Post-Game Transcript: Head Coach Joe Judge

Head Coach Joe Judge

Opening Statement: Obviously, it wasn't good enough today. You've got to give credit to the Rams. They did a good job executing and finishing the game. Every week, there's positives to build off of to make sure we go ahead and magnify those to the team. Obviously, there's a lot of things that we have to fix and we have to do better to have success. That being said, I'll open it up for questions.

Q: You mentioned positives you could build on. Was there anything that you saw?

A: I challenged guys at halftime, I wanted to see who's going to finish the game. I wanted to see what type of fight some of these guys have. We'll go through the tape, but there are some guys I could see with the eye test right away that fought and finished, and that's how we're going to do things around here. We're going to compete for 60. We have to do some things technically better, fundamentally better, better calls at times, but I wanted to see who's going to finish this game and who was going to fight.

Q: I know you want to look at the film and everything, but from your eye test did you see a few guys that maybe weren't giving that 100 percent effort in the second half?

A: I'm going to wait until I finish the tape to go ahead and give you that answer.

Q: What was your thought process behind keeping (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones) in there?

A: We're going to compete for 60 minutes.

Q: No concern with the offensive line to have him out there in that situation?

A: I watched how the game flow was going. We're going to compete for 60 minutes.

Q: Your offense, your line, Daniel all were ineffective in the first half. How disappointing was that that you guys were not competitive offensively in the first half?

A: There are some things we have to do better, obviously. I like the way that we started the game, we played with good tempo, moved the ball down, converted some third downs. We want to finish in the red zone with touchdowns, not field goals, so we have to get better in that situation right there. In terms of the way that we started the game, I was really pleased on both sides of the ball. There were some things I hit on in the first half that we have to correct and fix moving forward. In terms of the specifics on that, I'm going to watch the tape before I go ahead and assess everything.

Q: When Toney and (Tackle) Andrew Thomas go out, how much do you think on that side of the ball you were just outmanned?

A: I have faith in the guys on our roster. Whoever's at the game, you've got to produce. That's it. It's what we practice for all week. When you come to the game, you're a professional, you're expected to go out there and produce.

Q: Any updates on the (Wide Receiver Kadarius) Toney or Thomas injuries?

A: I have nothing on Toney or Thomas. (Wide Receiver) C.J. (Board), I was told he broke his arm. I don't know exactly where that's going to put everything timetable-wise, but he's a tough kid (and) he does a really good job competing. You hate it for any of the guys, but you hate it for a guy like C.J., who really has pushed through every situation he's been asked to be in and just keeps finding a way to make himself necessary as a player on the roster.

Q: I know you have to watch the tape, but what changed after that first offensive series? You had tempo, you seemed to have them on their heels, but you just didn't see that the rest of the game.

A: Obviously, there was some execution we have to clean up and some things we have to do better as far as how we're going to compete and play this game. I'm going to wait for the film before I start assessing everything, but obviously it wasn't good enough.

Q: Did you sense some of the air coming out of the team when Kadarius went down?

A: No, I thought we were able to finish that drive as far as moving. I don't think anyone wants to see somebody get hurt. Everyone likes the way this guy works and pushes through and competes. Obviously, a productive player for us. He's a young guy, he's got a long way to go, he's been a very productive player and competitive player for us. In terms of that air going out, that's not our job. That's not our job. Our job is not to get discouraged or deflated based on a player going out. There are times when you don't want a player or a teammate to be injured – that's every time, right? You don't want to see someone get hurt. But in terms of something happening and the air going out of the room, we can't be that way. We can't be that way. We've got faith in all the guys in that locker room. We all work very, very hard, so you've got to have faith in the guy next to you to come in and do his job.

Q: How much was that ankle bothering Kadarius just to play? Did he reaggravate the same injury?

A: I don't know the second answer and I'm going to let him speak for himself, but obviously he was cleared to go out there (and) was very productive early in the game in his first few plays.

Q: You wore road uniforms to recognize the Super Bowl team. What were your thoughts on the halftime ceremony and the team's performance today?

A: I'll just keep those two things isolated right there. Obviously, there's a lot of respect for the accomplishments of that team, they earned the right to have that, going out there and hearing Coach (Tom) Coughlin speak to the crowd. Obviously, that's someone who's earned all the time he wants. Did a lot of things for this club and this city. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the history of this organization and the men who came before us. Obviously, there's a responsibility to uphold the tradition of how we want to play (and) we didn't do that well enough today.

Q: When you put pressure on them, it seemed to shut down their passing game. When the pressure went away, those guys made plays. How did they adjust?

A: I think we've got to do a better job of stopping the run. That kind of helps alleviate pressure for any offense, but I liked the way our defense was able to get after them early on and put pressure on (Rams Quarterback Matthew) Stafford. That helped us be in some situations, force some errant balls, get some sacks, get off the field, things of that nature. You've got to make sure you stop the run more effectively and keep yourself in passing situations and be able to get yourself in certain calls.

Q: What was the message to the guys in the locker room? What's the theme?

A: Right here and right now? We're coming back and we're going to work. We've got things we've got to improve on. When we come back on Wednesday, it's time to get going to work. Get your bodies right, get your minds right. We're not going to be licking our wounds around here. There's a lot of ball left to be played. Our goal every week is to go 1-0. Our goal is to get better as a team as the season progresses. That goal doesn't change. You talk about the big picture – the big picture is the little picture, that's next week. The big picture is how we handle next week, how we practice, how we improve, how we prepare and how we come out and we execute. That's where our focus has to be seven days from now. We've got seven days to get ready for another good opponent coming in here and that's where our focus has to be.

Q: Obviously the message has been process over results. Do you feel at all like that message is not getting through to the guys from what you're seeing – maybe not during practice, but during game day?

A: I don't see anything in the way the guys are coming in approaching it and working it, and not having the results. There are things you have to do along the way and things you have to do in the execution, and that's coaches and players on game day to make sure you have better results.

Q: Do you expect that there could be changes based on the challenge you gave them at halftime and whether guys did or did not respond to that?

A: We make adjustments every week and it always comes down to, one, how we call the game as coaches and how we're going to adjust internally, the responsibilities we give internally. Player-wise, it's based on production and performance. You've got to look at how guys played to make sure you put the best 11 on the field to make sure you have success.

Q: When a team falls to 1-5 now, do you have to find different ways to motivate them and capture their attention to implore them to improve? Often at 1-5, for a lot of teams, it becomes a mostly lost season.

A: There's a lot of ball left to be played. There's a lot of ball left to be played. We're in Week 6, so to turn around and start tapping out now – I don't know what kind of mentality other people have, I don't quit things, these players don't quit things. We're not going to do that, so anyone who's got that mentality of woe is me, what did you think was going to happen? Did you just think you were going out there, roll the ball out and walk over every opponent? It's the National Football League, teams are good. You've got to play better than them in those 60 minutes every Sunday to have success, so in terms of the motivation aspect, our motivation is to improve and perform for the man next to us. I don't see any dip in how our guys prepare. They come to work – I tell you all the time, they go to meetings, they go to practice, they compete hard. You guys have to leave after individuals (drills) on Wednesdays and Thursdays. At some point, if you stayed out there the entire time you would see a group of guys go out there and empty the tank, and they work hard and they prepare well. We've got to have better results on Sundays. That's a mix of factors. We'll go through that internally and make sure we're doing things, making the necessary adjustments to have those. In terms of the motivation of the team, I'm just telling you right now, we don't have a room full of guys looking around and wondering. We don't have a room full of guys waiting for next year. We don't have a room full of guys who are waiting for someone to show up and save us. The only ones who can make an impact and change what we're doing are all the men in that room – the coaches, the players, that's it. We're in that submarine right now. If something happens on that submarine, there's got to be someone on that ship to step up and save that thing. You spring a leak, someone's got to plug that thing for you. No one's coming. It won't get there in time to help you if you don't fix it yourselves. That's how we come back on Wednesday and we prepare.

Q: Daniel had some of the problems that were hurting him last year, with the fumbles and the interceptions. (inaudible)

A: Daniel's improved a lot as a player. I'm not going to go ahead and start to magnify. Obviously, we don't want to have turnovers in a game. There's a lot of things that happened. We'll look specifically at what happened, but Daniel has improved as a player. Daniel is a guy that we're going to have success with. He's a tough dude, he's a good competitor, he's a leader on this team, does everything we ask him to do, does everything the team needs to see from a guy in the leadership standpoint to do and perform. We're going to have success with Daniel. There are obviously things we have to clean up from today. Specifically you're talking about the interceptions and these are things we have to talk (about) and address in terms of how we're executing our plays. That's not always tied into just one person. There's things that different people have to do on those plays to make sure you have a chance to have success. Obviously, the statistic with the turnovers, that is what they are. However, I'm not going to try to go back and talk about the past with anything that's happened with any player. I'm focused on what they're doing now and going forward toward the future. This is a guy that's made a tremendous amount of improvement and obviously he's going to help us have success going forward in the future.

Q: Is Andrew Thomas a new injury? They said it was an ankle and he had a foot coming in.

A: I don't have any true information on Andrew. I haven't seen Andrew yet. When you're on the sideline, they kind of come up to you and just say, '78's out.' They give you a brief whatever it is and at that point you're focused on a lot of other things. I knew C.J.'s arm was broken because I went out on the field and when I got there they said, 'Joe, this is what it is.'