shaneo69
09-23-2005, 03:43 PM
Q&A with DICK VERMEIL
Sep 23, 2005, 4:33:11 PM
Q: Comment on your injury report?
DICK VERMEIL: “They’re all questionable. On the positive side, Roaf is probably 50/50. I think Jason Dunn with some work will be ready to go. I’m pretty sure Tony Richardson will be ready to go.”
Q: What about Carlos Hall?
VERMEIL: “Carlos Hall is questionable but he’s a lot better. But we haven’t been able to keep him healthy at any time. Something else could go wrong with him. He’s had bad luck.”
Q: If Roaf doesn’t play would Jordan start at left and Sampson at right?
VERMEIL: “It’ll stay as it was last week, although Sampson may go back to right tackle.”
Q: How is Sampson doing?
VERMEIL: “He’s fine. It hasn’t been bothering him.”
Q: With the speed you have at your linebacker corps do you feel better about your chances of limiting Denver’s success on the bootleg?
VERMEIL: “Well, the linebackers really don’t stop the quarterback from getting outside unless they’re on a blitz. It’s the defensive ends and their discipline and their ability to chase and push him to the sideline, or you’re lucky and you come on some kind of a dog and you have someone in his face.”
Q: The time you’ve given the guys off this week….
VERMEIL: “Sometimes I like to give them 48 hours (off). At the end of the week they get almost 48 hours before they have to go again. So, you get a good block before and after a game. Whenever you get a chance to do that in the season, I’ve found it to be beneficial. Sometimes I’m a little disappointed in how they come back. It takes a while for them to come back and get back to work. But overall, the end result is good.”
Q: How did they come back to work today with a big Monday night game coming up?
VERMEIL: “It’s a big game; we’re ahead in the division and we’re going on the road. This one’s bigger because it’s Denver in Denver and we haven’t beaten Denver in Denver. But I thought they came back fine. I would have liked to have had a little better practice but I’ve learned not to comment on how much I like it or how much I dislike a practice until I look at the video because half the time I’m right and half the time I’m wrong. But there were certain things I did see that I’d like to see them do better.”
Q: Is this a bigger rivalry or is Oakland still the big one?
VERMEIL: “I think in the history of this franchise that Oakland has been the biggest game. But this is a big game for us and a big game for Denver. It’s early in the season and you’ve got a one game lead in the division and it’s a division game. You’ve got a chance to increase it if you play well. If you don’t you’re even. We just haven’t played well enough to beat them up there. Give them credit.”
Q: So it’s not too early to say this is a big important game that could make or break the year?
VERMEIL: “No, it can’t make or break the year. It can make it easier in the end. If you beat a team that you’re going to play twice and you beat ‘em on the road it gives you an edge. That’s all there is to it. But every week is a great big game. This week it just happens to be Monday night, happens to be Denver who we haven’t beaten up there and we have a one-game lead in our division. We wanted to come out of the blocks starting faster and we’re 2-0 in the first quarter of the season. If we can find a way to get another win within that quarter it would be super.”
Q: Do you like the Monday night stage?
VERMEIL: “I’d just as soon play Sunday to be honest with you. But Monday night’s a big event. I’ve been on it a lot. Won some, lost some. I know they do an outstanding job of presenting the game. We won’t have to go through that same thing that we went through last week. It’ll be great.”
Q: Looking back at the Samie Parker fumble the other night. Was that just a case that Woodson made a great play or was Sammie at fault too?
VERMEIL: “First off, we never want to see the ball stripped. We lost two ball games because of that last year. We were very much in a position to lose this one because of it. But he wasn’t careless with the football. He had it tucked in and it was a great play by Woodson. We teach the same things and Woodson’s a great football player. He knocked it out of there and got it out of there. It’ll be harder the next time when Samie’s in that same position and if I was a great coach I would have told him, ‘if you catch this ball and you advance it, get to the turf.’ I mean, it’s possible to say that as a football coach. It really is. We could have helped him.”
Q: What did you tell him after?
VERMEIL: “I didn’t say much to him. I never kick a guy when he’s down. I looked back there on the bench a couple of times and he was really depressed. But he felt a lot better when we won the football game because the defense went in there and stopped them. Eric Hicks made a super (tipped ball) play on a screen. If he doesn’t make that then maybe they score and win it.
“Whenever you play great football games you’re only one play away from losing or one play away from winning. In that ball game we were one play away from losing.”
