Opening comments:"Knock on wood the way our luck has been, but we seemed to get through the game and not have any substantial injuries, which would be the one positive coming out of the loss.
"When you go back through the tape, starting on offense, we weren't very consistent at being able to run the football -- beginning with the first play of the game, where we probably get six or seven of the guys blocked pretty well up front and we have one guy bring the ball back and cause a no-gain play. That was kind of the theme about the day. We have to do a better job being more physical, being more exact with our footwork. Being more aware is probably the word I would use.
"Obviously, we can't have turnovers. We can't turn the ball over in the red zone. We had the other interception, and those are big things. Late in the game, we can't fall apart in protection. We weren't as sound as we needed to be throughout, but the quarterback was still able to get rid of the football. Late in the day, where he had to hold onto the ball a bit, it hurt us.
"Defensively, again it would be the same, the consistency of things. We did a pretty good job managing the running game, although they did have a couple of runs other than the reverse that got up in there for more yardage, where we didn't quite fit the run the correct way. The (53-yard) reverse (for a TD) was the poorest play of the day, no question. It just wasn't fit very well from outside in, and they ended up blocking a couple of our guys, and a couple of our guys took bad angles where it didn't give us a chance to get the ball to wind back, where we'd have a chance for some other defenders to make the tackle.
"Special teams-wise, we missed a field goal. We don't punt the football consistently well, and obviously we have the punt that touches us, and we allow a kickoff return for a touchdown where we don't cup the football well. We obviously had some new people in there in the kicking game, and it showed up a little bit. That's no reason to let that happen though – we've got to get the returner on the ground and we've got to be aware in the punting game, if we get a short kick, of handling it and executing it the right way. In all in our punt return game, I think nine times they punted, and our decision-making wasn't as good as it's been, and it ended up hurting us.
"As for positives, Anthony Collins got substantial snaps rotating with Dennis Roland, and I thought he did some good things. Jonathan (Wade), our new corner, came in and did a good job of handling it, having been here only a short period of time. It was a good tackling game for George Iloka. He made some strides forward. We just have to keep going. Our two young players on offense (Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham) keep getting thrown into the fire. They do some good things and some things that we need to do a little better. We just have to keep working at that, but they're getting great experience that way."
On if the team will be looking at other place kickers:"Yes. We need to be better in that phase, no question. We've been working on it internally all the way along. It continues to hurt us."
On the inability to run the ball:"We had the three or four runs that were eight (yards)-plus, and we had a couple that should have been, but we failed to block easy looks, or what we felt like were easy -- a guy not executing correctly which would have enabled another big run. Everybody wants to get out there and play and do their part, but we need to be consistent."
On if the rushing difficulties were a result of facing eight-man fronts:"There are eight-man fronts all the time, so we have to find a way to get the eighth defender blocked. When we did, you saw the runs were up through there and when we didn't, this is what happens. We have to have an awareness of where he is, getting on him and getting him blocked."
On the team showing toughness:"Obviously our guys are showing a lot of toughness. We're a tough football team, but we're a football team that's not winning, because we're not playing smart at times. The biggest negative, the biggest disappointment, is that we're unable to play smart and aware through some of the critical points in the game that are hurting us. We have two penalties yesterday, and they end up being the two most critical plays of the game. One sets us back on offense and the other one sets us back on defense and gives them a field goal. Both are very minor calls. Granted (they're) probably fouls, but other times they go unnoticed – the quick face-mask penalty that was called -- and neither was egregious in the scope of playing football. Everything we get right now, it's like someone puts a splinter in us."
On if he thought Chad Ochocinco had possession and two feet in bounds on the pass that was ruled incomplete in the end zone:
"You can't tell from our video, because of the way we shoo it. You get better looks on that with the high definition (on the television broadcast)."
On if Quan Cosby should have seen that the punt touched Andre Caldwell:"Probably. If you're unsure, you're the quarterback of the whole play, and you take control. You let (Caldwell) know that it's a short punt, because Andre is doing his job, and then you take control of the situation. It's a short punt -- let's make the call to get Andre out of the way, and then you go up and field it, or if you're unsure if he touched or not, field the ball. He tried to block the guy that Andre was blocking as opposed to getting on the ball."
On Cosby's usually good decisions:"He's made very good decisions. We're pressing and so when you press, sometimes you don't make clear-minded decisions. In the return game yesterday, we didn't make clear minded decisions and a couple times when we had opportunities it was someone else failing. One of our guys that failed is someone who generally doesn't fail, but on one play he wasn't as good as he needs to be."
On S Reggie Nelson:"Reggie works very hard, and we want him to be more consistent. I thought he played more physical in this game. He was in better spots in coverage, a huge improvement from our last time out. Hopefully he can keep making those kinds of strides in the next five games."
On if he has a shot at being a regular:"Reggie has the ability to be a regular and a starter, yes no question. He's just has to keep working at it, breaking some of the habits that he had at Jacksonville.
Looking ahead:
"We have five football games left. It hasn't been the season that any of us wanted. We have three games left at home, still have a chance to be 4-2 in our division. That's what I'm looking forward to. Four of the five remaining teams have a chance to make the playoffs down this stretch. We're going to play some good teams. We need to change our frame of mind a little bit and move forward. Put some good plays together and win some games. That's the task at hand."
