TITANS vs COLTS
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020
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Q. There is obviously always going to be something you think you can do better. From your perspective, was this the most complete game for the offense tonight?
PHILIP RIVERS: Well, in a lot of ways, yes, it was. We've got to finish those drives in the end zone. I think that's going to be the biggest thing. Sorry if you can't hear. The field crew is getting going. On fourth down we get stopped, two fourth downs we get stopped, and obviously the third-down scenario down there, the incompletion to Jordan (Wilkins), that we get a field goal. So, we've just got to finish with touchdowns, at least that's my initial takeaway from tonight offensively. Other than that, we were very efficient and didn't punt it until the end. We threw it well and ran it well. Everybody contributed. The guys up front played great. So, I think the biggest thing is getting touchdowns down there in the red area. That will be the biggest thing we can clean up.
Q. You played with a lot of the great running backs in your time, did you see a night like this coming from Nyheim Hines? Have you seen his skillset translate to that kind of performance?
PHILIP RIVERS: Well, I think the thing with Nyheim (Hines), the thing with guys like him that I've been around in the past is they quickly get labeled a scat back and a receiver, and this guy is a runner. He can run between the tackles and he also is a heck of a receiver. So, yeah, he's an explosive player and he's a great – our backs all complement one another, change of pace, and it's just a different dynamic when you have to defend all three of those running backs with our line and tight ends and receivers blocking.
Q. What do you think the no-huddle did for you guys tonight?
PHILIP RIVERS: I think it just kept the pressure on, it kept the pace moving. You know, it's one thing Frank (Reich) and I have been together before and done that and had some success getting in and out of some plays. He was calling – he's been calling them great all year, but there wasn't a lot of checking that I had to do today. He was just – we were in a good flow, and it's interesting off a short week. I felt so in sync and well-prepared this week and the amount of focus we had in the walk throughs, the amount of time we spent in the meetings, the dialog was just dialed in. We had a walk through that went about 40 minutes, which is probably longer than normal on a gameday, but it just felt like we were dialed in and ready to go. So, this performance from our team doesn't surprise any of us. As we know and as you always hear me say, it's a week-to-week league. So we can enjoy it for a little bit, get this mini-bye, and then we got the Green Bay Packers coming to our place. This was a big win, but we know there is a long way to go.
Q. It's always been talked you can't ride the wave, and it is 1-0 and all that. Once you allow yourself in the next few days to realize that this was more than 1-0 with all on the line, or not?
PHILIP RIVERS: Yeah, I mean, I think this is nice because we don't have to start back to work on the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday, as it would be a Sunday game. You can enjoy it a little bit, but I still think the mindset has got to be, all right, we don't go take care of – you got to keep going. Unless we continue to get better and find ways to win football games we'll look back at this one on November 12th and say, 'Well, that was a cool game, but didn't matter.' So, we got to keep stacking them. But yes, this one was huge. This one was a huge game. We knew it. It was going to be huge either way. Coming off last week's game not finding a way to beat the Ravens it was even bigger, and we'll see them again in 16, 17 days. First we get to regroup and get ready for the Packers.
Q. Philip, Michael looked like he was -- I mean, obviously had his best game as a rookie. What stood out to you today about the way he played? Did it take a while to develop chemistry because you didn't have a pre-season?
PHILIP RIVERS: I really felt like – and I lose track of what games are which. Probably wasn't Minnesota, maybe it was the Jets. One of those games was really coming alive, the game he got hurt in, whichever one that was. Y'all help me out. The one he got hurt in he was coming on strong and had a little setback with the injury. So I think it's just a little more of that, him coming back and now getting back in the flow having been hurt. I feel like the game is slowing down a little bit for him. Certainly not too big for him. I knew that from day one. Just today he was just playing fast. You see him catch that shallow and turn the corner, had some other big, physical catches. It was definitely a heck of a game by him. Everybody. Everybody is involved every week. That's something we always talk about. I think the more we can continue to spread it around, the more there is no tendency of, 'Oh, they threw it to him, they throw it to,' – no, we throw it to everybody. The objective is to throw it to who is open within our progression, and the way our guys protect is unbelievable. You can tell I'm excited. This was a huge win. I knew this was big. Again, we'll enjoy it more a little bit and regroup and get ready for the Green Bay Packers back at our place.
