HEAD COACH MIKE MUNCHAK
(on if he likes the way the team has responded during the week)
I really do, it's always hard to judge but I thought we practiced well. Yesterday was very competitive out here and I thought today was a really good tempo too. Real game-like situations I think, speed was good, so I think we have done what we can do to work on things we have been struggling with. I think the confidence should be up because we practiced well so we should feel good about that. Now it's just put the other stuff behind us and don't dwell on what didn't work in the past and concentrate on going and getting a win and we will go from there.
(on if there was any flatness after the bye and if that is all gone now)
I hope so, I don't know because I thought we looked pretty good last week, I thought we were working good. I hope whatever it is is out. I think it has something to with the team you play too though. I know teams around the league are having an issue, I don't know what the record is but I know it's pretty low winning off of the bye.
(on if Curtis Painter's chemistry is better with Pierre Garcon than with Reggie Wayne)
I'm assuming it's similar to how it is here. I'm sure there is always a guy they're going to feel more comfortable with from throwing in practice over the years, but it's hard to tell. I assume it's kind of like what we are doing here with Matt (Hasselbeck). You have guys getting used to each other even though they have all been around each other, it hasn't been in the heat of the battle or the speed of the game. That's just going to continue to get better I would think with those guys. They are scary, they make plays. Those guys are making yards after catch and we have to be very aware of that.
(on Jake Scott's injury status and how he will be listed)
Yesterday at practice he got that burner towards the end of practice and his full strength didn't come back immediately. We thought it would be back by today, it wasn't, so we got a MRI just to make sure there is nothing going on there. It's one of those things where tomorrow he could feel normal again and fine. As of today he feels better than yesterday but not as good as we hoped, so he got checked out and he missed practice today. Questionable.
(on the results of the MRI)
He went over to have that done just as a precautionary to make sure there is nothing going on that they are not aware of. The fact that he did get a lot of his strength back today is a positive thing. Now it's just a matter of seeing how he is when we see him this afternoon and tomorrow.
(on having to overcome not having Craig Stevens at 100 percent)
That's one of those quiet things that people haven't noticed that has hurt us. He is our best blocking tight end. We started the Pittsburgh game not having him there and the last couple weeks that has been a big miss for us because of how well he blocks at the line of scrimmage at the point of attack. I think he blocks as good as anyone in the league at a tight end. It's definitely hard for him because it's one of those things where he is not sure how he is going to feel all week and then he got in the game and last week he played about 10-12 plays. The week before it was eight plays and it's just one of those things where it's just hard to judge until game time. I know it's frustrating because he is someone who needs all the work in practice to get his confidence and feeling really good about himself. I know it's been frustrating for him and us because that has hurt us. This week he has been less sore than he has. The only thing to really judge by is this week he is less sore after the game even though he didn't play a whole lot of snaps. He is getting a little better but doing all of the things that we ask him to do is a lot harder. He actually got hurt when he caught the ball and tackled last week, or I guess he got sore to where he came out. That's tough because then you are trying to balance (Mike) Otto in there as another tight end and you are trying to mix guys in. So that has hurt us, and not having the fullback, just a lot of little things that make things a little more uncomfortable in certain areas and not firing the way we like to.
(on if these next two home games are important because of two road games after that)
Yeah, we thought this run was going to kind of give us momentum one way or the other going into the second half of the season. We know how important it is because of the two road games coming up after these two at home. We didn't play well the first one, we have to play a lot better these next two weeks and get wins.
(on Matt Hasselbeck's thumb injury)
He looks good. I think he has gotten better every day, I think he was just a little sore the first day. I think it was smart to not do too much with him. I think he is feeling a lot better, he took every rep today, the two-minute drive, the four-minute drive, the red zone, he got everything done today, the seven-on-seven, so he was able to do everything we wanted to do today.
(on the Colts' defensive ends forcing so many sack-fumbles)
This is a team that is so well known for it that he is aware of that. Quarterbacks have to be aware when you play a team like this or they have a guy that can change a game around with that strip. I think Matt (Hasselbeck) has played them enough that he understands the importance of ball security in a game like this. If they get a sack on you then just take the sack, we don't want the fumble. That's what they are trying to do, they are trying to get the ball out as much as they are trying to get the sack. He has to be aware of that as a quarterback and putting two hands on the ball. We have to be smart with our protection because that's where they can definitely win football games is their defense can win it for them if they can get to the quarterback.
(on if it's important to not get behind against the Colts to keep their pass rushers from taking over on defense)
I think that's what has hurt them. People pile on them about their rush defense but really it's because in the fourth quarter teams have been ahead of them running on them and then all of the sudden you do pile up yards. We hope that we get there, our goal is to run the ball well, it may take four quarters to get the numbers we want, it's all about getting the lead and coming out early for us. We have to play well early, we have not played well on offense early throughout most of the season. We know that, and we have to come out doing something a little more positive then we have and that will lead to the other things being better.
(on if Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are less of a factor if they don't have the lead)
Well it's because they are not on the field as much. They are smart with their guys, they are watching their reps because they are not young men anymore either. They are trying to use them wisely so if you are in run situations then you will have them off of the field quite a bit more. If we can manage that then you have playmakers not on the field because for them they are two playmakers, the two guys off of the edge, I know that Michael Roos and David Stewart hope that it works out that way.
(on if Fernando Velasco will start if Jake Scott can't play)
Yeah, Fernando (Velasco) has been in that role. Last year in the Dallas game he had to go in and play for us on the road at left guard and we ran the ball well and played well that day and won the game. Last year he had three starts and we are very confident in him. He has been rolling in there since training camp and I think we feel really good about him in there.
