Tennessee 28, L.A. Rams 16
Q. How is your ankle doing?
MATTHEW STAFFORD: It's fine. It will be all right. I just rolled it on myself really.
Q. Talk about the two turnovers.
MATTHEW STAFFORD: Yeah, I mean, the first one, guys got ahold of me. I got to do a better job probably just falling on that one or throwing it over Robert's head maybe earlier. Maybe try to get back through it.
Can't have that. I basically spotted them 14 points. Can't do that in the NFL, especially against a good team like that that wants to get out in front, run the football, mix coverages, all that kind of stuff. Just wasn't good enough early in the game. Turnovers really killed us. Those were on me.
If I clean those up, I know I will, I got a lot of confidence in this team to go out there and play some really good football.
Our defense played good, good enough to keep us in the game. If we don't turn the ball over twice, gives us a chance to win that one. Got to play better myself first and foremost.
Q. Were you hampered at all by your back or being limited in practice?
MATTHEW STAFFORD: No, no, I felt good. Felt good physically. Just didn't do enough early in the game. I took a couple sacks early in the game, too, that kind of helped them build a little bit of momentum where I could have probably gotten the ball out. Was probably trying to be a little bit too aggressive and hold onto it a little bit.
There's a lot of things I can do, clean up and be better. I'll take a hard look at myself and know I got a big opportunity on Monday night next week to go out there and play well.
Q. Without looking at the film yet, did you feel out of sync? Were a lot of those coverage situations?
MATTHEW STAFFORD: Yeah, I think I just got to get it out. There were guys underneath open. I was trying to probably do a little bit too much. Just got to play within the scheme, play within myself, do that a little bit better.
Felt like kind of settled in in the second half. At that point, you know, I had done too much damage early really in that game to get us out of it.
I love the way our guys fought. We were close. Maybe if the Higbee touchdown stands, it's a different ballgame there late. I love the way our guys fight and battle. I always appreciate that. Just got to be cleaner. Turnovers, penalties, all those things hurt us tonight.
Q. On the first interception, every quarterback has gone through this before, take the sack, give them the two points, of course you want to throw it incomplete. What goes through your mind in those nanoseconds?
MATTHEW STAFFORD: Yeah, I mean, it's a reactionary game. Football is a reactionary game. I just got to make a better decision there. I've been doing this long enough to know can't just throw one right down the middle of the field. If I can find the sidelines, get it out. That's a better option. Try to do that next time.
Q. The atypical practice week, not being able to practice, did that affect today?
MATTHEW STAFFORD: Not for me. It didn't feel like that was an issue. Really just execution when we were out there wasn't good enough on my part. I just got to be a little bit better.
Q. (Question about sacks.)
MATTHEW STAFFORD: I'm going to have to go look at the tape. For sure the first couple early on. There was one late as well on a third down. Probably could have gotten one out where we ended up kicking a field goal.
But I got to go look at it. Yeah, too many of them.
Q. Looking for a big play as opposed to just taking...
MATTHEW STAFFORD: Yeah, got to do a better job of getting the ball out. Our guys up front were giving me enough time. I got to make sure we are just staying ahead of the chains, keep the sticks moving, not try to force too much anything down the field.
Q. Will you shake something like this off?
MATTHEW STAFFORD: You just turn the tape on, learn from it. I've been doing this a long time. Had a bunch of good games, had a bunch of bad games before. I know what it looks like to go out there and respond and play well the next week. I think our team does. We did it earlier this year. Plan on doing it again.
Q. Your response to the Cardinal game, what did that look like in the days that followed as far as the way you worked and prepared?
MATTHEW STAFFORD: I think no different than most of the days we're in there. We got a great team that is full of guys that care about putting the right stuff out there every single day. I know we'll show up to work ready to go. Pissed off about losing the game, absolutely.
Ready to go out there and make whatever mistakes we made in this game, make 'em right, make sure we do a good job next time we're out on the field.
Q. How tough is it to exercise that patience?
MATTHEW STAFFORD: It shouldn't be tough. I just got to take what the defense gives me. They were doing a great job of trying to keep it all in front of them tonight. I didn't do a good enough job of just checking it down early in the game, keeping us ahead of the sticks and doing all the things that would build positive momentum for our team.
If I do that, probably a different ballgame.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports