Looked at the tape, basically told you last night what I felt and I think that it was reinforced. I did see some progress on special teams. The cover teams did a better job. We played Victor Cruz out there at the gunner. He did help us and drew a penalty on one particular play. The punting game was improved and we got our typical good force out of our field goal rush team. Our return game, there was an opportunity for one return, and there was a bad cut made by Darius (Reynaud) for whatever reason - if he stayed with it, I think we would have had some yardage, even though it was questionable whether he should have brought the ball out. That having been said, looking at the defense and the offense, I think we did not execute and certainly the other team did. They executed very well and I told the team after the game, that Colts team a week ago was in the same spot that we're in today and we can do something about this this particular week.
Q: Did any injuries show up today?
A: Michael Johnson's back reappeared and Shaun O'Hara continues to treat and work with the Achilles/ankle situation.
Q: There's been a lot of talk about Brandon Jacobs and his helmet incident and his rumored request for a trade...
A: As far as I know, there has been no request for any trade. That one was a surprise for me and I didn't even learn about that until about 5:00 today, but that's the first I'd heard of that one.
Q: Has he requested to sit down with you to talk about his role?
A: His role has been defined. That was I don't know how many weeks ago that you brought that up and we did talk about it at that time. I'm not sure why that keeps coming up.
Q: Because he keeps expressing frustrations...
A: Well, the response two weeks ago when I gave you the position that I had on it and the fact that we had discussed it hopefully solves that answer for you. I mean, there has been no request to come and talk to me about anything. I'd be more than happy to talk to anybody...any individual and their role and that has been expressed and it's expressed by his position coach.
Q: What was the thinking in making that change with the backs at the outset of the season?
A: We felt that, as I've said from day one, it's going to take more than one back to get it done at this level. You saw two backs last night as well, but the fact that we felt that Bradshaw earned that right and it has not changed, but both guys are important and both people have a role to play and we will need both players all the way through the year and they're both very good football players.
Q: Is he going to face any discipline for the helmet incident?
A: We'll allow the league to take precedent here.
Q: What kind of a running back do you see Brandon as right now?
A: What do I see him as? A big, strong runner - the same that we saw him before. Didn't like the east-west running last night. Same position. Run the ball north. Take it up in there.
Q: When did he start that east-west business? He used to be north-south.
A: He did. How does it happen? I think he was thinking he was going to make a cut and outrun the defense, but he didn't get to the edge and if ever that occurs and when you have a chance to turn it up in there, go ahead and turn it up in there.
Q: I don't mean an isolated incident, but when did he start doing this more often?
A: I really haven't seen that that much this year. That was the one time last night. You asked me about a specific play and I said, yeah, that play I thought Brandon should have run it up in there but I haven't seen that much this year. I haven't seen any of that.
Q: Even if you accept the explanation that the helmet going into the stands was an accident, he was still throwing the helmet in frustration. Does that part of it still upset you?
A: The whole incident upsets me. Now, if you remember, I was looking...I didn't know anything about this until after the game. It really makes no sense. It's a senseless act. I don't know what you're going to accomplish by that. Even if it was an accident, the frustration, you've got to learn to deal with it. You've got to have poise, you've got to have some patience, you've got to have some control, and you've got to be able to control those kinds of situations. The only reason that I emphatically say that is God forbid someone would have been hurt.
Q: Is that what you communicated to him? Did you get your point across?
A: No, we talked briefly right after I left you people last night. I'm sure that...we'll talk again about it, but Brandon understands the consequences that could have happened there.
Q: David Diehl struggled last night. Was that an isolated incident or something to worry about?
A: Well, the struggles...actually on both sides we had struggles. The speed and the jump that the defensive ends got at home was very impressive, to say the least. There were a couple of occasions where they were not up the field speed rushes, they were bull rushes - particularly Freeney. He knocked Dave back almost into the quarterback, so they're two very good football players. We knew that going in. We studied them, Dave studied them. They played very well last night, they played with great purpose and they were effective.
Q: Are you concerned with Diehl going forward in that spot?
