Highlights

Q: Are you pleased with what you saw from Jamaal Charles yesterday?

TODD HALEY: “When I talked to you yesterday [post-game] I didn’t actually know that he had gone over a 100 [yards], but again I think it’s all part of the process and Jamaal is one of those guys who has done everything asked of him and has continued to improve. Now he has been put in a spot where he’s a bigger part of what we’re doing. Though not perfect, I think you’re seeing strides in Jamaal. Playing in a much heavier role requires a great deal of toughness and a lot of factors that aren’t for everybody. He fought through some things yesterday and made some really good runs for us that helped us win the game.”

Q: How about the confidence you showed to him late in the game when you couldn’t afford to have a turnover? Was that something you were a bit reluctant to do?

HALEY: “That’s something he’s got to work on and that we work on with him all the time. But he’s expected to protect it and I wasn’t specifically thinking about that. I was thinking about getting a first down. I knew on that second of the last possessions, with two time-outs and four minutes and 30 seconds left, we had to get three first downs to win the game as long as we didn’t go out of bounds. We were on our way to two when we got the holding call.

“I thought Jamaal made a couple of nice runs and I thought Kolby [Smith] had a nice run on the end where unfortunately we had the holding which hurt us. No, it wasn’t something I was thinking about. He had a bunch of carries under his belt and was protecting the football. None of those balls that ended up on the ground were specifically Jamaal’s fault.”

Q: Is that TD run he made the kind of run a lot of guys can’t make in this league?

HALEY: “I think there were a lot of factors in that run. I thought we did a great job on the front side of the run. There were some very good blocks and I thought Jamaal made a terrific cut which not everybody can make. I think that was the key to that ending up being a score. Then Chris Chambers on the back-side had a great cut-off block which we have been really looking for. We’ve had a bunch of runs this year if the receiver could have got to his block it would have been a touchdown run – touchdown blocks I call them. Chris got it on that particular play. But the cut that Jamaal made was a big-time cut.”

Q: Does he make you look smart on that fourth-down play?

HALEY: “I said to a couple of our guys after our game that’s what you’re used to. You get in a fourth-and-short situation you’ve got a chance to make a really big, big play on those types of plays if you can make it through that initial front. That felt good and felt like it was supposed to feel like. I’m glad the guys got to feel that because that’s all part of growing and gaining confidence and you can make good things happen.”

Q: Why is Bobby Wade down for two straight weeks? Isn’t he a guy who’s been fairly reliable?

HALEY: “Strictly roster stuff. Bobby’s a pro and continues to work real hard and I have no doubt Bobby is going to be back up here pretty quick if not this week it’ll happen soon. I think he’ll be ready. Bobby is part of our plans.

“Again, that’s a roster deal. That’s one of those things that as the week goes on that are the hard decisions. He’s been the last guy every week and it’s one of those things of who plays what, who can cover what spots, all those things. Bobby had done an adequate job punt returning and that probably hurt us a little bit not having them.”

Q: As you’re learning to be a head coach, do you go on a fourth-and-one this year because you don’t have a lot to lose when you might not do in later years, or is it all game situations?

HALEY: “This year has nothing to do with it. Yes, I’m learning and all those decisions until you’re actually the guy having to make those on a game basis you learn through experience. As far as nothing to lose, that’s not a factor to me. We’re trying to win football games.

“I think it comes down to the game, the ebb and flow of the game and what’s going on and how you feel. As I said, my biggest regret yesterday was the series before kicking the 53-yarder. I was on the head-set telling the coaches, ‘why didn’t someone tell me to punt?’ I really felt that was the one that I should have thought out a little clearer. We had a chance to keep field position in our favor. A 53-yarder, though Ryan has kicked the ball really well, is not a guarantee. I feel like if we could have pinned them there and got the ball back in good field position we could have really turned the ball game.

“But that’s all part of the game and learning. Each game is going to be different.”

