Wednesday Media Transcript: CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

January 4, 2017

Q: Any extra emotions being selected NFC Defensive Player of the Week?

A: No, just working man. Just going to work and doing my job, nothing more, nothing less.

Q: What's this season been like for you?
A: It's been fun. Just playing a lot of different positions, going out there and having fun. We've got a great group of guys; this secondary group keeps me young. A lot of funny individuals back there, and on top of that you're winning, so it's just been really fun.

Q: You've have to make a compromise; playing a different role.

A: At the end of the day, once you sit down and look at everything, you're 30 years-old, nine years in, still playing at a high level, and all that other stuff doesn't matter.

Q: Is it easier to do at this stage in your career?

A: Mentally, yeah, because you just understand the game. At the end of the day, you just have to go out there and play.

Q: When you see the results payoff with a great defense and with wins, does it make it easier to do what you do?

A: I don't look at it look that. I just look at it as going out there and playing, whether it's one play or sixty plays. Just go out there and have fun and continue to just get out there. Like I said, the group makes it easier. We have a great group of guys and being around them is fun and makes coming in every day a fun job.

Q: You said in training camp that you felt this group could be special and you were right. What made you think that in training camp?

A: I would just say, I got a good feel of the guys. We spend a lot of time off the field together. Anytime you can gel off of the field, it works for you on the field. Everybody just accepts their roles. Landon Collins did a great job, he made a great leap, great jump from one year to the next, and we just follow his suit.

Q: Has it been a challenge to switch back and forth between nickel and playing outside?

A: No man, at the end of the day, you spend your whole career outside and once you’re out there, it's just like being at home. The nickel spot was challenging, not being in there. You just got to continue to learn and just continue to grow.

Q: As far as adjusting to different positions, is this the most you've been asked to do in your career?

A: Yes sir, definitely.

Q: The need for a really good secondary going against a quarterback like this, how do you feel you guys stack up with that?

A: Aaron Rodgers' himself, you can't take nothing from him. You've got to give him credit, he makes it happen. They've definitely got some guys that have a skill set at receiver. The most important is, you've got to have eye discipline. Once you get outside that pocket, you can't be looking to see what Aaron Rodgers will do because like that (snaps) he can throw it off his back foot, 60 yards down field. It comes down to eye discipline and being focused on your man, and don't try to do anything else.

Q: And it's also about trust too, you have to trust the guy next to you?

A: Definitely. Like I said, it comes back to your eyes. You can't see what the next guy’s doing, you just got to trust and know that he's going to be there.

Q: Do you in particular have to make sure you're disciplined?

A: I'm a backfield watcher, I agree. I know with some quarterbacks you can peek a little bit more than others. This isn't a game where you really want to do that. You have stay zoned in on your man because they like to scramble, and it seems designed for them to move around when he (Rodgers) scrambles so you have to be focused.

Q: Is this a secondary that can look at a team and say, ‘Okay they have good receivers, but we can shut them down?’

A: I think we can line up with pretty much anybody. I think we've got a group of guys who go out there and play hard and continue to play no matter who's on the other side. You just go out there and do your job.

Q: The Packers are a little bit different in the sense that they don't have a Dez Bryant type of guy.

A: They've got a Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, all of them playing at a high level. I think Jordy's got 14 touchdowns, (Davante) Adam’s got 12. They're producing, and they've got a quarterback that can get it to them from anywhere, from any angle. You think he's running this way and he'll throw it that way. They work well together.

Q: Have you ever seen a defense improve so drastically from one year to the next?

A: No, sir. You go from 32 to top 10 defense. You don't see that too often. They definitely added some good pieces, had a good draft class and we gel together. We came in, we started working at OTA's and everybody came on board and stuck to the script.

Q: Do you still feel like you can keep up physically with the young guys?

A: No question. Line anyone of them up. In the weight room, any one of them.

Q: Who are the top five fastest guys on the team if you could have a race?

A: Me, Odell, Tavarres King, Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple.

Q: How would you finish?

A: One.

Q: You were the guy that was here when Eli Apple and (Janoris) Jenkins came in, why did you accept them so easily?

A: I know Janoris just from watching him, I know his style of play. I know he can make it happen. Apple just came in as a young guy asking all the questions and found him looking at me and Janoris and just copying, mimicking some of the stuff we do. He's a guy that really wants to learn and he's learning and excelling.

Q: Do you guys have a motto or something in the secondary?

A: They call us the NYPD. I just go with what they go with.

Q: When you guys played Green Bay in week five, seemed like you guys came out in the second half and shut down their offense. What did you change?

A: Nothing really. Once coach comes in there and you go over the adjustments and understand what the teams is doing to you, you have a better understanding of going back out there in the second half and just continuing to play.

Q: How do you defend Rodgers when he's running all over the place?

A: It's hard. You just have to pressure your guy. Where you guy is, you go with him. You can't look back to see what Rodgers is doing, you just have to trust that the D line is getting out there early and running them down.

Q: Who calls you the NYPD?

A: Landon Collins. I don't know if he came up with it, but that’s what it is.

Q: You were not at full strength against the Packers. How would you characterize how you were in that game?

A: I was banged up. If I'm on the field, I'm playing.

Q: Could you go over your interceptions from Sunday?

A: I don't even remember to be honest.

Q: The one deep in your territory, sideline route, you cut in front of the guy?

A: Oh yeah, he slipped down and I just saw the path to the ball. That was kind of a gimme. The other one, as I was looking back, I saw Cousins see that Garcon had a step on me, so I knew in my head he was going to try to fit it in so I waited a little bit until I saw his arm release and I just hit that gear.

Q: Are you guys doing anything differently to prepare for the weather?

A: The got the AC on. I don't know how much that's going to help, but it's making us cold around here.