Q: Other than that you’re pretty happy with Samie so far?
VERMEIL: “Oh yeah, he’s a good football player.”
Q: You said you didn’t have to go through the same thing with this upcoming television broadcast that you went through last week as far as presentation. What were you talking about?
VERMEIL: “I just felt from what everybody has told me that the presentation of the game was not up to the standards of a national broadcast because they put guys in there that had never done a ball game. That’s all. But when you’re in that spotlight and you play big time football it shouldn’t be a game where you’re using an apprentice, that’s all.”
Q: You didn’t see the tape though.
VERMEIL: “No, I just had a ton of people tell me it was beginners. They put them in positions where it’s tough to succeed. But they’ll be better next time. I just know Monday night it’ll be presented properly.”
Q: Does Dante Hall seem like he has a spring in his step?
VERMEIL: “Dante has great stamina right now, great confidence. The people around him are working hard to make things go for him. But once he gets going and gets his motor running he does a lot of things just on his own.”
Q: Did he have to do a lot more last year on the field?
VERMEIL: “That’s what he gets paid to do. He’s our third receiver; he’s in our nickel. Sometimes he had to start. It’s tiring and returning punts and kickoffs, especially if you return a lot of them in a ball game, is a lot of work. Each shot takes a lot out of you.”
Q: Can you gauge your confidence level is higher?
VERMEIL: “Like I tell them, we all have a confidence bag. When you put true confidence in it and not mixed with BS and baloney you get a little bit better. A lot of guys get these confidence bags and they fill it up with BS, if you know what I mean. I think when you go on the road and win a big game and experience some good fortune, more often than not, it’s a by-product of hard work. I do think we’re a more confident team and we experienced this two years ago, but we have a much tougher schedule than we had two years ago.”
Q: Dante’s confidence bag has got to be filled when it comes (to the Broncos).
VERMEIL: “He’s caught passes for touchdowns, returned a punt for a touchdown, returned a kickoff for a touchdown. He’s scored every way he can except on a reverse. I think everybody that defenses Dante Hall is glad to see him sitting on the bench because they never know what he’s going to do, or where he’s going to get the ball and how far he’s going to take it. You never know what’s going to happen.
Sep 23, 2005, 4:33:11 PM
Q: Comment on your injury report?
DICK VERMEIL: “They’re all questionable. On the positive side, Roaf is probably 50/50. I think Jason Dunn with some work will be ready to go. I’m pretty sure Tony Richardson will be ready to go.”
Q: What about Carlos Hall?
VERMEIL: “Carlos Hall is questionable but he’s a lot better. But we haven’t been able to keep him healthy at any time. Something else could go wrong with him. He’s had bad luck.”
Q: If Roaf doesn’t play would Jordan start at left and Sampson at right?
VERMEIL: “It’ll stay as it was last week, although Sampson may go back to right tackle.”
Q: How is Sampson doing?
VERMEIL: “He’s fine. It hasn’t been bothering him.”
Q: With the speed you have at your linebacker corps do you feel better about your chances of limiting Denver’s success on the bootleg?
VERMEIL: “Well, the linebackers really don’t stop the quarterback from getting outside unless they’re on a blitz. It’s the defensive ends and their discipline and their ability to chase and push him to the sideline, or you’re lucky and you come on some kind of a dog and you have someone in his face.”
Q: The time you’ve given the guys off this week….
VERMEIL: “Sometimes I like to give them 48 hours (off). At the end of the week they get almost 48 hours before they have to go again. So, you get a good block before and after a game. Whenever you get a chance to do that in the season, I’ve found it to be beneficial. Sometimes I’m a little disappointed in how they come back. It takes a while for them to come back and get back to work. But overall, the end result is good.”
Q: How did they come back to work today with a big Monday night game coming up?
VERMEIL: “It’s a big game; we’re ahead in the division and we’re going on the road. This one’s bigger because it’s Denver in Denver and we haven’t beaten Denver in Denver. But I thought they came back fine. I would have liked to have had a little better practice but I’ve learned not to comment on how much I like it or how much I dislike a practice until I look at the video because half the time I’m right and half the time I’m wrong. But there were certain things I did see that I’d like to see them do better.”
Q: Is this a bigger rivalry or is Oakland still the big one?
VERMEIL: “I think in the history of this franchise that Oakland has been the biggest game. But this is a big game for us and a big game for Denver. It’s early in the season and you’ve got a one game lead in the division and it’s a division game. You’ve got a chance to increase it if you play well. If you don’t you’re even. We just haven’t played well enough to beat them up there. Give them credit.”
Q: So it’s not too early to say this is a big important game that could make or break the year?
VERMEIL: “No, it can’t make or break the year. It can make it easier in the end. If you beat a team that you’re going to play twice and you beat ‘em on the road it gives you an edge. That’s all there is to it. But every week is a great big game. This week it just happens to be Monday night, happens to be Denver who we haven’t beaten up there and we have a one-game lead in our division. We wanted to come out of the blocks starting faster and we’re 2-0 in the first quarter of the season. If we can find a way to get another win within that quarter it would be super.”
Q: Do you like the Monday night stage?
VERMEIL: “I’d just as soon play Sunday to be honest with you. But Monday night’s a big event. I’ve been on it a lot. Won some, lost some. I know they do an outstanding job of presenting the game. We won’t have to go through that same thing that we went through last week. It’ll be great.”
Q: Looking back at the Samie Parker fumble the other night. Was that just a case that Woodson made a great play or was Sammie at fault too?
VERMEIL: “First off, we never want to see the ball stripped. We lost two ball games because of that last year. We were very much in a position to lose this one because of it. But he wasn’t careless with the football. He had it tucked in and it was a great play by Woodson. We teach the same things and Woodson’s a great football player. He knocked it out of there and got it out of there. It’ll be harder the next time when Samie’s in that same position and if I was a great coach I would have told him, ‘if you catch this ball and you advance it, get to the turf.’ I mean, it’s possible to say that as a football coach. It really is. We could have helped him.”
Q: What did you tell him after?
VERMEIL: “I didn’t say much to him. I never kick a guy when he’s down. I looked back there on the bench a couple of times and he was really depressed. But he felt a lot better when we won the football game because the defense went in there and stopped them. Eric Hicks made a super (tipped ball) play on a screen. If he doesn’t make that then maybe they score and win it.
“Whenever you play great football games you’re only one play away from losing or one play away from winning. In that ball game we were one play away from losing.”
Q: Other than that you’re pretty happy with Samie so far?
VERMEIL: “Oh yeah, he’s a good football player.”
Q: You said you didn’t have to go through the same thing with this upcoming television broadcast that you went through last week as far as presentation. What were you talking about?
VERMEIL: “I just felt from what everybody has told me that the presentation of the game was not up to the standards of a national broadcast because they put guys in there that had never done a ball game. That’s all. But when you’re in that spotlight and you play big time football it shouldn’t be a game where you’re using an apprentice, that’s all.”
Q: You didn’t see the tape though.
VERMEIL: “No, I just had a ton of people tell me it was beginners. They put them in positions where it’s tough to succeed. But they’ll be better next time. I just know Monday night it’ll be presented properly.”
Q: Does Dante Hall seem like he has a spring in his step?
VERMEIL: “Dante has great stamina right now, great confidence. The people around him are working hard to make things go for him. But once he gets going and gets his motor running he does a lot of things just on his own.”
Q: Did he have to do a lot more last year on the field?
VERMEIL: “That’s what he gets paid to do. He’s our third receiver; he’s in our nickel. Sometimes he had to start. It’s tiring and returning punts and kickoffs, especially if you return a lot of them in a ball game, is a lot of work. Each shot takes a lot out of you.”
Q: Can you gauge your confidence level is higher?
VERMEIL: “Like I tell them, we all have a confidence bag. When you put true confidence in it and not mixed with BS and baloney you get a little bit better. A lot of guys get these confidence bags and they fill it up with BS, if you know what I mean. I think when you go on the road and win a big game and experience some good fortune, more often than not, it’s a by-product of hard work. I do think we’re a more confident team and we experienced this two years ago, but we have a much tougher schedule than we had two years ago.”
Q: Dante’s confidence bag has got to be filled when it comes (to the Broncos).
VERMEIL: “He’s caught passes for touchdowns, returned a punt for a touchdown, returned a kickoff for a touchdown. He’s scored every way he can except on a reverse. I think everybody that defenses Dante Hall is glad to see him sitting on the bench because they never know what he’s going to do, or where he’s going to get the ball and how far he’s going to take it. You never know what’s going to happen.