HEAD COACH MIKE MUNCHAK
(on being disappointed in offense's performance in second half)
I am very disappointed. You know, I thought the first half we played really well in a lot of areas. It could have been better in certain areas, but we did some things good. It looked like we as a team playing very well at the half. We came out in the second half, I think as a team, I think the defense got us the ball back, we had the ball at midfield and right there we had a three-and-out and that kind of for some reason set the tone the rest of the day for the offense and we didn't make a play the whole second half. And then the defense took their turn and we couldn't make a stop on them in a lot of situations where we should have been able to get off the field when we had them in long-down situation. I think we had then in 18 and 17 yards (to go). They made plays obviously and we could not. It is disappointing because we were in position to win this game and we didn't play well in the second half.
(on responsibility in two-minute drill)
It's hard to tell what he (Matt Hassleback) saw or didn't see if there is pressure when you are trying to make a throw. That is kind of hard to see, judge the sidelines. You thought we would have had a better shot out there at the end of the game than we did. The defense held them to a field goal. We got the ball back, but it's hard to tell what happens as far as be able to get it down the field. We had to settle for stuff underneath which obviously they are giving you that stuff without timeouts so it is hard to see what he saw.
(on last play of game)
That is one of those desperation deals. You are supposed to keep the ball a lot, lateral, try to make something happen there. We know one receiver is going to take it 70 yards so you are hoping we keep the ball alive and we didn't. That is kind of the way the whole second half went.
(on if he got an explanation from Lavelle Hawkins on fine play)
No, no I didn't get a chance to talk to him yet.
(on holding call on first drive of third quarter)
That's the thing. Plays like that are always going to kill you. It's one of those things where you can never blame a series. We still had plenty opportunities after that to do something as a team. I just think again that the point we can sit and rattle off in the second half. Unfortunately, it is a long list of things that we didn't do well and they did. The problem was that in any phase of the game we did not make a play in second half that could have changed the momentum back in our favor and we lost by a touchdown.
(on giving up third-and-long plays)
They must have made three, four, five of those throughout the game - big down throws, catches in long-down situations. We accomplished what we wanted in a lot of the early downs. They had some penalties themselves which got themselves in trouble but they overcame those things in the second half. You think maybe once or twice you can, but not as often as they did. And our side of the ball, we didn't. We didn't overcome anything the second half. We had opportunities. They were there for us. On offense, we didn't make anything happen in the second half. We didn't threaten them very much in the second half after as well I thought we started play in the first half. The running game was there. Matt (Hasselbeck) was getting sharp throwing toward the half, second quarter. That kind of all disappeared. Give them credit, that's a good defense.
(on the passing game difficulties in the second half)
I think that gets frustrating. I think some of it, at times, is maybe some pressure if Matt (Hasselbeck) gets the ball out quicker because he's feeling something not quite the way he hoped. I mean, it's on everyone. Everyone takes part in that when it looks like there's some confusion. I'm sure there's a couple routes. Again, it's hard to tell now exactly what happened. Again, you start having injuries; a lot of guys just start rolling in there. Hawk (Lavelle Hawkins) went out for a while with a dislocated finger then Nate (Washington) was going out, then (Jared) Cook went out. So we had a lot of guys running in and out and that created some issues too in the second half, especially.
(on looking for a spark early on in the game)
No I just felt that, again, it was third-and-three and I think I said to Chris (Palmer), it was 7-3 at the time and I thought that 7-6 wasn't going to cut it. It seemed just like the Ravens game, it was the right time and the right place for it. I thought with our team was third-and-three. I told Chris (Palmer), 'you've got two shots at this thing. Let's get the first down.' Unless he lost yards. Unfortunately, I don't think we got any yards on the third-and-three and so I thought he wanted to go for it. The boys responded and we score on that drive but it was just one of those things where I thought we had the ball and a situation where again, I thought we needed that touchdown, not a field goal at that time. I didn't think if we didn't get it, I didn't think it would kill us. I didn't think the three points would hurt us either way, I thought. I had confidence that Chris would get the yards so we went for it and luckily we scored a touchdown on the drive.
(on the fourth-and-one at midfield with nine minutes left)
I thought about it but it was nine minutes left in the game. If we get stopped there, we lose the game possibly. The defense got us the ball back, so it worked out. We got the ball two more times after that. We got the ball back with four minutes. I mean, they got one first down so it worked out. Luckily, I didn't do it, I think, but it definitely crossed my mind. I think just because we had the two timeouts, plus the two minute, plus there was 9:50, I think, still to go in the game. I mean, it was close. We were a little further than I thought about it but I thought that was the best thing to do there.
