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STEELERS at REDSKINS SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2009 KICKOFF IS AT 7:30 P.M. FEDEX FIELD POST-GAME QUOTES
STEELERS QUOTES - below REDSKINS QUOTES - click on link
PLAYERS
HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN
On the team's overall performance:
"Just not enough good things from us as a football team to win, regardless of opponent or game location. Some of the things that stand out, I think we had 10 first half penalties. You know coming out of the preseason opener that was something that we wanted to address. We wanted to play smarter than we did the first time out. We did not get that accomplished; not even close. We've got to continue to grow and develop in those areas. When you get off the field defensively, you've got to stay off the field. We allowed [the Redskins] to convert with a fake punt. Another time we fielded a punt and turned the ball over, giving them a short field. Things that happen when you get beat, quite honestly. We'll evaluate this performance like we did the first one. Hopefully we can grow from it. Some of these reoccurring problems we've got to make disappear. Some guys distinguished themselves, some guys didn't. That's just the story of preseason. We'll take a look at it, report the news, and we'll just continue to grow as a football team."
On Steelers RB Stefan Logan:
"Yeah, I think it's pretty obvious that he did a nice job. He had about 12 yards on punt returns, and I don't know how he was from the kickoff [return] standpoint. Field position was not an issue, execution was. We didn't execute with the field position we had, a lot of which [Stefan] created."
On Steelers RB/WR Mike Wallace:
"You know, I'm not ready to speak to that. He's got an incomplete body of work. We're two games into a four game preseason. We'll continue to evaluate him not only as a return man, but as a positional player as well. He represented himself well tonight as a returner."
On Steelers QB Dennis Dixon's shoulder injury:
"Don't have a report at this point. Looks like the AC joint. Don't know the extent, but we'll see."
On whether or not Steelers QB Charlie Batch had a good performance:
"Yes he did, but I think it was more indicative of how we performed. I don't think we came out of the locker room particularly well as a football team. It didn't hurt us because we got stiff in red zone defense and we held them to three [points]. Then we countered, and we were actually up, but I didn't like the way we started that football game."
On red zone defense and causing a turnover:
"You know, that's what's required. We've got a desire to be a great defense. You're going to be in the short area of the field at times. Great defenses find a way to get off the field. Whether it's forcing teams to kick a field goal or whether they create turnovers, we did that in a couple of instances which was good. [The game] wasn't all negative. That was one of the bright spots, but again, the final verdict is we were unsuccessful in terms of securing a victory."
*
On the status of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger:
"Yeah, he is fine. Well, not fine of course. If he was fine, he would have played. We don't think it's going to be a long term thing at all."
Steelers Running Back Stefan Logan
On the difficulties of handling the ball in tonight's weather:
"I was a little on edge tonight as far as catching the ball under the weather conditions but I just focused on catching the ball and nothing else. If you have to fair catch it, then fair catch it. Just focus on catching the ball. Once you secure it, then set up your blocks and stuff like that. In camp I've muffed some punts, and you have to get that stuff out. So I got it out in practice and I just came in tonight and wanted to stay focused, work hard, and show these guys I can get it done."
Steelers Defensive Tackle Casey Hampton
On the Steelers' defense:
"Were just trying to play together a little bit. We're trying to get into some games to knock out some kinks and get behind your pads and stay low. You can't really do that or see anything like that because you don't hit in practice."
On the Pittsburgh defense's reaction to Washington's successful fake punt:
"After that I was tired. I need to get into shape. That's just part of it man, as a defense you just kind of need that; a sudden change and then be out there and try to stop somebody in an adverse situation."
Steelers Safety Ryan Clark:
On goal line stand:
"It's great for the team. Anytime the guys get down there we want to keep them out of the paint. The front did a very good job and they ended up going for the field goal. I was hoping they would go for the fourth down so we could get them off the field without scoring any points."
On development of the defense:
"It's big for us, I think we kind of joke that we're the worst preseason defense in America so right now we are just trying to get better. Right now it's like a four team practice because we don't play all four quarter but we've really got to build that chemistry."
