MATT NAGY: Big picture overall, I thought that coming into this game looking for these guys to be able to take advantage of opportunities. I felt they did that. We had some situational football in there. Didn't have a lot of plays in that first half, but we were able to get that two-minute drive going with Justin, which I thought was great.
And then to take it into the third quarter with Nick and the new group of guys on the offense, the defense, they had a lot of plays on their side.
Overall, always want to be able to come out of these games with as minimal amount of injuries as possible, and I feel good there.
But I just appreciate this whole entire training camp, this preseason with our guys. They have been phenomenal, as I've told you in the past, and now what they've done is made our job tough and Ryan's job tough, because I feel like there is a lot of competition at certain spots.
When do you that, that enables you to realize that you're bringing in good players and good guys that eventually we might not be able to keep that go to another team, and that's a part of this business.
Q. The touchdown pass, is that everything with him? Is that the mental side of being able to improvise?
MATT NAGY: Yeah, he was in a scramble mode. He got up and outside of the pocket, and sometimes when you get down in that big red zone that's what happens. He made a great throw and Jesper made a heck of a catch.
The one thing about Justin that I think he does a great job is keeps his eyes down field. So it would be so easy when you run 4.4 to -- I know if I was 4.4 I would be running all the time. I know how it feels. But he's staying up, throwing the ball, and he did a great job and Jesper made a great catch.
Q. (No microphone.)
MATT NAGY: No, I was okay with it. I thought with the time on the clock, where we were, he took a shot. You know, we had another guy behind Jesper and so sometimes that happens. You want to be smart. You don't want to do the ones, like he had one last week where he was trying to throw it out of bounds and it just stayed barely in bounds and almost got picked.
He knew right away just got to put a little bit more on it. That one there that happened tonight I was fine with, and obviously you love the results.
Q. How hard is it for a rookie quarterback to keep his eyes downfield the way he does?
MATT NAGY: Yeah, it can be difficult, because a lot of times what these guys do is they put their, like, if you guys are the O-line, my eyes go here instead of down there. And so I think he has a good feel of where that is, and I thought our offensive line did a good job giving him that pocket, especially in that drive.
So he has that feel, and then they know when he gets up and out now, is he taking off or are you going to commit and now he's going to throw it? That's one of the things I've come away with in training camp is realizing he's pretty special when he's outside the pocket.
Q. And the placement of that throw...
MATT NAGY: Yeah, really good.
Q. Especially with a guy on his heels.
MATT NAGY: Really good. I mean, running to the right, you're throwing to the right, a little bit across the body, but the accuracy. That has always been, you guys know, you've seen it. That's one of his strengths is his downfield throw accuracy balls.
He did it, and so we took advantage of it.
Q. (No microphone.)
MATT NAGY: Yeah, we were not getting a lot of first downs. They were getting first downs. It was one of those ones, three-and-out and then a punt. Trying to get the run game going just a little bit, but at the same point in time, it just happened that we didn't get many plays.
At least at the end of the quarter there to be able to get that two-minute going was good.
Q. Talk about the run game. What did you think of the offensive line?
MATT NAGY: I thought it was good for them. Really was. That's why we wanted to do that. It was to be able to let them get out there, not even so much schematically as just them working together, them being in huddle, them knowing what it's like together, sitting on the bench with Juan after a play, looking at the video together.
But that's what it's all about. Now we got time to put it all together, get into what where we are at, and they get to see themselves on tape. I thought it was very important. Regardless of results of really what happened, I thought it was important to get that cohesion of them being together.
Q. Comment on the night that Jesper (Horsted) had. Obviously three touchdowns.
MATT NAGY: Yeah, sure. We talked about that the other day. When these guys get opportunities, he took advantage of it. You like to see that with these players. They all get opportunities, and he did that, so I'm proud of him for that.
Q. (No microphone.) Are you looking at a guy that in your mind is an NFL-ready quarterback?
MATT NAGY: Yeah, I think he's at a point right now where the level where we thought maybe he would be at coming into this thing, you never know, right? He's done a lot of great things, so I would say that with our situation with where Andy is at and where he is at that he's done everything he can to make us feel good that if we had to put him in the game that he would do fine.
