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**B:** The feelings today aren't much different than they were after the game yesterday. We just didn't play well enough in any area or consistently enough in any area yesterday. Obviously giving away fourteen points at the beginning of the game didn't help, but we battled back to make it competitive but then throughout the remainder of the game even when it was 14-10 we just didn't make enough plays in any area. We didn't execute well enough and we didn't handle some of the situations that were presented well enough to win. They were clearly the better team yesterday and that's all about all I can say really. I don't think that there was a lack of effort. I think the players played hard, I think they tried hard, but they didn't play well and that's really what it is all about. We didn't play well.
Q: Is there a fine line between playing well and playing hard?
B: No I don't really think there is. I think playing hard is a mindset and an attitude. Playing well is execution and that's being precise, being where you are supposed to be, executing, doing a lot of little things. You can play hard and make bad decisions or be out of plays and give up plays or you can be in the right spot and not play hard and give up plays because you are not being physical enough, or not being aggressive enough. I felt going into the game that the players prepared hard, that they worked hard to get ready for the game, and wanted this game to turn out differently than the first one did, but we didn't perform well enough during the game and in my mind it was distinct.
Q: After two weeks of playing well is this inconsistency explainable? Is there a reason that you can pinpoint it to or is it something that is just particularly unexplainable?
B: We haven't had this many turnovers all year. We had as many yesterday as we have had all season so I can't pinpoint, I mean part of the turnovers came in desperation at the end obviously, but we just again, we were a little off in our execution and we paid for it. Some of the problems that we had yesterday were some of the problems that we had with Indianapolis they just showed up in a loss instead of a win so they get magnified. We had some defensive holding penalties against Indianapolis that we overcame. We had a couple yesterday that led to a critical touchdown and made a three point game a ten point game so those errors repeated. They weren't just this week they carried over from last week as well.
Q: In terms of the offensive line are you able to identify what is happening to let guys come in untouched?
B: Most of our problems in pass protection came off the edge. They came from the guards out. It is a combination of tackles, tight ends and running backs and in some cases the quarterback and the receiver. When the guy wasn't blocked and the quarterback and the receiver have to make an adjustment. It was a combination of all four of those things, but a majority of our problems came off the edge whether it be tipped passes, pressures, forcing the quarterback out of the pocket, sacks or strip sacks. They came off the edge and we didn't consistently do a good job of taking care of the perimeter of the pocket.
Q: Is that a case of not recognizing?
B: No it wasn't as much not recognizing as not executing properly. Not taking the right set, not getting deep enough, not being firm enough, in a couple of cases not being wide enough setting too much straight back and letting the outside rusher collapse the pocket. Again that is where the majority of the problems were. Anytime you are behind by three scores and you are throwing for a third of the game you are going to get challenged on the pass rush. It became a one-dimensional game and that didn't work in our favor. That's not the way we want to play, but when all is said and done on the pass protection, again a majority of the problems had something to do with some type of edge pressure and relating to all the areas that I talked about.
Q: Speaking of perimeters and challenges, the defense was challenged by Curtis Martin and much of it was on the perimeter?
B: Yes two things that hurt us defensively in the running game were draw plays and perimeter runs. There were a couple of trap plays down on the goal line that didn't go for a lot of yardage, but because of where the ball was on the field they were critical yards. Defensively we did not play the running game consistently the way we need to play it. We had trouble on the edge.
Q: I know you never make excuses you always talk about the importance of depth, but how much of the problems with the rushing defense do you attribute to the fact that (Brandon) Mitchell and (Chad) Eaton weren't there and that they had been playing pretty well?
B: That didn't help us any, but we still need to do a better job than we did. We definitely need to play better than we played. There were times when we did all right. I mean there were several plays where we had good position, had good leverage, there wasn't a lot of running room, but there were probably five plays that were plays that went over ten yards and a couple that went twenty that contributes to a lot of yardage right there. We had a couple of situations where we had guys unblocked and we missed tackles. So overall it was just not a good performance against the running game defensively. There is no doubt about it.
Q: Were you surprised at your coverage of the perimeter as far as far as the running game?
