KingPriest2
10-13-2004, 11:15 PM
Q&A with Dick Vermeil
Oct 13, 2004, 6:07:27 PM
Q: Is Fred Jones your guy at outside linebacker this week?
DICK VERMEIL: “We worked him there today. Monty Beisel has got a little hip problem, so Kawika (Mitchell) was working inside. It bothered him on Monday and then he went to practice and he was fine. It bothered him today. I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
Q: Do you anticipate he would be your starter Sunday?
VERMEIL: “I’m not sure.”
Q: What’s Scott Fujita’s status?
VERMEIL: “He ran pretty good today. I think Scott is still questionable but…. It depends on how he feels tomorrow after running today. (Ryan) Sims did not do anything so he’s doubtful to out.”
Q: Will Steve Cheek be your punter on Sunday?
VERMEIL: “Yes.”
Q: Last week against San Diego, Jacksonville had to throw 50 some times…
VERMEIL: “Well, they were down 14-0 in the first quarter.”
Q: Is that a situation you would like to see them in?
VERMEIL: “I think I know what Jack (Del Rio) believes in. They’d like to run the ball and play good defense, play smart. It’s a pretty basic for a lot of coaches. But when you’re down 14-0 right off the bat that changes things.
“I think we’ll see more of a blend of an offense against us this coming week.”
Q: They haven’t scored in the first quarter all year?
VERMEIL: “I think they’re one of two teams that haven’t.”
Q: Is there anything you can look at there?
VERMEIL: “Part of it is the teams they play. Denver doesn’t let many people score at any time. That’s one of them. They played Indy. They’ve played good teams. Sometimes you can get into that kind of thing where you’re not scoring. In fact, one of our goals was to be able to start faster in the first quarter this year. We started faster and then slowed down. So, I don’t know if it’s better to start slow and then speed up all the way through the game. We’re the only team to score all four times in all four games in the opening drive. Sometimes people play you differently than you had anticipated and it affects you a little bit.”
Q: How important is that on the road when you’re trying to take the crowd out of the game?
VERMEIL: “All those things are important whenever you play on the road. The best thing is to play well all four quarters and don’t turn the ball over. Play smart. It’s more important on the road than any other time. All those principles apply wherever you go on the road. But we’re going on the road to play a team that’s won three and lost two. They proved they can win by beating two playoff teams already.”
Q: How is your offense different when Eddie Kennison is healthy?
VERMEIL: “Confidence. You’ve seen him do it before under pressure. We had Dante (Hall) there but they’re two different receivers, two different styles and two different people. But I think it gives Al (Saunders) exposure of the entire game plan at any time without being concerned. That’s the big thing. Plus, he can make plays.”
Q: You always have a guy on most routes who runs vertical and he certainly does. He scares people does he not?
VERMEIL: “I’d like to think he does. I think they have to respect his speed. He can still run very fast. We haven’t been a big play team so far this year and normally those big plays came out of variations of our offense: Eddie Kennison making one, Dante (Hall) making one. We haven’t made those kinds of plays. Now, Eddie made one in the opener. But we really haven’t had anything happen since. The two biggest plays we’ve had have been called back by penalties.”
Q: One thing that doesn’t get talked about a lot is the guy’s a pretty fierce blocker.
VERMEIL: “Yeah. All the receivers will block. Dante’s (Hall) a good blocker. They all get in the way and knock people down. Of course, Eddie Kennison is bigger and stronger, but he is a factor in blocking safeties. He’ll be a plus.”
Q: Marty Schottenheimer last week was critical of Jacksonville’s Brad Meester for his cheap hit. Have you seen the play? It appears this guy has been accused before of being cheap.
VERMEIL: “I’ve seen the games but I didn’t pick out that one specific play. You know, Marty’s the kind of guy who wouldn’t say that if he didn’t feel strongly about it and there wasn’t some merit to it. There are players from time to time who do something that’s not really part of their character profile either. It just happens. This is a violent game.
“But I think if Marty said that then he’s probably got a reason to say it.”
Q: Is Dante still your guy in your three-receiver set?