Q. Rookies, when you bring in a rookie quarterback, some of more of a project than others.
MATT NAGY: Uh-huh.
Q. He doesn't seem like a project. Seems like a guy that came in pretty good and has advanced well.
MATT NAGY: For us, what we've asked him to do is to digest this offense, to be able to play fast. He is still growing with some things within whether it's schematically, some things he's seeing or where is at, but I like that. I think that's natural. Every rookie quarterback right now is going through some of that stuff.
I thought he did a great job of staying very positive whether it's a good play that he makes, he rebounds and stays flatlined; if it's a bad play he really rebounds well. So I think Flip and the Bill Lazor have done a great job preparing him, and for him, that's a credit to him, because he's done what we've asked him to do.
Q. Do you have enough time to get Peters ready to play?
MATT NAGY: I would say that for us, we'll have to talk to him and see how did he feel. I don't know how many reps he got.
Q. 21.
MATT NAGY: 21, yeah, so that's about what we were hoping to get from him, regardless of whether it was the first quarter or quarter and a half. We will have to see how he feels tomorrow recovering from a day of playing, and then we got it time in between to let him continue to get in football shape and see where he is. We hope that's the case.
Q. How many padded practices between now and the Rams?
MATT NAGY: Padded, maybe one. Oh, we have another week too, so probably two.
Q. (Regarding Jason Peters.) Have you seen enough now that you're confident that's Plan A on the left tackle?
MATT NAGY: Yeah, I feel good with Jason. I think Juan does, Bill does. He's come in here, and what I'm impressed with with how well he's picked up the lingo, the terminology. He's done great there and he's so focused. He comes in and sits backs, he hears everything. He is helping the other guys out, all the other tackles. He's awesome.
That's all we can ask for. Now it's just the physical side. Where is he physically for week one. He knows it. We're going to step it up, we are get him going. He's ready for it. I think that's a really good acquisition by Ryan and his guys to be able to get him in here.
Q. Touchdown pass from Justin, I mean, Chicago is already going crazy. How do you balance the excitement that that play brings and just the things he could do within the context of...
MATT NAGY: Sure. Well, no, so for us it goes back to we are just as excited, right? This is the plan, this is the process. We understand that. That's what we've been saying from the very start.
But with this, like when you look at this thing big picture we love where he is. He's done everything we have asked him to do. Justin, all he is focused on every day, even tomorrow, is being as great as he can be and know that what we say, we said, Make it as hard on us as we can and we'll all know. That's what I've said from day one.
As we continue with this plan and this process, that's where we'll be at.
Q. Has it made it more difficult?
MATT NAGY: No. I mean, I think we knew or we hoped a little least he would get to this point. Now we know where we are as a staff with where we are at with Andy. Again, being able to go out there and see where the entire offense is at collectively with the wide receivers, tight ends, O-line against the Rams with that plan, but also knowing, Okay, here is what Justin did, right? And we had to see that, we had to know that. Now we move forward with what we talked about.
At the same point in time, feeling really good about where we are at with our quarterbacks.
Q. He's not a finished product, but the touchdown in particular, the way he...
MATT NAGY: Uh-huh.
Q. How many people make that play, that one specific play?
MATT NAGY: I mean, I don't know. I mean, there is a lot of great quarterbacks in this league. I think that it's something that he is going to continue to just keep practicing, whether it's up and out to the right, up and out to the left, but that's who he is. He's able to make great plays.
Q. Matt, what did you want to get out of Goldman and Trevathan tonight?
MATT NAGY: Specifically Eddie, he hasn't played in a while. Eddie was like, 'Hey, I want to play. I want to get out there and see where I am at.' We appreciated that. Again, have to talk to him and see where he is at physically and how he felt, but I thought he played really well.
Then Danny, too. I thought Danny came out and made some plays, and so training camp-wise, we haven't been able to see him as much either. So I appreciate their professionalism and understanding this third game and with some of the other guys not playing, them accepting that and going out there and playing.
I'm excited to watch the tape, but then once we watch this tape tonight on the plane ride home, when tomorrow hits it is all L.A..
