PETE CARROLL: Okay, honestly looking forward to seeing SoFi, see the new place and see what it is. I've flown over it a couple times and been blown away by just the size and magnitude of the whole setup. Can't wait to see it.
The Rams look like a really good football team to us in all ways. They're a complete team. Sean has done a great job with these guys. They're balanced. They can run it. They throw it. They're playing really good defense. Special teams are solid. They are a very good club. In fact, they're in the division. We know when we see them we've been against them for years, and they continue to grow and innovate and do new stuff. New defense looks good. They're doing really well. They're off to a really solid start and going to be a very difficult game for us.
Q. You mentioned Tre Flowers having a really good game on Sunday, maybe even his best game since he's been with you guys. What do you think has changed for him? Is it maybe a matter of confidence at this point?
PETE CARROLL: He was ready to come in confidence-wise and have a really big season. Talked to him in the off-season, and once we got going his mind was right. Competition, you know, kind of took over and he got in the middle of it all, and now for whatever the reason is, he's come right back to the focus he intended to bring to camp.
A couple weeks back it started and you could see him click in technique-wise playing really solid, and like you said, he is. You can see the confidence in everything that he's doing.
I'm looking forward to seeing him come out again against good receivers and put together another good game.
Q. And second thing, do you have any clarity on Shaquill Griffin's situation at this point, and how is Quentin's knee doing?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, the return for Shaquill now is about his hamstring and getting it right. He's running some. We'll see how he progresses through week. If he has a chance to get back, we won't know until the end.
Quentin's knee has bothered him for some time and last weekend for sure, so we have to you attend to that.
Q. You mentioned how innovative Sean McVay is on offense. They've been notorious for running a lot of different plays and concepts out of a core number of formations and personnel groupings. Have you seen anything different from them this year in terms of how they're handling their run game and pass concepts?
PETE CARROLL: They've added some stuff to it. Yeah, they have continued to grow, but staying with the same philosophy, theme of how they've tried to do things in the past. They're on to a really good concept about the formations that they use and how they bunch people up and all that. He's just been really good about continuing to progress.
Q. Every time you play the Rams we talk about Aaron Donald. In what ways has he gotten even better over the years?
PETE CARROLL: He's just doing -- just to keep coming back and being great again is a great accomplishment. He continues to really draw all the attention and make the plays. I think he's got to like 40 times he's affected the quarterback by himself, nine sacks, and there is a lot of times when he's close as well.
So he's just a dominant football player, as good as you can get. As good at his position as anybody has ever been. You know, so it's a real challenge to go against him and it's good for us. We need the work, the challenge. It's hugely important for us to be able to handle him and not let him be a factor, and that's what we're going to try and get done.
Q. Just to clarify on Dunbar, is he going to be available this week?
PETE CARROLL: Have to wait and see. I don't know that yet.
Q. Okay.
PETE CARROLL: Sorry.
Q. And with Chris Carson and Carlos, any update on those guys?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, they're still -- Chris is running more so than Carlos is able to at this time. Chris is ahead of Carlos also coming back. He's going to run today and tomorrow and see how he handles that. I can't tell you anything more than that right now. I wish I could.
Q. With the five sacks that you guys had or that Bills had against you guys, I know they brought a ton of pressure, but what were you guys not doing well in terms of pass protection that you were doing well over the first seven games?
PETE CARROLL: Well, this was a game we were really behind and they were able to tee off on us. They did a nice job. We didn't do as nice as we would like to in handling some stuff. We need to get the ball out.
We were trying to get back in the football game and they just seemed to gain in edges as the game went on. The score was -- they were able to continue to put points on the board and stay ahead of us. When we got close to 27-20 that game could have turned into a really hard-fought game and things would've been different, but they were able to get another score there and scored again after that.
So I think we were just playing from a big deficit and didn't handle it as well as we need to.
Q. With Donald, what's it like game planning for a guy like that?
PETE CARROLL: Well, I have so much respect for his play and what he does. I like the challenge of it. I like the thought where are looking at him and trying to figure out who has come up with some ways to handle him, slow him down, trying to create ways to make it easier for our guys to find him in the alignments and things like that where we can handle him protection-wise.
It's a coach's challenge. He poses as much a threat as anybody that plays the game, in anybody's position. He's that good. Every play he's right there trying to get the quarterback. To me it's a coach's challenge. Kind of what we're preparing for, and hopefully we can handle it well.
Q. Even with no Todd Gurley they have taken that runningback by committee approach. What have you seen from their run game and the development with the three runningbacks that they're using?
PETE CARROLL: You know, they've stayed philosophically the same. When Gurley was really hot he was hot in every phase of the game. You know, he was a big time receiver and big time guy in the screens, as well as all the runs. Such an effective player.
It takes a couple guys to fill his shoes, and they found it. Both guys average around four and a half yards a carry. They're consistent. Both catch the football. The rookies good, too. So they've got a great trio of guys to go to.
Style seems the same. Hopefully we can keep them from being as effective as Gurley was against us at times.
