Todd Haley Press Conference - 12/14
Tarkus
Dec 14, 2009, 6:22:06 PM
Highlights
TODD HALEY: �Had a chance to review the tape as a staff and with the
players. Some of the issues or some of the things contributing to the
loss are pretty obvious. Turning the ball over like we did and end up in
the minus turnover-wise and even though we took the ball away three
times generally leads to a loss.
�Thought our defense did a very good job overall, did a great job of
creating turnovers, did a great job versus the passing game holding them
to 73 yards. In the run game, we�ve got to be better. That�s two weeks
in a row where we�ve given up too many yards and most of those coming on
three or four plays. We�ve got to do a better job of executing the
defense - missed tackles being the other culprit in reviewing the tape.
But I thought the secondary did a real good job in most phases of the
game and the defense gave us a chance to win and kept us in the game
throughout.
�Offensively, we�ve got to capitalize on those turnovers. When we get
the ball in those areas we�ve got to turn it into points. We weren�t
able to do that. I thought we did a very good job in the run game.
Jamaal Charles continues to be a real bright spot for us. I think there
are a lot of good things going on with him in the pass game and the run
game, even in the turnover situation when he made the tackle and forced
the fumble. The pass game I thought we made some outstanding plays but
turned the ball over four times in the pass game � two tipped balls, a
poor decision by the quarterback to start the third quarter and then the
last play of the game in a desperation mode. We cannot turn the football
over.
�Special teams was an area going into that game that we felt like we had
to win and I don�t think we did that. When they net punt 53 yards and we
net 29 on punts that�s almost a 100 yards of hidden yardage that adds up
to points. We�ve got to do a better job than that against good special
teams units which they are. That was one of the keys to the game in the end.
�With everything said and done we had a chance to get ahead in that game
late and we just didn�t make a couple of plays that would have been
necessary. We�re 0-1 in the fourth quarter of the season.�
Q: Yesterday was a close game but you threw the ball twice for every
time you ran. Would you do it differently now or are you okay with that?
HALEY: �I think going into that last possession I think we were fairly
balanced. We wanted to start the game with some high percentage passes
which we did. When you have a two-minute [situation] at the end of the
half [which] we were in I think that�s going to un-balance it a little
bit. Then, at the end of the game it makes it a little more unbalanced
than it was. When you have two, two-minute situations in the game where
you�re without time-outs or limited time-outs and you end up throwing
the ball it maybe appears a little more pass heavy than we were.
�But I feel very good about how that game went as far as decisions that
were made. We had five penalties and most of them were really, really
critical � some that brought runs back, some that brought passes back.
We had 17 minus plays counting sacks and penalties offensively. When you
have 17 minus plays, you�re in the hole too much of the time.
�I thought we did a really good job of climbing out of some of those
holes � some tremendous second and ultimately some third down
conversions that got us out of minus situations. That�s what good teams do.�
Q: The fact that you really only have one running back, is that a factor
in having to throw as much as you are right now?
HALEY: �Again, I feel comfortable with decisions that were made in that
game, for the most part. There is always the ebb and flow of the game
and what you�re seeing defensively that helps you make your decisions.
As I said yesterday, we�ve got to give number 25 [Charles] some breaks
throughout the game and every time a run is called you wish he was in
there the way he�s running. That�s more because of him and the big plays
he�s making and less about the other guys.�
Q: You have said the QB has seven critical decisions throughout a game.
At this part of the season what percentage of those critical decisions
do you feel he�s made correctly?
HALEY: �That would take a little time to answer that. Staying in the
present tense, yesterday, the start of the third quarter is a decision
Matt would like to have back. But I thought the quarterback did a good
job of fighting through some adversity and ultimately put us in a
position to potentially win that game. All things considered and that is
the bottom line � a win and a loss � I thought we had a great
opportunity to win late on the second to our last possession which was a
terrific drive and well executed by him. We overcame a penalty or two.
He put the ball on the money that would have potentially given us the lead.�
Q: Were you upset with Matt at the end of the first half?
HALEY: �No, I was upset with how we executed our two-minute. I thought
Matt did some real good things in that game. I think, again, it�s easy
to pile on the quarterback with four interceptions right now but in
reviewing that tape much like I thought after the game I think there�s
one decision we�d like to have back.
�In our two-minute operation I thought we had a chance with a time-out
left. We got an early completion out of bounds and then a big play to
Mark Bradley and we were in a position to at least have a chance to kick
a field goal. We ultimately got sacked and that put us behind the eight
ball having to use the time-out.�
Q: When Matt was walking on the field in the first half he was either
yelling at your or the fans. Would he have had a reason for yelling at you?
HALEY: �I don�t know. You would know better than I. I have no idea what
you�re talking about. You asked me about the end of the half and if
there was anybody upset it was me about our execution overall. I thought
we wasted time getting lined up, a lot of different factors, and weren�t
as efficient as we need to be.�
Q: Were you yelling at Matt at the end of the first half in his headset?
