TITANS HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER
On the team's performance:"They were focused. You could tell that good things were going to happen. We just didn't want to give up any great plays. I thought the defensive play was excellent on the short week and when you jump up to a lead like we did, the idea there is not to protect it, but just to keep on; keep building points and building points-that's what we had to do."
On his concerns with the Lions before the match-up: "From a team standpoint our concerns were, as far as the Lions were concerned, more about 81 (WR Calvin Johnson). He's a really good, good player and then the running back (RB Kevin Smith). We saw him do some special things. That was a concern going in and then just kind of these special teams up. I thought, defensively, that we could hold up if we stayed healthy."
On what this win means after a loss:"We're back on the right track; it's as simple as that. We're going to rest up and regroup and recover. Just to win two out of three games in 15 days is good for this football team. That one got away from us last week. It's clear behind us now."
On QB Vince Young:"He had fun. It was great to get him out there. He did good. He got out there and found Hawk (Lavelle Hawkins) on the boundary. It was a good throw. He did good playing. He's there in case you need him. Not only was it good to get Vince (Young) in, but we got a number of other players in the block, which is kind of a reward for all our hard work. A lot of them were special teamers and specialists; but to get them in the ball game was good."
TITANS QB KERRY COLLINS
On how important it was to get off to a fast start: "It was obviously good for us to get off to a fast start. Defense gets a turnover on the first drive. We were able to punch it in. Then to get two quick successive scores is obviously a big factor in the game."
On if misdirection plays were in the gameplan:"Their fast linebackers really plugged to the ball so we wanted to mix in some change of direction stuff and we got a good guy in Chris (Johnson) to do it. Obviously with his speed, you can get around the corner."
On if he likes running the bootleg sometimes: "We do it, I think, enough to keep the defense honest. We had some looks this week where we thought that maybe we could do some boots and some play actions and naked stuff that might be effective and it was today."
On if he was thinking of scoring: "Oh I thought about it for about a split second and I guess I kind of figured I probably wouldn't have gotten in and considering where we were at in the game and everything, it was probably best to just (go out of bounds)."
On if he thought he was scoring when he rolled out initially:"Yeah, I mean I know better. Obviously I had the corner and like I said, I thought for a split second there maybe I was going to score. No one was really looking at me, but once they started closing I kind of figured I wasn't going to make it."
TITANS RB LENDALE WHITE
On how good it felt to re-establish the running game: "How many carries did I have? I don't even know if that's enough for me. I'm just playing man. Things were said last week, but like I said, they were all out of frustration. Traditionally, Coach Fisher's teams are running teams, and I think that's our identity here. I think once we get the run game going, the pass is not that far behind. Once we got everything going today, you know Chris (Johnson), actually B.J. (Brandon Jones) started off with a nice run then Chris ran it in. Third down they didn't expect us to go with the run so fast and Chris took off."
On if they knew how to handle the Lion's defense: "We knew on film that they were going to go-they bit a lot on the misdirection plays, and we figured that as long as we kept running them we could get a lot of yards off of them. It didn't matter what they were doing; it was all about us and we knew we could get our run fits down again and we can still bust them out of there. Coach Dinger (Titans Offensive Coordinator Mike Heimerdinger) kept dialing them up and we kept hitting them."
On facing the Lions following last week's loss: "Detroit, they're 0-11. So it's not no knock on them, but we expected to win this game. There was no way coming into this game that we thought we were going to lose. And it's not being cocky, we just knew we were the better team. The Jets-it was a hard loss because we actually thought we were ready for them too, but we took one on the chin. We knew we had to come back this week and fight harder than ever. This is a dangerous team with them being 0-11. There's nothing worse than after losing to the Jets, coming out here and losing to a 0-11 team. We just came out swinging, and we gave them the first punch. After that, they fell out."
TITANS DE KYLE VANDEN BOSCH
On if he is sympathetic at all towards the Lions: "You can't really think like that. It's just another team; they're trying to knock us off if anything. They had added incentive today; they were more hungry. They had a chance to prove themselves against a good team in us today. I was happy the way we started the game. Our intensity-we came out fast. The last two weeks it just seems like we just started slow and just kind of waited for things to happen. I was proud of our effort today especially during the start of the game."
