Head Coach Chan Gailey
August 22, 2012
On what he needs to see from CB Justin Rogers for him to have a chance to play Saturday:
We are going to look at it. I wish it was cut and dry about what we needed to see on the field. I think it is a combination of how he feels, of how he moves and talking to him. We want to be smart about it, but he has a chance to play this week.
On the progress that Rogers has made:
He (was making progress). He was playing extremely well. He is such a smart football player. He has ability, he does not have a lot of size but he has a ton of ability and great instincts. Justin, I think, could be a very good football player for us and help us win football games.
On what fans will see from DE Mario Williams:
I think that if you look at him and what he has done in the past, he is going to bring that to us. He is a major force off the edge. He has been for the last couple of years. That is why we signed him - to be that. I think he will have a strong impact. He may not have the numbers but he will have an impact on the game. That is why you sign free agents is to have an impact on the game. And he will.
On if Williams' impact has been evident in training camp and OTAs:
Oh yeah. When he decides to go, he can go with anybody. He is one of the best around. It is exciting to know we have him on our team and we do not have to face him.
On if C Eric Wood will get more snaps this week against Pittsburgh:
Yes.
On whether Wood will get as many as the whole starting unit:
No, I do not think he will get quite as many. We will try to double his snaps from last week. Push him up to 20 this week. We will try to just keep building with him.
On if DE Mark Anderson will be back soon:
Yeah, we expect him back for Detroit.
On what improvements he wants to see from the defense:
You want to see improvement. That is what I keep saying. That is not flashy, it is not newsworthy but that is what you are hunting is improvement. Statistics can go a lot of different ways in preseason games but you want to see improvement. You want to see the little things that sometimes only coaches know about and coaches see. You want to see those things improve. The techniques, the thought processes, the reactions—the things that you have to have to be a good football team. You want to see those getting better. That is where we are as a football team. We just need to continue to get better.
On what preparing for the Pittsburgh game like a regular season game does:
We needed to do this for us, for everybody, for the whole team. We have a lot of new people that have not been through something like this. New coaching staff on defense. So we needed to get this done. It should help our process as far as understanding exactly what we are trying to get done during the course of a game week.
On the offensive line not being where it should be:
I agree with that. They have to play together. We have to have guys go out there, play together and communicate. That is probably—no it is not probably—it is the offensive line which is the biggest area that has to have continuity and communication. They have to have that. If they do not have that, you do not give yourself very much of a chance to win.
On if the offensive line is his biggest concern:
No, but that is one of them. There are several things that we need to work on. Our timing and our passing game. The little things like that. Running the football. There are some things that we need to work on. We have plenty to work on. We do not need to cancel any practices. (Laughs)
* *
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
August 22, 2012
On his impressions of LT Cordy Glenn:
I have not watched him a lot. And I know you are going to think I am lying, but it is one of those things you just have to trust the guys in front of you. I listen to the talk from our defensive guys, from other linemen and from our coaches, just to hear how he is doing. And from every indication he is doing a good job. He is a rookie; he needs to get in there. It seems like every preseason game he has faced another great pass rusher. That is just how this league is. We are expecting him to step up and to play well. He still has a couple more weeks to get going, just in the preseason. Getting his feet wet and all that, but we are expecting big things from him this year.
On what he is looking for this week against the Steelers:
This is really the first preseason game that we have game-planned a little bit. We spent some time in practice trying to work against some of the schemes that we will see. Spending some film time together, with everybody, watching them and really trying to prepare as if it is a game. Getting in that mode. I expect us to be a lot sharper just in terms of understanding the game plan. (We) Should not have any pre-snap penalties at home. Just guys being in the right spot and making plays, I think we will be able to play faster this week just because we know the type of defense we will be playing. We better play faster because they are very good.
On if there is a sense of urgency to show what the offense can do:
I think being the third preseason game this is where you really start to focus-in on the season. This is really the last one big one for the starters to go out there and get everything fine-tuned before it really counts. This one, I would say, is important to us to go out there and to play well.
