(How do you feel after your first win?)
That's the way you're supposed to spend Sunday afternoon. It was an excellent win for us. I'm just really happy the way they scrapped and fought for 60 minutes. I'm very pleased with the effort and the outcome.
(What does it mean to you personally?)
It's great to get the first one and looking forward to getting many more. It's really a tribute to the players and coaches. I thought they had an excellent week of preparation, and to go out there and cash in on that performance, very happy for everyone involved.
(Is that the kind of game you're looking for out of Favre?)
Absolutely. I mean we have a number of things that go on at the line of scrimmage, particularly on the road with the crowd noise, and I thought he did a great job managing that. We didn't have any things from a decision standpoint - he was 100% in that area. His performance in the passing game was excellent. I thought he was very smart with the football, pushed it down the field when the opportunity presented itself, took the check downs. I thought he had an excellent game.
(How did the offensive line play?)
Protection was outstanding. Protection unit, I think they did a really good job helping one another and being in tune with the stress of the protection based on the way they were defending us. We got a lot of production out of the check downs, so very pleased as a whole with our passing game.
(Are all those short passes a result of the West Coast system?)
I think so in the passing game. Our concepts I'm sure you're familiar with around here, so very pleased with that. We just have to keep banging away at the running game and we'll be able to take advantage of the action passing game that comes off of that. Like I said, I'm very pleased with the drop back passing game and the production of the West Coast offense.
(How happy are you that Brett gets to enjoy the milestone with a win?)
It's a great accomplishment for him. I'm very happy for him, and that's the fashion you want to do it in.
(Should you have taken a knee there at the end before Green's fumble?)
No, I don't think so. I was just trying to get the first down. I actually considered throwing it there because I felt our production on third down was pretty efficient today. That's running the football - it almost came out, and that's the way our run game works. But no, I have no problem with my decision there.
(Do you lose faith in Herron now with his fumble?)
No, I don't lose faith in him. He made a mistake. He exerted himself trying to get an extra two or three yards. It was an excellent play - he had the first down. We have to do a better job as a football team with ball security.
(What about the secondary - still seems to be struggling esp. in zone?)
Well, the match concepts, they did a nice job attacking it with the crossing routes and the rubs and things like that. We need to continue to work in that area. We had some big plays once again in the back end. We have to look at the pass rush and things like that. We'll look at the film and dissect that and make sure we get it cleaned up.
(Injuries?)
Kenderick Allen - toe. Rookie victory, you have to bare with me, I've never done this before. Pickett was an ankle, they all came back.
(Collins okay at the end there? What was his injury?)
Cramps - they brought him in the locker room, it was cramps.
(When Green fumbled, you didn't seem to change expressions - how did you let the D know it was time to step up?)
Well, I just think it's important. The sideline is a very emotional area. I don't think players or even coaches respond to a guy that's up and down. I think even more so being the play caller on offense, that's something I've learned to guard against in my younger days when I first started calling - younger days, five years ago but it seems like twenty. Just to be in control like that, I don't know, I was just thinking about the next play. If you tell your team to play one play at a time, you have to do it as a coach.
(Nervous on the inside?)
I think my heart rate went up a little bit, yes.
(Encouraged by your defense on the last couple of series?)
Oh, absolutely. We were in four minute offense for two series on offense. I think that itself, four minute offense you need to be in one series. We put them back on the field, giving Detroit the momentum back after the turnover, so that's a huge stop at the end of the game for our defense.
(Manuel's play on the interception after giving up the TD - that the counterpunch you are looking for?)
It's huge. It's a huge momentum swing, especially on the road. We talked about starting fast, and coming out there and getting two scores like that gave us the momentum at that point in the game. They countered it almost every time we scored. That's the type of game we prepared for. We knew adversity was going to come upon us, and we just wanted to keep knocking it in the face and that was a big play in the game.
(How valuable was the play of Corey Williams? Explain Cole being inactive)
Well, we have a very competitive group there. Colin (Cole) just happened to be the guy that didn't make it. That's a very hard decision to make week in and week out. He (Williams) looked to play solid without reviewing the film. I know at the end of the game, can't remember what the call was, but he went and made a huge play there at the end. I thought our pass rush, we'll have to look at it, but he (Kitna) did have some time there. It looked like their backs were chipping out and things like that. Overall, it looked like a solid performance.
(How proud of you of Brett's performance the past two weeks?)
Six of 402, I mean I'm proud of him. He's running the offense. All the conversation about his performance and things prior to coming here, frankly he prepares better today than when I was with him in 1999. So, I'm very pleased with his performance to this point.
(How much has it helped your offense that Jennings has stepped up in a playmaker?)
Well, anytime you have another playmaker added to your offense, you know he's been, as we talk about all the time, very consistent. The only time I didn't feel him in the football game was Week 1. So, I'm very pleased with him and Robert Ferguson is doing a nice job and Koren Robinson got in there and made a few plays today. We feel very good about that group.
(Any word on Robinson's knee?)
I haven't heard anything, no.
(Your thoughts on his third down catch?)
Big play in the game. Once again, we talk about starting to get him involved and it kind of showed up more in the third down today so we'll continue to do so. As a group, the receiver group is really playing well.
(How did your young guards perform against the Detroit defensive line?)
My sense is they did pretty good. Like I said, I thought the pass protection unit was excellent. I thought Brett had plenty of time today. In the run game, it's a guy here and a guy there. I didn't feel like they did not factor in the game. I'll see the film and everything, but it looked like they played pretty solid from the information I was getting.
(How do you celebrate?)
Celebrate? I guess get a better night sleep tonight than you usually do. We've got to go in tomorrow.
(Did the guys do anything for you?)
I got my first game ball - very special.
(How did you feel the coverage unit performed?)
I thought they did an excellent job. I thought they played with a lot of intensity, guys going down there, obviously Drummond is big time guy. I'm very pleased with the special teams.
(What did you say to Ahman after the fumble?)
I actually haven't talked to him about the fumble. I was a little more concerned with the defense going back on the field. Ball security is a premium; it's something we stress every single day. That was potentially a critical error in the football game, and we need to get it fixed.
(Going to be more hands on with coaching on the defensive side of the ball?)
I mean I'm very happy with the coaching that's going on over there and the structure as far as the responsibility of our coaching staff. I have full confidence in the way it is structured, and we just have to continue to work. We won the game today, no doubt about it, but there were a number of things that happened in that football game that we need to get corrected. There are things that happened that could cost us a football game. That's a part of winning; you need to look at the film, and we'll grade it just like we did last week and the week before. We need to improve those areas and continue to stack successes. That's what we talk about all the time. We got our first win today, but there are still things we need to get better at.
