shaneo69
11-02-2005, 08:06 PM
Q&A WITH COACH VERMEIL
Nov 02, 2005, 6:11:28 PM
Q: What’s the condition of Priest Holmes?
D. VERMEIL: “He’s going to get a second opinion, just to reassure himself. But all the tests came out fine and he had a big smile on his face this morning. He didn’t have a concussion, but he did get hit in the head. As of yesterday he still had a little bit of a headache. You get hit like that you get a headache. But we’re sending him for a second opinion just to make sure it’s all right.
“We’ve got to be healthy to be as good as we have in the past, but Priest Holmes is not going to have the same numbers that he had last year at the same time because he’s sharing with Larry Johnson. Between them we’ve got 10 touchdowns. If we weren’t doing that Priest Holmes might be very close to the same numbers he had last year. Last year at this time he had 180 carries for 833 yards and 13 touchdowns. But when you’re sharing the responsibility you’re never going to be as productive individually.
“Priest Holmes is not a big ego guy. I don’t feel he thinks every week he has to prove that he’s a fine football player. I think what he wants to do right now is stay healthy. The last couple of years he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and this has helped him.”
Q: Did he go out of town for this opinion?
VERMEIL: “He went to southern California – our neuro guy that we use out there.”
Q: Do you expect him to play on Sunday or is it too early to tell.
VERMEIL: “I expect him to play, I do. I’m not a doctor but I’ve been there before and seen these kinds of things before. I think it was good for Priest to go get complete peace of mind.”
Q: Is he due back tomorrow?
VERMEIL: “No, he gets the examination tomorrow and won’t be back until after practice.”
Q: If Priest doesn’t play and Larry (Johnson) has a nice game is it possible he could change your thinking about how you use the two?
VERMEIL: “No, no. Priest Holmes is our starting running back but I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Larry Johnson had a great game if he did (start) because I’ve seen him do it before. But Priest Holmes is the starter and we know that situation and they know it. I have great confidence in Larry and know he can do a great job. He’s played against these guys before.”
Q: Larry has made it clear to everybody that it’s a situation that he’s tolerated, that he’s not at all happy with it but he’s…
VERMEIL: “I wouldn’t want him to be happy with it or content. I hope that all our backups are all unhappy at not starting. He’s handling it well.”
Q: So this is not a situation that you think could escalate?
VERMEIL: “Ah, no. I’ve got more important things to worry about than that. I think they’re doing a good job with it and we’ve won four football games and lost three and I don’t think we lost three because we were rotating two running backs and I think we’ve won a couple because we were.”
Q: You had a lot of other guys out today including Surtain and Warfield from your secondary?
VERMEIL: “The first three corners did not practice today. Hopefully, some of them will start working tomorrow. Hopefully, Dexter (McCleon) will be able to work tomorrow. Will Shields and Willie Roaf were held out today but I think they’ll both be ready by tomorrow.”
Q: How was Surtain’s knee today?
VERMEIL: “He said it feels pretty good. He had a big smile on his face so normally when a player has an injury and it’s an experienced guy who’s had injuries before and is smiling it means they feel pretty good about it.”
Q: Do you expect him to play or will you know more by the end of the week?
VERMEIL: “I think we’ll just have to wait and play it by ear. I think he’s questionable.”
Q: What about Warfield?
VERMEIL: “He’ll play.”
Q: How was practice today?
VERMEIL: “Ok, not outstanding but OK.”
Q: Why just OK?
VERMEIL: “Sometimes it’s the frame of mind I go on the field with.”
Q: Not having your quarterback, not having your top running back, not having your cornerback….
VERMEIL: “All those things are a distraction. There are a lot of things on my mind today, believe me.”
Q: Would it be rude to ask what’s on your….
VERMEIL: “It wouldn’t be rude but you wouldn’t get an answer.”
Q: What about Samie Parker?
VERMEIL: “He’s still out I think. These young guys get injuries and it takes them a little longer than the veterans to get back and going. Plus, when it’s your knee it’s a little bit different than a shoulder.”
Q: Are you frustrated with that situation?
VERMEIL: “I’m always frustrated with those kinds of things, more so with younger players because it usually takes them longer.”
Q: Dexter McCleon would seem to be a guy who would come back before he’s ready.
VERMEIL: “He has enough experience not to do that because he’s had some problems there before at training camp. He did a little work today and I think he’ll do more tomorrow.”
