Transcripts: Jeff Fisher and Nick Foles Talk Improving Over the Bye Week

Jeff Fisher – Post Practice – 10/14/15

(On if he likes the bye week)
"Like I say this every year, you’re not going to find a coach that’s complaining about where and when the bye week falls. I mean, it happens to be a timing thing and we take as much advantage of it as we possibly can. That’s what we’ve done. Really good day today. Guys are coming back, resting some guys, working on some things. So, the question is how do you get through the weekend? How do you start the following week? Then, will you have success or not? So, that’s important."

(On if the coaches like the bye week practices and practice in general)
"Yeah, we prefer to be out here rather than inside. So, I mean, that’s how you get better."

(On if he thinks QB Nick Foles is where he thought he would be a third of the way through his first season as a Ram)
"Yeah, I mean, he’s going to continue to get better. He’s just become more and more familiar with our system and our players and he’ll continue to improve. So, by no means has he peaked."

(On how much the bye week helps Foles)
"Well, I mean, he spending extra time out there right now. But I mean that’s what he does. He has a chance to look at the cut-ups and to be involved in the self-scout process. Those things understandably help. Then, as we make changes offensively, he’s involved in them - which he should be."

(On how DT Nick Fairley fits in and how he’s played so far this season)
"He made a great play on that screen last week - great play. So, he’s done well. He’s playing a good number of snaps to keep the rotation alive in there and keep (DT Michael) ‘Brock’ (Brockers) and (DT) Aaron (Donald) fresh. So, he’s come in and he’s…even though he’s a little bit lighter, still holding on the double teams and still playing run defense well. He’s getting good pressure on the quarterback."

(On if he thinks the bye week comes at a good or bad time for Foles)
"Well, I mean, we look at those…you have to turn negatives into positives. So, this works for us right now. Works for him. Again, one of his strengths is to be able to put things behind him, and he’s done that. He’s looking forward to moving ahead."

(On if last Sunday’s game further enhances what he likes about Foles’ toughness)
"Well it does. Yeah, he did. He took one to the sternum that I thought should’ve been a foul. But yeah, he’s a tough guy. He’s going to get up and he’s going to play the next play. It’s not going to rattle him."

(On if he has any updates on G Rodger Saffold’s injury)
"No, we still have nothing new to report. We’re still doing some tests. It’s that second opinion type thing you go through."

Nick Foles – Post Practice – 10/14/15

(On if he’s been able to get a lot accomplished during the bye week so far)
"Yeah, we got to look at the film from last game and go out there and make corrections. Just putting in the database of corrections and how to improve. And then just being in the weight room, being in the film room, being out there, just getting some work in this week is huge for us to go back and self-scout on what we did. The good things and the things we need to improve on. It’s a good opportunity for us this week to get some work in."

(On if this is a good time for a bye week)
"When we can go back and self-scout and really improve on things as an offense, me as a player. That’s what you use the bye week for. Right now, we’re utilizing that and using it to our advantage. So far, it’s been a very productive week for us."

(On how he would assess the first quarter of the season)
"There’s some good and there’s some stuff we need to improve on. The big thing I see is we need more consistency on offense. Whether it be my play or just us moving the ball. Too many mental errors, too many just errors. It’s the ultimate team game in the sense, on offense everybody’s got to work together. It’s something that we’re working towards this week. Improving on that, seeing what we did well and what we need to improve on."

(On if the group is close especially now that the running game is going)
"Yeah, absolutely, there’s definitely a lot of great things that are going on. The key is to stay positive, keep working. Keep working on your craft. You’ve got to be critical of yourself, but at the same time, keep yourself uplifted. And that’s what the guys are doing."

(On playing talented defenses and how much that helps moving forward)
"It’s huge. A lot of the defenses we’ve played against, like you said, are very talented. Every defense in the NFL, they have great players. I think for our young guys, it’s great to get those games in and then during the bye week sort of let it digest and step back for a second and look at what you did, look at what you can improve on and keep going."

(On what he’s learned about RB Todd Gurley these past few weeks that he didn’t already know)
"Not much that I didn’t already know. That’s what we expected him to come in. He’s a talented player. He’s got a great head on his shoulders. He’s just going to keep getting better and better."

(On if the offense is second nature to him at this point or if that’s still part of the process)
"I feel really comfortable with it, but it’s still part of the process. There’s a lot of quarterbacks in this league that have been in offenses for 10 years, and there’s some that have a new coordinator every year. Like you said, it’s a process. I’m learning more and more every day. As long as I play this game, I’ll keep learning. We’re still improving, still figuring it out. That’ll always be the case. Guys who play in this league for 15 years will still tell you they’re still working to figure it out and get better and that’s what we’re doing."

(On how much freedom he has at the line of scrimmage)
"I have freedom. It’s just based on what play is called."

(On if that’s something that as he goes on he will expect to get more of that responsibility)
"I think as I get older and as I develop and get the offense down even more so and as the coaches and I continue to learn more about each other, that’s a natural growth that happens."
(On how tough the growing process is with so few games)
"That’s why every moment we have is valuable. Even if it’s a tough game offensively, like me last game, there’s always a lot of things you can learn from. Developing character, you learn from your mistakes. It’s just how do you learn from those things? I look at them critically and I want to get back on the practice field and improve on the things I didn’t do well. This time is very valuable."

(On if players staying late shows him that they want to get better)
"Yeah and every week the guys… It’s what do you have to do to do a little more than you did before? How can I get a little bit better this week? How can I get a little bit better today? You can see guys are doing that and that’s what we have to keep doing."

(On if it was tough getting out of bed Monday morning)
"I felt alright. I was able to get out of bed and get some work in and get the blood flowing again. I felt good. Good Lord protected the body throughout the game, so I feel good."

(On if he felt the tackle by Packers LB Clay Matthews was legal)
"That’s not me to say. I don’t make those determinations. I really, at that time, was just worried about the next play and keep going. I know I’ve seen it, but that’s not me to determine."

(On if he sent a text to the league office)
"No, that’s not my job. My job is to keep working in here, keeping these guys improving. Working on myself to make myself better as well."

(On his progress through a third of the season)
"I felt like I progressed. There definitely has been some growing pains and I’m learning. But, where I want to be right now, I want to keep improving every day. I am where I am right now, but I want to keep getting better. I want to keep building, keep improving. The big thing is just being consistent every week and putting us in a situation where we can win the game."

(On what OL Garret Reynolds brings to the line if OL Rodger Saffold can’t play)
"He’s a guy who’s been around, been in the league. He’s a very knowledgeable, talented guy who’s played a lot of football. I think he’ll bring another veteran guy in there if that does happen."

(On if he feels his ceiling is still up there)
"Yeah, absolutely. I have a long ways to go. I have a long ways to go. I have a lot of work to improve. That will be the case for as long as I play the game. I’ll always have a lot of room to improve on. That’s why we go out there each and every day and try to get a little better."

(On if there was a little bit of rust after missing the last half of last season in 2014)
"You’re definitely getting back into the swing of things. I think it’s just learning a new system. It’s not, like we’ve said, second nature. The offense I had been in was second nature to me because I had been in it for two years and felt real comfortable. You’re learning a new system, so as you learn, you just got to get to the point where it’s second nature so you can just go out there and react to it. I’m getting more and more comfortable each week."

(On his relationship with Offensive Coordinator Frank Cignetti and Quarterbacks Coach Chris Weinke and how it’s progressed)
"We’re getting to know each other more and more each week. The relationships we’re building, and that’s what you want. You want to build those relationships throughout the weeks. Go through these tough times together. There’s also been a lot of great things going on together, so as a group we build consistency."

(On how much he’s been able to add to the offense with his skill set and now with the relationships he’s built with his team and coaches)
"They have the system - Cignetti’s system. Me, I just try to learn the system more and more and more of what he wants from each and every play. Through time, if I see something I mention it and then we work together on how we can fit it in to what he already has."