CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
September 17, 2015
Q: How big of a challenge is it this week with two big receivers?
A: Real big. I call those guys game-changers. Those are guys that definitely can wreck the game, they can beat you short, long, or however they want to. You have to get up and challenge them. One thing they do well is get the ball in space and make something happen.
Q: What do you have to keep in mind when lined up against each one of them?
A: You have to keep in mind that Roddy White has been doing it a long time. He’s a vet savvy guy, he understands zones and man coverages, and knows where to sit it down and keep it going. With Julio [Jones], you have to be physical. You have to get up and challenge him. If you watch film, a lot of guys tend to play off of him because he’s a bigger, stronger guy and that’s when they throw the little quicks to him and he takes it all the way, so you definitely have to play him physical.
Q: How important is it to not go 0-2? It seemed like 0-2 set a terrible tone last year that wouldn’t go away.
A: It’s very important to try and get back on the winning side. It’s a home opener, you always want to win your home games, but just to get that feeling back of winning and getting back on the right path, and going in the right direction.
Q: Do you feed off the energy from the home crowd?
A: Yes sir, yes sir. Anytime you have the home fans behind you, it just gives you almost a natural high. It’s like a high to go out there and just keep on going and especially if you start early. The main thing is that we have to get out there and get them into it early.
Q: On the pass interference, did you go back and look at that again? Have you gotten any clarification on what you did wrong?
A: No, I mean the coaches said they talked to the ref and he said it wasn’t pass interference, but I mean that’s just a call I have to live with. He made it at a crucial point in time of the game, it definitely hurt, but you have to live with it and understand what he saw and try not to do it again.
Q: Prince [Amukamara] said sometimes you guys pick a side or sometimes you’ll pick a man, which do you prefer and why?
A: I prefer whatever he says. That’s how he is. He’s the kind of guy, “Hey DR, let’s go this way, let’s go that way” and I just play off of him because one thing I know is that he knows a lot of things. He studies a lot and I feel like he puts us in the best situation, so I go off of him.
Q: So that’s something you guys decide on the field?
A: Yes sir, Yes sir. Coach gives us leeway as far as understanding and knowing our matchups. That’s part of coming in on a Wednesday and a Thursday, you have to understand and give a breakdown of your guy, and we do a pretty good job of that.
Q: Once you get in the game, is it a feel thing?
A: It’s kind of from film first, and then you try a little in practice, and how we feel we go from there.
Q: Last time I checked, you’re older than he is, you can’t pull rank?
A: Yeah, I am older, but it works, so I’m sticking with it.
Q: Ideally, do you want to mix it up between their two big receivers?
A: Yeah, because we’re two different style of corners. Prince is a more in-your-face guy that wants to press. I’m more off and want to sit back and kind of jump routes a little bit. It’s definitely a different look.
Q: Did you hear about the NFL, I guess they came out and said it was a bad call on the pass interference.
A: Yeah, coach told me. I definitely watched film on it to see what I did wrong and see what he said that I did wrong. He said that I got him on the shoulder trying to go for the ball, so that’s just one you have to live with. That was a tough one.
Q: Does it make it any different that the NFL said that they blew the call?
A: Yeah, because that was a critical time in the game. You go from third down to giving them a first down. They go from possibly kicking a field goal to getting seven, so it’s definitely a crucial point in the game.
