HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER
(opening statements)
Well, that's November football for you. That's a good football team we played today. We knew that all week. They are very, very talented on both sides of the ball as they are on special teams. I think this is the case where we just were able to overcome some things. We overcame defensive injuries. We overcame some difficulty offensively in the second half. You know we overcame a missed field goal at the end of regulation and it was a great win for us, really a great win. And, thanks to the crowd, to the fans for the 100th straight sellout. That really means a lot to this football team and the organization. You know when you win eight games, you're going to on occasion need to win some like this and that is just what we did. We hung in there. The offense came alive at the end of regulation and then we gave ourselves a chance. Fortunately, we won the toss and didn't give it back to them. So, we got contributions from just about everybody today. Kyle [Vanden Bosch] tried to go, but couldn't. We got production out of Dave Ball and Jacob Ford and the guys just all the way around played hard. Keith [Bulluck] came in, overcame a rib issue and finished the game. All-in-all, it is a good win for us and we'll move on to the next one.
(on what the formula is to reach 8-0)
You have to win close ball games. And we're fortunate to stay healthy and we're running the football when we need to and our defense is keeping the points down. Those two defensive turnovers that we got were huge. That was a great catch by Chris (Johnson) and then the sack and the caused fumble. I'm frustrated that we didn't get a touchdown out of that possession, but the defensive points helped.
(on Bironas' two field goals)
You saw what happened. He just left it a little bit right. He had plenty of distance, he just pushed it right. But no question about the second one.
(on whether the game plan included so many pass plays against Green Bay)
Not necessarily, but we felt like they were very well equipped to handle the run. We've seen that the league ranking in rushing defense is so misleading. We've looked at four or five games this year, you just don't see it. Now they are equipped to and obviously they're very good at it.
(on overtime)
They knew all week long that this game was going to be close and it was going to be tight and it was going to be hard fought. There is an advantage to having a week off and we talked about the short week, we denied it. But it is. It takes its toll on a team and so it's good to get back on a normal schedule now and get rested up.
(on the defensive pass interference non-call in the second quarter)
I thought it was defensive pass interference. But that's the game. Sometimes they get away with things like that and sometimes they miss. This call was missed but fortunately we overcame.
(on being at the halfway point of the season and whether Kerry Collins has performed as expected)
Well we're basically going to do, attempt to do, whatever it takes to win a game whether that's hand it off, or whether that's to throw it. Fortunately, we've been able to do that to this point. You're only as good as your next game and we have to have a good game plan. To address your question about Kerry, Kerry is handling it very well. That's a tough defense. They put pressure on us today, they took some things away, they had two weeks to prepare and yet we found a way to make the throws, at least at the end of regulation we put ourselves in a position to win and Mike (Heimerdinger) did a great job calling the final drive and overtime.
K ROB BIRONAS
(on how he felt after missing the field goal at the end of regulation)
I was hoping for exactly what happened – we'd win the toss and get another shot at it. I don't miss many so I definitely wanted another shot at it to put us in the lead and go home with the victory. 8-0.
(on forgetting misses)
I'm not going to make them all. I go out there expecting to make them all but when I miss, I'm ready to hit the next one. Redeem myself, I guess you'd say. I'll go four-of-five, three-of-four last week, two victories. I'll take a miss anytime we win.
(on what its like being 8-0)
It's amazing. It's awesome. It's a good ride. We've gone out there each week. Put Green Bay behind us and move on to the next week now. 8-0 is great but we're looking each week. I think Nashville's pretty excited too.
(on how quickly he knew the last kick was good)
As soon as it came off my foot. I knew the first one at the end of regulation was going to be close but that one came off with the same pop as the rest of them had.
(on a comfortable field goal range in overtime)
Going that direction? 50-55, whatever we needed. You know I had a good breeze behind me so I'll give it a shot wherever he puts me out there. That's coach's direction and I'll do whatever I can to make it.
(on when he gets ready to kick)
When we have first down on our own 45 that means fourth down could be anywhere from 35-36, puts me at 53-54 (yards). It just depends on the game, the day, the weather, the field conditions, the ball. We make that up during pre-game. We try to figure out exactly where that is.
