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HEAD COACH MIKE MUNCHAK
(on the first team offense and defense going against each other in practice)
We have been doing it since camp ended. We have kept periods alive, at least two periods a day in practice where we would go six or seven snaps in a row before we switch over. It doesn't matter, I think training camp, offseason, this time of year, when you go against the first group you just go harder. You get a lot closer to the speed of the game than you do when things are carded. We do it for all of the situations, we do a run period, we do a third down period, we will do a blitz period and just kind of change it up every week but we will do it every practice.
(on if one squad is still running the carded script)
No, it's Titans vs. Titans. We are doing our stuff that we would use in the game, vs. our defense. It's stuff you use in the game, just against each other.
(on how common that practice method is)
I have never done it, I'm sure some teams do those things, but we just felt that it was good carryover from training camp for us especially when you are going from four or five periods when it's cards, cards, cards, cards, it's kind of nice when you kind of break it up with six snaps. You don't do too many, maybe five or six snaps of a situation to kind of get the blood flowing a little bit.
(on if coaches are calling out players mistakes more due to the sense of urgency with a big game on Sunday)
I think the urgency has been there, and definitely with a week off coaches are anxious I think on our end to play well. I think we have had a chance to study a little bit…it's been a long run for all of us with the way things went this year with training camp, preseason, and the season and then when you get the chance to sit down and watch some tape of what you have been doing, sometimes you miss some of that when you are going week to week. I think it's giving us a chance to see some things that maybe we haven't been stressing as much as we need to. I think you will see coaches probably attack in areas when we saw maybe we were letting some things slide. **
(on how the position change of Antonio Smith has helped his game)
We always thought he was a good rusher playing him. When he moves inside, he kind of reminds me of what Jason Jones is for us. He is talented, has good hands, has great quickness, works the edge real well, so when you take a guy like that that last year played a little bit more outside and move him inside he is just closer to the quarterback and when he does win he has a better chance of getting to the quarterback. So far he has four and a half sacks or five sacks, so he has a nice year going for himself.
(on if the Texans have really gotten their run game on track)
Well he was hurt coming into the season and didn't get a chance to run with the first line for a couple weeks there and it just shows it doesn't matter who the back is, our back, their back, when you get some time away from running and getting used to those fits and you play some good defenses, people forget they have played the Ravens like we did, the Steelers and the Jets. You have some good defenses in there that they have played against so that adds to it too.
(on how much it hurts the Texans to not have Andre Johnson)
Well it's huge for them, there is no doubt he is the best guy we face every year, our secondary. The plays he has made on us alone, he has had some great numbers on us so in any game for them it's different because like we have had to, guys are looking to step up for him. We won't miss him if he is not playing, we know we will see him at the end of the year possibly, we will wait and see how things are on Sunday.
(on why this game always seems to have a little extra, other than just football between the whistles)
I don't know, it's not necessarily anything that is ever talked about. I think it's a division game, we used to be in Houston, our franchise. I don't think it's any more than that, just a division team that we have competed with who is expected to win our division this year. I think when you play those games, there is a lot more going because it's a division game versus when it's not.
(on if Bud Adams told him to win this game when he was hired)
That was understood, that is understood. Bud (Adams) lives in Houston, that's where he has been. I have been with him since we were all in Houston together so that's an unwritten rule that if there is two you are going to win, hopefully those are the two you win.
(on if it's strange to coach against the Houston team)
I don't think here is, I think when we go to Houston it is. I think when you go to Houston and you see that Astrodome sitting next to Reliant Stadium, it's kind of like you never thought anything was bigger than the Astrodome; that place dwarfs it. That's what he (Mr. Bud Adams) wanted, that's what he was looking for when we left. It is odd going back because I know so many people there so there is personal stuff on that end for me. This one is just like a division team coming to play us.
(on if the fact that the team who ran the ball well last year won, adds to emphasis to getting Chris Johnson going)
I think we played them almost three weeks apart maybe, it was pretty close last year. We were awful in the game down there and they weren't very good in the second game. We jumped on them real quick and got them out of their game the second game. It just shows you that anything is possible in these games and that we can stop (Arian) Foster. Like you said, one game we couldn't then the next game we could. It shows you can, it's just a matter of doing it and that's easier said than done. It's going to be quite a challenge for the defense.
(on if the team is "itching" to get back on the playing field)
Yeah they are, I think we are just excited. I think they feel they are ready. We still have another day or so to go here with practice. I think when you have a week off you are antsy and this means a lot to all of us. It's a division game, we want to come out and coming off a loss we want to get a win. There are a lot of reasons why, and having it at home makes it a lot of fun.
(on if the people of Nashville approach him in public and give him suggestions such as about the running game)
Not really, most people are more excited about it, about what's going on this year, about what we are doing. If I am on the radio or something, yeah, I get people calling asking me what we should do. Most people in general this year are more excited about what's going on with the team I think which is always nice to hear. As coaches we don't get out very often so I'm not around people very often other than all of you and at work. It's been good, people are excited right now and we have played well at home which I think has helped that with the two games we have had here. We know how important these three weeks are and if we don't win them then I know there will be a lot of people asking a lot of questions so hopefully we do well.
(on if people are asking about bringing in Terrell Owens)
No, no, just the media. No one else is asking about that at all, they are happy with who we have.
(on where the team is seven weeks into the season)
You always wish and say you can do better, we know we can. At least we are in a good position even though we know the first game we could have played much better than we did. We have done some good things. On defense, we have done a lot of good things, they are pretty consistent on that side of the ball for the most part. Offensively, the passing game is way ahead of where we thought it would be. (Matt) Hasselbeck has done probably much better than we thought he could do in a short period of time and how well he has done with all of our receivers even with the injury to Kenny (Britt). There are a lot of pluses and we know the obvious stuff we need to work on if we are going to win this game and the games going forward we have to be more consistent throughout the game.