B: I wouldn't say I am really surprised at anything. I would like for it not to be that way and will work hard to see that it is not that way again, but that is a good running back. They had schemes to block us and they got us blocked sometimes and he got through the holes. Again we played hard but sometimes too aggressively and got hooked and didn't set the edge out there properly and it cost us and we paid for it. I don't think surprise is the right word, but disappointed that we didn't play it better that's for sure.
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**Q: This week you will be facing another tough running back, a different type of runner but certainly an effective runner it is imperative I assume to try to correct those problems?**
B: Without a doubt, without a doubt. If we don't we will see it again this week no question.
Q: (Drew) Bledsoe's frustration level was pretty very evident what was his specific frustration?
B: I talked to him during the game I think there was a level of frustration during the game with a lot of players and the team. I mean things weren't going well on both sides of the ball. It is a two part thing one, was there frustration, yes. Anytime you are down by seventeen points there is a level of frustration. Nobody was happy about the way it was going. People are trying to make it better and when you get into the heat of battle sometimes you do get a level of frustration. Look I have seen a lot of years in pro football and sometimes things get said during a game that are in the heat of battle I think everybody understands that. It is a competitive team everybody wants to win everybody wants to do well. Whatever did happen I don't think it is a lingering thing. I have seen those exchanges, again I don't know exactly what you are referring to, but was there frustration? Yes there was during the game, sure.
Q: Do you think it is important for a quarterback to sometimes do that?
B: Yes I think it is appropriate for any leader on your team to lead. I think there are a lot of different ways to do it. Different people have different mannerisms and different styles of leadership, but I think it is important for leaders to lead. Some guys do it quietly, some guys do it vocally, there are different ways of doing it and I think if it is done with a positive intent it can be constructive.
Q: Are you concerned with Drew's frustration level? He has never made his feeling so obvious in the past?
B: I will talk to the whole team about the whole game and the situation that we are in. Mentally what we have to do in any tough situation or any negative situation like that is focus on the things that we need to do to get it back to our favor. I think that is something that we have talked about before as a team, we have talked about it several times and we probably need to talk about again. I think that transcends everybody on the team not one position or one player. Look when you are down by seventeen points against the Jets in the fourth quarter nobody is happy.
Q: Dan Marino spent most of his career yelling at other people, Bledsoe is a guy that has never done it practically does it carry more weight that he finds it necessary to do it right now, does it point out that there are things that have to be addressed?
B: I don't know about that. I think it is just part of human nature that if someone is quiet and doesn't say much when they do say something it carries a little more significance than somebody else who has something to say all the time. When they say something a lot of times you have heard it before or that is kind of their personality. I really can't speak for anybody else on what was said, or how it was said or what effect it will have. Again the only thing I will say is as a team every player on the team is a shareholder, every player has stock in the team and every player can provide leadership to the team. Individuals have different ways of providing leadership. There is no set formula of the way it has to be and a lot of the leaders that I have been around in my career have been very effective using different styles, but the bottom line is to create a situation and that is usually positive, but it can be negative at times, again I don't think there is a set formula to motivate the team and create better results. As long as that is what you are trying to do and everybody understands it, it is done in the right, whatever the method is, it is done with the right purpose and we are all in it for the same thing and it is positive. If it is done in a different way then that is a different story. I think Drew's intentions are to win and to play well, see the team play well. I think we all know that's what he cares about and I think everybody respects him for it.
Q: Did the outburst and the frustration make you worry that he might be losing some confidence in his teammates?
B: I don't get that. I mean I talked to Drew before the game, I talked to him after the game I mean I don't get that.