(on what he was thinking after the coin toss went in the Titans' favor)
I was waiting for them to get it into about midfield range and get a couple more kicks in while I'm up and not kick too much, not worry about the one I missed and go out there and show Nashville how we win this thing. Actually, I thought we might go out there and score a touchdown the way that Chris (Johnson) was running the ball.
(on wanting to take the 63-yard kick)
In my mind, I was ready to kick it. I mean, we were going out there to kick it. The only problem you have is that its 63 yards. If it doesn't get there, you've got a returner bringing it back against 10 linemen or nine linemen so odds are he's going to be a lot quicker than the rest of us out there.
QB KERRY COLLINS
(on winning two big games in such a short span)
Obviously with a short week it was going to be a challenge. I thought our guys handled it pretty well. By no means did we play a perfect game today but it's tough coming off of a big win like we did the other night and be able to come back with a good week of practice and find a way to win today. It was obviously big for us and we played a good football team today. Anytime you get a win against them I think it's a good win.
(on why the running game clicked in OT)
I don't know if we found the perfect play or what it was, but our guys blocked them great. They gave CJ (Chris Johnson) places to run, he made some great runs and it's hit and miss. And that's how this team was, its hit and miss, you get some, they make a play, but I think our guys got stronger as the game went on and I think that had a lot to do with it.
(on whether they benefited in overtime from their drive at the end of regulation)
I think it was great, having a long drive right before at the end of regulation and then having to go back onto the field. We got the rhythm going and were able to get them back on their heels a little bit. I think to go right back out, it couldn't have been set up any better for us.
(on what the feeling was going out on the field in overtime)
It was business-like, just like it was at the end of regulation. There wasn't a whole lot of talk about anything. Guys just understand the situation and know what they had to do, and the best way to be successful in those situations in my opinion is to keep your poise and focusing on what you have to do and I thought our guys did a great job of that today.
(on whether getting the ball at the start of overtime was the best case scenario)
Absolutely, given the choice, we'd always like to get it first. But like we talked about earlier, I think the fact that we had a long drive and were able to move the ball before the end of regulation and then to come out in overtime and get it right back, I think we had some momentum going and I think it helped us.
(on beating a good football team while not playing their best game)
Well, we found another way to win. I didn't play my best game and I think a lot of guys here will say the same thing. But I think the bottom line is that we found a way to win and I think it's a testament to the guys' character and the belief that we have. We played a good football team and they came in here and played well. They have a very good offense and I think our defense played well. They have some weapons over there. They made their plays but our guys really came through when we needed them. That's what you have to do in this league, it's not always going to be pretty and we found a way to win today.
(on the most consistent strength on the team)
I think one thing that has to do with it is that we aren't turning the ball over, and also obviously the running game and the offensive line. And I think our receivers are making timely plays, I think I've made timely plays. It hasn't been pretty the whole way. Obviously our defense, they keep us in every game, and it was the same way today. We kicked field goals when it would have been nice to score touchdowns. I think that obviously kept the game close but at the end of the day we found a way.
RB CHRIS JOHNSON
(on the Titans' effort)
It just shows you how good the other team is and how good a team we are. It just shows that both teams were playing good defense and at the end of the day, whoever has the best offense is going to come out with the victory. We showed today, we had the best offense.
Of course it is frustrating going through the whole game not being able to run the ball, or throw the ball, but it just shows why we work so hard in the offseason, so you can stay conditioned for the fourth quarter , and possibly overtime. Basically, we believed.
I felt like we didn't go away from the run the whole game, so eventually by the time overtime and the end fourth quarter came, we wore them down and were able to get some runs in there.
TE BO SCAIFE
(on Titans' victory and effort)
Two good teams like that, you know it's going to be a boxing match. We can trade blows, but the last man standing, the guy that fights for 60 minutes to the end is going to win. It feels good. It says a lot about our team and it says a lot about the about the character of the individuals in our locker room. I can't say enough about my teammates. I love every one of them and I'm glad I'm a Tennessee Titan.
