Jon Gruden Quotations

We've added some guys who are not only good players but good leaders. They lead by example. Ike Hilliard's helped us. He's come in here and given us great leadership. Brian Griese's asserting himself with the football team. Chris Hovan's done some great things. Anthony Becht is a leader on the team.

We struggled a little bit defensively, giving up some yardage. We let them get out of some holes. They were backed up a few times, and uncharacteristically, they got out of those holes and pinned us back.

We're not going to sit here and try to justify what happened two or three years ago and what happened last year,

We've always said Chris is going to get better with opportunities to get better. He's got a pizzazz about him on game day that I'm real comfortable with. He's charismatic and clutch. He's shown great resolve and toughness.

We're going to see if he's well enough to play.

We're going to play the regulars a little bit. They'll give way early to a lot of guys who we think are in key battles at certain positions, and guys who are young players who we think need game time.

We're going to do what the trainer says. We're all here to play games.

We got two pretty good kickers. It's a competitive situation. Both have kicked the ball off very well, and outside of the last-second desperation kick we did pretty well.

We're pleased with the progress we're making. We're not saying we're ready for Canton (the Pro Football Hall of Fame) yet or Super Bowl XL or whatever it is. (But) there is an attitude there that is very good. It's what we want, the toughness, effort, the technique, the fundamentals are getting better. We are very physical.

To open the game up like that (the muffed return) was a downer. We'll open it up to competition this week, for sure.

To open the game up like that (the muffed return) was a downer, ... We'll open it up to competition this week, for sure.

We've got more than half the season left. We've got a dramatic change right now at quarterback. And we'll try to get much better and certainly give him much better support.

We've got a young football team, particularly on offense. I worry a little bit about some of these guys getting a little bit freaked out with the length of the season, the mental grind, the physical grind that they go through,

We'll see. We might not do it at all, ... That might just be smokescreen because we do have other venues that we attack with. To have the emergence of Earnest Graham is big. We all know that Pittman can function in any formation and Carnell is a guy we think can be great, so yeah, we're really excited. It's been a while.

We did everything we could and Brian wanted to do everything also, to get as much information as we could.

We did everything we could, and Brian wanted to do everything also, to get as much information as we could. There was a glimmer of hope that we could put it in a cast and possibly get him back in four to six weeks. But at the end of all the research, this is an injury that's going to cause him to miss the rest of the season.

There are some interesting teams in the field. The AFC appears loaded, and certainly the NFC has some great defensive clubs in this race and some offenses that can make big plays.

The only way to evaluate your short-yardage offense is to work on it and see it in a game. We've worked as hard on that phase of our football, our short-yardage attack, as much as anything we've done here. With that said, we feel good about it.

We have so far to go. Though we are 3-0 ... we look at the tape at who's on the horizon. There's an analyst on every corner that's telling you, 'Hey, you are one of the top five or six teams in the league.' Three weeks ago, we were in the 30s, you know what I mean?

We might have a scratchy throat, we might have something wrong with us. But if you can play, by gosh, we're going to play. Carnell Williams is that type of kid. ... If there's any way he can play, I'm convinced he would go.

When you carry the ball, you put our lives in your hands. That's a responsibility that needs to be clearly understood and pointed out.

We're looking at every receiver on every other team as well, ... They're not just up against each other. They're up against the whole network. I think they understand that.

Mike Tomlin is a candidate, obviously, in Minnesota.

Matt's lower back flared up, ... We think he'll be OK. Whether or not he starts, we'll determine that later in the week.

Obviously what is being reported right now is an impasse. There are a lot of teams in similar straits that we are in, in terms of kind of waiting and hoping for the best. If no agreement is reached, I am sure there will be some very difficult decisions to be made. The players and the owners have to sort this thing out. It will take time. It is frustrating for, I think, fans and everyone.

Monte's been here and had his system in place for some time, ... It's a one-gap scheme, and they've been drafting players that fit it. We're trying to do that on offense.

Obviously we are not blocking well enough, ... We're not calling the right plays. . . . We're just not getting it done right now running the football.

Obviously, I'm very disappointed. This is a serious matter, it's a very serious matter and serious matters get dealt with very seriously by society and obviously by us. I love my brother. I haven't talked to him, but I will. All I can say from the Gruden family is I'm very apologetic.

Obviously I'm very disappointed. It's a serious matter. Very serious matter. Serious matters get dealt with very seriously by society and obviously by us. I love my brother. I haven't talked to him, but I will. All I can say from the Gruden family is I'm very apologetic.

Obviously, his status is very much up in the air right now. For whatever reason, after a prolonged period of running the swelling returns. He gets the fluid taken out, he gets treatment, he looks back to normal, he resumes running and the swelling returns. Obviously, this injury has been one that has not healed.