A: Well, Dave's played there for a number of years and when you're playing against someone of that caliber...there were some built-in aids that sometimes we weren't able to take advantage of. We tried to chip and put the tight ends there off the ball so there wasn't as much room. The one unfortunate hit that occurred where the ball came out and was recovered in the endzone for a touchdown was off of a short side. It was the back side of the quarterback. He doesn't have eyes in the back of his head.
Q: As a competitive person, isn't it expected for Jacobs to be upset that he's no longer a starter? At what point does it become a distraction?
A: That's fine, but there's a way to go about that. Go out on the field and prove it. Talking about it and constantly bringing this up is not the answer. I know you enjoy that part of it, but that's it. That's not what it's about.
Q: Did you say that to him?
A: Have I said that explicitly to him? I don't know if I've used those kinds of words, but we have commented on it to any player. Go to the field and make it happen. Be productive.
Q: He has indicated to us that he's very unhappy. Do you get that feeling?
A: Not to the degree you're describing, no. I'm not in your meetings (with him).
Q: In the preseason you talked about leadership. Is this a week when you think you'll see that emerge?
A: Yes. I do.
Q: Have you seen it thus far?
A: Yeah. I spoke very definitely about it after our opening game, about the quality of our leadership on the sideline during the course of the game. I thought it was outstanding. I think we'll see it again this week.
Q: Does it reveal itself differently after a win than after a loss?
A: Well, after a game in which you lose and don't play particularly well, obviously you're looking for strong people to get you in the right direction and no doubt that happened - we've talked about the Colts - it happened last week for them.
Q: Osi told us last night that something was missing on the defense. What do you think it was? Physicality?
A: Well, that's a start. We weren't as physical as we were the week before and when you play the run and you face up against the run and obviously you're expecting that you want to win the physical battle and we talked about it all week long - win the physical battle. That's part of the formula that we always talk about.
Q: When you play a team like the Colts and you're not necessarily expecting the run, was it a subconscious slowness because they were caught off guard?
A: That kind of turnaround...during the course of the game, it has to come back to you when your numbers go the way they did. One week they run it 10 times, another 43 times. When you've spent an entire week on schemes, on pass protections and adjusting your course or route to the quarterback based on the protections and now you're in a game where there is an excessive number of runs, you have to buckle down and win the line of scrimmage against the run.
Q: You lost some games last year that were one sided? Is this different though? Did it still feel like they just quit?
A: No. I never said what you said either. That word, I'm not using that word. But no, I never saw any of that. Different style? Yes. The necessary number of big plays down the field wasn't there last night, but the drives and all the things we said that we wanted to do going into the game happened on the other side - turnovers, running game, time of possession, they were three for four in the red zone, touchdowns, they rushed for more yards than we did.
Q: Have you thought about any offensive line changes yet?
A: I haven't thought about any of that yet. I mean, I could think about it, but whether we do anything about it is another thing.
Q: How is Shawn Andrews acclimating to the offense at this point?
A: Well, he's been working at it for quite a while. He worked as a guard and then last week he worked as a tackle so they're two different positions so he's got to work his way through that again now. Hopefully he's got some degree of comfort with the new system.
Q: He worked both sides. Is there a side you prefer him on?
A: Not necessarily.
Q: Any update on Will Beatty?
A: He was in here the other day. You must have missed him. He seems to be...he came through the surgery very well...he seems to be recovering well. His family was here with him. I saw him just briefly only 24 hours after the surgery and he seemed like Will to me.
Q: Will Kevin Boss practice this week?
A: We'll see. First he's got to go through the exams.
Q: Could you tell from the tape whether Peyton was checking down to the run or whether those were planned runs?
A: I would say that just probably a great percentage of them were called at the line of scrimmage.
Q: He saw what you were putting out on defense and changed it?
A: Well, that's the way their offense is. Run or pass. A mismatch or however he's...I'm not sure exactly how he's taught, but that's what their scheme is about. It's the matchups.
Q: Did Aaron Ross come through the game okay?
A: Yeah, he was sore but I think they expect that he will be okay.
Q: Is Kenny Phillips okay?
A: He was fine (last night) and fine this morning.