Head Coach Jay Gruden
On injuries:
"Alright injury report, there are no changes. We had a couple did not participates in [Troy] Apke, [Jamison] Crowder and [Paul] Richardson. Then limited were [Vernon] Davis, [Josh] Doctson, [Shawn] Lauvao, [Adrian] Peterson, [Brandon] Scherff, [Chris] Thompson, [Zach] Vigil and [Trent] Williams."
On TE Vernon Davis' injury:
"He has a…he slightly did his hamstring. Slight hamstring."
On the nature of WR Jamison Crowder's injury:
"Ankle."
On if Crowder's injury occurred during Monday's game:
"Yes."
On if the injury will Crowder from playing Sunday:
"He didn't practice today. He's day-to-day. It's a little swollen but we'll give him until obviously game time to figure that out."
On if he is simplifying things on defense:
"I don't know if it's about simplifying or just communicating better, making sure everybody is on the same page that's all. We've been doing some of the same stuff since training camp that we messed up, which is a little mind-boggling. But we'll get it fixed up. Coach [Torrian] Gray (defensive back coach) and Coach [James] Rowe (assistant defensive back coach) and [Greg] Manusky (defensive coordinator), they'll do a good job of fixing it up. It was an abysmal performance by a lot for people not just the secondary, not just the defense, but the offense included. I think we all have a lot of work to do."
On improving the communication on the field:
"Well it starts in the film room, film study, and then we go out and practice for a reason. Give them different looks, as many different looks as we can, and communicate and it carries over on the field. There's only so much we can do. There's only so many looks we can give them. We're always going to see something new. The Saints gave us a few different formations with [Mark] Ingram and [Alvin] Kamara in at the same time, a couple different things. But nothing that should've been that confusing."
On how much of the miscommunication is happening during the week in comparison on game day:
"Yeah, not much. I think some of them, like I said, I think they're coached up and for whatever reason we had a couple busts. You know, three or four of them that cost us big time. It's up to us as coaches to make sure that doesn't happen because the play is a reflection of us. We have to make sure they totally understand and have a good grip on what they're doing. Then on game day, they have to go out and execute."
On the responsibility for the miscommunication:
"Me. I'm ultimately responsible."
On on-field responsibility for miscommunication:
"Well, we have constant communication depending on the formation sometimes, backfield sets or what have you. Some things have to change. There are certain things that we want to do to change and that has to be communicated. Obviously, we'll do a better job."
On what he is hoping to see from WR Josh Doctson:
"Yeah, we're just hoping to when the play presents itself for him to make a big play for us. He's a guy that we have to give opportunities to. He has lacked opportunities and had a couple that we didn't cash in on. We had a couple PIs [pass interference]. But overall, I think he's a guy we need to try to get the ball too a little bit more, see what he can do with the ball in the air. Even when he's a little bit slightly covered, we have to give him some opportunity balls. I still expect big things form Josh, fully confident that he's going to be healthy and ready to roll."
On how the offensive line is holding up with injuries:
"I think they're OK. I don't think any of them are probably where they want to be. You know, I think they're all just a little bit… but I think everybody in the NFL up front, you know, these big guys up front, they take a beating. It's a lot of football, a lot of contact for these big men. It's just something that these guys will have to fight through for the most part. I don't know if they'll ever be 100 percent but we just need them to get out there and focus on their job and play to the best of their abilities not matter how they feel."
On the possibility of CB Greg Stroman staying in the game Monday night if he didn't give up a touchdown:
"No, Josh [Norman] was coming back in."
On if G Shawn Lauvao will play this week:
"I think we need to see in practice and see how his calf holds us. You know, these calves, I've had a calf for about six weeks now. It doesn't get better. We just have to make sure that thing, he gets a little bit of work and make sure that thing can hold up on game day. If it tightens up at all today or tomorrow then we'll probably hold him up. But we'll wait and see."
On if Lauvao will play left guard if he can play Sunday:
"Oh yeah. Yeah."
