Q&A with TODD HALEY - 12/23
Tarkus
Dec 23, 2009, 5:18:51 PM
Highlights
Q: 51 is the record for dropped passes.
TODD HALEY: �Yeah, I got it. Generally doesn�t lead to winning records.
Three times the team that has led in drops has had a winning record.�
�Today we started our preparation for the Cincinnati Bengals. I would
like to note Brad Cottam and give you an update [on his injury].
Everything went very well today and he�s already on the road to
recovery. Otherwise, no practice [for] Morgan, no practice [for] Rogers,
limited [for] Waters, limited [for] Magee, limited Glenn Dorsey. Also
Brandon Flowers limited.
�Cincinnati has played at a high level this year. They�re a big
challenge for us. Defensively, they�re a very fast defense that makes a
lot of plays, sideline to sideline. They�re very good against the run
and they�ll be a great challenge for us in that we�ve been running the
football in a positive manner here the last eight games or so. It�ll be
a great challenge for us to see where our running game is at versus a
very good defense in all areas, and really good against the run giving
up only 86 yards a game.
�Offensively, they cause you a bunch of different problems starting with
the two running backs in Cedric Benson who has had a rebirth of sorts
and is showing what people thought of him when he came to the NFL
originally. He breaks a lot of tackles; he�s got 27 plus runs over 10
yards. Larry Johnson, when he got his opportunity to play when Benson
was injured, had over 100 yards. The quarterback looks like he�s back to
Pro Bowl level. And at receiver between Chad and Laveranues [Coles], a
guy I coached back in New York [Jets] and Caldwell, they have some
serious weapons to stretch the field and the tight end is getting a lot
of balls thrown his way.
�As I said on Monday, we�ve got to bounce back defensively. I expect us
to. Our guys have been working hard. Didn�t show up in the Cleveland
game and we got into some technique situations where we didn�t quite
play the way we have to play in order to win. Today we started that process.
�They have a solid special teams unit all the way around and that�s an
area where we have to bounce back to at least where we were as a cover
team which has been one of the positives.�
Q: Did Cottam have surgery?
HALEY: �Yeah, today he had surgery. I�m not an expert obviously, but
everything I heard is it went very well. He was uncomfortable for a
couple of days and I went in there and saw him and now he�ll be in a
much better off situation. A baseline xray had shown there was a problem
[after the game]. Outwardly everything was fine. It was only through an
xray that a problem was detected.
�We were all pretty excited about Brad like a bunch of these guys like
Jamaal [Charles] or Matt [Cassel] who have fought through some
adversity, and things haven�t gone the way they or we would have
planned. He was a guy I was excited about. He was trying to make a play
when he got hurt. That�s what he�s disappointed about because he really
felt he was coming into his own.�
Q: If Alex Magee and Glen Dorsey can�t play this week, what do you do?
HALEY: �We have a couple of plans in place and I�m hoping that both
[players] come along as the week goes along. But without giving up
competitive advantage we do have a couple of plans in place and I�d hate
to give that away if we end up having to do it. The whole group is
looking for an opportunity to bounce back and I know Glen is
disappointed he wasn�t out there last week and is doing everything he
can to get in there and help contribute and get this run stopped.�
Q: Did something specific happen to Mark Bradley for you to waive him?
Or was it just a case of numbers?
HALEY: �I wouldn�t say anything specific. We�ve got to get this right
and that position�we�re on pace for 47 drops by the league count right
now. I have us at more than that. That�s why I had our guys do a little
study on our own to see exactly where we were after I said it at the
press conference. Then at looking at those results, generally if you�re
close to the top of the league in drops on the negative side it�s not an
indication of a winning team.
�When you drop balls like we did on Sunday, and throughout the year at
times, they cost us victories and an opportunity to feel a little better
about ourselves - for the quarterback to feel a little better about what
he�s doing, for the offense to feel better about what we�re doing. If
you drop a ball on first down it�s second-and-10. You drop a ball on
second-and-10 now you�re in third-and-10. That�s one of the reasons why
we have more third-and-longs than anybody else in the league. It�s
directly related to dropped balls and it�s why we�re 31st in third down
coversions even though we�ve made progress there. We�re at least at an
average position on third down now and you can win if you�re average on
third down.�
Q: Was Bradley the biggest culprit in dropped passes?
HALEY: �Any time you have to release a player it�s not a fun thing. I
think all these guys have bought in and given everything they have and
worked hard and played hard [but] sometimes in a situation it�s just not
getting it done. But in talking to Scott [Pioli] we both said we�ve got
to get this right. We�re trying to find the nucleus of guys we�re going
to go forward with. Some of them are here and some of them aren�t here
right now. We�ve got to formulate an idea of who those guys are sooner
rather than later. We give guys opportunity to show that they can be a
part of it. Sometimes they flourish and sometimes they don�t.
�In Mark�s case, I think he can be a good player in the league but that
slot receiver position is a very difficult position to play. The first
and second receiver know they�re probably going to get 15 to 20 balls
thrown to them in a game. There is not nearly as much play-to-play
pressure that, �I�ve got to catch this ball or I�m costing the team.�
You can drop a ball as a first or second receiver and probably move on
and know there will be maybe 20 more throws your way and can kind of
makeup. When you�re the third or fourth receiver and you come in the
game and sometimes the first ball you see is third down. It�s not an
easy situation and it�s not for everyone. There are certain guys that
have a mentality that they can do it and others it�s not a great spot
for them. It�s an effort to try and find this mix.�
Q: Had he shown you some spark in the return game would he still be around?
HALEY: �I feel like we�ve given opportunity to show and that�s all I�m
trying to do as the head coach, make sure I give enough opportunity to
show that they want to and can be successful players and part of a
winning team.�
Q: There�s a fan after the game that says you flipped him off walking
into the tunnel. Did that happen?
HALEY: �Even though I don�t listen to any of this, I was let know that
was said. No, that�s not how I behave. I have five children that I have
to be a role model for and it�s not something I would do. That
particular area [of the stadium] I can say is sometimes a rough area.
This is the first team I�ve been a part of where the tunnel is actually
at your bench. It can be a rough area and I understand that.
�I spent 20 minutes before pre-game over there signing autographs, after
pre-game [too].. I understand people being upset and mad. I didn�t think
last week it was quite as rough as some other times. It�s an area you
want to get through fast like the other day. But again, it�s not
something I do, want to do or be thought of as doing.�
Q: Was there any interaction with fans as you were walking off the field
this week?
HALEY: �Not that I recall. Like I said, it�s been a lot rougher than
that. I thought in that game although there was a lot of disappointment
there were positives on offense specifically moving the football and
coming back from 10 point deficits twice.
Q: Is it possible you waved off someone? I had a cop who stopped me once
and asked me why I flipped him off when all I did was I waved at him. Is
that something the person may have seen?
HALEY: �That I can�t answer. I high-five people and there were people
there who were pretty positive. Like I said, after the game I was
probably one of the last ones out of the stadium and there are people
who stand by our fence by the parking lot. It�s not very many and I
can�t wait to see it when we�re winning games and people are really
excited, but I leave my family in the car and go out to the fence. I�m
very appreciative of the people who are willing to hang tough through
these tough times � really appreciative of it. That�s why pre-game I
always go by the steps and sign and am appreciative of the people who
come out and root very hard for us.�
Q: When you hear about this from somebody reporting who never shows up
at these press conferences and he calls you a [a derogatory name] how do
you respond?
HALEY: �He did that?
Q: When they report that stuff about you and then don�t show up at press
conferences and you never get to respond to it, it�s got to make you mad
right?
HALEY: �My job is a very big job to try to turn this team around. I�ve
said it and I�m very grateful and thankful for my job and for the
opportunity that the Hunts and Scott [Pioli] have given me. But that�s
what I care about.�
Q: It doesn�t mean you�re a robot.
HALEY: �No, I�m not trying to be a robot either, but I�m telling you to
get the job done you can�t be distracted. You can�t. If I get distracted
by everything that�s said or went on, I have strict rules even at the
house. If I get distracted or caught up in worrying then I�ll be
affected in some way.
�I�ve been a part of what has to be done. I�m in a learning process for
myself. This is my first time being the head coach but I�d like to feel
like I�ve been around the right people and have the right mentality and
thought process to get it done. Now, is it going to be easy? No. Is it
easy right now? No. These are rough waters and you have to have the
mindset to stay the course and that�s what these players have to have.
They cannot get distracted. If you get distracted it�s a cycle that goes
on and on.
�Hopefully, success comes sooner rather than later for everybody
involved but most importantly for this ownership and for the fans that
pay money and come out there. I�m very appreciative of these people. I
was blown away [after last Sunday�s game]. We just got beat in a very
disappointing manner and there were 30 people standing by that fence and
it�s two hours after the game. That�s what I grew up a part of in
Pittsburgh. You gotta stay the course and fight through these rough
times. There is a promised land.