On how satisfied he is with how the offense has looked up until this point:
I think the preseason is such a small snap shot of what we have done this offseason and the things that I think we will accomplish this year. We have not gone out and scored 100 points in the preseason, but at times it is tough to get in a rhythm. Getting out there getting limited snaps, knowing you are only getting limited snaps. And again, this third game is one we want to go out there and be prepared to go out there and play well.
On if he bases where he wants to be this season off last year:
Yeah, that is something that we have looked at a lot. Me personally, looking at especially mechanically, the fundamentals and all that, but really just the consistency of our offense and why we fell off. We looked at that and tried to address those issues. There are a lot of issues that come up during the year or during the season that you cannot prepare for. It is going to be about week-to-week dealing with all the different things that go into going out there and playing a successful game. Consistency is something we talk about around here—it is something that needs to get better.
On if preparing like a game week has helped the team focus:
It helps a lot. It really does. There are so many things. Every defense is so different in terms of the way that they run their schemes. For us to be able to have a scout team 'look' out there and get to go against some of that, that helps us out a lot. That helps our receivers finding the right spots. Even if it is not right the first or second time, being able to get in the film room and correct it. This is an important week for us because we have put the time in to go out there and play well.
DE Mario Williams
August 22, 2012
On how much work the team has left to do before facing Pittsburgh:
We have a lot of work ahead of us facing the Steelers. They are a smash-mouth football team. It is one of those things where we just have to go out, when we really do not see it a lot in practice against our offense. We kind of have to prepare amongst ourselves to get the right looks. Not just at practice but when we are home studying film.
On the preparation this week being like a normal week:
Yeah, this is the closest thing you are going to get to being in the regular season. We are taking preparation with the same mentality that we would during the regular season. Practice schedule, meeting schedules and all of that. It is as close as you are going to get.
On looking forward to facing a team like Pittsburgh:
Yeah, definitely. We do not get to face it against our offense. That is really not what we do, as far as a running scheme like that. To get it in the preseason is better than getting it opening day. You kind of get pads clicking and clacking a little bit more. It is definitely a good way for us to get a taste of both worlds—our offense every day and then against this focusing on Pittsburgh before the regular season starts.
On if there is any sense of concern after the game against Minnesota:
We are not where we want to be in general. That is going to be every day. We are not satisfied with anything. As of right now, there is no concern to me. Whenever we come out here in the regular season, it is going to be smoking and we are definitely are going to get things together this week. Like I said, we are (treating) this like a regular game. Definitely going to get amped up for this and get in the right direction.
On where the team's run defense is at:
We feel good. The only thing, like I said before, is the mistakes that we make are against ourselves. It is just mental mistakes. It is not being blow out or this or that. For whatever reason, we look at it this way and we go in the wrong gap that we are not supposed to be in. Or we start peaking and then we get out of our gap and they cut back. So that is us. I think it could be anxiety, it could be multiple things. That is the thing that we need to correct is ourselves. Focus on that and we will be fine in the run game.
On if he is comfortable with his new team:
Yeah, I am definitely comfortable with them. As a defensive guy, you typically only hang out with defensive players. I know them, but I know a lot of guys on the offense too. Out here at practice and things like that, we kind of know already how we are going to operate.
On where he hopes his biggest impact will be this season:
Just get better and causing havoc. That is all. I am just trying to go out here and make plays tough for the offense. That is pretty much how I see it. That is one thing I am focusing on. I know if I go and do that and my guy beside me does the same thing, we are going to have a great chance. That is pretty much the only expectation and pressure that I have on me.
On how badly Buffalo fans want to win:
Definitely. They (want to win). They want it and they are breathing it. They want to get there just as bad as we do. I think the biggest thing is, and my teammates know this, is they are not pointing fingers at me and I am not pointing fingers at them individually. It is a collective attack for us to go out and get it done. As long as we all play our own ball, get better and apply pressure, we will be fine.
On how often he is reminded by the fans about the expectations:
You hear it all the time. Whether it is directed to me personally or it is in a message or it is through mail (fans say) 'I am so excited, I am ready to go.' That is pretty much what you hear and what you get. That is expected. These fans are definitely waiting for it to happen so we have to go out here and provide it.