(on the injury of Dave Ball and others)
Concussion, yes, he got a concussion during the game was the word on that. (Jared) Cook, I already talked about, had the lower leg. It hit the fumble. I think something happened on that play for him. (Lavelle) Hawkins had the dislocated finger but he came back in or he had to go back inside. Washington, Nate had the hip. So again that created some issues obviously also with the in and out. Guys were getting banged up.
(on being encouraged by the run game today)
Well I would if we would've had the win, I would be more encouraged by it. The first half I was encouraged by it. I really thought it looked like it should look. Then I thought the second half, we came out and I didn't look at stats but we didn't run the ball very well in the second half. We didn't run the ball very much anyway. They controlled the game. They had the two scoring drives. They had the big penalty on us - 50-yard penalty that set them up for one of those scores. So I just think the second half, if we had done something with that first drive when we got the ball at midfield, we'd probably be standing here with different conversation right now. Again, we didn't. We went three-and-out and gave it right back and they got rolling on offense. They started making plays and we had an opportunity to prevent, at least a little bit earlier and we didn't. Again, I thought if we got some first downs in the third quarter, the running game would have really clicked and the fact that the opportunities went away, again, because we didn't have the ball that much or we did. It seemed like it was run it, run it, third-and-six, third-and-five, we didn't convert and we're off the field. We just didn't play well in the second half.
QB MATT HASSELBECK
(on what changed offensively in the second half after the performance in the first half)
Offensively, we had a pretty good first half. I wish we would have kept it going. I wish we would have come out in the third quarter and just picked up where we left off. We didn't do that. Part of it was the two-minute near the end. I felt like we had a good rhythm going. We had the tempo going. To start the second half I believe we were backed up a little bit. I misfired on the first play and didn't get anything on the second play. I think it was a three-and-out situation. You have to play two halves. I know it's a cliché, but we certainly did not do that today.
(on the two-minute drill to end the game)
We got a little banged up. We were subbing in different people. We just had tough situations where Nate (Washington) got hurt, Cookie (Jared Cook) got hurt and they gave us the 10-second run off. There was something else that was not in our favor. We just should have never been in that situation. I think everyone had confidence at the end of the game – I know I did – to get it done. We just kind of ran out of time. We had three different two-minute opportunities. But, I don't think at any point when we came off to the sideline did we feel like that was it. It was, 'hey, we have a chance here.' Even when they were getting ready to kick a field goal, it was fine. It was still a seven-point game and we had an opportunity to move the ball and we just kind of ran out of time.
(on what needs to happen to get into a better rhythm with receivers)
I think it's things done better in practice and then translated into the game. The hard thing is that it's not just one thing. We have to be more crisp. I guess that's the positive. After losing a game, all of that stuff gets magnified and you just try to work on it.
(on the sense of urgency at the halfway point of the season)
You play the next opponent. You can only win one game at a time. You can't win two games in one try. So, our goal this week was to try and win this game. That was it. The only thing you can do is your whole goal for the next week is to win that game. I don't even know who we are playing. I have no idea. I know we are not home. That's all I know. That's just where our focus has to be.
(on the running game as a whole **
I think in the first half we got him (Chris Johnson) into the secondary. We got him on the second level. I think that is a big thing. We got him in space. I think he does a good job in space with him and a defender and a lot of room. When there is him, a defender and not a lot of room, it's not as easy and not as clean. So, I thought that was something we did good in the first half. I wish we would have been able to do that in the second half.
(on Bengals' quarterback Andy Dalton)
I think he is a good player. I think he is a really good player. I enjoyed watching him when he was in college. I like his style of play. I was impressed, as I have been all season with him. I think he is probably my favorite guy out of this class to watch. He does a really good job. I just met him today. He is a really good guy.
(on running out of opportunities to stay in the playoff hunt)
That can happen. We are not necessarily worried about it, but that certainly can happen if you keep shooting yourself in the foot. You keep banking on other people to help you out. Going into this game I think we still controlled our own destiny just a little bit. We had that going. It's the halfway mark and I'm sure Coach Munchak is going to have something for us about the halfway point about where we are, what we need to do so we can kind of get focused. Again, you can only win one game at a time so the only thing we can do is get ready to win this next game
RB CHRIS JOHNSON
(on the play in the second half)
We had some pretty good runs, pretty good execution in the first half and then second half, we just came out and nobody played really too good in the second half and it showed. They came out ready to play and they made plays and we didn't.