On the interception return for a touchdown by Titans DT Dave Ball: "Dave Ball has been making plays since he got here. It wasn't a surprise to me. Dave Ball is a good player and we're lucky to have him."
On Ball needing to work on his celebration dance: "I didn't even see it. I don't know what he did today. It seems like he's got something new every week, but as long as he keeps making plays, he can do whatever he wants."
On how much fun it was out there today: "It was a lot of fun. Any game where you can go into the second half and kind of just go out there and pass rush and not have all that pressure on you, it was a good way to start the holiday weekend for us."
LIONS HEAD COACH ROD MARINELLI
Opening statement: "I think we only had one really in-game injury and that was (Stephen) Peterman. It was a knee and we had to take him out and we added a couple guys in there. But just as a quick overview of the game: we got beat - we got handled in all areas; coaches, players, offense, defense, special teams. That's a very good football team. I thought they handled us. I thought their two lines were exceptional. When we were going into the game I felt that and no doubt about it, they're very, very, very good, and they handled us in all areas."
On if it could get any worse than that: "Well we got beat very handedly today. There's no doubt about that.
"We got handled; no question. So we come back to work and get ready to roll next week."
On if by NFL standards the team is competitive: "Yes. I think we've got to coach better. But I'm saying, that's a very physical football team and I take my hats off to them. (They've got) two good runners, a good solid quarterback, and the lines are exceptional."
"We just got handled very well. We lost a couple tough ones at the end last year. But this is a very, very good team and we just didn't do a very good job. All the way across the board we got beat."
On who didn't do a good job today: "I said coaches, myself and players. I'll leave it at that."
On if effort was an issue: "I have to look at the tape. I'll never say that until I watch the tape on that. That would not be right because I'd be guessing."
On if he expects to get fired after today's game: "No, I have no knowledge of any of that. I couldn't tell you.
"I just don't go there."
On Tennessee getting ahead early:"Really what it comes down to I think: one, it is a really good football team. I said it earlier last week. I think their two lines are exceptional. Their offensive line and defensive line are exceptional. Going into this game to have a chance, I felt that we had to be able to stop the run. We couldn't do it. I thought we had to be able to pass-block these guys, and they are a load. In throwing type of game situations, they are a big, very big, strong, physical front."
On Tennessee running the naked boot:"We were trying to pack everything inside. You have seen us get into some bear-look and shifting down, which makes you a little bit vulnerable to the outside. You have got to go down and pack in to try to stop the tackle-to-tackle run. Going into it we thought we had to do that."
On being disappointed in the lack of containment: "Oh yeah. That is just arm free. Keep arm free, arm free, arm free, crack into place. I take my hat off. They run three or four run plays, and they run them well. They executed and they out executed us. They blocked us well."
On Tennessee's front four being the strength of their team: "Their front four dictate the game and it is tough. It is tough to get the ball off. Certain routes you want to call and you can't call everything you would like. They have a big, strong physical (group) and they have dominated all year long. We knew that going in and it was a tough group."
On what he wanted to get done offensively: "We were hoping that we could keep it a little bit closer. We didn't want to be in a situation where they just (rushed the passer) - towards the end they just pinned their ears and that is a big massive front. They are tough to handle. We were hoping the draws and some of our zone runs could try to keep that going. Then we got down so quickly with that first turnover, and it was tough."
On it being tough to run on Tennessee's line even when they line up wide:"The two interior guys - (Albert) Haynesworth is a load - and they have got four really big, physical tackles. They rotate them in there a little bit. When you are that stout and that physical inside, they penetrate, they swim, they change up their alignments and charge differently and they are tough to handle."
LIONS QB DAUNTE CULPEPPER
On the performance of the offense today:"We just have to be more productive offensively. When you're playing a team that good, you really can't shoot yourself in the foot. You can't make mistakes, and that happened. What we need is a team-we just need to get on a win streak and do the things that it takes to get on a win streak. No matter when it is. We're in the last quarter of the season. We got four games left so everybody has to say let's get on a win streak no matter when it happens. We're in desperate need of a win, and everybody should feel that."
On the Titans being the worst team they could play since they only had one practice: "They didn't have but one practice either. We just have to understand that every play counts and just prepare to be successful. And when I say prepare to be successful, do all the little things during the practices and during the week to prepare yourself to try and go out and get a win."
On how it feels to be beaten so soundly on Thanksgiving: "Well the thing is you got to give their team credit. They're a good team, but we didn't play our best game today, simple as that. When it happens the way it happened, that's what happens: you get your butt kicked. We've got to accept that and we've got to get better from it. We just can't continue to make the same mistakes and do the same things. We just have to change it up a little bit and then see what happens."
On if it is embarrassing to lose like they did today: "Well, for sure you don't like those results-absolutely not. I'm not used to that, but hey it happens. It happens. What we've got to do- like I am always going to continue to say- we've got to keep on keepin' on; we got to keep doing what it takes to be successful because it's going to happen. It's going to happen. Mark my words, it will happen. But when it happens is when everybody has the same mindset to get the job done."
LIONS C ANDY MCCOLLUM
On trying to hold off the pressure the Titans were applying today: "What we did is just not good enough. I mean they were hitting our quarterback way to much. They got some good players. That whole defensive front is pretty good - one of the best in the league. What they call we got to execute, and that's not fun loosing like that. It's very frustrating."
On what goes through his mind when he hears 0-12: "We need a win; we got to get one. Like the coach said, we got a whole quarter of this season left, and we've just got to make sure nobody packs it in and make sure we get a victory out of this - some where some how. I mean we want to win; obviously we want to win. We've got to do better, that's all there is to it.
LIONS DE CLIFF AVRIL
On whether the Titans were doing anything special in the run game or was it just power football: "We knew they were going to run the ball from jump, and it was all about stopping them so we can get them to third-and-longs. At the same time, they're just a physical team - they're a running team and that's what they do so that's what they're good at. We just have to stop it."
On how frustrating it is to know that a team can run like that against them:"It's very frustrating because we're playing football and in order to win you have to be able to stop the run. Its' frustrating, but we just got to bounce back."
On what goes through his mind when he hears 0-12: "I stopped paying attention to the record a long time ago. I didn't even know we played 12 games, but it's tough for a rookie, especially losing all these games. I don't even know what it feels like winning an NFL game yet, but you just got to keep working hard. That's all I can do is keep working hard and try to make plays for the team."
On how you bounce back after another loss: "I'm going to relax these next few days and just get my mind right. I need a few days off and then I'm going to come back and just work hard. That's all I can do. I don't know about other guys, but for me I'm just going to go out and work hard to do the best I can."
LIONS LB RYAN NECE
On what the Titans brought to them with Chris Johnson the speed back and LenDale White the power back:"They do have a one- two combination. They had the one-two combination and you know a fast guy and then you have a more physical runner. They're a very simple offense when you really look at them, and we studied them on film. What they do is they basically say: 'We're going to line up and do this and if you can stop it, great. If you can't then we're going to gash you.' Obviously there were some plays in there today - some explosion plays - again we shot ourselves in the foot on defense and those are the problem plays we've had all year."
On how tough it is to come back when you get down so quick:"Honestly, its one of those things. I'm a big fan of boxing, and you watch boxing and anytime somebody gets punched in the face early on, it's hard for that person to just regain his wind, and regain his balance and regain where he's at in the ring. That's what happens. When somebody punches you in the face and goes up 21-3, you got to start scrambling and trying to figure out. The coaches have done a good job in trying to bring us together and trying to calm us down. The guys rally, and you continue to fight and we did. Obviously we had some unfortunate turnovers on offense, but it's just tough. It's just one of those situations where we have to keep plugging and know that it was early in the game - there are three quarters left in the game. I looked up and I couldn't believe it was still the first quarter. You just keep plugging along and keep working."
On the fact they haven't won a game and the pressure keeps mounting: "It's the same whether your 12-0 or 0-12, you take one game at a time. If you start looking too far ahead, that pressure starts mounting, and you realize that at this point you just got to stay focused. You got to realize we have one quarter left in the season, and everybody in this locker-room, coaches and players, we all have to take a look at our character and see if we're willing to fight these next four games to get a win."
