Head Coach Jay Gruden
On injuries:
"The injury report will come out later but as you know we put [Terrelle] Pryor, [Spencer] Long on IR. Who was the other one? Chris Thompson – Pryor, Long and Thompson."
On WR Terrelle Pryor Sr.:
"Yeah, it's tough because after Week 2 supposedly he was having that trouble with his ankle and you could notice it on tape from time to time where he wasn't running his 4.3 40 speed as advertised. He was trying to fight through the pain and I just think after so many weeks of the pounding that he felt like he needed to get it checked out and get it cleaned up and get the surgery. He did his best to try to fight through it, but as far as gauging him for his production on this, it is kind of hard to say because he was never really at full strength."
On playing three games in 12 days:
"Yeah, it's not easy. It's the way the NFL decided to do business. Thanksgiving games are great, but when you're in a bind like we are with the injury situation and having two days to get new players ready for a guy like Coach [Steve] Spagnuolo and Coach [Ben] McAdoo is not easy but we will do it. It's no big deal. Guys are excited to play on Thanksgiving, I think. They're excited to get that bad taste of New Orleans out of their mouth and play in front of our home crowd."
On if C Spencer Long needs surgery:
"Yes, on his quad tendon, I think."
On C Chase Roullier's play this year:
"Chase has done well so far. We just have got to make sure he is OK too. He will pop up on the report pretty soon, I'm sure… He's got an injured hand so we will have to get that taken care of."
On corresponding roster moves:
"We signed Demetrius Rhaney, Tennessee State center. He played with the Rams for three years. LeShun Daniels, we are going to sign – running back from Iowa. He has been on his practice squad the last few days. I think we signed Petey [Pete Robertson] also. So those three."
On T Ty Nsekhe and if he can be a backup at any offensive line position besides tackle:
"He is quite the backup. That's the first time he has really had to play guard. Usually last year when we had injuries at guard he moved to tackle and Trent [Williams] moved to guard. But Bill [Callahan] wanted to try him at guard. He has been here a little bit while and felt more comfortable with him at guard and Trent at tackle. That's the way it went and Ty played pretty well for never playing it. Now that he can play tackle and guard, it's very beneficial. He might have to play only tackle this week. He might have to play guard. He knows them all. Smart guy."
On how RB Samaje Perine gained his trust despite fumbles earlier in the season:
"Well, Kirk [Cousins] threw an interception too one time and I still trust him [laughter]. We can't just bash these players because they have a turnover or make a mistake, otherwise we wouldn't have any players or coaches left. I think you just learn from your mistakes. If it becomes a repeated habit after time – I think when it is an exchange issue, I think we can clean it up with the quarterback and the back. If you're fumbling through the hole and trying to get extra yards time and time again then you have an issue. But I don't think it is an issue right now. Samaje has been pretty good."
On if the NFL needs to clarify its rules to get players, coaches and officials on the same page:
"I think we are on the same page for the most time. There is always going to be that one or two rare instances that come up, like this, this 'not-grounding' to me. We had two receivers in the area. Quarterbacks throws it away all the time that are uncatchable balls whether they are in the pocket or not. As long as there is a receiver in the area, you can throw it whether they are looking or not. Guys run bad routes – one guy runs a hitch and he's supposed to run a go and the quarterback throws the go ball, it's not grounding. So I don't know why the confusion. There are a few rules like that that need to get cleaned up. The catch rule is probably one of them, that one and now the ball crossing the end zone if they have control or not. I think that one needs to be cleaned up. I'm sure the league will address it. They always do and they will make it right."
On the importance of WR Jamison Crowder down the stretch:
"Very important, they all are, especially with Jordan [Reed] out too possibly. He has got to pick up the slack as does Josh [Doctson] and Ryan [Grant] and Vernon [Davis] and Niles [Paul] and Sprink [Jeremy Sprinkle]. I think the good thing is that we do a pretty good job here. Kirk does an excellent job of spreading the ball around so it's not like we have one target guy and if you take him away, you're good. A lot of teams can play double coverage. They can double two guys, but I think the other guys have been enough involved in the offense where Kirk feels comfortable getting the ball if they are doubled. Crowder will get his reps but if they choose to double him then Doctson, Grant, Sprinkle, whoever it is, has got to get open."
On if Crowder is feeling better physically or if something different has led to his recent success:
"I think he has had some good looks before, he just didn't get them. I think he has done a good job and he is feeling better physically, I'm sure of that. But even so, even when he might have been a little dinged up, he was still running good routes. We just, for whatever reason, he didn't get the balls targeted to him as much as he should. The more he gets targeted, the more Jamison is going to make plays because he can make plays when he is covered and when he is not covered obviously."
On Roullier's injury and if C Tony Bergstrom would be the starter if he can't play:
"Yeah, Tony would be the starter if he can't go. It's a hand fracture, maybe. I don't know. We will get it checked out. You will get the injury report later."
On DL Anthony Lanier II:
"Yeah, Anthony initially… He is such a big guy, talented guy, long and initially he was a third-down type rusher. Last year that's what he was really brought in to be. On third down we would throw him out there in nickel and let him rush the passer. Now with all the injuries, he has had to play first and second down a little bit more too. He's done a good job. He is getting better and better. He's just got to keep playing. He's very young when it comes to that position. Learning new techniques, it's not just a one gap, get up the field and go. There are a lot of different things he has to do and learn with leverage and fighting off double teams and all that. He's getting better and better at it. Still a long way to go, but the good thing is he is getting stronger every day in here and he is listening to Coach [Jim] Tomsula and you can see the progress steady."
On how he thinks QB Kirk Cousins has played this year:
"I think he is playing pretty good, really. I think in that New Orleans game, I think the one thing you can noticeably see is his play under pressure with the pass rush coming at him. You saw him against Seattle. You saw him last week against New Orleans with some free hitters in the hole where in the past he might've just thrown it out of bounds or thrown a dirter or just thrown it away. Now he is waiting until the very last second and throwing very catchable balls and getting big plays out of it. I think that is the biggest change that I've seen. He just continues to get command of the offense. I've always said repetition is king and the more reps he gets the better he just seems to get."
On the mood in the building this week:
"Anytime you lose a game, you put so much into a game and you play so well for so long and then you lose it in the last minute or you lose it like we lost against Minnesota or lost against Dallas, you never like to lose to them twice, against Philly in a close game, close game at Kansas City on Monday night… It's hard, but these guys have shown the ability to bounce back and continue to prepare and work hard. I don't think it is going to matter – it doesn't matter – what our record is or who we are playing. These guys are going to prepare the same way and get after it and give it all they've got. It's the only thing they can do."
On coaching through all the injuries:
"Yeah, it's hard. It's one thing to have a lot of guys go on IR, which we have. But it's another thing having guys with one or two week injuries who are inactive and then you have got to get guys ready. You have got to try to get your practice squad to match what you need at practice to even have a practice. That's been the hardest part, because like I said yesterday, we have been so heavy on the offensive line from a personnel [standpoint], it's damaged inside backers, safeties, wide receivers actually, tight ends, running backs, obviously. That's been the hardest – the toughest – challenge but the good thing is we have got great coaches in the building and the players that are replacing the players that are injured have stepped up and played pretty well."
