AUGUST 28, 2012
QB MATT CASSEL
Q: Is there a sense of urgency this week?
CASSEL: “I think there’s always a sense of urgency. It doesn’t matter how you play one game to the next, so there’s always a sense of urgency every game you go into. This week, obviously, we’re going in and we’re looking to execute and have some production and go from there. But, our ultimate goal is to get ready for Atlanta Week 1, and the one thing that I love about this group of guys is that we’re working hard. I believe in these guys and I believe in the coaching staff and we’ll be ready to go.”
Q: You guys ran the ball only three times in the first quarter. Is that something you guys did by design, because it doesn’t sound like enough?
CASSEL: “That’s a good question, better for the coaches. What I do as the quarterback is I get out there, I get the call and I run the play that’s called. In terms of what we’re doing from run-to-pass ratio, I’m not really concerned about that during the game. I’m going out there and trying to execute whatever they call in the helmet.”
Q: How do you guys come out with better intensity?
CASSEL: “I just think it’s up to us as players to come out with better intensity. No coach is going to be able to get you going and rah-rah this and rah-rah that. It’s up to us as players to come out with better intensity, match the level of intensity that the opponent is bringing and just play better.”
Q: With what happened the last two games, is it more important than normal to go out and make some things happen in this last preseason game?
CASSEL: “I think what you’re trying to do every preseason game is go out and have production and be consistent, so this is like no other preseason game in terms of we’re going to go out and try to do the same thing.”
Q: Do you think this team is ready right now?
CASSEL: “I do feel good about this team and I’m confident about this team. I’m confident about the players that we have. We’ve got a lot of talent on this football team and in this room with the coaches and everybody else. We’re all working hard. Obviously, the outcomes of the last two games haven’t been what we’ve wanted, but again, that’s why you have preseason because you have to go through sometimes the bumps and the bruises. I guarantee we’ll be ready to go by the first week of the season, and these guys are all doing a great job of coming out here, getting back to work and getting ready to go.”
Q: How fast has Dwayne Bowe fit in?
CASSEL: “He’s working hard. Each and every day he is here early before everybody else even gets in the building, so he’s working hard, he’s doing his part. I think the coaches and everybody else that are trying to get him going are doing the same thing. He’ll be ready to go, I’m sure. Again, it’s not my decision whether or not he’s ready, but the coaches will make that ultimate decision.”
Q: What has Dexter McCluster meant to this offense? It seems like he’s been everywhere.
CASSEL: “You can see it in preseason so far. He’s done a tremendous job. He’s a guy that does an outstanding job against 1-on-1 in man-to-man coverage. He’s got tremendous quickness and he has that versatility. He’s done a great job. He continues to work. The one thing that I love about Dexter is he’s a football player; he loves it. Watch him go block. That’s another thing in the run game. If you watch him run downfield and block, it’s amazing, so we’re happy to have him on our team.”
Q: Are you looking at what Green Bay is doing on defense or focusing just on what the Chiefs do?
CASSEL: “We do a good job of preparing here and looking at what the defense does. Again, you never know in preseason sometimes because you don’t really have that much to go on. A lot of times defensive coordinators are trying different things this time of year in preseason so you have to go in there and sometimes react. We’ll be ready to go for whatever they have out there.”
Q: Is it more important to be responding to that or more important to make sure this offense is the way you want it to be when the season opens?
CASSEL: “I think it’s important for us to go out there and execute. If one guy is not doing their job when it comes to offense, it’s hard to be successful on a consistent basis. The things that we’re trying to do is get everybody working together and be consistent, and that means everybody doing their job on every play.”
LB ANDY STUDEBAKER
Q: Is it nerve-wracking knowing that cuts are this week?
STUDEBAKER: “This is just that time of year. We’ve been working. I don’t think our pace has changed that much over the last two days as far as guys working harder because camp is about to be over. But it’s in the back of guys’ minds – this is the reality of the situation that we’re in. We have a lot of great guys. Sadly there are going to be some cuts, and it’s just that time of year. Guys are playing hard, and we’ll see what happens.”
LB EDGAR JONES
Q: How ready are you for this final preseason game coming up?
JONES: “I’m pumped up and excited. We’re playing Thursday, so I’m just taking these last few days and brushing up on my technique to prepare for Green Bay.”
Q: As a team what do you have to do to show improvement?
JONES: “I feel like as a team we have to come out and take it one day at a time and just get better each and every day. And just practice on our technique. I think everything starts with practice, so the better practices that we have, I think it comes back to game day.”
Q: How good was the practice today?
JONES: “We had a very good practice today. Even yesterday was a great practice. RAC gave us props about practice yesterday and practice today. I think these last two practices have been great.”