Guys just found ways to make plays. When it came down to the end, individuals had to step up… Everyone did their job and it was a total team effort in the end.
(on being undefeated)
We don't really talk about going undefeated. We only know one way to ply and that's to play hard and play real long. We want to be the last man standing at the end, so if that means undefeated, that's what it is.
I think our motto is we just go out there and play. It doesn't matter who is in front of us and what our record is. We just go out there and play. We have a great coach, and he instills this in us: to go out there and play our game. It's not about the other team. It's about us. We don't really worry about who we are playing. We just do our thing. We can't control what they are going to do, just what we do.
I'm enjoying every bit of it. It's my fourth year here and for us to be 8-0 and be on a great team, who has a chance to do a lot good things, well the best is yet to come for us and I'm just blessed that God blessed me to be a part of this.
CB NICK HARPER
(on stopping Green Bay's offense)
Their offense is very explosive. We used every call in the book. It was like a chess match out there. You know, when you thought you had them, you'd get a double move. If you look for the double move, they'd run something quick. So they kind of had us off balance the entire game. We were still able to hold them to 16 points, a very explosive team with their quarterback, and their good receivers. All in all, I think we played them very well.
Before the game guys were flat. We tried everything in the book to pick guys up, but guys were down. You could tell we were flat when the game started. For that whole first half, I think we were flat. But in the second half, when we felt like our back was against the wall, everybody stepped up and we did what we had to do.
(on Green Bay going for it twice on fourth down)
I guess they felt like that their guys were better playmakers than ours. We came up and made some plays we stepped up to the plate.
DE KYLE VANDEN BOSCH
(on Titans defensive effort)
No matter what happened today, I think everyone expected us to pull it out in the end, and that's something special. We held in there today. They got some plays on us but I think we responded. We made plays when we had to. A good thing about this team and this defense, is we kept our composure and did what we had to do to win. The defensive line played well today. We got some hits on the quarterback. He wasn't able to just sit in the pocket and pick us apart and I think that was one of the keys to the win today.
(on the play of Titans DE Jacob Ford)
It didn't surprise me. He is a good player. He showed in the preseason and when he had opportunities this year that he could make plays. He stepped up today and had a huge role in our win.
(on leaving the game early )
It wasn't there. I felt like I could go full speed ahead, but when I had to cut side-to-side on some lateral movements, I just had some pain. Personally, it was a frustrating day, but it's hard to be down because this team came through, the defensive line played well, and I'm excited.
LB KEITH BULLUCK
(on the Titans' victory)
We've got eight down and eight more to go. We're at the halfway point, we haven't lost and that's great. But there's another half (season) of football to play. We have to prepare ourselves and take care of business. We're sitting nice right now, but our attitude and our mentality definitely won't change. We're going take the same approach to practice and same approach for the games every week.
(on the overtime win)
It shows what this team is about. Pretty resilient. We believe in one another. There's no let down. I'm sure there were times where the offense could have given up on themselves. Or us as a defense, we could have given up on ourselves because (Green Bay QB) Aaron Rodgers and his receivers were making great plays down the field. So we just stuck with it. We knew that if it was at the end of the game and we were close, and give ourselves a chance, we'll come out on top. You know that's what happened.
GREEN BAY PACKERS QUOTES
HEAD COACH MIKE McCARTHY
(on the defense running out of gas in the fourth quarter)
I wouldn't classify it as that. We didn't perform well enough at the end to win the game. I thought it was a hard fought football game. They were able to move the ball in both their two minute drills. They made some plays under two minutes on the first attempt and on the second attempt we didn't stop the run. I thought our team, conditioning wise, was in good shape. They played a slowed down tempo game, we play an up tempo game on offense so I didn't feel conditioning was a factor.
(on the ability to run against Tennessee)
There are some things schematically that we liked against their defense. We like to run it more. Ryan Grant got nicked a few times, came in and out of the game a few times. We got some checks at the line and so forth based on the defense they gave us. I thought for the most part we ran the ball efficiently.
(on going into overtime)
We felt good about it. We liked it. We definitely liked the position we were in, even kicking off to them when we lost the coin toss. We were expecting the defense to stop them and get good field position. It didn't work out that way.
(on considering a field goal late in the fourth quarter)
The mark was the 40 yard line. I think we were at the 42 or 43 yard line. I was disappointed in the third down production ,frankly, based on the defense they had called and the play that we had called. So my initial thought was to go for it but I didn't like the time left on the clock that was left to play in the game. The decision was to punt and we had them backed up to the eight and I still think that was the right decision.
(on turnovers and playing perfect against Tennessee)
I don't think you can go in and try to play perfect. What's the difference in playing perfect and playing scared? I think they are the same thing in my view. I think you have to come in and play your game. We came in and played aggressive. I thought that was evident. The game was called offensively and we were able to hit on some. But with two turnovers and four sacks you have to give credit to the defense. They are a good football team and well coached. We didn't make enough plays when it counted to win the game and that's really the bottom line.
(on this game being encouraging or discouraging)
No disrespect to your question or the Tennessee Titans but we don't do it that way. We have respect for them. We had a chance to watch them on Monday Night Football. They play physical. They have always played physical in my travels down here if we are playing them but we play physical also. We knew it was going to be a physical, tough, hard-nosed football game. We knew it was going to be a tight game. We didn't make enough plays to win the game. **
(on Green Bay's defense getting sacks on Collins)
I would say a combination of both really to answer your question. It is the way we play coverage with the ability to take away the primary receiver as much as you can and also rush the passer. It is always a combination of both for us.
(on Chad Clifton's injury)
Chad had an illness. This was very unusual situation with to have. It was 10:28 and we have to turn in the inactives at 10:30 so we are going to make a decision off of the doctors. The doctors did a great job trying to get him ready for the game. He probably could have played in the second half but we just stayed the course.
(on Green Bay's defense getting sacks on Collins)
I would say a combination of both really to answer your question. It is the way we play coverage with the ability to take away the primary receiver as much as you can and also rush the passer. It is always a combination of both for us.
(on Chad Clifton's injury)
Chad had an illness. This was a very unusual situation to have. It was 10:28 and we have to turn in the inactives at 10:30, so we are going to make a decision off of the doctors. The doctors did a great job trying to get him ready for the game. He probably could have played in the second half but we just stayed the course. He had a reaction to some medication.
(on shuffling around the offensive line)
Any time you shuffle on that quick of notice, I think you have to give credit to that. I thought the run blocking unit was productive. Looked like we had some chances for some potential big runs. A couple no gains and one yard runs, that's not what we are looking for. I haven't seen the film so I can't tell you if it was the run blocking unit or the backs. I thought they were okay. **
(on the Aaron Rodgers' fumble)
They blitzed more people than we had blocking.
(on the interception in the end zone)
It was man free (coverage) They brought a secondary off the slot and we picked it up because the protection was good. I couldn't tell you where the safety was at. Greg Jennings was the number two receiver on the route so without seeing the film I couldn't tell you.
QB AARON RODGERS
(on his play)
I was disappointed with how I played. I feel our defense played well enough for us to win. I just didn't make enough plays and turned the ball over twice.
(on the offense)
We kicked three field goals. As good as that is for Mason we need to finish those drives, especially when you get a chance to take the lead on these guys. They run the ball so well with LenDale and Chris. You have to make them throw it. The defense gave us a great opportunity to win the game. We have to finish those drives.
(on playing the Titans tough)
There are no moral victories. We wanted to come out of this 5-3. I felt like we had a great game plan that was very aggressive. I just didn't throw the ball as well as I wanted to. I am very disappointed in the way I played.
WR GREG JENNINGS
(on the game)
We just didn't play how we wanted to play today. Hats off to them, they got one that we felt we should have got. That is the way it goes sometimes. When you have close games it is all about finishing and we weren't able to finish. You can't let a game like this slip away.
(on the turnovers)
Bottom line is we gave them more opportunities than they gave us. If you win the turnover battle odds are you are going to win the game. They won the turnover battle.