Obviously, his status is very much up in the air right now,

Philadelphia is in America, now, we're not going across the world. We're going to try and convey that to our team. ... We're going to play this game. We're getting on a plane. It's only a two-hour and 12-minute flight, and we're going.

If they are our best players, then I'm all for that,

I didn't agree with the call and I got out of character. I'm usually very composed on the sidelines. I was out of sorts.

I don't even think about that really. This guy's our front-line back. He's a featured back like any other featured back, and he's going to be used like one. If he gets tired, he comes out of the game. If adversity strikes, it strikes, but this guy's wired. This guy's infrastructure is one that allows him to play a lot. That's just the way he's programmed.

I don't give a damn what we are, ... Donovan McNabb is questionable and they're talking about him having surgery. No, if the guy's able to play, you play. We've got to win games. We haven't beaten the Jets in 20 years. I've got a lot of concern with this game.

I don't address that anymore. We did what needed to be done. People make mistakes. We move on. We forgive.

I am red-hot now on challenges. That was a big play. . . We didn't get a chance to really look at it, but we kind of threw that flag hoping the ball hit the ground.

I am sure he is going to struggle throughout the season. He certainly delivered in his first game, having been out for two months.

Carnell just isn't ready to go. He will remain questionable until we see how he progresses.

Certainly, in some ways, ... I'm very proud and happy for those guys.

But we like Ryan Nece. Jeff Gooch and Ryan have had a real competitive battle this spring and summer, so Ryan will be the starter. He's earned that in Jeff's absence.

I look out there today and I am really proud of our team.

I can't say enough about him. He got into camp on time, didn't miss a practice and will be a real asset for us.

Great running backs have a tendency to run by instinct, run by feel, and when they see the same blocking pattern three or four times, sometimes they anticipate what you are going to do the next time, ... There's some of that, and then some of that is just sheer determination, guts and talent. He is a phenomenal competitor, and he is blessed with great talent.

For us to sign Chris Simms for our future is something that is extremely exciting. (He is) A young man that has continued to improve, help our team make the playoffs and win an NFC Southern Championship, and a guy that we will continue to build our football team around.

Fortunately, we've had some youngsters come in and do that, but you've got to have thick skin. You've got to take negativity for what it is. You've got to keep working, keep pushing, and I'm very proud of our guys for that.

Giving the ball to a guy 25-to-30 times, if they are going to get 140 or 150 yards, there is going to be a long run in there somewhere, ... That's one of the reasons we keep giving the ball to the same guy because we think he is special and it's just a matter of time before he finds a way.

If that's an evaluation of what we're capable of doing, ... that's a good sign.

If that is an evaluation of what we are capable of doing, that's a good sign. But I live a very short-term life. We have a long way to go.

He won't have a short leash, ... We'll let him play and stay with him, and we expect him to take the torch and play well.

He will give us a dimension that we need here,

He had to have his hand stitched together. I mean, jeez, calm down. Before the game, doctors were coming in there like something happened and he had to have his hand stitched up. I've heard it all, now.

He had some reads that he routinely makes,

He has intense stamina. This guy is a workaholic and he is at his best when a game is on the line.

He has incredible acceleration, stop-and-start quickness. You do not forget that sometimes that he can stop and throw that ball. There is not a guy like him that I have seen. I used to think Steve Young revolutionized the system of football that I always study with his unique scrambling ability. I hate to tell Steve Young this, but this guy is a hell of a lot faster.

He has a lot of great things ahead of him. He's been trained by the best, and I think his best times are close ahead.

Ha! I don't know, man. All I know is I've been working just as hard.

He is capable of making impact plays for us. I think he's a clutch, big-time player. We can go to the playoffs and advance with him. Those are the kind of players we're looking for. He's one of those.

He has so much swelling, we can't really determine how long it will be. We should know more in the next few days. We're concerned about Jeff Gooch. We hope it doesn't take too long.

He gets stronger as the game goes on. Some people say he can't run between the tackles and we're going to wear him out. But if you don't try to wear this guy out, you're never going to find out how great a back he is.

He looks good. He's got great energy. We think his size and his aggressiveness, his motor, are going to fit nicely in our scheme of things here.

He looked pretty good. We had some pad work in the first half of practice and we're going to pad him up again (today) and Wednesday. ... I think he should play in this game.

He'll continue to be with the team and help our young quarterbacks, and hopefully come back bigger and stronger and better than ever next year.

He made a big play to block the kick to extend last week's game in overtime. What he did today was come up with the signature play of the game. His best times are ahead of him.

He made a big play, obviously, last week blocking the kick to extend overtime. Then finishing the play today basically was the signature play of the game.

He came in there and really made some big plays for us in the third quarter,

What do you want me to do? Criminy, we've got to do something, ... We've got to get practice done. We need to get certain phases of our football team looked at, but when you only have six or seven healthy linemen, you can't go in pads for 21/2 hours.