Q: Is that part of being the head coach more difficult than you imagined?

HALEY: “I had all the answers when I was an assistant. No, it’s difficult because ultimately you’re responsible for how they all turn out.”

Q: Did you see what happened to Belichick last night? Does that make you feel a little better than what you did yesterday?

HALEY: “I’m worried about the Kansas City Chiefs. We started the third part of the season 1-0 and that’s good. We’re in the black.”

Q: You said you like your assistants input, but it looked like yesterday you were getting after Mo Carthon on the sideline. Do you feel like your assistants feel comfortable telling you, ‘hey, don’t do this?’

HALEY: “He was getting after me. Yeah, especially Mo is the most important guy I have, no disrespect to anybody else. He’s somebody I’ve looked up to from the first day we were ever around each other. Mo and I are friends and have worked together a bunch, but we’re both very emotional and passionate guys.

“I think that yesterday came out in a critical situation for us which I think is good. I think that yesterday our staff was the most efficient that it’s been top to bottom getting through the game. It’s all been a process for us also. We’ve shifted [coaches] downstairs and upstairs and been tinkering trying to get the right mix. But yesterday I felt like it was our most efficient day as a staff.”

Q: Do you wish you had a former head coach as an assistant? Is that maybe a hole on your staff? Do you need a guy who’s been there and one that to help you with some of those decisions?

HALEY: “I don’t think that’s a necessity. That’s a luxury or bonus if you can have it, but I don’t think it’s a necessity. I have been on staffs that didn’t have a former NFL head coach but there are enough guys on our staff that I really, really rely on and respect their thoughts in all those situations.”

Q: You said your emotions come out on the sideline. Why?

HALEY: “I just think that’s good as long as nobody’s taking it the wrong way or nobody is stewing over it for days on end. I think it’s healthy because there is a lot of pressure on all these guys and you’ve got to let some of that out. We let it out plenty and sometime it gets caught and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Q: In the heat of the game that does not cause momentary distractions?

HALEY: “I’ve been told by a professional I’m a crisis personality so I need crisis around me to be at my best. I think it all depends on the individual.”

Q: A lot has been made of a comment you may or may not have made that you can take 22 guys off the street and win two games. First off, is that something you said?

HALEY: “Whether I did or didn’t it’s private conversation whether it did take place or didn’t take place.”

Q: But if it didn’t take place it’s not a private conversation.

HALEY: “Then it falls into the hypothetical category.”

Q: Do you understand why some people would view you and this new regime as carrying an arrogance that hasn’t been earned? Would that be a fair statement?

HALEY: “It sounds hypothetical. I think I’ve tried to be open and forthright that I don’t have all the answers. I feel like I’ve tried to apologize when I’ve said something wrong or inappropriate. I’ve always tried to do that with my players and everybody.

“This is a hard job. It’s a big job and I’m finding my way through it. I would hope that nobody thinks that I’m arrogant in going about the job. I’m fighting for my life, to be honest, and that’s the way I feel each and every day.

“I’m trying to get this thing going and trying to be me. I’ve never been characterized as being arrogant, at least to my face that I know about. I try not to appear arrogant in any way because I don’t feel arrogant.”

Q: Is one part of being a head coach when you’re an assistant is you can’t prepare for stuff like this where every action or comment, all your words, are dissected and the camera is always on you?

HALEY: “It’s obviously new. As I’ve said when I got the job I’m grateful that I’ve had this Super Bowl experience under my belt coming into this job because it was a crash course of what was ahead. When it’s down to two teams there is a lot of scrutiny on everything that is going on.

“It’s a big part of the job and it comes with the territory and I’d like to think that every day is an experience that I try to learn from and get better.”

Q: Have there been things that you thought you knew that now you know you didn’t know as well as you thought?

HALEY: “Yeah, without a doubt. Every day is a new day and every game is a new experience and you try to take notes on, write down thoughts and keep track of some that you can review them. It’s what I’ve tried to do and improve.