VERMEIL: “Yes.”
Q: Will Chris Horn still get in there?
VERMEIL: “There’s a chance, yes.”
Q: How do you assess his first couple of games?
VERMEIL: “I think he’s done a great job. I think he’s done a very, very good job. He’s so dependable. He’s one of those guys who just does everything right. Every ounce of ability he utilizes. He’s where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there doing the job he’s supposed to be doing. Quarterbacks trust him and he can catch the football.
“He’s been around for two years now on and off the roster seven or eight different time. We brought him back, sent him to NFLEL and he did a good job over there. He makes the football team this year and Boerigter is down. It’s given him an opportunity like it has for many other players when someone gets hurt. They get to show they can play. It’s harder for a kid like him because he’s not a 4.3 (40 yards) guy. But he plays the game well and we’re very fortunate we have him.”
Q: Special team coverage changes this week?
VERMEIL: “Stronger emphasis. We coach the heck out of it all the time but sometimes you get into those streaks. But the big thing is to get better kicking and punting. That’s number one. And, we can solve some of those problems with a little more violence in our coverage. There might be some adjustments as to where they line up, but I don’t think we’ll be eliminating anybody.”
Q: Jack Del Rio has risen in the ranks of coaches after one year as a coordinator. Does that strike you as a little fast?
VERMEIL: “I don’t know. It depends on the evaluator, I guess. It depends on the people who are hiring and what they want. I think probably, number one, they saw he’s a fiery intense guy and they wanted that kind of leadership to permeate the roster, I would guess. Some guys are coaches regardless of how much experience they have.”
Q: When you see Antonio Gates, a tight end, have a big game like last week against Jacksonville and you have a good tight end, do you look at that and figure Jacksonville is going to adjust or is that some place they are vulnerable?
VERMEIL: “They play certain coverage schemes: double zone and normally a tight end is involved a little bit more against certain double zones. But Tony Gonzalez is always a major part of our game plan regardless of the coverages we face, the teams we play. We always have the feeling that maybe we didn’t get him the ball often enough. But when you spread the ball around and then run the ball enough times it’s hard to get everybody enough snaps.
“Now, if you stay on the field 80-something snaps then each guy’s going to catch a few more balls and someone’s going to carry the ball in the running game a little bit more. But Tony Gonzalez is, in my opinion, the best tight end in football and whenever he is not given the opportunity to demonstrate it then we’re not running full speed.”
Q: The Chargers were able to run the ball well.
VERMEIL: “They ran the ball but LaDanian Tomlinson had 59 yards and the other kid broke one on the simplest play we all have in our offense. They earned every inch. But overall they didn’t run the ball that well, not like you would say, ‘hey, we really ran the ball well.’ But they ran it well enough to win. What they did was a lot of play action stuff like everybody has tried to do with this team we are playing. But I think San Diego was extremely specific in what they were doing and defined. The quarterback was getting it done.”
Q: In the locker room Priest Holmes has a bunch of shirts laid out that say “Keep the Faith” on them as a letter to his team. Were you aware of those?
VERMEIL: “I was aware that Team Priest had the shirts made up. He’s sincere. He wants everybody to keep the faith. He believes sincerely in this football team that we can keep rallying and rebound and keep going. I think that’s just a sincere gesture on his part as a leader.”
Q: Did he come to you and say can I do this?
VERMEIL: “No, the young man who runs Team Priest sent me the information and I talked to him about it. It was a good idea.”
Q: Have you ever had a player do that?
VERMEIL: “I’ve had guys make shirts, ‘I survived Vermeil’s training camp’”
Q: I mean, is that the kind of message that….
VERMEILI: “I think it’s a good message because it’s from the right person. You know, any kind of message sent from the right person is a good message because there’s credibility, there’s respect and they care about their man and he cares about them. We had full pads on for two hours and 20 minutes and he was going full bore. That’s the kind of guy he is. He sets a tremendous example for this football team. So, if he puts ‘Keep the Faith’ on a t-shirt that he wants them to wear it they will keep the faith and wear it. I will. I need a boost sometimes myself.”
