TITANS HEAD COACH KEN WHISENHUNT PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT August 5, 2015
(on how the team responded after having yesterday off)
Sluggish. There were some good things, some bad things, but we were sluggish. We had to weigh in today, a few guys were a bit heavy. But that's good, it's a learning experience and there's some things we've got to push through.
(on if he expected a slower tempo coming back after a day off)
Well the tempo at times was good, but you recognize that that's (the day off)**part of it. We move the schedule around, you put things in there to see how they respond and we'll learn from this. It was good to see some of the vets recognize it and talk about it, hopefully that's progress.
(on if a day off is truly a full day off for players)
Yeah, we can't require anything but quite a few guys came in, did some maintenance work on their bodies, so that's up to them.
(on what he has seen out of Hakeem Nicks and how he has progressed through camp so far)
He's made some plays early in camp; I think what we're looking for is consistency from him. The spring was a little bit of a learning experience for him. He knew he needed to pick it up when he got to camp, so he started well. I think the challenge is going to be making sure he continues with that.
(on if Brian Orakpo is back to where the team hopes him to be)
He's looked good. There was a rush Monday night where he came off the edge and beat Taylor (Lewan) and it was like, wow. That's what you're hoping to see, so it's good to see that.
* (on if Brian Orakpo is all the way back where he's hoped to be or just making progress)*
That's not really important right now. I think what we've said is we're going to work to make sure he's ready to go for the first game, so we'll work things in. But he's worked very hard to be ready.
(on Blidi Wreh-Wilson moving from outside to inside/adjusting to losing the sideline/how much better he has to be)
One thing that helps him is size. He's a bigger guy and he's got quickness, so that's an advantage for him because he takes up space and it's harder to see the receiver and it's harder to see around him because that's a tight throw area when you're playing that spot. But the downside for him is technique. He's got to really play better technique. Last year, he spent a lot of time outside so this is good for him to get in there and work his technique. Overall, it helps him be a better player. He definitely has the physical tools to do that, so it's a good thing for him to work on.
(on if Blidi Wreh-Wilson will get the bulk of time at first-team nickel as it's seemed, or if that position will rotate after a while)
I wasn't aware of that, we've got a rotation. I haven't paid much attention to him getting all the reps. It's not intended to be that way, so it will even itself out as we go.
(on how the team balances the excitement of Marcus Mariota having yet to throw an interception with the desire for the defensive backs to make plays)
Well I think our DB's have been making some plays. They've been close on plays, they've done a nice job. I think (Jason McCourty) and Perrish (Cox), you've seen Coty (Sensabaugh) and you've seen Blidi (Wreh-Wilson), especially in those 1-on-1's making plays, so to be honest with you I'm not really caught up on the interception thing. I know it's a big thing for everybody else but I'm more interested in (Marcus Mariota) continuing to make decisions, the things like taking the play from the sideline to the huddle, getting it managed at the line of scrimmage. We worked the clock for the first time today he did a nice job with that, so it's a progression that we're trying to work on. I'd just like to see him keep making good decisions.
(on if Marcus Mariota has met or exceeded expectations at this point in camp)
I said in the spring he had done better at that point than I thought he would and he's doing a nice job. He's a young guy. I think the one thing you've got to make sure you understand is that there's going to be a bad day. You know that's coming but he's working hard, he wants to get better, he's making plays. I mean what more do you want.
(on if he was surprised that Marcus Mariota hasn't had a bad day yet)
To be honest, I don't really pay that much attention. You've got so many things you're trying to work on, so many things you're trying to see. You're trying to get really involved in correcting little things, working on the little things. Whether it's footwork, whether it's his course on the run game things, whether it's protection checks, all of those things. You talk about just the overall progress, which you like seeing.
(on if he has seen more cohesion from the interior of the offensive line)
I see better communication. I see it in the pass protection. I'm not talking necessarily about the physical part of it, I'm talking about being in the right spot, and being on the right guys. We seem to be doing a good job with that. Part of it is being in the second year of the system. The real tell-tale is going to be in the games when we get those. It's good to see these practices, because you get a measure of how physical these guys are, and they're trying hard to be more physical. One of the things that stands out to me is downfield. They're chasing the play a lot more, working hard on finishing, and I think that's a mentality. That's all a part of that cohesiveness as you say. I think it's good to see building.
