HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER, Sept. 24, 2008
(On his assessment of the Vikings)
They have good players on offense, an exceptional defense and they're very well coached and dynamic on special teams. This is a team that was a couple plays away from being 3-0. They're very, very talented.
(On how to stop Adrian Peterson)
Well, we're going to have to get a lot of body on him and commit to it and I don't know if it's a situation where you stop him. He's that talented and they're so well-coached up front. They're going to create the mismatches and create the opportunities in the creases and you just have to minimize gains. This will be one of our bigger challenges, I think, in a long time in the run defense.
(On if Albert Haynesworth is not yet 100%)
No, Albert came back. He missed a week of practice prior to the Cincinnati game. He got a full week of practice last week, he came back and he played fine. He's healthy and we expect him to even improve ever so slightly and more importantly, we need him.
(On what makes Adrian Peterson so good)
He's got terrific vision as a runner and balance and he's strong and he's very, very quick. He has acceleration and wants no part of the sideline. He's going to stay in bounds and get whatever he can.
(On the similarities between the two teams)
There's similarities there. Both teams are fond of their run games and committed to stopping the run on defense and have good speed. It's unique in that it's an unfamiliar opponent, that's what I think brings a sense of uniqueness. We've not played them in years. It's going to be a huge challenge for us.
(On what it would mean to go 4-0)
It would mean working as hard as we possibly could to go 5-0.
(On how different the Vikings are with Gus Frerotte instead of Tavaris Jackson)
Well, the offense is a little different but Gus [Frerotte] moved around in the pocket very well. The Panthers pressured him, he slid in the pocket, stepped up, he made throws down field. He also did some similar things that Kerry [Collins] did on the edge. The offense is a little bit different. I think he'll handle a little bit better than the younger quarterback and that's particularly why they backed him down, just to give him a break and let him get caught up. Gus [Frerotte] is experienced, he's just like Kerry [Collins], I mean he's seen everything and it's just a matter of making the right decisions.
(On being undefeated after the first quarter of the season)
Well, why don't we talk about it on Monday. Everything we're doing here is trying to win the next game. If we were to win, then yeah it would be a good start and we'd be working on number five. Again, this is quite a challenge for us. This team could have beat the Packers, they should have beat the Colts and they beat the Panthers. It's a much-improved team.
(On preparing to face a team that they haven't played in a long time)
Well, you have to spend the time on the individual matchups. If we played Jacksonville or Houston, our guys are pretty much familiar with their guys. They understand the individual matchups on the offensive line, the defensive line, and the receivers and the corners. But we haven't played them so you have to spend time on the individual matchups and getting to know your opponent. Then you have a different scheme. We have a unique defensive scheme that we haven't faced. Coach [Leslie] Frazier's a very good coach who comes from Philadelphia, he spent some time at Indianapolis, he coordinated in Cincinnati and now he has an array of things to pull from and they've put it together pretty well.
(On if Adrian Peterson is one of the most talented players he's seen in the NFL)
Yes he is, without question. You don't have to look very far at any game to watch a big run. The number of plus 50-yard runs he had last year was incredible.
(On if Adrian Peterson reminds him of any past running backs)
Not in particular, no. He's special.
(On if the game is more exciting for coaches and players since they haven't seen Minnesota in some time)
The players are excited because it's just the next game and it's another opportunity and it's going to require a great deal of focus. I don't think you'll see the coaches sleeping very much this week. It's like Jimmy [Jim Schwartz] said, "You can play the run nine out of ten times right and miss it one and give up a touchdown." That's the thing that's a concern.
(On what he attributes the successful record against teams making their first trip to LP Field to)
Well, it's a tough place to play. We have great support and get noise when we need it. Hopefully it will be nice and warm and we like to play at home.