Oct 13, 2004, 6:07:27 PM
Q: Is Fred Jones your guy at outside linebacker this week?
DICK VERMEIL: “We worked him there today. Monty Beisel has got a little hip problem, so Kawika (Mitchell) was working inside. It bothered him on Monday and then he went to practice and he was fine. It bothered him today. I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
Q: Do you anticipate he would be your starter Sunday?
VERMEIL: “I’m not sure.”
Q: What’s Scott Fujita’s status?
VERMEIL: “He ran pretty good today. I think Scott is still questionable but…. It depends on how he feels tomorrow after running today. (Ryan) Sims did not do anything so he’s doubtful to out.”
Q: Will Steve Cheek be your punter on Sunday?
VERMEIL: “Yes.”
Q: Last week against San Diego, Jacksonville had to throw 50 some times…
VERMEIL: “Well, they were down 14-0 in the first quarter.”
Q: Is that a situation you would like to see them in?
VERMEIL: “I think I know what Jack (Del Rio) believes in. They’d like to run the ball and play good defense, play smart. It’s a pretty basic for a lot of coaches. But when you’re down 14-0 right off the bat that changes things.
“I think we’ll see more of a blend of an offense against us this coming week.”
Q: They haven’t scored in the first quarter all year?
VERMEIL: “I think they’re one of two teams that haven’t.”
Q: Is there anything you can look at there?
VERMEIL: “Part of it is the teams they play. Denver doesn’t let many people score at any time. That’s one of them. They played Indy. They’ve played good teams. Sometimes you can get into that kind of thing where you’re not scoring. In fact, one of our goals was to be able to start faster in the first quarter this year. We started faster and then slowed down. So, I don’t know if it’s better to start slow and then speed up all the way through the game. We’re the only team to score all four times in all four games in the opening drive. Sometimes people play you differently than you had anticipated and it affects you a little bit.”
Q: How important is that on the road when you’re trying to take the crowd out of the game?
VERMEIL: “All those things are important whenever you play on the road. The best thing is to play well all four quarters and don’t turn the ball over. Play smart. It’s more important on the road than any other time. All those principles apply wherever you go on the road. But we’re going on the road to play a team that’s won three and lost two. They proved they can win by beating two playoff teams already.”
Q: How is your offense different when Eddie Kennison is healthy?
VERMEIL: “Confidence. You’ve seen him do it before under pressure. We had Dante (Hall) there but they’re two different receivers, two different styles and two different people. But I think it gives Al (Saunders) exposure of the entire game plan at any time without being concerned. That’s the big thing. Plus, he can make plays.”
Q: You always have a guy on most routes who runs vertical and he certainly does. He scares people does he not?
VERMEIL: “I’d like to think he does. I think they have to respect his speed. He can still run very fast. We haven’t been a big play team so far this year and normally those big plays came out of variations of our offense: Eddie Kennison making one, Dante (Hall) making one. We haven’t made those kinds of plays. Now, Eddie made one in the opener. But we really haven’t had anything happen since. The two biggest plays we’ve had have been called back by penalties.”
Q: One thing that doesn’t get talked about a lot is the guy’s a pretty fierce blocker.
VERMEIL: “Yeah. All the receivers will block. Dante’s (Hall) a good blocker. They all get in the way and knock people down. Of course, Eddie Kennison is bigger and stronger, but he is a factor in blocking safeties. He’ll be a plus.”
Q: Marty Schottenheimer last week was critical of Jacksonville’s Brad Meester for his cheap hit. Have you seen the play? It appears this guy has been accused before of being cheap.
VERMEIL: “I’ve seen the games but I didn’t pick out that one specific play. You know, Marty’s the kind of guy who wouldn’t say that if he didn’t feel strongly about it and there wasn’t some merit to it. There are players from time to time who do something that’s not really part of their character profile either. It just happens. This is a violent game.
“But I think if Marty said that then he’s probably got a reason to say it.”
Q: Is Dante still your guy in your three-receiver set?
VERMEIL: “Yes.”