On his own calf injury:
"It's getting better. I'm limited. [Laughter]"
Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky
On his message to the team after the loss to New Orleans:
"We didn't play good at all across the board. Even Jay [Gruden] mentioned it; 'has anybody played good in the room?' nobody has, nobody did. We didn't coach good enough, we didn't play good enough and it's a learning experience for us and we've got to make sure that we come out this week and make sure we perform at a high level, compared to how we performed on Monday night."
On teaching communication as a coach:
"I'm just saying from our standpoint there was a lack of communication on the field and we didn't get it done. We've got to move forward, learn from our mistakes, and make sure it doesn't happen again."
On if he is concerned when LB mason Foster and DJ Swearinger Sr are unable to communicate:
"We are going to try and fix it every time. When we watch the film, that's why we have sessions, and that's why we have practice. Just go out there and we practice those formations and things that they do. There was a situation with those two and we've got to make sure we correct those and we coached off of it. We've got to make sure it doesn't happen this Sunday."
On DB Josh Norman and improvising on a play call:
"No, I just think it was a miscommunication on the part. We just didn't play the right coverage. It showed and [Drew] Brees hit it and made a good play."
On the criticism Norman is facing and his response:
"Very good, I mean today he had a really good practice. He's focused, he's detailed, and I think the whole defense was that way today. It was good to get back out on the field and make sure we fix those wrongs that we had the other night. So, it was a good practice today."
On considering the possibility of scaling down the play calling to avoid miscommunication:
"I think sometimes you put a decent amount of stuff on some of these guys. We try to cut it back. I always try to talk to the coaches asking 'is it too much? If so, then we cut it back, so that's what we'll be doing this week."
On the challenge of facing QB Cam Newton:
"I mean a very good quarterback. He can run. He can throw. He can do it all. Slide in the pocket, big frame guy, you've got to make sure you get bodies around him. He can scramble for a first down. He's a force and he always has been when he got in the league and we've got to go out there and make sure we win the game."
On takeaways from a previous loss to Carolina two years ago:
"I think you go back, you look at it and you take what you needed to from the film. But overall, a different coordinator, a little bit different, same offensive line coach. Just overall, we've got to learn from our mistakes from what we did on Monday and fix them."
On facing RB Christian McCaffrey:
"He doesn't come off the field very often. A very good football player; has great vision, sightlines in the hole, he can speed it, he can beat the post safety and he has great sightlines. It's a real good offense for him as a running back. It's a read option team but overall a very physical football team and we've got to get after them."
On DB Greg Stroman giving up the touchdown and what he tells him:
"He was in there dry, and all of a sudden they caught a touchdown against him. I told him hey man, and for any young guy that's out there playing, you've just got to keep on grinding and keep on working at your profession."
On what he's made of DB Josh Norman's season so far:
"Well, good and bad, ups and downs, just like all of us. From our standpoint and even from a coaching staff, it's up and down. We've got to make sure we are consistent across the board every time and to go out and play and win football games."
On what he said to DB Montae Nicholson after his penalty:
"There were a lot of curse words in there. [Laughter] Sometimes you get tied up in the moment and I understand that as a player – sometimes that does happen – but you can't let that anger or whatever frustration that you have when you are there, dictate a penalty and have the offense go out there. You can't do those stupid penalties, especially on a third down situation where they can gain a first down and that's what they did. A couple curse words in there, but overall, still love the kid."
On LB Ryan Kerrigan and LB Preston Smith's sack production this season:
"I'll tell you this. In the last three weeks with Andrew [Luck] and the quarterbacks we've been playing, they get the ball out quickly. They are very good quarterbacks and we should get pressure on them – don't get me wrong – but we have to just keep on building and building and they'll [sacks] come. Trust me."
On if he changes how he evaluates when the quarterback gets the ball out quickly:
"We base it on how many pass protections that they're getting, how many single times they're getting blocked, the amount of times the ball is coming out. Maybe it's under two seconds or 2.5 seconds. From that standpoint, I think they're up and down as well. So, we have to make sure we are on a consistent level."