Q: Could Bartee move back to corner if he had to?
VERMEIL: “If he had to, but I would not want him to because, right now, he’s backing up both safety positions. I think he’s ready to play safety and play it well. I watch him on the field and he flashes with great confidence.”
Q: Are you stressing the importance of being 5-3 as opposed to 4-4?
VERMEIL: “Oh yeah. To go to the turn at 5-3 would be a real plus for us or anybody in this league today. There are so many different ways to lose a football game and if you or anybody else could turn at 5-3 they’d have to feel good because the next eight games drop right off the calendar. They go by fast. The later part of our schedule is the only part of our schedule that we were given a break at any time this year. We play four out of the next five games on the road and then we end up with four of the last six at home. We play the last two at home so somewhere you have to take advantage of a break you get on that calendar.”
Q: But the schedule’s a lot tougher at the end of the year, isn’t it?
VERMEIL: “It looked tough to me the whole time. That’s why it was rated the number three or four toughest schedule in football prior to the season even starting. But now it’s started it’s even tougher.”
Q: What approach do you think the Raiders will take covering Tony Gonzalez this weekend? In the past the Raiders have used a cornerback to cover him.
VERMEIL: “I’d like to believe we do enough things to create problems with Tony, and he’s only two receptions short of where he was last year at this same time. Last year he had 34 (catches) and right now he has 32. What we appreciate about Tony is how serious he is about the running game and playing his role, not concerns for Pro Bowls or being the number one tight end. All he wants to do is win.”
Q: What’s the state of your defense?
VERMEIL: “It’s better but it’s an ever growing process of getting better. You just don’t all of a sudden become a great defense. But we have done some things better than we have done in the past: stopping the run is better and forcing people to throw the ball more. We’ve been ahead more and people have had to play catch-up football. That’ll test your numbers. But irrespective of that, we’re not where we’d like to be but we’d like to think we’re making progress.”
Q: How much more explosive is Oakland’s attack now since you first played them?
VERMEIL: “I think we’ve both scored about the same amount of points – both teams. They have superior weapons than most people have. They have a great running back and two great wide receivers and not many people have two great wide receivers. The Rams have a couple of wide receivers like that. Not many times do and Kerry Collins is throwing the ball well and maybe more productively and efficiently than he has at any time in his career.”
Q: How important is Jerry Porter’s success to the Raiders offense?
VERMEIL: “I think any offense when you have a skilled player like he is, once they start getting him the ball more often he makes more plays. That’s all there is to it. But he has other skilled people in his offense too, and they only have one ball per snap. You can’t get it to everybody every snap. Sometime we get accused of not getting the ball to Dante Hall, not getting the ball to Gonzalez enough, not getting the ball to this guy. Well, you only have one football per snap and sometimes coverages don’t allow you to get the ball to the guy you want to get it to.
“But we have great respect for Porter and that whole group and the quarterback is throwing the ball well: 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. They’re doing a great job.”
Q: How much emphasis do you put on this game with the Raiders?
VERMEIL: “It’s hard to single out one game as more important especially within the division. This is an important game for us because it’s a home game; it’s a division game. The next two weeks we’re on the road.
“After this game and the next two we’ve been through a part of the schedule that’s been very demanding and like our first four games. At the end of our schedule we’ve got four of six games at home. So we’ve got to play well regardless if it’s the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos or San Diego Chargers. We went out to San Diego and got beat last week and we hurt our chances within our division. Now, should we make the Raiders any more critical than any other game because they’re the Oakland Raiders? No, because they’re a division team.
“I just respect other organizations and how they do them and (Raiders) have won more Super Bowls than I have.
Q: So the rivalry between the Chiefs and Raiders doesn’t exist?
VERMEIL: “No, it exists. I’m the head coach but I’m probably not as good at it as Marty (Schottenheimer) was in building any other factors other than it’s a division game at home and you’ve got to play well to beat the Raiders.
“Right now it looks like Denver is playing better than all of us with their win-loss record. Look at San Diego and the schedule they’ve had and how they’ve fared after their ballgames. You look at the Raiders and how they’re coming on. We’re fortunate to have beaten them. You’ve got to stay healthy and number two you’ve got to help the best you can to keep the focus of your football team on improving every week and remaining competitive every down. It takes good football coaches, good players and some good fortune.”
