Head Coach Chan Gailey
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
On the team doing a lot of game planning during practice:
We need to practice that. We have some new staff members, a new defense and a whole new system of things we are trying to get done. So we are practicing game week, just like we practice everything else.
On how the pace of practice was:
There were some glitches, to be honest with you. And we told (the team) we were going to practice just like a game week this week. Spiders on Wednesday, pads on Thursday and spiders back again on Friday. We are doing it the same way this week and we are trying to learn our tempo. Without pads on you have to have great tempo. We have to learn that.
On getting some new defensive looks from Pittsburgh:
They have it all anyway. I do not see how they can come up with anything new. They have a lot of new things defensively. Now offensively, they have a new offensive system so I expect some new things there.
On hoping to see consistency in Saturday's game:
Yeah, that is exactly right. I think we want to have great communication. It starts there. If you have great communication, then you give yourself a chance to succeed. We want to be as sharp as we can be and understand what we are trying to get done on the football field. We have to learn to play like we need to play.
On if he is disappointed in what he has seen the first two preseason games:
No it is not. I think there are some things we have to work out but that is every preseason I have been in, in my whole career. You have things you need to work out. We are in a process of working things out.
On DT Torell Troup and CB Terrence McGee:
Torell (Troup) is pushing through. It is impressive to watch him because he is not anywhere near 100-percent. He is pushing through and he is trying to work through it. Terrence (McGee) is making better leaps getting well. He is taking more reps each of the last two or three practices. That is very encouraging.
On if he puts any extra stock in Pittsburgh having such a good defense last year:
I do not put any extra stock in it. They are good every year. They do a great job. When you watch them on film, you see why they are good. They fly around and they will hit you. They are a really good defense. It will be a challenge for our offense to move the football on this crew.
On LB Bryan Scott practically being a starter:
Yeah, because he will play so much in our nickel package. Last year we played almost 65-percent of our snaps in nickel defense. That is the way the league is today. He may not be listed that way, but Bryan Scott will play a lot for our football team this year.
On if QB Brad Smith is still the team's third quarterback:
Oh yeah.
On when CB Terrence McGee will see live action:
We have not decided that. We are still talking about what would be the best direction to go with Terrence. Let us see how the rest of the week goes. The more reps he takes without any setbacks the better.
On if communication has been the team's biggest issue:
No, we are just not seeing things the way we need to see them and executing them the way we need to execute. I know how important communication is during the course of a season. If you do not get that down, you do not give yourself a chance to do the other things.
On if he is looking for the offense to click against the Steelers:
Sure. I was looking for it last week and the week before, too. You would like to have it happen this week and if it does not happen this week, you would like it to happen next week. If it does not, you hope it happens the opening game. Sometimes it does not happen exactly like you plan it. Hopefully we will improve this week. That is what I want to see is improvement.
On if there is a sense of urgency to see improvement:
You would like to see that because you are playing the (starters) longer. If they play longer, you want to make sure they are doing the job on the field. That is what you expect to see, sure you do.
On how much the starters will play against Pittsburgh:
Thirty snaps, a half for sure, maybe a little bit more of the second half. That is kind of the plan. Maybe the first series of the second half. We will see where it falls.
On what K John Potter has been able to do being six-for-six on touchbacks on kickoffs:
That is why we brought him in here, to see if he could make a difference in our football team and so far he has done what has been expected of him. He has two more games to keep proving it; one indoor and one outdoor, so we will see.
DC Dave Wannstedt
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
On LB Bryan Scott's conversion from safety to linebacker:
Bryan (Scott) has done a great job. I thought last year he was as consistent as any player that we had all year. And he did it under the conditions that he was a safety most of the practice and then he would come down, work a little bit linebacker and then he would be back with special teams. He was probably pulled in more directions than any player on our team. Now that we have him settled in on one position, you are a linebacker and he could play base if he had to. I think we are optimistic that his production is going to improve.
On how a guy with his body type can play linebacker:
He is mainly a nickel so he is covering tight ends. And he is bigger than you think. He is about 235 pounds and he has the size and quickness. You almost need safeties like that to match-up with these tight ends.
On if he is concerned with where the defense is:
When you look back, I was very pleased coming out of the first game. Last week's game, I told Chan (Gailey) quarterbacks are not going to scramble like that. So I put that to rest. I take fault for that. I underestimated what a great athlete (Joe) Webb was. Once we adjusted our rush and went back to a specific deal to contain him, we sacked him once. Out of the first five plays we had two sacks and one scramble. So we are going to rush the passer well.
The big plays are a little bit disturbing. When you have young players… Our two corners (Aaron Williams and Stephon Gilmore), at two critical positions, are guys that really have not played much in this league. They are going to be tested every week and they are going to see things that are new for them. We are going to have to work through that and get them caught up to minimize the big plays… We have played the run and it will be a great test this weekend against the Steelers. We have been fairly consistent with that all camp.
