|
|
|
HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN
(On practice)
"We had a good start on practice."
(On injured players)
"Brian Griese did not participate. We had a number of players that were limited. Jermaine Phillips returned in a limited fashion. Alex Smith was limited. Several other guys were somewhat limited today."
(On losing Earnest Graham and short-yardage situations)
"It's a big loss for us. It was a big loss when we lost Carnell Williams; fortunately Earnest Graham stepped up. Now someone else will have to step up. Tomorrow's the day we really examine that phase of our attack.”
(On the Lions having so many ex-Buccaneers)
"Pretty much every week we see teams where there are Buccaneer connections. This one here is an understatement. We have a lot of respect for Rod. He's a great coach. Obviously Joe Barry and a number of players – Brian Kelly and Dewayne White – those guys are World Champions. Ryan Nece, Kalvin Pearson…a lot of guys. Corey Smith's there; Chuck Darby. I'm excited to see these guys. At the same time we've got to play a lot better than we have on the road to win. Last I checked, we were down 24-3 in Arrowhead right before the half. So we've got to play better football on the road."
(On how he thinks Rod Marinelli is probably handling the Lions' tough season)
"Well, I've got a feeling he's dealing with it just fine. It's a tough year. If you're in this business long enough you're going to have seasons that just don't go the way you've planned them to go. You have to be mentally tough, and he is that. I know this – he's a great coach and a great leader. I'd swear by Rod Marinelli as long as I'm alive."
(On if he has to try to limit Warrick Dunn's usage so he can make it the rest of the way)
"Warrick’s got the ability to play in every situation. He relishes this time, I think – big games. He knows the team needs him to step up. But you have to do that, obviously, with some other players, too. It's hard to call a play and get the right personnel in there. You need your running back, you need somebody at that position to be comfortable in every situation. Fortunately, Warrick is that."
(On how Carnell Williams did in practice)
"I thought he did okay. Again, I don't know that he'll play a major role in this game yet or not, or even if he'll be active. We signed Noah Herron, a guy we know can help us on special teams. But I think Cadillac practiced well."
(On Dunn proving that he can be an every-down back during his career and having that experience to lean on)
"It's good. I want to be perfectly clear: I wasn't one of those guys who doubted his ability. I think he passed somebody last week for the [19th] spot [all-time]. I coached Ricky [Watters]. If you've got more yards rushing than Ricky Watters, you're a superstar, you're a Hall of Famer. He's a great player, great.”
(On if Williams is a Sunday morning decision)
"It's not just about Cadillac. It's about our team. We lost Geno Hayes; the Maurice Stovalls, the guys that are no longer playing; Jermaine Phillips has thrust Sabby Piscitelli into a starting role, so his special teams availability is hurting us; with Alex Smith's inactivity we can't lean on John Gilmore. You've got to be able to play special teams. That fourth, fifth receiver, the extra backs on everybody's team have got to play on [special] teams because we all know that special teams are going to be a key component here down the stretch."
(On if he's reluctant to put B.J. Askew in some situations)
"I think he's getting better. He's another guy that we tried to be smart with. He had a very serious hamstring injury and just now has played his first game in a long time. I think if today was any indication, special teams might be on the table a little bit more this week."
| |
Anonymous comments are disabled
|
|