Nov 02, 2005, 6:11:28 PM
Q: What’s the condition of Priest Holmes?
D. VERMEIL: “He’s going to get a second opinion, just to reassure himself. But all the tests came out fine and he had a big smile on his face this morning. He didn’t have a concussion, but he did get hit in the head. As of yesterday he still had a little bit of a headache. You get hit like that you get a headache. But we’re sending him for a second opinion just to make sure it’s all right.
“We’ve got to be healthy to be as good as we have in the past, but Priest Holmes is not going to have the same numbers that he had last year at the same time because he’s sharing with Larry Johnson. Between them we’ve got 10 touchdowns. If we weren’t doing that Priest Holmes might be very close to the same numbers he had last year. Last year at this time he had 180 carries for 833 yards and 13 touchdowns. But when you’re sharing the responsibility you’re never going to be as productive individually.
“Priest Holmes is not a big ego guy. I don’t feel he thinks every week he has to prove that he’s a fine football player. I think what he wants to do right now is stay healthy. The last couple of years he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and this has helped him.”
Q: Did he go out of town for this opinion?
VERMEIL: “He went to southern California – our neuro guy that we use out there.”
Q: Do you expect him to play on Sunday or is it too early to tell.
VERMEIL: “I expect him to play, I do. I’m not a doctor but I’ve been there before and seen these kinds of things before. I think it was good for Priest to go get complete peace of mind.”
Q: Is he due back tomorrow?
VERMEIL: “No, he gets the examination tomorrow and won’t be back until after practice.”
Q: If Priest doesn’t play and Larry (Johnson) has a nice game is it possible he could change your thinking about how you use the two?
VERMEIL: “No, no. Priest Holmes is our starting running back but I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Larry Johnson had a great game if he did (start) because I’ve seen him do it before. But Priest Holmes is the starter and we know that situation and they know it. I have great confidence in Larry and know he can do a great job. He’s played against these guys before.”
Q: Larry has made it clear to everybody that it’s a situation that he’s tolerated, that he’s not at all happy with it but he’s…
VERMEIL: “I wouldn’t want him to be happy with it or content. I hope that all our backups are all unhappy at not starting. He’s handling it well.”
Q: So this is not a situation that you think could escalate?
VERMEIL: “Ah, no. I’ve got more important things to worry about than that. I think they’re doing a good job with it and we’ve won four football games and lost three and I don’t think we lost three because we were rotating two running backs and I think we’ve won a couple because we were.”
Q: You had a lot of other guys out today including Surtain and Warfield from your secondary?
VERMEIL: “The first three corners did not practice today. Hopefully, some of them will start working tomorrow. Hopefully, Dexter (McCleon) will be able to work tomorrow. Will Shields and Willie Roaf were held out today but I think they’ll both be ready by tomorrow.”
Q: How was Surtain’s knee today?
VERMEIL: “He said it feels pretty good. He had a big smile on his face so normally when a player has an injury and it’s an experienced guy who’s had injuries before and is smiling it means they feel pretty good about it.”
Q: Do you expect him to play or will you know more by the end of the week?
VERMEIL: “I think we’ll just have to wait and play it by ear. I think he’s questionable.”
Q: What about Warfield?
VERMEIL: “He’ll play.”
Q: How was practice today?
VERMEIL: “Ok, not outstanding but OK.”
Q: Why just OK?
VERMEIL: “Sometimes it’s the frame of mind I go on the field with.”
Q: Not having your quarterback, not having your top running back, not having your cornerback….
VERMEIL: “All those things are a distraction. There are a lot of things on my mind today, believe me.”
Q: Would it be rude to ask what’s on your….
VERMEIL: “It wouldn’t be rude but you wouldn’t get an answer.”
Q: What about Samie Parker?
VERMEIL: “He’s still out I think. These young guys get injuries and it takes them a little longer than the veterans to get back and going. Plus, when it’s your knee it’s a little bit different than a shoulder.”
Q: Are you frustrated with that situation?
VERMEIL: “I’m always frustrated with those kinds of things, more so with younger players because it usually takes them longer.”
Q: Dexter McCleon would seem to be a guy who would come back before he’s ready.
VERMEIL: “He has enough experience not to do that because he’s had some problems there before at training camp. He did a little work today and I think he’ll do more tomorrow.”