(on how close the game was)
That shows you how slim the margin of error is. We are all in the NFL. All the teams are good. I don't care what the record is. Every team is going to come to play and come to win. We came to win, but we didn't get it done.
LB AJ HAWK
(on missed opportunities)
We had many opportunities to take the game over and we just didn't do that today for one reason or another. They made plays and they executed. I give them credit. Their defense played great and they got some big turnovers that we weren't able to come up with.
(on the Titans offense)
It was pretty physical. They did a good job of running the ball. We knew that coming in. They have a good offensive line and a good solid physical offense altogether. They broke a few long ones on us and that hurt. When you give up explosive gains like that it is hard to win the game.
(on Chris Johnson)
He is a good player. They use him very well. They have a good one-two punch. With that physical offensive line up front he knows how to run the ball. He is a good cut back runner. I give their offense credit, they do a lot of good things to get their guys in space.
OL MARK TAUSCHER
(on the game)
It is a frustrating and tough loss, but I feel good about the fact that we came down here and played well. Just not well enough to win. We give them a lot of credit. We just have to examine what plays we didn't make and why we didn't make them.
(on going for it on fourt- and-one)
We were sitting in a great spot. We had one-on-ones everywhere and we just didn't make a play. I love the fact that we were aggressive and went for it. We didn't execute it. I think you can say that is the reason. They executed when they needed to and we didn't.
(on losing Chad Clifton)
Chad is a Pro Bowl player and it is always a tough loss when he isn't able to play. It is a big shift and a lot of guys get affected by it. I thought Daryn (Colledge) stepped up. It always nice to give guys opportunities to go and show what they can do.
(on the close game)
It came down to a handful of plays that we didn't make. You give Tennessee credit. They are a very good football team, but if we make those plays we win the game. This is a the results are in deal and we came down here to win and we didn't get it done. Almosts are no good. You have to win.
DT JUSTIN HARRELL
(on the overtime loss)
They just ran the ball and made more plays. It's one of those things. I guess we just have to get back on the practice field this week.
(on the play of Titans running back Chris Johnson)
He's a good back. He has good vision and good speed. He recognizes cut back lanes and things like that. He's a big factor for them getting this win today.
(on playing the Titans in the closest game this season)
Yeah (we came close), but like I said, we didn't. That's the only thing that really matters. You don't want to get any moral issues, play them close and let them make throws. You can't expect a win when that happens.
(on returning to the field)
I felt good just being out there. I am disappointed just like everybody else in this locker room. I didn't want to come out here and just be happy that I played. I wanted to go out here and get a victory and that didn't happen.
CB/S JARRETT BUSH
(on if the team had momentum after the missed field goal)
I thought we definitely had the momentum. Coming down, I was hoping that we could get the ball and score. It's the way it falls sometime.
(on if the impact of the loss)
They got the bounce. We just need to keep rolling and pick up the pieces and build from what we got.
(on if he deflected Rob Bironas' kick at the end of regulation)
I nipped it with my glove. My finger didn't actually tip it, my glove actually tipped it. If that's enough for the miss, then it's enough for the miss. They didn't make the field goal. Took them to overtime and they had the better team today.
CB CHARLES WOODSON
(on having a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter)
The one thing you take away from that is that we had our opportunities to win the game. They missed a field goal, get the coin toss and drive down and get the field position to win the game. Those last 10 minutes, we had an opportunity, but we didn't take advantage of it.
(on the Titans' ability to win the game)
They just made some plays. The young guy, the running back (Chris Johnson), is pretty good. He made some people miss. A couple of runs got extra yards. They just executed down the stretch to get it to field goal position. They made the plays they needed to make late and we didn't.
(on having a couple of chances to make interceptions)
I feel like I left two out there today. Those were definitely game changers, but I wasn't able to come up with them. It was a tough game. We fought, we had opportunities and we just need to get ready for next week.
(on if the Titans were the most physical team the Packers have seen this season)
It was a tough game. We knew they would try to run the ball. They have one of the better rushing attacks, if not the best in the league. They ran the ball well. The big run they had late in the first half, I think that one of all the runs hurt the most. We were up and had the momentum. Those kind of plays take the air out of you. * *
