Head coach Mike SmithOn Roddy White saying the offense needs to help out a little bit more:
"Well, I think our offense has to do what we all have to do, and that's go out and do our job. I know that if we play efficiently in all three phases we're going to like where we're at, at the end of the ball game. Our offense has put up some very good markers for us for the most part, and if they will go out and do their job I think we're going to like what the outcomes going to be, and about 4:05 we'll be where we want to be."
On practice today:
"I thought practice went well. As we always talk about, Thursday is situation day, and I thought it went well. We got some moving parts with guys in new positions, but I thought they handled it extremely well."
On having Roddy White back on a regular rhythm at practice:
"We talk about practice, it's really about training. You're training your body; you're training your mind all through the week. When you get the opportunity to go out there and work with one another it's going to definitely enhance your chances of playing well. That's why if we could we would like to have guys out at practice every day. We know that's not possible, there's going to be injuries, but I think that Roddy came out and was able to get a full week in. That's going to be a positive thing for us on Sunday."
On the plan changing for keeping Roddy White out of practice on Wednesdays:
"I think I said on Wednesdays, depending on how he felt and what surface we played on we would give him some time off. This week he felt good. He had a long layoff because he missed the Thursday game. He felt good about coming out and practicing and did a very good job for us on Wednesday and today."
On Kemal Ishmael:
"Our expectations for Kemal and anybody that is a backup is that he's got to step up and play at the same level as the guy that was in front of them. Those are our expectations, and I've said it many times, being a backup is the toughest job in the NFL, especially when you're called into a game when you haven't had the week of practice. Kemal is going to have a whole week of practice, taking the majority of the reps, and I anticipate that he'll have a good game. It's a lot different when you have a week to prepare and taking the majority of the reps and that's what he did this week."
On preparing for Odell Beckham Jr.:
"We're anticipating that he will play. They've been talking about it for about three weeks that he was targeting the Atlanta Falcon game. He's a very good wide receiver. We don't have a whole lot of film on him in the NFL, but we did our due diligence in the draft process and he is a really good player. It creates other issues; we got a guy that lines up in the slot that's a really good player, now they're going to add a guy that can line up on the flanks. It's going to create some issues for us.
On seeing Beckham, Victor Cruz, and Reuben Randle:
"I think so. That's what we're anticipating. Again, it's his first game playing. I don't know if he's going to have a full load it depends on where he his health-wise. I know that he was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday."
On Larry Donnell:
"He's very similar from what you've seen from the Green Bay tight ends. The West Coast offense is really evolved and they ask him to do a whole lot. There'll be times that he'll be in the backfield, and they'll ask him to lineup in the backfield and run routes from the backfield. They'll also ask him to be in the protection in block."
On Rashad Jennings:
"He's done an outstanding job. He's a big, strong running back, and he's gotten on track like their entire offense has the last two weeks. He's a big guy. I remember he spent some time in Jacksonville. We've been able to talk to Dirk (Koetter) and Mike Tice in terms of what his strengths and what his weakness are, but right now he's running with a lot of authority. He's a physical runner, and he's a guy that's big enough that you're going to have multiple guys – you can't just have one guy there."
On Andre Williams:
"He's a strong back, too. He was a guy that we did a lot of work on in the draft process; thought he was an impressive back. He's a big, strong back in the same mold as Jennings."
On his expectations for Paul Worrilow and Tyson Jackson moving forward in trying to stop the run:
"I think we all have to do better. In the defense of the run, I've said it, it's all three levels, but it starts at the first level. We've got to win there. There's going to be times that you're going to get single blocked, and when you get single blocked you should be able to beat the block and make a play. That's the goal of a defensive lineman. If you get doubled, and they have four hands on you it's going to be a little bit harder, but you still have to be gap sound in what you're doing. That's what's going to be important for us is that we got to win the line of scrimmage, and when you get one-on-ones we've got to come off blocks and make plays, so the ball doesn't get to level two and level three."
