Big response by the team today, generally how do you feel things this week worked when last week things they didn't?
Yeah, we came out and responded. Obviously, we wanted to get things going early and we were able to do that. The guys came out and played with a purpose from the first snap, played our style of ball, both offense and defense. Proud of our guys. We can came out, responded, battled through the game and came out with the win.
The first drive was pretty good, but then you had those three-straight long touchdown drives. Was it mainly being able to hit chunk plays that did it or what went into those?
I think we were efficient. I think we ran the ball well. We kept ourselves ahead of the sticks. We never got into third-and-long situations or rarely got into third-and-long situations. You do that, you feel good about the plan. You feel good about having the answers and our matchups. You look back at last week, we were in a lot of three-and-long situations. So, if we can be efficient on first and second down, keep ourselves ahead of the sticks, then it opens up everything for us and we're able to extend drives and ultimately score more points.
When things click across the board as great as they did for everybody today, do you wonder a little bit like, where's that been? Why haven't we been able to do that?
I'm proud of our guys. I'm not wondering about anything. I'm proud of the way we responded. We had a great week at practice preparing for this game. We knew we wanted to come and play well at home, and we were able to do that.
The big one to DeAndre (Hopkins) and the game is till tied at that point, how big of a momentum boost was that?
It was huge. Obviously, he made a great play, got himself open by a couple yards and was able to hit the big won. At that point we were just kind of a few yards, a few yards, a few yards. So first big play of the day and really jumpstarted that drive.
It's been very up and down, home versus road, but do you feel there's some steady gains being made on your side of the ball in terms of just chemistry, timing and all that?
Yeah, no doubt we're growing. Proud of our guys, they way we responded like I keep saying. Fought through the noise and were able to come out, play well up front. Our guys up front did a good job in the run game and in the pass game, create some space for our running backs and give me some time to get some balls off.
You had a big lead at the half and then you come and put together a drive that takes 10 minutes off the clock to start the second half. How much was that kind of a 'game-icer,' so to speak, to put yourself in charge?
Oh, it was huge. Obviously, we'd like to walk away with a touchdown there. But we marched it down the field, had some big conversions, took a lot of time off the clock. I think it was nine, 10 minutes, something like that. Really chewed up that whole third quarter. So, I'm proud of our guys. We were able to put a big drive together right there. Battled through the heat. It was a warm day and our guys gutted through it, battled through it and kept pushing, kept finishing and kept fighting. That's what you want to be, you want a team that plays grimy, plays tough, plays physical and is able to extend those drives ad make those tough yards when it gets grimy.
How fun is the second quarter when you just have one chunk play after the next?
It was a lot of fun. We were efficient and that was opening up some things down the field for us. So, whenever you're able to hit on these plays that you've been working on in practice, been thinking about dialing up, opening the playbook. Timmy (Tim Kelly) did a great job calling the game and having a good feel for when to dial those plays up. So, it's a good thing for the Titans when you dial those things up.
Personally nice to beat these guys?
Yeah, no question. I love winning and I love winning at home. Those guys have had our number the past few years. So its good to get on the right side of that.
Your evaluation of Derrick (Henry) as a passer?
Man, he's efficient, I don't know what his rating is. Got to be, probably perfect. I feel like every time he throws one, it's a touchdown. It's fun to see those plays come together. Fun to see (Josh) Whyle get his first touchdown there. And obviously, a good throw by Derrick (Henry).
How much did you like the creation of that play during the week when you were running it? Did you feel confident that it was going to click when it happened?
Yeah, it was fun. We put that in at the end of the week. Got a few reps at it and they did a great job with executing it. I was just kind of a fan watching out there. I ran a little route but really I'm watching the play. Fun to see. I turned my head and I saw Josh (Whyle) open in the back and I'm hoping Derrick (Henry) can get it to him and he obviously made a great throw, big play.
Was Jeff(ery Simmons) lobbying for a carry or a route on that play?
Jeff's (Jeffery Simmons) always lobbying for the ball. You've got to ignore the noise when Jeff's in the huddle. It's good to have him in there.
Are you surprised that you guys continue to get away with that play on the goal line, like Derrick (Henry) in the shotgun, it feels like at this point you should be privy he might pass?
If they want to hang back, he'll just run it in. You can't play back and soft in the endzone and take away the one yard at the line of scrimmage. It makes it tough on teams when you have a back that be physical, get that tough yard at the line of scrimmage, or step back and make a throw.
When Derrick's (Henry) running the way he is, when you have those first play-action calls, what's going through your head when they're easing in and I can hit them over the top?
It's a sight. Like I said, we have these plays that you put in throughout the week and you hope to get the opportunity to call them. And when you run the ball efficiently, your setting things up. Now you're able to play off formationally and really open up the playbook. So it's a lot of fun and to see it come together, that's why we work at it so hard throughout the week.
What's going through your mind during the Tyjae Spears plays when the ball's on the ground and he fumbles it around and picks it up and goes? Do you want him to get down on it or how do you want it to play out?
I saw him drop it and was like 'Oh crap, pick it up!' And then he picked it up and bounces it back towards me. I was like 'Oh crap, I better try and get a block.' So, I try to get in the way and hopefully he got a few extra yards there. It's an imperfect game. Coach (Mike) Vrabel talks about it all the time. It's an imperfect game, we're trying to go out there and do it perfectly. You can't freak out if things don't go as expected always. Got to be able to roll with the punches a little bit. You saw that with Tyjae (Spears), he drops the ball, but picks it up, keeps fighting, finds a little lane and was able to make a huge play.
Are you going to see that block in the film room tomorrow?
Hopefully it's not embarrassing. But tried to get in the way.
Was it more play-action today or was it just more successful today?
I think we ran a lot more plays today than we did last week. Like I said, it all builds off each other. When you're able to sustain drives, get more shots-on-goal, complement formations, and what we're doing then you get into the playbook a little deeper.
The pitches today to Derrick (Henry) seemed like they were tighter and faster. Is that a different brand of pitch than you've been using before?
Not specifically. I don't know. It's not like the toss crack play where you traditionally pitch, but we worked in a few same side tosses today. We were able to stretch the field laterally a little bit there.
You mentioned the guys up front fought through he noise this week, What was the talk in the building this week in terms of you guys to each other and just the conversation about improving the protection this week?
Go out, believe in each other and play fast. We can't go out there thinking, you can't go out there hesitating in any aspect. You got to be able to play fast, play physical. Whatever you do, do it with 100 percent effort. If we do that, we play together as a unit upfront, you're most likely going to like your results.
It's been a tale of two offenses from your road games to here back at home with the big divisional game against the Colts coming up next week, what can y'all do from a performance like this to carry it over on to the road next week?
Got to build on it. We did some things well today, want to build on those things. Keep expanding how were attacking defenses and just keep improving on the things we didn't do well. It's not a perfect game, never will be. But there's things we can get better from that we'll learn from this tape and we'll build on the good things and go into next week with a full head of steam. Obviously, a big division game on the road means a lot.
Does that leave you wondering what kind of team the Titans are right now with two games that haven't gone very well and two that have?
I'm not wondering anything, I believe in that locker room. I believe in the guys. I believe in what have and what we're building. Proud of the way we came to work throughout this week to prepare ourselves and look forward to doing the same thing next week.