(on feeling encouraged by the run game)
Of course it's encouraging to see that we can go out there and actually run the ball and things like that. It's just a situation we got to keep it going the whole game.
(on what was working well and if plays from the past were run)
Not really. We've been running some of the same plays really, we've been running the same plays, it's just everybody executed when the plays were working out. Offensive line did their job, receivers did their job and it was a positive game. We just didn't come out and play the same way in the second half.
(on the halves being so different)
It's crazy 'cause coming in that half you've got so much confidence, so much momentum and then come out in the second half and it just be flat again and not making plays, looking like your old self is crazy. It just plays out that way sometimes.
(on whether the second half was what the Bengals were doing or what the team wasn't doing)
No, I wouldn't say that. I would just say we didn't execute as a team in the second half – offense and defense.
(on the final play)
Yeah, on that play the ball was supposed to come to me first and then toss it to him (Lavelle Hawkins) and then him actually throwing it back to me, but how it worked out, I think the D-end dropped back and the linebacker was on me. So he got it first and I still went to the other side of the field. He still had the option to throw it back to me, but I guess he just didn't see me.
(on the team never getting on a roll) **
Yeah it's kind of crazy. One week you feel like a very good team then the next week you feel like a bad team. It's just a situation where you've got to continue to practice hard and try to be consistent.
DE JASON JONES
(on moving forward after loss to the Bengals)
There's eight games left so we'll go on from there. Our record is 4-4, and we can't do anything about it. We lost, so we'll just look forward to next week, and work hard and get ready for next week. We played good the first half, we just didn't play good the second. It's simple and plain as that. It hurts.
DT SHAUN SMITH
(on the loss to the Bengals)
It was very disappointing. As a team, we have to grow. In order to be good and become one of the elite teams, these are the games that you are supposed to win, when you are supposed to win them and take care of your responsibility. Everyone now has their heads down right now, because we know we could have beaten that team, being up by 10. When you're up by 10, there's no reason why you should lose a game. The change was we didn't play a complete game. You have to play a complete game for 60 minutes. Besides that, this is a tough one to swallow right now. The coach put us in a position to make plays and we didn't make plays. It's point blank. They get paid just like we do to make plays. They made some good plays and we just didn't make enough, more than them.
(on how the Titans recover from this loss)
We'll try to do our job, but we'll just continue to come back and bounce back. We have eight games left, and we'll take them one by one. We're still at .500 right now. I think we competed the whole game, but we didn't make enough plays when we needed to. And as a young team, and as we continue to grow, in those type games when you have a lead, you have to finish. You can't just play for a half. No team is going to lay down and roll down for you. It was a tough one. We can't give up right now. We'll continue to push.
CB ALTERRAUN VERNER
(on the loss)
We just didn't make enough plays. It was definitely a must-win, when we took that 10-point lead. It was a must-win before the game, and definitely a must-win, after it was 17-7. I wanted to play most of it on defense. At that point, if we don't let them score, we win the game. We weren't able to stop them . Their players made plays that we were not able to make, and that's unfortunate. They made plays. Hopefully we can learn from it, and shake this off and get another win. We're going to look at the film and make the corrections and see what we can do and what we didn't do, and hopefully improve on it.
FB AHMARD HALL
(on the Titans offensive injuries)
It does add up. We're in the middle of the season right now, and that's what happens. Towards the middle of the season, guys start to get nicked up and you just have to play through those things.
(on the Titans loss, after leading by 10 points)
It's tough, but that's the nature of the league. Sometimes you are going to have games where you just can't do anything wrong. You're going to go out there and you blow the other team out and have an outstanding day. And there's days like this where you have a fast start, and then you let everything fall, and the bottom fall out in the second half and lose the game you should have won. It's a sick feeling. We came out fast and got up on those guys, and we knew it was going to be a tough game and we let everything go in the second half. We could have won this ball game. We could have put ourselves in a position to continue to be at the top of this division, but we let this one slip.
WR NATE WASHINGTON
(on Titans offense not scoring in the second half)
I don't know. We just have to do a better job of closing our games when we get the opportunity. I don't know what was going on or what happened at the beginning of the second half. It's something that we're going to have to go in and watch the game film. I don't really know and I can't say.
RB JAVON RINGER
(on Titans offense in the second half)
Yeah, we came out the first half looking like something really special could happen. In the second half, we didn't make plays when we needed. Clearly, the Bengals made more plays than we did, offensively. Things just kind of didn't go we'll the second half. It's kind of hard to say about something like that right after the game. I guess that's why we watch film. We'll go in tomorrow and see what mistakes we made and hopefully try to correct them. Again, first half, C.J. (Chris Johnson) was having some good stuff, and feel I was getting some nice three and four-yard runs. The second half, I don't know. We just didn't make the plays when we needed to.
(on the Titans loss)
It's going to hurt tonight, and it's probably going to hurt too tomorrow morning, but we have to get over it. We have to come out and play again next week, so there's no point dwelling on this. We still have eight more games left.
BENGALS HEAD COACH MARVIN LEWIS
(opening statement)
That was an NFL football game there. That was a good job second half obviously. Just playing, not flinching, coming out winning the second half. I thought in the football game in the first half we didn't do a good job as we've been saying all day, all week, covering that run and containing 28. We didn't do a very good job of getting off the field on third downs. Offensively, we didn't create as much space as we needed to and kind of went in and made some of those third downs a little longer than we needed to. A much better job in the second half. We were able to sustain drives, make first downs and that's how you have got to play. So it was a good job and when we get in the fourth quarter we would be able to go and we got it to where we wanted it and that's in the fourth quarter, now we have got a chance to go win the football game. **
(on what contributes to the success in the fourth quarter)
I'm just going to keep it to myself. I don't want to jinx it. As I said last week, I think our guys, we keep learning, we keep having a good understanding of what's happening, our guys are able to tune in and make adjustments, make corrections, make revisions, move forward with new things and keep attacking. That's what you have got to play. This is supposed to be professional football.
(on making adjustments)
We make adjustments every series. I think our guys are doing a great job of understanding. So we are coming out, we are playing, we're taking away the things we feel we need to do a better job defending or running or whatever it is, how we are getting attacked offensively, etc. I think it's a credit to the players for picking it up and being able to move forward with it, not lingering or dwelling on past and coming back and making plays.
(on Andy Dalton's performance)
He can play pretty well. He has missed some throws that we would like for him to make but, all and all, you know, he played well. We didn't turn the ball over and that's huge. We knew that would be the key to this football game.
(on being 6-2 at mid-season)
We're okay. I wish we were better but this is where we are.
(on Nate Clements being around the ball )
He always makes plays. He's a pro and he has never been to the playoffs. He can taste it. These guys play hard because of the way he goes about his business. That's a guy that has never been to the playoffs and what a role model he is for these guys.
BENGALS WR A.J. GREEN
(on what it says about the team playing well at the end of the game)
We are young and we are hungry. We are going to fight for each other until the last minute of the fourth quarter. That is what we did today.
(on the developing a rhythm with Andy Dalton)
I feel like Andy and I and the other receivers are developing a great relationship and knowing where we are at. You saw on the cover two Andy stuck the ball in there and that is by practicing a lot and seeing different looks, me telling him what I saw. We have a long way to go, but I feel we are on track to be one of the best.**
(on Andy Dalton not playing like a rookie)
He is well beyond him being a rookie. It is just his poise. It's his passion for the game and his composure. It's the way he conducts himself in and out of the huddle.
(on the satisfaction of winning)
Nothing is satisfying until you win the big one. That is when you are satisfied. I feel this team is young and we are going to get better each week so we are never satisfied.
(on being where they want to be)
We are at where we want to be right now and that is in the thick of things in our division. With all of the division games it is going to be tough. I feel that this team right here is going to fight and we are going to compete in every game so we will see what happens.
BENGALS DE CARLOS DUNLAP
(on his first sack)
The first one seems like it was the hardest. Everyone is going to be trying to keep you from getting it. Sometimes it is in the back of your head even though it is not your main focus. It is always in the back of your head being a competitor as I am. Getting the first one makes it that much easier for the next. We just need to keep it going.
(on his hamstring)
I think it was a cramp, but I am not a doctor. We are going to do whatever we need to get it evaluated.
(on what happens to the team in the fourth quarter)
We have got heart. Everybody is coming from big University or great organizations. Everybody's got heart and they know how to win and they know what it feels like to win so it makes you want it that much more. When you know that feeling it just makes it that much better.