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**Q: Has (Bruce) Armstrong reached the point where he needs more help with rushers and can you provide that?**
B: Anytime you keep receivers in to help offensive linemen block defensive linemen, depending on what the defense is doing, sometimes that helps the problem and sometimes it hurts it because sometimes it just brings other rushers into the picture. I understand what you are saying and there is a place for it and we did some of that. I think it is hard to do it every play like I said just because it creates other problems. We had some problems on the other side. We had problems on both edges. It wasn't just the left edge we had problems on the right edge. I think a good example was last week against Indianapolis when the Colts were basically trying to use that type of scheme that you are describing and defenders walk up in the line and then there is some communication on who has got who and guys come free. (Greg) Spires probably benefited from that last week. The bottom line is we have got to do a better job of protecting the edge and again that problem yesterday included everybody. It included the tackles, tight ends, backs, quarterback, receiver in a couple of cases, and it wasn't a problem on every play, but it was a major factor in the game. Tipped balls, strip sacks and quarterback pressures. It is not any one-man show it is a collective problem that we have to do a better job of addressing as a team.
Q: Tony Simmons one week he has two great plays that help you win a game another week he has brain burps that frustrate his quarterback, three years in the league isn't it about time that he should reach a more consistent level?
B: I don't think the question needs to be specifically directed toward him. The question is really specifically toward our execution offensively in the passing game and that is something that we have talked about for several weeks. Tony made a big play on the go pattern there early in the game down the sideline. He made a play over the middle and as an offensive unit there was some blocking assignments that weren't executed properly and there were some pass patterns and route running and quarterback receiver execution that wasn't executed perfectly either. As a unit we need to function more efficiently than we did yesterday. We also need to stay out of fifty pass attempts a game type of situation by creating a negative position we did for ourselves early in the game and that becomes a snowball effect. When you are a one-dimensional team when you have got to throw and they know you have to throw and they start jamming receivers and forcing them out of their route and teeing off on the pass rush. It was obvious yesterday that there were going to be some problems and we had them.
Q: What does the team need to focus on after yesterday?
B: Defensively we need to do a better job in the running game, we need to eliminate defensive penalties. Offensively we can't turn the ball over; we need to run the ball better. I mean in general we need to get off to a better start. The last couple of weeks Denver and Indianapolis were games that we were basically balanced run and pass. We had about the same number of attempts in both areas and part of that was a reflection of the score. Yesterday when the score was not in our favor then that tilted the game again to a one-dimensional game and I don't think that is a situation we want to be in.
Q: On the defensive penalties what is happening there? Why so many?
B: We are hitting them too far down field. You have a five-yard area to jam them and try to be aggressive and get up on the receivers and hit them. In some cases we lose a little bit of perspective on how far away we are from the line of scrimmage and we are hitting them too far down the field on these particular plays. Last week we had a couple of just flat out holding calls. It was a little different penalty, but this week we were too far down the field and those plays hurt us.
Q: You talked a lot about the development of Greg Robinson- Randall in training camp, he has been inactive the last two weeks has he stopped developing at the rate you wanted him to?
B: I think it is just that the experience of our other two tackles right now at this point puts them ahead of him, Grant (Williams) and (Max) Lane. I think that showed up on the last couple of games. I just think that they are ahead of Greg right now. I am not disappointed in Greg and I think when he had an opportunity to play he showed some promise and did some things reasonably well, but Grant and now Max who has come back into the picture a little bit more here the last couple of weeks have more experience at the position and that's worth something at this time of year and at that position.
Q: Is Klemm getting closer to being able to play and if he plays will he play guard or tackle?
B: He is working at left tackle. Yes he is definitely getting closer. Last week was his first week of practice so he has only been out there a few days and that of course doesn't count all the training camp and preseason and all of that that everybody else has had so he has quite a bit of ground to make up, but he's working at it and there is some progress.
Q: Is the execution that you are looking for a question of talent or improved concentration?
B: I think the talent level is what it is. Execution what you are looking for is people doing there assignment the way that is needs to be done in that particular time and situation depending on what is going on on the other side of the ball. There are always things that happen within the play after the snap that required some type of judgment or decision on. It is not very often that things just go clean. There is some type of movement or some type of after the snap reaction that you have to deal with. The execution is all eleven guys on the team thinking as one having a total understanding of the play and what you are trying to do and do it in a way that is not only best for them, but is best for their teammate who is depending on them on that play. I can't overemphasize the importance in this system and I would say probably any system of teamwork and not one guy doing something right but multiple people working together to try to handle different situations that come up and taking advantage of that help and using it to help them do their job better. That is really what it is all about.
