What does it mean to you or the team to have such a great winning record at home this season?
Well that's where it all starts for us right. We want to have a good record in general, but being able to put on a show in front of our fans is something that we most certainly are eager to get after. It all starts here, and if we can defend our home turf, that will help us later down the road to instill confidence for our road games.
How is the team handling the bye week this week?
Obviously it can be a little stressful as it is cut week, but we've got a great group of guys with this team as of now. Those who are cut as a result of the preseason cut, I genuinely hope they are able to find a job with another team. This is one of the toughest parts of the year, especially with how positive this group is, and it's hard on the coaches and staff this time of year as this could possibly make or break our season depending on the decisions made this week. Nonetheless, it's been busy, and we're excited to get after it next week.
Can you talk about the development of Elliot Donald so far?
Elliot Donald is actually the nephew of our very own defensive end Aaron Donald. Initially we weren't going to pick him in all honesty, but I think it's worked out well bringing him in. They both play defensive end, so it's been inspiring to see Aaron teach and mentor him, and they even come in early and leave late just about every practice we have. We're excited to have both of them on the line together and think their potential could be something big for this organization this year.
How has Matthew Stafford’s experience in the league helped the team so far?
Matthew Stafford is a solidified vet, and we may even think he's solidified himself into the Hall of Fame as well. He's already won a championship here, but last year he put on an absolute clinic. In 2023 he was able to break Peyton Manning's 55 passing touchdown record by 1 with 56, win the MVP, win QB of the year, and win another Super Bowl with this team after we trailed by 10 points at half. Stafford is our leader, and we'll continue to put him at the forefront of our team as long as he's willing to be here and playing football.
What is the status of Will Fuller V and when is he set to return?
Will Fuller V is dealing with a dislocated knee, but he'll be back by week 1 no doubt. As it stands right now, he's not going to be on the field every down for us, and he's willing to take on the veteran presence as a backup to this receiving core. We love what he brings to this team as he's just a gritty player, and he's just an outright winner. We're excited to see how he can contribute this year in more ways than just on the field.
What can you attribute to having one of the top-scoring teams in the league to this point?
Well considering its preseason, we try to take that with a grain of salt ya know. Nonetheless, it's been great to see. We love what we're seeing out of our guys so far, and that's what makes cut week so tough. So many decisions with so much on the line, you just dont want to make the wrong move that will come back to bite you in pivotal moments throughout the season.
Over your career, what makes a team better at not turning the ball over as the season goes along? What kind of things you need to emphasize? How much of it is coaching? How much of it is a mental part? Physical part?
It's everything to be quite honest. The whole team has to be in sync, everyone has to be doing their part. There's not just one thing that you can focus on that will fix your turnover problems. In order to play a clean game, you've got to do everything, and that's the coaching, mental, physical, and so much more. Protecting the football is one of the most important things to have success in this league no doubt.
How quickly can you tell if a young player is a football player if he thinks about it because it seems like at the Combine they’re all saying the right thing and it’s the job. How quickly does it take?
Well it's no easy process and I think that's no secret. We see it every year with draft picks ending up being busts, and that's throughout the whole draft. We've seen #1 picks not do well, so anyone could be a bust. That's why we pay our scouting team the big money right, because it's one of the hardest jobs in this league. It's hard to really say how quick it takes, I think it's more on a case by case basis, and even then you could still be completely wrong. That's why its important that we all do our homework.
How valuable is the self-scouting process that you go through during the Bye Week? There's the physical piece, but also that component, as well.
I think it's important for sure, really hard to measure how valuable that is for not only us, but every team in the league right. It's a time to regroup and reevaluate our gameplan and situation at that point and time. Sometimes its a turning point for some teams with all that extra time.
Are you seeing the speed of the game starting to slow down for some of the rookies?
You can see it happening on the field and it's beautiful to watch. We have a few guys that we're really excited about and want to see what they are capable of as the season goes on, but we don't want to spoil it, and we'll just have to see as a league ourselves if they can really prove it to us all.
I want to ask you about the receiver position in general. How have you seen that position evolve in importance over the years and how does having a player like WR Cooper Kupp sort of factor into that perspective?
Cooper Kupp has been our rock. Kupp defines what it means to be a Los Angeles Rams player, and he just never quits. I've never seen a player like him in all of my years of coaching. He's a winner, and he puts in all the work, physically and mentally. Sometimes he'll adjust his route just a hair depending on the coverage he's seeing himself to make the throw easier on the quarterback. To answer your question, it can go a long way.
Did you scout BYE before the draft? If so, what stood out about him?
N/A
How do you see the competition level in the NFC West currently?
The competition in our division is no slouch. I've got respect for all of the gentlemen we play twice a year, and we approach our games as such. Playing each other so much only makes each game harder and harder after each one. However, we look forward to the challenge, and it brings on a chess game, which is what football is all about right?
The defense is playing really well right now. What do you think are biggest contributing factors to that?
Well we try to lean on that at times, and we thank our defensive staff and coordinators, along with our great personnel. I would name every single player we have on the defensive side of the ball, as I am proud and confident in their abilities to get the job done, but I would be a fool not to mention Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. These guys change a defense like no other, and when you're able to have both of them on the field together, it just makes so many other guys jobs easier no doubt.
When the schedules were released this past offseason, analysts said you had one of the easier schedules they've seen. Do you see it that way as well?
To be quite honest, we never really look at the season long schedule. We like to take each game week by week, and that's how you have to approach this league. There are no easy games on the schedule in the NFL I can promise you that. Each game is a grind, and wins are earned in this league. We try to approach every game the same in the sense of intensity.
Your team is one of the oldest teams in the league in terms of average age. How do you feel about the future of this team while not having as many young players as other teams? Do you think having an older team has its benefits?
We lean on having an older team to be quite honest. Having veterans who have been around the league has its benefits, and I think that showed to be true last year, and even during the Super Bowl. These veterans know that the game is never over, and they just have another gear that some of these young bucks haven't developed yet. Having an older team has its pros and cons, but I'll take an older team any day.
Can you speak to the overall team health?
The overall team health is great right now *knock on wood* and we hope it stays that way right. We've got a couple guys dealing with some stuff, but we try to emphasize our treatment over here. Everyone is bound to get a little hurt and bruised throughout the season, and I don't care who you are, by playoffs no team is 100%.
Who is your quarterback, and why?
We love what D.J. Uiagalelei brings to this team, and we look forward to what his future looks like learning behind Matthew Stafford who has been our solid veteran these past few years. Stafford is our guy, and he will continue to be, especially after the season he put on last year. D.J. has really been enjoying his time picking Stafford's brain in practice though, and it's been fun to watch it.