“Since we’re talking about Mo [Carthon], he always makes the statement that the problem of knowing everything you can’t learn anything new. I always try to think about that. We don’t have all the answers and I don’t ever try to act like I have all the answers or even think I have all the answers.

“It’s a process and, as I’ve said a number of times, this is the beginning. It’s not the middle or the end; it’s the beginning of this process to try to start building the nucleus of what will be a special team. I feel like we’ve been making progress.”

Q: If you win nobody cares if you yell at your coaches, but if you lose…

HALEY: “It’s a bottom line business, no doubt about it. As we ask the players, we’ve got to be professionals about it and can’t embarrass the organization or do things that we wouldn’t want the players doing. But at the same we’re coaches and we’ve got to coach and there are different ways to coach and there is a way that has been very successful for me and fits my personality. It’s been successful for others in this business for a long time. I think everybody just has to be themselves and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Q: What is your thought on the state of the defense and the job Clancy is doing as defensive coordinator right now? Big plays have still been an issue.

HALEY: “Yeah, the long run was not the way we wanted to start the game. I said going in we had to stop the run to have a chance to win the game. That was not a good start but I think some positives came out of it. I think we quickly re-grouped on defense and ended up having a pretty good day.

“I would say that we’re making progress on defense. I said it last night, we’re still trying to figure out exactly what we are right now and what gives us the best chance to win. But we had eight more three-and-outs yesterday that are signs of playing pretty good defense.

“Again, it comes down to the big plays. One yesterday is one too many. You can’t give up plays of that length and expect to win too often. Other than that play, I thought the defense made some progress and now we’ve got to get back to work and the Steelers and this quarterback is completing almost 70% of his passes. They can move the football and we need to know how exactly to defend the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

Q: A good coordinator can adapt. But big plays continue to be problems?

HALEY: “Again, we’re nine games into this and I keep saying the word process. That’s where we’re at and I think as the second half of this season unfolds we’ll know a lot more about our team and everybody – how we’re doing. I think we’re making progress and there have been adjustments made. Good and great coaches find ways to compete and win with different sets of circumstances. The great head coaches have won with different quarterbacks and different personnel – not just the same group. That is what separates coaches.

“We’re in that process and I think we’ve made progress. Yesterday was a step forward for us as a defense. Now we’ll be tested this week and I’m going on a game by game basis.”

Q: Are you pleased with the job Clancy is doing as defensive coordinator?

HALEY: “Clancy aside, it is what it is. We’re 2-7 right now and I can’t sit up here and say I’m pleased with any of us, myself included. This is a bottom line business. It’s about wins and losses and right now we’re 2-7 and 1-0 in the third quarter. I’ll never be happy with that and I’ve told all the coaches that. We need to find a way to win games – right now. That’s where I’m at mentally and where I’ll stay.”

Q: Do you think this defense is getting better?

HALEY: “I don’t have any doubt that there have been improvements in areas.”

Q: Does Jamaal Charles’ rushing style fit your offensive line better?

HALEY: “I think the fact that all five [offensive linemen] played the whole game was a positive. We didn’t have anybody go out. We made it through health-wise. I think every game that those guys are together is helpful. There wasn’t any one guy that you could put up on a pedestal, but I thought they fought it out against a pretty good front seven. I would say it was a step forward for us as an offensive line.

“I think Jamaal ran the ball pretty well and any time you have a guy go over 100 yards that’s a pretty good sign. So, I don’t think you’re going to get any complaints from the offensive line when that happens.”

Q: Was there any worry on your part going into this game that considering how you were pushing these guys if they didn’t get a win some of the guys might turn?

HALEY: “I think there is always that worry but I think you’re trying to keep things going in the right direction and wins help. I know today they came in early, lifted and ran and were upbeat and excited and that’s what a win will do and it helps affirm to everybody that these good practices are starting to pay off.”