Q: Could Bartee move back to corner if he had to?
VERMEIL: “If he had to, but I would not want him to because, right now, he’s backing up both safety positions. I think he’s ready to play safety and play it well. I watch him on the field and he flashes with great confidence.”
Q: Are you stressing the importance of being 5-3 as opposed to 4-4?
VERMEIL: “Oh yeah. To go to the turn at 5-3 would be a real plus for us or anybody in this league today. There are so many different ways to lose a football game and if you or anybody else could turn at 5-3 they’d have to feel good because the next eight games drop right off the calendar. They go by fast. The later part of our schedule is the only part of our schedule that we were given a break at any time this year. We play four out of the next five games on the road and then we end up with four of the last six at home. We play the last two at home so somewhere you have to take advantage of a break you get on that calendar.”
Q: But the schedule’s a lot tougher at the end of the year, isn’t it?
VERMEIL: “It looked tough to me the whole time. That’s why it was rated the number three or four toughest schedule in football prior to the season even starting. But now it’s started it’s even tougher.”
Q: What approach do you think the Raiders will take covering Tony Gonzalez this weekend? In the past the Raiders have used a cornerback to cover him.
VERMEIL: “I’d like to believe we do enough things to create problems with Tony, and he’s only two receptions short of where he was last year at this same time. Last year he had 34 (catches) and right now he has 32. What we appreciate about Tony is how serious he is about the running game and playing his role, not concerns for Pro Bowls or being the number one tight end. All he wants to do is win.”
Q: What’s the state of your defense?
VERMEIL: “It’s better but it’s an ever growing process of getting better. You just don’t all of a sudden become a great defense. But we have done some things better than we have done in the past: stopping the run is better and forcing people to throw the ball more. We’ve been ahead more and people have had to play catch-up football. That’ll test your numbers. But irrespective of that, we’re not where we’d like to be but we’d like to think we’re making progress.”
Q: How much more explosive is Oakland’s attack now since you first played them?
VERMEIL: “I think we’ve both scored about the same amount of points – both teams. They have superior weapons than most people have. They have a great running back and two great wide receivers and not many people have two great wide receivers. The Rams have a couple of wide receivers like that. Not many times do and Kerry Collins is throwing the ball well and maybe more productively and efficiently than he has at any time in his career.”
Q: How important is Jerry Porter’s success to the Raiders offense?
VERMEIL: “I think any offense when you have a skilled player like he is, once they start getting him the ball more often he makes more plays. That’s all there is to it. But he has other skilled people in his offense too, and they only have one ball per snap. You can’t get it to everybody every snap. Sometime we get accused of not getting the ball to Dante Hall, not getting the ball to Gonzalez enough, not getting the ball to this guy. Well, you only have one football per snap and sometimes coverages don’t allow you to get the ball to the guy you want to get it to.
“But we have great respect for Porter and that whole group and the quarterback is throwing the ball well: 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. They’re doing a great job.”
Q: How much emphasis do you put on this game with the Raiders?
VERMEIL: “It’s hard to single out one game as more important especially within the division. This is an important game for us because it’s a home game; it’s a division game. The next two weeks we’re on the road.
“After this game and the next two we’ve been through a part of the schedule that’s been very demanding and like our first four games. At the end of our schedule we’ve got four of six games at home. So we’ve got to play well regardless if it’s the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos or San Diego Chargers. We went out to San Diego and got beat last week and we hurt our chances within our division. Now, should we make the Raiders any more critical than any other game because they’re the Oakland Raiders? No, because they’re a division team.
“I just respect other organizations and how they do them and (Raiders) have won more Super Bowls than I have.
Q: So the rivalry between the Chiefs and Raiders doesn’t exist?
VERMEIL: “No, it exists. I’m the head coach but I’m probably not as good at it as Marty (Schottenheimer) was in building any other factors other than it’s a division game at home and you’ve got to play well to beat the Raiders.
“Right now it looks like Denver is playing better than all of us with their win-loss record. Look at San Diego and the schedule they’ve had and how they’ve fared after their ballgames. You look at the Raiders and how they’re coming on. We’re fortunate to have beaten them. You’ve got to stay healthy and number two you’ve got to help the best you can to keep the focus of your football team on improving every week and remaining competitive every down. It takes good football coaches, good players and some good fortune.”