We're proud of these young guys and hopefully this is just the start for them,

We're obviously very concerned. I don't want to speculate, but it could be a few weeks or it could be the rest of the season.

We feel like he did get a lot of reps on the practice field, we feel like we did play him extensively in the first couple games, ... He's a good back. Hopefully, he catches on with another team. You can't deny the fact that No. 33 (Graham) has looked very good here. We drafted Cadillac Williams , Michael Pittman has been a productive back here, Derek Watson is still in the mix, so when you couple that with the fact that Mike Alstott is also going to play the tailback position, we felt it was good for Ian Smart to look elsewhere. Hopefully, someone else takes a look at him.

We feel like Buenning has really taken advantage of his opportunity, ... He's a physical guy, and we're really excited about him. But we'll see where Stinchcomb is tonight and go from there.

We've got to minimize turnovers. We turn the ball over in sometimes tragic, horrific situations.

With Milloy and Troy Vincent and the corners they have to go with this front seven, they're dangerous.

Having all of our draft picks is something that I've learned to like.

He's 34 years old and playing like he's 24.

He's a key cog in the No. 1 defense in the NFL, so we're going to need him.

He's a real quick study. He's a bright guy. He's a very talented athlete. He's big. He's fast. . . . Alex Smith has a real bright future here.

He's got incredible pride. He gets great satisfaction from playing well, not from an ego standpoint, but from the pride level. He takes great pride in performing well. He has great disappointment when he doesn't play well. It hurts him.

He's got great versatility. We led the league in rushing one year in Oakland, and they led the league in passing the following year, so he's got great versatility. He can coach the line, he can coach the quarterbacks, and he's had results everywhere he's been. He's a very creative guy, very disciplined, and he's got a great work ethic.

He's been unbelievable in terms of his mission, his vision of getting better and learning this system. He's a guy who not only has talent, he has tremendous self-motivation and drive.

He's been tremendous to me over the years, and I wanted to rekindle my friendship with him. I miss him, and I'm proud of what he's doing here.

He's a very heady, accurate quarterback who is suited for this system.

He's a very fast, and a much more physical, complete linebacker now than when he was a starter a couple of years ago.

He's distraught, he's nervous, he's uptight about this, as he should be. ... He's put a lot into this. We're just hoping he can come through this better than maybe we anticipate.

He's creating, there's no question, but he's getting good looks, ... He hasn't been hit and stymied initially very often. We've been able to get him started, and getting him through the line of scrimmage is an outstanding thing for him because he's an exceptional runner. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit, but our offensive line has given him, I think, some consistent looks at the hole.

He's helped me get better as a head coach and he's got great energy. He's in great shape. The game means a lot to him. First downs mean a lot to him. He doesn't like giving up inches, let alone yards. He still has a blinding passion and believe me, he's very proud of his roots. I know he talks about this place all the time, and I just wanted to come back and see it with my eyes.

He showed growth, ... It is not going to be an easy process, but there are going to be some things he did learn from.

He's got to make some strides in terms of consistency. He's in a competitive situation. That's about as well as I can put it right now.

His performance in the last 15 or 16 games has helped us turn the corner and at least be competitive,

His status will be decided upon later, but he ain't playing in this game,

He's a very popular guy on this team and well thought of. He's been here a long time, ... He's got a lot of close friends on the team and on the staff and in the organization. I'm sure he's getting a lot of support from people. It's very unfortunate. He's not the only one that's had to go through this and we just try to help him the best we can.

We met regarding his comments last year. The whole situation is done and over with,

He's played pretty good in the two games. He's had a steady training camp, ... He's become a more versatile member of our receiving corps. He's not one-dimensional. He can play flanker, split end or in the slot in our three wides or four wides. I think he has a chance to be on our special teams. He's made a run at it.

I already said we're going to do all we can. You have to understand what the playing field is. With no extension in place, what are the dimensions of the field that we are playing on? So I can't really speculate or comment further than we will, hopefully, find out what the playing field is and I will assure everyone that we will do everything we can to keep those two guys here. Once again, it is a difficult time. A lot of us are uneasy. Some of us are uneasy to start with.

He did some good things. Chris made some fine plays today. We just didn't get enough done.

He comes in here and he gives us consistency, he gives us leadership, he gives us energy and he gives us confidence that we've got a guy we can count on to go out there and make plays. We're happy to have him here.

The only thing that is going to be said here is we feel we did something we had to do as a football team, and we're going to put this behind us and move forward. We don't like to do disciplinary actions. But sometimes that's what the world is all about. If you are going to have rules ... you have to be forceful in terms of how you apply them.

Kenyatta started every game last year and helped us make the playoffs. We made great strides on offense last season and it was our goal to keep everyone on board so that we could continue that improvement.

I wouldn't probably give up a pair of nine-and-a-half turf shoes for me,