(on how things are going and if he likes carrying the load in the run game)
It is not too bad. We have a lot of playmakers around me that are making it a little bit easier. Obviously, I have to stick with the routine to keep my body healthy each week but other than that I have guys around me that are contributing to our offense, so people can't load the box too much.
(on Mike Thomas end-arounds and whether they are trying to do things to stretch things out offensively)
We are just trying to get Mike Thomas in space really. He has been doing a great job all OTAs. He was a little banged up during camp. They wanted to make sure he was fully healthy. He healed up against Houston and he made some big plays for us. Not only can he run the ball but he can catch out of the backfield. He can do a lot of different things. We are just trying to get our playmakers in space.
(on whether he benefitted on some of those stretch plays)
Most definitely. The longest run we had was from their corner not really fitting the run game. He was looking for that reverse. Definitely that is a big thing when you have playmakers like that, that make people look at them. Obviously, we have Torry Holt and Mike Sims-Walker, Marcedes Lewis and David [Garrard] that can scramble, so we have guys that can make plays when the ball is in their hands.
(on how surprised that the Titans are 0-3)
Very surprised. Watching the tape on them and watching games when they played, it is real surprising. They are only one or two plays away from being 3-0, so they still have the top rush defense in the league which is something they kind of stick to. We are just going to have to play real sound ball against them. They do a great job every year against us. It's always a physical game, and there's a lot of respect given to them and their coach. We're going to go out there and do what we can. We still have to fix some things on our end that we kind of let leak out a little bit against Houston and then we kind of got to figure out how we're going to attack these guys.
(on how glad he is that Albert Haynesworth is no longer with the Titans)
Even though he's not there, they still have guys that can go: (Jovan) Haye, (Tony) Brown, (Jason) Jones. Those guys can play. Last year they were giving us fits. We see them this year and they're still giving guys fits. Even though Albert's not there anymore, the way they rotate their defensive linemen in, there's always somebody fresh and ready to roll. It's just like having him in there pretty much. Those guys do a great job. We've got to do some things and kind of help our O-line out and do a good job of keeping those guys off balance. Whatever we can because when they get going with (Kyle) Vanden Bosch and (Jevon) Kearse on the outside it can get pretty ugly. We've got to do some things to try to help our O-line out.
(on the amount of new players on the team and getting a win last week)
It helps tremendously. Obviously, starting 0-2 wasn't what we wanted to do but once we were able to understand how everybody plays—we have 40 new guys from last year on our team—so we have to adjust to those guys. We have to understand how we're going to block and on top of that we have to understand how they're going to attack us. We had a great showing against Indianapolis. We had a chance to win it at the end, really didn't get that opportunity. Kind of fell apart against Arizona and then last week had a hard fought victory against Houston. It's just showing guys that you've got to fight regardless; it's going to be a fight week-in and week-out. We've just got to continue to play hard and play sound and fast.
(on how hard it is to avoid conversations about the fans and blackouts)
It is real tough because you obviously want people to come and watch you because you want the fans to be excited about what we're doing here in Jacksonville. At the same time we've got to be professional about it. It's pretty tough; you have a blue collar hard-working city. You know the economy affects a lot of people, a lot of people losing jobs. The ticket prices and things like that, and along with that, we had a pretty bad year last year. All of those things kind of were a perfect storm so we're just trying to do what we can to get our fans happy and get them ready to come out here and support us because it is a family thing. We need them just like we hope they need us.
(on how much he pays attention to other running backs in the league including Chris Johnson)
Chris Johnson's one of the premier playmakers in the league. He is doing a great job. Obviously, watching how he ran against Houston was just amazing. Some of the times where they forgot about him on the one play where he lined up wide, you would think you always want to know where that guy is all the time. He does a great job of just protecting the ball, always finding space to make plays and with his 4.24 speed he does a great job. Just watching him and seeing how he plays and guy attack him, I try and take some of his moves and kind of bring them into my game and see if they work for me.
(on LenDale White)
I've been watching LenDale for a long time, so I've got all of his moves down pat.