HALEY: �No, at the end of the half I take my headset off. You said he
was yelling?�
Q: He said after the game that he wasn�t yelling at the fans?
HALEY: �I was overall pleased with the majority of the quarterback play.�
Q: How much of the execution of the two-minute is based on the
quarterback play?
HALEY: �The stuff that I was upset about: none. It was all other things.
Matt was doing what he was supposed to do. We had a couple of mental
errors in other areas that ultimately cost us a sack and really put us
out of position to have a chance of kicking a field goal.�
Q: Do you know if Dwayne Bowe will have a full role on Sunday?
HALEY: �Dwayne is back this week. We haven�t had any contact by league
rules � you�re not allowed to have any contact with a suspended player.
We�ll have to do our best to see where he�s at and get him up to speed.
Any time you�re missing one of your better players � which we were for
the last four weeks � I�m personally excited about having Dwayne back. I
think Dwayne was making tremendous strides when the suspension occurred
and I think he�s made strides in all areas to a point where he cares
about what we�re trying to do. Just in looking at him it looks like he�s
done a pretty good job of keeping himself in condition. We�ve got to get
him up to speed in any of the new stuff we�re doing. Like I said, I�m
personally excited about having him back in the mix. We need all the
hands we can get.�
Q: What�s been your experience in getting a guy back after all this time?
HALEY: �I don�t think it�s any different than an injury and probably a
little less than that standpoint. As far as I know there are no physical
limitations and it will all be a matter of getting him up to speed
mentally and getting him back into the mix. I know he�s a professional
and from the looks of what I can see today and talking to him he�s done
a pretty good job of keeping himself in condition and says he has. It�s
what I expected him to do.�
Q: Do you know if the players had spoken to him during his time away?
HALEY: �Again, as far as I understand by league rules we�re not allowed
to have contact with him.�
Q: When he got suspended you said you weren�t allowed to talk about it.
Can you talk about it now?
HALEY: �No, I�m not going to talk about. It�s still a league deal. I
know he�s back. I know he�s excited to be back and we�re excited to have
him back. When we get a chance to get one of our better and more
productive offensive players back I think that�s a big thing for us.�
Q: Looking at your decision-making on the fourth downs a day later, how
would you assess them?
HALEY: �Again, I don�t know that I would do a whole lot over in regards
to the fourth down calls. That�s an in-game ebb and flow. When they
don�t work there is going to be some criticism of them and when they do
probably not so much.
�In the end we were in a position to win the game and we didn�t do it
and that�s really what the game of football is about. I don�t think I�d
do a whole lot over. I thought we were fairly efficient.�
Q: Were the decisions to call time-out simply to discuss to go for it or
was it an adjustment process of having the play ready?
HALEY: �At the end of the half we challenged the play before the
decision. At the end of the game with the clock running down we called a
time-out on a fourth down to make sure we got the right call because it
was such a big call. We were all pretty clear on what we wanted to do;
it was just a matter of having some personnel shift that has to take place.�
Q: Your punter had maybe his worst game in the last two or three years.
He had very short punts out of your own territory. Was there a problem?
HALEY: �Dustin is probably his toughest critic and has a lot of pride in
what he does and the job that he does. I know he wants to be better and
other parts of the special teams have to be better to help him. No
problems as far as I know other than to be better and executing in all
areas.�
Q: Do you feel you�re still seeing progress with this team?
HALEY: �I don�t have any doubt we�re making progress. Again, it�s tough
when you look at the record and see that. But I just have to go by what
I see on a daily basis and see what I see during the game, after the
game, certain responses by players, desire of the players to get better
and do the right thing. We�re making progress.
�As I�ve said many, many times: this is a big job. I�m not talking about
a team that�s been at the top. It�s been quite a while but I think it�s
turning, we�re getting better, we�re doing it the right way. We�re
staying with the plan in all areas and we just got to keep on keeping
on, keep adding players to the mix, keep practicing the way we�re
practicing, and everybody get a little better every day.�
Q: You were averaging 6 yards a carry on the ground and Charles carried
it 27 touches and probably is the max of what you�d like him to do. How
do you balance Charles getting rest and the Bills being 32nd against the
rush? Were you equipped personnel-wise to take advantage of that?
HALEY: �I think we were. We had over 300 yards. If we could eliminate a
couple of those penalties that were really costly and hurt us
�chunk-wise� we probably had one of our better offensive days. That
being said when you have 17 minus plays and you�re in second-and-longs
or first-and-longs you gotta do certain things to get back into
manageable third downs. Taking all those things into account, I love
what we did in the run game.�
Q: Your comments at the beginning of the post-game press conference
yesterday where you thanked the fans. Was that something you wanted to
do or something someone wanted you do?
HALEY: �Anything that I say in here is me speaking. I sincerely felt the
fans did a great job for us. The fans are a group that I�ve talked about
from my first day on the job and how excited I was to be a part of this
fan base. I know we�ve got to give them more to cheer about. But if ever
I get a chance to thank the fans, which I got to believe I did at some
point after the Steelers game whether the press conference or the next
day, I do it. Anything I say is how I feel.