Q. Pete, just a different year, obviously, no preseason. What's it like preparing for an opponent week one when there's none of that background of a preseason? Does that change what you guys do at all?
PETE CARROLL: Well, there's always concern about going into the first game because you see stuff in preseason and you kind of don't trust it, you know, because you don't ever know. This is just amplifying that. We've just got to wait and see. We have all of last year, we've seen Matt Ryan for a long time. We know Todd Gurley, we know about Julio, we know the guys. It's wait-and-see, and they've got to wait and see on us, too. We have to be ready to adapt and have to have really good communication to get that done and hopefully we'll be able to stay ahead of it.
Q. Does a decade in college football help prepare you for this as a coach?
PETE CARROLL: There's no question. There's no question. As I've said from the start, okay, we just flick into the college prep and how we did that. What was unique about the SC thing is that every single game mattered at the end of the year in terms of you had to try to win every game, and so that first game when you didn't know and you had to figure out where you were, did you have a good club or not, there was a lot going.
It really did prepare us for this because every game for us is a championship game here, and we look at it the same way. So I'm glad to have that experience.
Q. Pete, we were talking to Dan Quinn this morning and he was talking about the crowd noise, and he called it "ambient sound" is what they've settled on, kind of a middle-of-the-road background noise. Has the NFL now mandated taking that choice out of your hands? Is there one standard across the board?
PETE CARROLL: I haven't heard that. Have we heard that? I haven't heard that if they did, and I wouldn't be surprised if that did happen. I kind of thought it might. But as far as I know, we're going -- we're playing in whatever sound they put out there. We have no plan now. But a couple weeks from now -- we've already kind of decided how we'll do it if we have the choice.
Q. John Ursua, the timing of that move, and what Penny Hart is bringing you that he wasn't?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, we're really excited about Penny getting a chance to be on the roster. We love Johnny, too. It just was -- there was concerns going through the final releases and stuff like that that we went through and it just turned out this way.
That's like a no-answer right there. Sorry.
Q. Pete, I know the preseason there's a lack of live tackling outside of the games themselves. How much of a concern is that, though, going into the start of the season, not even having those opportunities that you guys have had?
PETE CARROLL: You know, I don't know what coach and what level isn't concerned about tackling on the first game, wherever you're playing; are the guys going to hit them or are they not. It's a concern. You know, that's why we played game-like in the second mock game we had, just to make sure our guys did have a chance to go full speed and tackle and all that. It worked out fine. This is what we've done in the past, and just watching our guys -- as a matter of fact, I went back and watched it again last night, just to -- I just wanted to see the tempo again just to see if it matched up to what's going to be necessary and felt fine about it. This is what we've got to do. I don't know what other clubs -- everybody had their own way of doing it and had their own opportunity to figure out how much they were going to hit.
We try to practice at such a good tempo and so much ones against ones during this whole camp that our guys are used to the best speed that we can generate, so hopefully we'll be fine.
Q. Do you anticipate Quinton being able to participate in practice this week? I know you said he was going through the intake process the other day.
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, he is. He's here, and he's ready to go today full speed.
Q. Pete, you talked early in camp about when it comes to testing and protocols, being mentally tough and really challenging your team to be accountable with each other. What have you learned from this group when it comes to that diligence and accountability? And I guess second part here is as you prepare to travel to the other side of the country and really embark on a lot of unknowns here in this season, how realistic do you think it is not only you as a team but that this league can get through the next 17 weeks safely?
PETE CARROLL: First off, just addressing getting through this time, we might be 36 tests or something into it. I don't know how many days or something like that. Our system and the guys' compliance to it has been all but flawless really at this point. So we know that we can create a bubble in our format, and we know that our guys have set up the structures of the way they're living when they're not here in the building effectively, and that's really important to us.
So I know we can do it here, and I would -- there's always issues that can arise, so we have command of this.
Now, the next question is we add all of the variables of the travel, and we've got to see what happens and see how it goes. We're going to carry over the discipline, carry over the focus and the attitude and conscious of all the people around you that is necessary, so we've got to wait and see, wait and see what happens. I'm really curious about it. We've worked so hard to get to this point and I'm hoping that we'll be able to carry it over. I'm not worried about the game part of it, it's more like the transitions between stuff that we've got to -- we're working really hard to control all of those elements, as well.