(on how often he and LenDale White's paths have crossed throughout the years at UCLA and USC)
We see each other all the time. We're good friends, there's not rivalry. Obviously, when we were in college during that week when UCLA dominates USC this year, that's going to be something for him. We've always been friends, myself, him, Reggie Bush, we've always hung-out. We'll catch each other at night clubs or we always party. It's 10 minutes away from each other so you see each other out at dinner, or you see each other out at the beach, or you see each other out in Hollywood and things like that. It's never any animosity or anger toward each other it was always kind of a friendship. If I see you, say hello, how's everything going and make sure everything is going well with his family. It is the same thing with me and we go about our day.
(on if LenDale White is as outgoing personally as when the cameras are running)
LenDale doesn't change at all for anybody. He is the same person and that is what you love about him. He is going to be the same person around a crowd of people as he is going to be with you one-on-one. What you guys see is what you get.
(on if they are built to play from ahead so that they can run the ball and the clock)
Not really. I think our offense is starting to come together a little bit. Obviously we still have some struggles and going against a defense like the Tennessee Titans, it going to be tough to come back from anything, so in order for us to kind of stay in the game would be likely, but we are prepared for any and everything. Hopefully we can keep it close and do whatever we can to scratch and claw and get a victory out of this week. We know it is going to be a tough, hard-fought, hitting week and that is what we are preparing for.
(on David Garrard dropping weight and if it has affected his play)
Well he is not the biggest back we have anymore. That is for sure. David has been doing great. He has been studying a lot of film along with losing all the weight, putting in the extra work to lead us. He is doing a great job with that.
(on Torry Holt's presence in the locker room)
Torry Holt is a straight shooter. He is going to tell you when you are doing good and tell you when you are doing bad. He is going to uplift you if you need uplifting, but if you need to be told to get your head out your butt, that is what he will tell you. Him being around is great because he doesn't care if it is a player or a coach. That is the best thing about it. He goes and keeps it straight forward with everybody. That is why they brought him here to teach our young guys to make plays for us and to keep everybody in line and that is what he is doing.
(on being a straight shooter with a crooked finger)
He said it is a war wound. Women love war wounds.
(on whether the crooked finger freaks him out)
When I first saw it, I was a little nervous about it, but after a while you kind of get used to it. It is pretty cool that he gets his gloves made for that.
(on his best war wound)
I have a couple of scrapes. That is about it. No fingers looking like that. I try to keep everything straight and intact for a while.
(on the best wide receiver in the league)
I don't know. There are a lot of great ones. If you just go off of shear production, Donald Driver is producing week after week. Randy Moss is obviously up at the top.
(on where he puts Andre Johnson)
Obviously. He didn't do much against us because we put a focal point on stopping him. Andre is one of the best. His size and ability to run after the catch, his hands, his instinctiveness and how he reads coverages. He is one of the best up there. I was just going off the top of my head off of last week.
(on if he is drafting for a franchise whether he takes Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald)
I think whichever one you take, you will be fine. You can take Andre. Andre is a little bit faster running the 40, but as we saw Larry in the Super Bowl, no one was catching him when he broke up the middle. I think they are pretty much the same.
(on how important it is to win this week)
I think not just to bury the Titans, but a divisional game, even though they are 0-3, we are 1-2. We feel like this is a must win game regardless of what everyone else is saying. It is funny how last week people were talking about how bad we were, we weren't going to be anything and all of a sudden we have everything figured out. We are not feeding into that. We know this is going to be a hard-fought game. We need this victory just as bad or more than they do and we are going to go out and do whatever we can to win. That is what it comes down to. You have to do whatever it takes and that is what we are going to do.
(on what the team record is when the mood changes and it gets to be an impossible situatio )
I really don't know. Last year it got a little hectic with us when we were mathematically eliminated and couldn't make the playoffs pretty much. To me, regardless of it, if you sign up for 16 weeks, 17 weeks that is what you play. Regardless what your record is, you should go out and play your best every time. That is what I do, so hopefully other people do that. I really don't know. I hope they do, but if they don't that is their problem. Every week I suit up to play. I sign up and I play this game to play 16 or 17 weeks or maybe more.
(on the difference between 1-3 and 2-2 being big)
Definitely. You don't what to be 1-3. Obviously Tennessee feels the same way. They don't want to be 0-4, they want to be 1-3. It is a big difference with those wins. Like I said, we are going to do whatever it takes.