Steelers Running Back Willie Parker:
On getting in the end zone:
"It felt great, I mean the first time back on the field and the offense looked great, I followed Carey Davis and it got me into the end zone. It definitely feels great to get back out there. Of course I want to keep getting into the end zone, I want to make that a habit. I want to keep doing it, keep doing it and keep doing it so the coaches don't have any other goal line set and I'll be the goal line guy."
"I feel good, I still don't think that I'm in playing mode, I still need to get hit a little bit. Next game hopefully I'll take it to another level and get hit a little bit more and make a couple more plays in the open field and I'll be ready."
Steelers Defensive End Aaron Smith:
On the goal line stand:
"I think it was important, it was a big part with the adversity situation to come out and hold them to three points and that's what the defense needs to do."
On how it feels to break camp:
"I couldn't ask for anything more. I'm really not a guy who enjoys camp and being home near my family, I'm excited about that."
Steelers Center Justin Hartwig:
On the scoring drive:
"We were just making plays. It's just great to get back out there, we drove the ball down the field, we made plays when we had to, we picked up some third-down conversions and we felt good out there. It was good to put together a scoring drive with the number one offense.
On Willie Parker:
"It's good. Willie's our guy, Willie's our starting back. We need to get him in the endzone, we need to get him going, we need to get him confident and we need to have him seeing the holes. The more reps he can get the more, the more times he can see the end zone and the more confident he gets."
On getting into the flow of things:*
"For me it feels great. I've been practicing for about a week. It's just frustrating because I sat out for about two weeks of camp. I'm just glad to be back out there with my guys, it's been frustrating watching but I just wanted to get this monkey off my back and getting in my first preseason action, my first live action of the season and I look forward to keep getting better and better every week.
Steelers Halftime Quotes
Coach Mike Tomlin:
On Goal Line Stand:
"It's situational football. It's the difference from being good and great and winning and losing. We spend a lot of time on that. A lot of times you have no control on how they get down there, you know fake punts or what have you. It's important that you get off with three and they did."
On the scoring drive:
"There were a couple of significant conversions. We are not playing perfect by any stretch. Some of the adversity we face, we are creating it but I think we are playing pretty good situational football, third down particularly and we were able to put a drive together."
*
(Safety) Ryan Clark:
On goal line stance:
"It's great for the team. Anytime the guys get down there we want to keep them out of the paint. The front did a very good job and they ended up going for the field goal. I was hoping they would go for the fourth down so we could get them off the field without scoring any points."
Development of the defense:
"It's big for us, I think we kinda joke that we're the worst preseason defense in America so right now we are just trying to get better. Right now it's like a four team practice because we don't play all four quarter but we've really got to build that chemistry."
(Running Back) Willie Parker:
On getting in the end zone:
"It felt great, I mean the first time back on the field and the offense looked great, I followed Carey Davis and it got me into the end zone. It definitely feels great to get back out there."
"Of course I want to keep getting into the end zone, I want to make that a habit. I want to keep doing it, keep doing it and keep doing it so the coaches don't have any other goal line set and I'll be the goal line guy."
"I feel good, I still don't think that I'm in playing mode, I still need to get hit a little bit. Next game hopefully I'll take it to another level and get hit a little bit more and make a couple more plays in the open field and I'll be ready."
(Defensive End) Aaron Smith:
On the goal line stand:
"I think it was important, it was a big part with the adversity situation to come out and hold them to three points and that's what the defense needs to do."
How's it feel to break camp:
"I couldn't ask for anything more. I'm really not a guy who enjoys camp and being home near my family, I'm excited about that."
(Center) Justin Hartwig:*
On the scoring drive:
"We were just making plays. It's just great to get back out there, we drove the ball down the field, we made plays when we had to, we picked up some third-down conversions and we felt good out there. It was good to put together a scoring drive with the number one offense.
On Willie Parker:
"It's good. Willie's our guy, Willie's our starting back. We need to get him in the end zone, we need to get him going, we need to get him confident and we need to have him seeing the holes. The more reps he can get the more, the more times he can see the end zone and the more confident he gets."
On getting into the flow of things:
"For me it feels great. I've been practicing for about a week. It's just frustrating because I sat out for about two weeks of camp. I'm just glad to be back out there with my guys, it's been frustrating watching but I just wanted to get this monkey off my back and getting in my first preseason action, my first live action of the season and I look forward to keep getting better and better every week."