Q. Do you have a better sense -- you talked Monday about getting more protocols in terms of travel specifically from the league. Do you have a better sense of that?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, yeah, I think we're pretty clear today. I think finally we're in pretty good shape. And I know what the league is doing, they're just trying to do it right, so they're looking at it and checking it and checking it again and checking it again to make sure they've done everything they can. It's a big challenge. Half the league is going on the road. We have to be flexible about that. There's no use complaining about it, we've just got to be flexible and if they come up with something that they need to adjust, we're going to go right along with it and be very compliant and try to make the best of it.
Q. In the week 8 game last year against Atlanta, what happened in the second half to the defense?
PETE CARROLL: I thought Atlanta got really good. They went on a tear after that second half, winning a bunch of games the second half of the year. It just seemed like they kind of found a rhythm. They mixed the runs really nicely and were effective on the ground.
We might have -- we haven't been ahead 24-0 very many games since we've been around, and we might have not handled that very well. But they played really well and we were scrambling to get a win.
Q. Was there anything about your team's play that you remember from -- saying, hey, this is something we've got to fix, from that game?
PETE CARROLL: No. No. I mean, we just had to be -- the truth of what happened, we got rolled up pretty good in the third quarter and they got rolling. It's basically what I have to do, I have to do a better job commanding the mentality coming out of that half. I don't think it's about them, I think it's about me. I talk to myself quite regularly in that regard.
Q. Can you record that sometime?
PETE CARROLL: No. Sorry. (Smiling.)
Q. Just want to get your initial thoughts on just finally being in a game week and preparing for Atlanta.
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, it's really fun. You can feel the energy in everybody, the coaches, everybody in the building, the players for sure. And for a lot of guys it's their first NFL game ever, so they're all pumped up about it. It's really important to us to watch those guys and see that they don't get too hyped or whatever. They need to stay in the kind of pocket that we need to stay in. But there's a lot of excitement about it, and this is -- I think even more anticipation in a sense because we've had so little football over the course of the off-season and all. There's big buildup, looking forward to it, and it's going to be a much different experience than we normally see on the road. It's going to be interesting.
Q. What are your initial thoughts about Atlanta given you haven't been able to watch much film leading up to today or this weekend?
PETE CARROLL: Well, they've added some good players. When you add Todd Gurley to your team, that can really affect the complexion and style of your play. He's been a dominant football player. And Hayden Hurst is a really good player, too. They had a good tight end last year in Hooper, but Hayden looks every bit the same, and they add a really good element after you might have thought they lost something. And we're seeing Matt Ryan.
This is a really skilled quality offensive football team to deal with, and I know they'll be fired up on defense, too, Dan will have them all jacked up, so it's going to be a really tough match-up.
Q. I was just wondering bigger picture, how much do you think you know about your team at this point, given everything you've gone through compared to normal and where you've gotten to at this point?
PETE CARROLL: Well, you know, I know everything that I know. That's reminiscent of one of those -- yeah, I feel like I have as much information as I could have gotten to this point. You're asking, wait, what's going to happen when we get to the game and are we going to be totally different. I don't think so. I've watched us practice for many years here and kind of know what the speed looks like and the tempo and the execution, and I'm very pleased with where we are right now. I'm really excited about this team going out and finally getting a chance to show it. It really wouldn't matter who we were playing or where we're playing right now, we've just got to go play a football game and see what we need to adjust. But our guys have -- the leadership has been really formidable in keeping the pace and keeping the tempo and keeping the focus, and that's all we can hope for, so let's go see. That's why we play the game, just got to find out what's going to happen. We'll have a good story for you afterward.
Q. I'm curious if you guys have to get creative on Saturday with what you're going to do. I'm guessing guys won't be allowed to leave the hotel, but helping guys get through the day so you're not sitting around and getting tight and getting bored, whatever.
PETE CARROLL: You know, if you think about it, to me it's not any different than it ever is. We're going to do all the same stuff we always do. There's not that much time that guys spend outside of the hotel in the past. We basically have our routine that we go through and they get back to the hotel before 3:00 or something, so there's only a few hours in there. Hopefully there's some good movies on or be a ballgame or something going on.
But it's not that much different.
Q. Just a general question on the roster rules this year in terms of expanded practice squad and the ability to call some guys up on Saturday and things like that. Just kind of curious your general thought on what they've tried to do there and how much you think that might impact things on game day.
PETE CARROLL: The league has made an effort to make it as flexible as possible for us so that we can deal with the issues, whatever they are, and if we lose a couple players or something like that, we need the flexibility to transition guys from the practice squad. They've added six spots on the practice squad and six veteran spots, too, that you can utilize if you want.
It's been really -- they've thoughtfully designed it so that we'll have the flexibility to put out a good club. That's why everybody that's practicing with us is like on the roster, because everybody could be called on. A little bit different sense of that and a feeling for the size of the roster and the flexibility. Eight linemen up, you can get another spot, that's a good deal, too, and we'll always take that into consideration.
It seems like things are better getting prepared for the game and the flexibility that they've given us.
Q. With Dunbar with the late start that he got and the time that he's missed, how you feel about his readiness in terms of grasp of the defense and of the position and all that.
PETE CARROLL: Well, he's really a bright kid. Picking up the system has been nothing for him. It's been really easy. He's had good competitive work. Not as much as some other guys. You look at -- say he hadn't pulled his hamstring or something like that, what would it be like. It's kind of -- he's missed enough days that he hasn't got them all, and you can tell a little bit. But because of the savvy player that he is, the experience that he has, we would be comfortable if he's on the field playing for us.
Q. And about the traveling, I'm sorry if you were asked this, but is your traveling party going to be any smaller this year than it was in years past with what's going on?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, yeah, the numbers are way down, yeah. It's very strictly governed. Our numbers are way down. People in the locker room, numbers are way down. Accessibility to the team has really been of paramount importance, so the league has done a lot of things to make statements, how they want this to go. We're just preparing to be totally in compliance, but the numbers are -- it's different.
Q. You mentioned the additions that the Falcons made in the off-season but they're also getting a Pro Bowl safety back in Keanu Neal. How much does his return to the field change Atlanta's defense and impact the way you're going to be able to attack them offensively?
PETE CARROLL: He's a really good player and really aggressive and a playmaker, so they missed him last year, just like we would.
That just makes him better. He plays fast and he's really tough, and he's a guy that comes through -- makes come-through type of plays and stuff, so he'll be a positive factor for them for sure.
Q. You talked a little bit about this, but I'm just wondering how do you keep guys like Damian Lewis grounded? Guys got to be ready to go, flying high, but how do you keep them grounded?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, that is a challenge for us right now. At this time of year I'm always talking about this to the coaches, that let's watch them really carefully, really be observant to see if there's any changes from how things have been. We're going to try to read the body language and read reactions and stuff but also knowing that there's just a natural hype about first time out. You don't ever get to do that twice. It's one shot to be your first game, NFL game, so we want to make sure that they're really clear thinking and take into account those factors and see if we can keep them really calm. We really like for instance in his case, we love the way he plays, so we just want him to do what he's been doing, and he'll be fine. We'll remind him that it's just football. He's played in a lot of big stadiums, in a lot of big games, and this is going to be particularly more quiet than down where he was at LSU, so I think he'll handle it okay.
Q. I know the players are excited as a collective to get on physically and do something that they love, and then also the opportunity for them to continue the discussion about what's important off the field, just the opportunity they have.
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, what I've encouraged the guys to do is let's stay with the topic. Let's get comfortable with staying with the topic so that we do stay in the present. We can handle it. We can handle it, and it's the right thing to do. We've got a lot of responsibility to keep learning and keep growing and I want to keep helping our players be exposed to whatever they can be exposed to to learn and have a greater sense as they're going through this as well as everybody else.
I feel there's a responsibility on my end of it to keep doing that, and in that, let's stay with it. This isn't something we just want to put in our back pocket and forget about it. It's too important. The whole thing we're talking about voting and all that is a huge issue that we want to be part of and we'd like to encourage and help it if there's some way that we can. That's coming from the players.
So we will stay on topic when the opportunity arises.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports