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TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE MULARKEY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT - August 9, 2017**

(on if he liked the team's response after the scuffle in practice)

Yeah, I did. We didn't have another one.

(on if he liked how practice went after the scuffle)

It went better, it did. The juices are flowing, a little hotter today, a little harder practice, but they responded. It was a situation period that we had a lot going on, and some of the things with the situation, which are going to take place Saturday night especially with the substitution and special teams, was not clean. So I wasn't happy about that afterwards, I was happy that we cleaned it up. No more pushing and shoving, that's unnecessary.

(on if he likes to see that type of aggression in practice)

When that ball snaps, you can do some things that you can't do out on the street. When the whistle blows, I want you to stop doing that. So no, I don't like it. It's not taught, it's not talked about, it's not tough, it's undisciplined and undisciplined will get you beat. 

(on the importance of situational drills leading up to a game)

Critical, because it would've been a mess Saturday night. We've got to do it more before Saturday because it wasn't clean enough. Special teams coaches had a lot on their hands with 90 guys on the sidelines, and they're going to have one more game with 90 guys on the sidelines. They're going to need a little help from the players anticipating. That's some of the stuff I talked about. They've got to know the situation as well as the special teams coach. We can't be looking for you, you should know what's about to happen.

(on the tight ends blocking)

We've got some guys there, still Jerome (Cunningham) and Tim (Semisch) and Jonnu (Smith), who'll put his face in there and will try and block you. We're still trying to find who and what plays they block best. There's some specific plays that takes a kind of player you want at that point. We're still finding that out, that's what this training camp is about. You can't do it in the offseason, you got to do it here when the pads were on.

(on if the offense changes without a true blocking tight end on the roster)

Craig (Stevens) is unique, I'll say that. Anthony (Fasano) is a good blocker, but I wouldn't put him in the same class as Craig Stevens.

(on his advice to the rookies entering their first NFL game)

Try to calm the nerves. They've got a full day leading up to the game, they'll wear themselves out before they even get a chance to perform and compete. If they know their stuff, the confidence is definitely better for you. If you have any doubt about what you're doing that nervous energy is going to catch you at some point.

(on how many rookies have never been to and NFL game)

I don't know, that might be a good question to ask them. I may ask them that. Ask me tomorrow, John.

(on the benefit of guard Quinton Spain's veteran experience)

It helps any time the line can be with each other as long as they've been. The line calls, nobody's caught off guard with them. They expect them, just like I was talking about with special teams. They should expect what's coming. He's come a long way since he got here.

(on if wide receiver Erik Decker was in pain)

No, he's constantly stretching, a lot of guys are that way.

(on what he expects from quarterback Marcus Mariota in Saturday's game)

Just executing, like everybody else, at a high level. Operating our offense like we know he can. Hasn't since his injury.

(on how long quarterback Marcus Mariota will stay in Saturday's game)

We'll probably go in with a number of plays and see how productive he is. That's the target.

(on defensive tackle Jurrell Casey's vow to be stronger entering this season)

He's hard to block every year I've been here, it can't do anything but help his game. You watch him in the pass rushes, he does two to everyone else's one. He wants to compete. Contract or no contact, the guy's going to come out here and compete every day. No matter what the situation is, he's going to do that, try and get better every day, and he does.

(on the tribute to Glen Campbell during warm ups)

Jon (Robinson) emailed me, thought what about this. I thought it was a great idea, when should we do it. I thought during stretch would be good. I thought it was good for this team. There are a lot of Glen Campbell fans out here, including me.

(on the players singing along)

They still were. The next period they still were. Matt Cassel, 'Rhinestone Cowboy' was going on in the huddle.