Q: Will Chris Horn still get in there?
VERMEIL: “There’s a chance, yes.”
Q: How do you assess his first couple of games?
VERMEIL: “I think he’s done a great job. I think he’s done a very, very good job. He’s so dependable. He’s one of those guys who just does everything right. Every ounce of ability he utilizes. He’s where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there doing the job he’s supposed to be doing. Quarterbacks trust him and he can catch the football.
“He’s been around for two years now on and off the roster seven or eight different time. We brought him back, sent him to NFLEL and he did a good job over there. He makes the football team this year and Boerigter is down. It’s given him an opportunity like it has for many other players when someone gets hurt. They get to show they can play. It’s harder for a kid like him because he’s not a 4.3 (40 yards) guy. But he plays the game well and we’re very fortunate we have him.”
Q: Special team coverage changes this week?
VERMEIL: “Stronger emphasis. We coach the heck out of it all the time but sometimes you get into those streaks. But the big thing is to get better kicking and punting. That’s number one. And, we can solve some of those problems with a little more violence in our coverage. There might be some adjustments as to where they line up, but I don’t think we’ll be eliminating anybody.”
Q: Jack Del Rio has risen in the ranks of coaches after one year as a coordinator. Does that strike you as a little fast?
VERMEIL: “I don’t know. It depends on the evaluator, I guess. It depends on the people who are hiring and what they want. I think probably, number one, they saw he’s a fiery intense guy and they wanted that kind of leadership to permeate the roster, I would guess. Some guys are coaches regardless of how much experience they have.”
Q: When you see Antonio Gates, a tight end, have a big game like last week against Jacksonville and you have a good tight end, do you look at that and figure Jacksonville is going to adjust or is that some place they are vulnerable?
VERMEIL: “They play certain coverage schemes: double zone and normally a tight end is involved a little bit more against certain double zones. But Tony Gonzalez is always a major part of our game plan regardless of the coverages we face, the teams we play. We always have the feeling that maybe we didn’t get him the ball often enough. But when you spread the ball around and then run the ball enough times it’s hard to get everybody enough snaps.
“Now, if you stay on the field 80-something snaps then each guy’s going to catch a few more balls and someone’s going to carry the ball in the running game a little bit more. But Tony Gonzalez is, in my opinion, the best tight end in football and whenever he is not given the opportunity to demonstrate it then we’re not running full speed.”
Q: The Chargers were able to run the ball well.
VERMEIL: “They ran the ball but LaDanian Tomlinson had 59 yards and the other kid broke one on the simplest play we all have in our offense. They earned every inch. But overall they didn’t run the ball that well, not like you would say, ‘hey, we really ran the ball well.’ But they ran it well enough to win. What they did was a lot of play action stuff like everybody has tried to do with this team we are playing. But I think San Diego was extremely specific in what they were doing and defined. The quarterback was getting it done.”
Q: In the locker room Priest Holmes has a bunch of shirts laid out that say “Keep the Faith” on them as a letter to his team. Were you aware of those?
VERMEIL: “I was aware that Team Priest had the shirts made up. He’s sincere. He wants everybody to keep the faith. He believes sincerely in this football team that we can keep rallying and rebound and keep going. I think that’s just a sincere gesture on his part as a leader.”
Q: Did he come to you and say can I do this?
VERMEIL: “No, the young man who runs Team Priest sent me the information and I talked to him about it. It was a good idea.”
Q: Have you ever had a player do that?
VERMEIL: “I’ve had guys make shirts, ‘I survived Vermeil’s training camp’”
Q: I mean, is that the kind of message that….
VERMEILI: “I think it’s a good message because it’s from the right person. You know, any kind of message sent from the right person is a good message because there’s credibility, there’s respect and they care about their man and he cares about them. We had full pads on for two hours and 20 minutes and he was going full bore. That’s the kind of guy he is. He sets a tremendous example for this football team. So, if he puts ‘Keep the Faith’ on a t-shirt that he wants them to wear it they will keep the faith and wear it. I will. I need a boost sometimes myself.”