Q. Do you see McVay make life easier for Jared?
PETE CARROLL: Well, that's a good question really. I'm looking at it like he's only been sacked ten times and got nice numbers. Their commitment to the run game and run action stuff that they do get them out of the pocket a ton, more than anybody in the NFL. Their style of throwing on early downs really does lend itself to taking care of the quarterback.
He obviously gets that. He's a great ball coach and they work really well together. He's lucky to have Sean and Jared is a really good football player, too, so lucky to have him as well.
Really nice mix and makes it hard.
Q. You guys are pressuring a whole lot more now. What kind of is the challenge of balancing that out and the disguising and making sure that everybody falls into the right roles and how tough is that to cut away?
PETE CARROLL: Well, how tough is it? I don't know. It's just stuff you have to do. You've kind of nailed it. You disguise it and call different things and mix it around. That's how you do it.
Over the years I've done a little bit of everything, and so this is when we step it up a little bit. It's really trying to utilize our players and put them in good positions where they can cause problems for the opponent. If the four guys up front need help, we bring it. If the seven guys up front -- we got to cover them better. We all have to work together on this thing. It's a combination of looks and changeups and complements and stuff to make it all fit together.
I don't know how to tell you how hard that is, but, again, that's what we're trying to do really well, and utilize our guys to make them available for making things happen.
Q. Seems like post game a couple times there have been things you mentioned maybe defensively you could have changed sooner in-game. I'm curious anything made it hard --
PETE CARROLL: You want to know that now?
Q. I'm just curious if there is anything in general that you feel like has been a roadblock to making in-game adjustments as quick as you would prefer?
PETE CARROLL: No, I don't think it's any different than ever before. I don't anything is different about it. I don't mind telling you that -- accepting it. That's my job, to get this thing done ultimately, so I'm first one to tell you that.
But it's -- there is -- we just have to keep coming together and get this thing really cleaned up. Unfortunately the continuity has not been a positive factor for us yet. Hopefully we can find a way to fit together and get our new guys in there and get them playing really well and error free, to their nature, and utilize their talents and all that, and we'll see a turn.
This is the halfway point and this is a marker. I would really like to see us turn it. You've seen us already adjust some in how we're doing calls and stuff. We're just trying to fit it together to maximize our guys.
But I really can't tell you what the adjustment are going to be this time around. Got to see how they want to play. But we're on defense. That's what this is. They get to call the plays and we react to them, so we got to do better.
Q. I think in week two you mentioned you recall going to have your data guys keep track of injuries as they do across the NFL. Have you heard much about the trends so far?
PETE CARROLL: Dang it. I wish I would've had the numbers for you. Yeah, we're feeling like the numbers are up for sure. I mean, I don't know the numbers right now because I didn't ask them this week about it, but there is a lot of injuries around the league and people getting banged up. Is it because of some specific reason? I don't know. Climate change? I don't know. We got to go to the science and figure it out and see what's happening.
But our guys are keeping track. I just didn't get updated about it.
Q. Any discussion about the absence of practice and the consequences leading up to the season?
PETE CARROLL: Yes, we have talked about that. We won't really know until we get through. We're halfway through. But at the halfway point I would suspect there is some effect. I think it has to do with the overall off-season conditioning opportunities the guys missed out on. So work collectively, so we guarantee that everybody is I guess to a certain level of conditioning.
You know, because they work together they work here in the building, and we didn't get to see our guys. That alone is a factor. Then the whole thing about camp and the games and stuff like that. That's a factor also.
Which way it contributes, one regard it's easier on the players in that they don't have games they have to endure. But if we look back and we can see there is a trend here, we'll have to deal with what these numbers tell us when we get them.
Q. So what about climate change, Pete?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, I think it's kind of happening.
Q. Ugo Amadi, is he going to be able to play?
PETE CARROLL: He's practicing today. Full go today. Anxious to see how he can handle it throughout the week. Looking forward to him playing.
Q. With that in mind, how much of what you have seen of -- you mentioned DJ Reed's speed -- how much has he a viable option at corner off side?
PETE CARROLL: Which one?
Q. DJ Reed, corner.
PETE CARROLL: He has played out there. I've watched him in film in games play outside. He's a candidate for that to help us out there.
Q. Thank you.
PETE CARROLL: Okay.
Q. How is Benson?
PETE CARROLL: He's trying. He's battling to get back. See if he can get it done. He's determined to show that by the end of the week.
Q. And will it be strange for you not going to the Coliseum? You mentioned your excitement to see SoFi.
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, just that -- I mentioned it earlier, that locker room is so bad for the visiting team. It's like putting 50 guys in closet. So you got to give that to Al Davis. He reconstructed that when they were playing back there back in the day to make it as miserable as possible on their opponent, and he got it done.
I really didn't realize how big of a factor it might have been over the years when we were there. It's okay. I had a lot of games there. I'm not going to miss the event of it. But going there, I'd like to see the new stadium and see what it looks like.
Gosh, I hope that doesn't offend a bunch of S.C. fans because I would like to see SoFi and see what it looks like.
Q. Guys like Bobby and K.J. have played a lot of football for you over the years. What are the conversations like with them lately, and in what ways are you leaning on them to help turn this around?
PETE CARROLL: It's an ongoing relationship that we have that really allows us to go places and talk about stuff and benefit from our history in so many ways. I just rely on those guys. I know them so well. We've been connected in a really rare way that you have this long of a time to be with guys. They're great guys to deal with. Their work ethic and habits and care, love for this team and community, I mean, just doesn't stop.
So it's just a relationship is really what it is. It's one that rich and it's important. K.J.'s family threw a party for him last night, virtual party for him, and it was just like old home. It was like family stuff. It was really cool. Got a chance to jump in there a little bit with him. It's just very special. I'm really grateful for the relationship that we've had. And they really help, and I hope I help them too, but they certainly help knee a lot.
Q. You talk about continuity, those guys know exactly how you want it and how it should look. You maybe rely on them to get that message across?
PETE CARROLL: Absolutely. They're tremendous ambassadors for what we do across the board on and off the field in all ways. They're perfect teammates, and happen to be lifelong friends and the rest of it, you know. I rely on them regularly to talk to guys, send the message, to give me feedback, to help me respond and stay abreast of what's going on, all that.
We're just on the same team. That's how we work together.
Q. You're going to love the locker room space at SoFi stadium.
PETE CARROLL: I would bet.
Q. It's pretty nice.
PETE CARROLL: Yeah.
Q. We saw lost week against Buffalo that you guys were getting pressure. The guys up front were getting stuffed up. Dunlap played pretty well. How do id you think an extra week of practice is going to help the front coordinate and to get some pressure on Goff this week?
PETE CARROLL: Well, it's natural. You would think so. I mean, K.J. made a line call during the game and Carlos heard the call and he figured that must mean I'm supposed to do this or that, and it was to the nose tackle. So he went ahead and did the best he could.
I'm hoping those kinds of things -- it worked and he made a tackle in the backfield, but I'm hoping that as we get along together longer we'll be more accurate and precise about the stuff that's happening and won't have as many first-time experiences.
That's just part of what we're trying to do here. We've got to get better in a hurry here because we are getting in the second half and guys got to come together. It takes time, so hopefully got to cash in on that.
Q. Going back to the Rams defense, what is making them so -- their ability to execute? Is it continuity which we've been talking about? Scheme? Players? Communication? All of that?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah. So there is a number of things. They look like they been pretty darn healthy. It's been the same group quite a bit. They have the best player in the world on their defense right in the middle of the defense and he makes problems for everybody. They're utilizing him really well, much like in the past.
Pretty obvious how you should utilize him, and coach figured that out. They're doing a nice job of keeping everybody in front of him. It's made for a really nice run for the first half.
They're new, too. Everybody is trying to figure them out and the new coach and how he's doing his stuff. We'll see as we grow with it and learn from the preparation in this game itself, that we'll know better what to expect from them.
So you get an advantage with the new group right off the bat. See if we can do something with it.
Q. You said K.J. had a virtual party last night?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah. I don't want to make a big deal, but he did. Just a family thing. I heard about it and bunch of players got together and stuff like that. So kind of old home week for a bit. It was fun. Very safely handled. Distancing was well done. All of that.
Q. What have you see from Rasheem Green in his return, and how can he be a factor in the second half od the season?
PETE CARROLL: A little rusty, but played really hard and he knows our stuff. He's really good at our scheme. He's going to do well for us, and we need him badly. We've needed him throughout. That's another guy that knows the history and the background and what we're trying to get done, and all of those little subtleties add together and make a difference.
So glad to have him back.
Q. What kind of an option is Ryan Neill at quarterback, if needed?
PETE CARROLL: He is an option. We've trained him there in years past, so he is available to us. I can't believe we're almost done with this and nobody has asked about Snacks. First time.
Q. We got him on Monday. We asked had about him on Monday. I'll ask again. Is Snacks going to play this week?
PETE CARROLL: Got a real chance to play this week, yeah, he does. This might be his coming out party, so trying to give him a little love there. I'm hoping he's going to play this week. Look forward to getting him involved.
Q. Does that mean that Bryan Mone's ankle is not doing well?
PETE CARROLL: Yes, it does mean that.
Q. Anymore realer of a chance than other weeks?
PETE CARROLL: Realer? That's a good word for a journalist. I don't know. It's like makes things much more better. You mean realer chance to play?
Q. Yeah.
PETE CARROLL: Yes, really good chance he'll be out playing. I'm counting on it. Hopefully he has a good week and we put to together right and it'll work out.
Q. Pete, question on the coin flip. Everybody, I think about 90% that everybody, if they win the coin flip they defer. Do you ever put much thought into taking the ball or what os sort of the coaching philosophy on all that?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, I always know what we're doing in that situation. You know, there is a number of reasons why you do it. I'm not going to tell you what they are. You know, that's just the way we like doing is it.
But there is reasons to not do it. It depends on conditions and situations and stuff like that.
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