)
“I think they can (still run the ball). Obviously, it hurts. Whenever you have an All-Pro running back that can’t play (it’s going to hurt).”
WR Isaac Bruce
(On playing the Saints)
“We were watching some of the film from 2001. They used to be our division rival, it’s a big-time rivalry. These are games you always look forward to and they always have some excitement in it. I haven’t seen them in a while. Maybe once we are on the field it might spark something, rekindle something, and we’ll get after each other.”
(On how he and QB Marc Bulger are clicking)
“I guess preparation is meeting opportunity, and our offensive line is giving him an opportunity to throw the ball down the field. I just need to keep getting open and making plays.”
(On the Saints’ secondary)
“(Ashley Ambrose) is a smart guy, kind of like Aeneas (Williams). He’s going to be patient with you, make sure he takes the right angles, make sure he cuts you off at the top of your route, and he is going to be smart about what he does. He is going to make sure that everybody is lined up. You can pick that up watching film on him. He’s kind of a leader back there, and he makes sure everyone is where they are supposed to be. (CB Fred Thomas) is a high-energy guy. He can really get after it.”
(On if the referees have been looking for contact down field)
“They have done a good job calling it, and teams have been respecting it.”
QB Marc Bulger
(On the difference between the Rams’ first and second game)
“In some games you don’t get sacked a lot, but you get hit a lot. I can’t worry about that. We are playing fine, pass protection-wise. As long as (the offensive line) keeps doing what they’re doing, I’ll keep throwing the ball well. I just need time to do that.”
(On how he is playing)
“I’ve always said that the record is the only thing that counts. I’m 50 percent right now, so that’s not real good. After this week, hopefully I’ll be up to 66 percent and get a little better. We just need to get back on track.”
(On how comfortable he is with the offense)
“Anytime you are running plays more and more, and you get more familiar with them, it’s going to help. But I’m still making mistakes that I have to learn from. I learned from last year, and I’ll keep learning this year. It’s not getting easier, but I’m just getting more familiar with each game.”
(On if this year reminds him of last year, starting 1-2)
“Not really. You don’t want to go back and relive going 1-2. We know we have been in situations, whether we’re down in a game, or like last year starting 1-2. It’s not the end of the world, the season is still long. A couple years ago we started six or seven and 0, and sometimes there are expectations that are unrealistic. We are not panicing, we know that we can play good. There were some bright spots in the game last week where we played like a championship team, and there were times when there weren’t. If we can get off of the roller coaster a little bit, we’ll be fine.”
(On finding the team’s identity)
“I think we know we are going to be fine. You never know until week 17 what kind of team you have. We think we’ll be fine, be able to steady the ship, and win a lot of games. Every week we can sit here and talk about what kind of team we have, but as far as we know, from guy to guy in here, is that we are behind each other.”
(On the Saints’ secondary)
“They do a lot of different things. They press more than most corners, I know from watching the game a couple of years ago, they do that. I don’t think they really fear any receivers. They are real aggressive and try to make plays.”
(On if WRs Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt are in a zone)
“I think it’s just Isaac and Torry being the way they have their whole careers. Everyone forgot about Isaac last year, but he still had almost 1,000 yards. He was still running his routes the same, it was just a matter of getting Torry one-on-one. Those guys play the same every week, every season. I think we just kind of expect that.”
(On the offensive output)
“You always want to put up more points. I know we need to work on our red zone, but we are moving the ball. The offense isn’t stagnant. I definitely want to score more points and I’m sure that will come.”
S Kwamie Lassiter
(On how he feels)
“I’m good. I’m ready to play. I want to get out there and learn this defense so I can play fast and help them wherever they need help.”
(On why he was released by San Diego)
“I really never got an answer when I left there, so I couldn’t really tell you exactly why. But they made a decision and that’s it.”
(On his responsibility with the Rams)
“I’ll come in here and help out on the special teams. I should also work in the nickel package.”
(On helping the defense get some takeaways)
“We haven’t talked much about that, but it comes with the territory. First of all, on defense, we would like to stop the run, and then force teams to pass. We want to make teams one-dimensional, and everything else will take care of itself. That’s when the balls start coming. Once you get a few picks, then they come in bunches.”
(On defensive coordinator Larry Marmie)
“Larry is a good guy, and has always been a good friend, as well as coach when I was in Arizona. I don’t know what he told (Coach Martz) to get me in here. I know I was just out and they need some help at safety.”
(On playing with S Aeneas Williams again)
“It’s going to be great playing with him again because his study, work ethic, and all I remember is him making plays in Arizona. Watch his work ethic, he doesn’t let up. He brings so much to a team, to a game, and his on-the-field performance is above most.”
S Adam Archuleta
(On RB Deuce McAllister not playing)
“He’s one of the better running backs in the NFL, so obviously it helps us out for him not to be in there. Anybody in this league can play, and anybody can do a good job. So we expect the guy who’s going to step in for him to give us his best shot too.”
(On the team playing so different from week to week)
“It’s early in the season, and just like any other team, we’re trying to work our way through the season, and trying to establish our identity. We didn’t play well last week, that’s behind us, we just have to keep improving, and go to work.”
(On the rivalry between the two teams)
“It will be fun to get back into it. It’s kind of two different teams now, a little bit different personnel, but I still think there’s a little bit of bad blood there. It’s going to be physical out there.”
DT Tyoka Jackson
(On not having any turnovers)
“When your not getting things done, you have to emphasize it, and that’s what were going to do. We’re going to try harder in practice to get it done, and then we’re going to go out and play like that, and hopefully we can turn this around. When you get turnovers, your chances of winning go sky-high, so in this situation over-emphasizing is not an issue. If we’re disciplined in playing the defense properly, we can get interceptions. We just have to work and emphasize it, and it will start to come.”
(On the absence of RB Deuce McAllister this week)
“He’s one of the best three or four backs in the league, so it’s going to have a huge impact on what they’re trying to do. I know Aaron Stecker, I played with him in Tampa, and I know what kind of competitor he is. He’s a tough guy, he’s going to run hard, he’s going to be physical, and he’s going to come out here and prove something, that he can play in this league. They obviously gave him an extension for a reason, and we have a lot of respect for him. If we come out and don’t think he can run the ball, he’ll run up and down the field on us. If we come out and give the respect that is properly due to him, then we’ll be fine.”
(On QB Aaron Brooks)
“He’s a guy that can run it and throw it. He’s not a guy that looks to get as many yards down the field running the ball as (Michael) Vick does, but he can move around and avoid the rush. He has a big arm, just like Vick, and he’s trying to become a pocket passer like Vick. He’s a little bit older, he’s seen a little bit more, and has a little bit more experience. We’ve seen him before many times, so we know exactly what he is, and he knows what we are, so it’s not going to be one of those trick them games, it’s going to be one of those who out-executed the other guy.”
(On his style of play)
“I like to be aggressive when I can, as well as make smart decisions. I want to put the team in position to win, make plays, and play fast.”
DE Bryce Fisher
(On what they are going to do to stop the rushing game)
“When we get in position to make tackles, we have to make them. We have to do a better job of hustling to the ball, because a lot of those plays, we missed a tackle and there wasn’t another guy there to help out his buddy. We need to play seven, eight, nine, ten guys to the ball every play.”
(On last year leading the NFL in turnovers and this year not having any so far)
“I don’t know what the difference is, I think it’s a matter of us, when we have the opportunity to make the play, we have to do it. Obviously, our stat numbers are down, and for a defensive linemen, the majority of the time that we get to cause the turnovers is when we hit the quarterback, and if we’re not hitting the quarterback, then it’s harder for us to get turnovers, and we have to do that.”
(On how important the 12th man is on a home game)
“It’s huge for the defensive line to get off a little quicker on the ball than the offensive line. It’s important for us to play with emotion, and sometimes the crowd helps us make sure that we keep our emotion level were it needs to be
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