BENGALS QB ANDY DALTON
(on the fourth quarter comebacks)
We are doing whatever we have to do to win the game and that is the biggest thing for this season.. We have been in every game we have played in. Even our two loses we were in it in the fourth quarter and had a chance to win. We are doing a lot of good things. We have got some momentum right now and just need to keep it going.
(on the difference from the first half to the second half)
We were hurting ourselves in the first half. Everyone was taking turns messing up something. We just kind of got in a groove in the second half. We knew we needed to win the second half and we were able to do it.
(on everyone producing)
The thing that has been great is that it isn't one guy that has been doing it all. We have a bunch of guys making plays. It is like the three touchdowns were all by three different guys so it is great to have a lot of talent here.
(on his poise)
I just try to stay the same regardless of what is happening. I can't get too high and I can't get too low. I can't worry about what has happened. It is the next play.
(on his connection with A.J. Green)
Everybody automatically grouped us together because we came in together. It has been great. We have a good relationship, a good friendship and it goes outside of football.
(on the motivation of the comments going into the draft)
It is definitely motivation. I want to go out and prove everyone wrong that didn't pick me and I feel like I have done a good job of that so far. We just have to keep going and keep getting better each day.
(on his relationship with Jay Gruden)
We have a great relationship. It is good to bounce ideas off of each other. He has definitely made this whole transition to the NFL easier for me
BENGALS DT DOMATA PEKO
(on the Bengals' defensive performance today)
In the first half they started running more perimeter runs, toss plays and just trying to get Chris Johnson into open space out there. We made some adjustments at halftime, we were able to box him in and shut him down. Then we just let the dogs loose man, let the guys rush the passer, we were able to get after (Titans QB Matt) Hasslebeck and gets some strips and some turnovers—that's how you win games.
(on limiting the number of blitzes ran by the Bengals in the second half)
Yeah, because we noticed that (Matt) Hasselbeck is a smart guy. He's been to a few Pro Bowls, he's been to a Super Bowl and he's a really smart quarterback. He saw the blitzes coming and was throwing it away from the blitz, and (they) were running away from the blitzes. We made some adjustments and were able to get after Hasselbeck and just play man-on-man and win the game.
(on having another second-half comeback and road win)
It just shows how we keep our composure throughout the game. They may get up on us in the first half, but once that fourth quarter hits we're fresh and ready to shut people down. We felt as strong in the first quarter as we did in the fourth, so that's good—that's real good and defense wins championships, so let's go.
BENGALS LB BRANDON JOHNSON
(on a dominating defensive performance by the Bengals in the third quarter)
It was significant—we still have yet to play a complete game. When we can play a complete game, hopefully we can get that next week at home—it'll be a big treat for us.
(on having players step up in clutch situations to help win games)
I mean you said it, this team, that's what we are—we're a team. That's what we've got to do. We have to go out there and play as a team. I said last week, we've got no stars on this team. We all go out there as a unit; we all go out there as a fist. There are no individuals. We are accountable to the man next to us, as long as we're like that we can do whatever we want to do.
(on the difference from the first half when the Titans' offense was in rhythm and the second half when they struggled)
Yeah, we just tried to do what we try to do every week and that is playing good, sound defense, stay in our assignments and just play good overall team defense. Everybody is staying in their gap, everybody plays to their assignment and usually when you do that good things happen.
(on why this Bengals' team is having so much success on the road)
Because we're poised—we're poised, we don't panic, we come out and take the other team's best shot, it's always like that on the road, the crowd is against you, the other team is all pumped up, they're going to come out and they're going to hit you with their best shot and we take that smiling—come out fighting. That's why we're good on the road.
BENGALS CB NATE CLEMENTS
(on being a veteran role model to this young team)
I'm not trying to be a role model, I'm just being myself. I'm being who I am. It's been a great adjustment, a great transition for me just being around my teammates—we have a great time, and the things that I've done my whole life, my career is pretty much how I'm built and how I operate. I've always taught that hard work always pays off, and I believe that.
(on if he allows himself to start thinking about the playoffs after not making the playoffs in the first 11 years of his career)
No. I said earlier that being such a young team we have a tremendous amount of maturity on this team as well. Guys really take the approach that the most important game is the game that we have that week. We don't think about nothing else but that game and our opponent. We just leave it on the field and get ready for next week.
(on what was said at halftime of this game to help key the second-half comeback)
Just an emphasis on the things that we need to do defensively that we had put ourselves in bad positions early in the first half that cost us some points—we just came out in the second half, tightened up some screws and went to work.
