LOS ANGELES CHARGERS vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS

Sunday, September 23, 2018 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Los Angeles, Calif.

**Transcriptions provided by Los Angeles Rams Communications**

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS HEAD COACH ANTHONY LYNN

(Opening remarks)

"This should be real short. We didn't play good enough to win today. You can't give a team like that nothing. That offense was very good. We couldn't get off the field. We didn't put enough pressure on the quarterback. I think in the first half he (QB Jared Goff) was completing about 90 percent of his passes, and we get a punt blocked. We've got some things to correct. It's my responsibility and believe me, I'm going to make those corrections."

(On if he plans to address his team's struggles on special teams through personnel changes)

"Well, our players are our players. We can't go flipping out. We're not making a change there. We've just got to get better and we're going to do some things differently."

(On what he is going to do differently on special teams)

"That's what I'm going to talk about with my staff."

(On if there is any glaring weakness with their special teams that he can mention off of the top of his head)

"No, there are areas where it looks really good. The coverage looks really good. It's just the mistakes here and there that hurt you in a game like this. But, don't put this all on the special teams, because if you're backed up, but if you get out, that could be a different situation."

(On Chargers WR Mike Williams' performance)

"Mike played well. I thought he had a couple of nice catches in the end zone today, but that's what he's been doing all along."

(On the decision to take the field goal late in the fourth quarter)

"It was fourth-and-8. I didn't like the odds. A lot of times, I just go with my gut. If it's fourth-and-3, I'm going for it. If it's fourth-and-8, I didn't like those odds. If I can get the three points there and take the two-point equation out of the game. There was only 11 minutes left in the game. I figured we could get a couple of possessions, and that's what I was thinking."

(On if it was a quick decision for him to go for the field goal instead of going for it on fourth down)

"It wasn't quick. I thought about it. I definitely thought about it."

(On if Chargers S Derwin James played less aggressively toward the line of scrimmage this week)

"He came some, but he was playing more in the middle of the field this week because of their range and because of their offense and their receivers. He was more in the middle of the field."

(On James going out of bounds at the 1-yard-line following his interception and if that was a result of his momentum)

"I have to watch it and see it. Those guys, they're taught 'catch the ball and go score.' I'm sure he was thinking score, but in that situation I would love to have a touchback and the ball out on the 20(-yard-line).

(On facing two strong offenses through the first three weeks of the season)

"I think two of the best in the league. Two of the best offenses in the league from what I've seen so far."

(On how his defense matched up against those top two offenses and how they can improve)

"We have to figure out a way to get pressure on the quarterback. That's what's missing right now."

(On missing Chargers DE Joey Bosa and his impact on getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks)

"Yeah, and we can't give him back any time soon, so we've got to do some other things."

(On how they can address their inability to apply pressure on the quarterback)

"I've got a great defensive coaching staff. I'm telling you, we will get this figured out."

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS QUARTERBACK PHILIP RIVERS

(On handling holding duties for the kicker)

"Just this year. Yeah, at least we handled that with no incident."

(On what it was like to hold for the kicker)

"Well, I knew he potentially was down. Coach Stewart did tell me, 'Hey, if (P) Drew (Kaser)'s not back up -you got it.' And then after we scored, I was jogging off and and (LS) Mike Windt came and got me and said, 'Hey, you're holding.' It was fine. We made it."

(On if he practices holding kicks during training camp)

"I've gotten about five or six in the last 20 years."

(On the last time he was a holder for a kicker in a game)

"It was 1999, high school - one game. One - that's my second hold in my life."

(On if his other hold in high school was good too)

"I think it was alright."

(On his thoughts on the game and how they played offensively)

"Gosh, I mean we did a lot of really good things. Obviously, they had some injuries. I don't want to discredit that - two of their better players ended up leaving the game. It's not an every Sunday occurrence, you see the ball going up and down the field on that defense like we were able to do it. But we just weren't as consistent the first half. The key things I took away from it was red zone possession, when we kicked the field goal and then we had the turnover and then we had a couple early possessions where we just didn't get going. We didn't get going and once they got the two score lead, we never could really get it back to one. But again, I know you all know I'm the ultimate optimist, but I leave this game encouraged again because that team's gonna win 12 games probably, I would say at least. And you leave this going, 'Hey, don't turn the ball over, don't give a blocked punt for a touchdown. Make a few better throws in the red zone and do some things and we can beat that team.' So those are the kinds of teams you have to beat if you want to play in January."

(On how WR Mike Williams played)

"He's come along. He's going to continue to do this. Gosh, he played big and strong. Made some big plays, a handful of big plays. Obviously the touchdowns and he's only going to continue to be more and more of a factor for us."

(On going to Williams in the fourth-down situation)

"Yeah, again, we have a group of guys that all know anybody can get the ball at any given play. That ball was called to go to (WR) Keenan (Allen). Because the coverage and this and that - if that ball hadn't gone to Mike on that play…you know what I mean? Because you think with him playing and why we're calling it is not to get that. But, that's our guys being disciplined, running their routes and always knowing - you never know. The coverage they played allowed him to come open and he made a great catch and got in the end zone."

(On TE Antonio Gate's having some good catches)

"Yeah, he did. I really wanted to go to him in that fourth down, and maybe I could of squeezed it in there. I thought maybe 43 (S John Johnson III) had a little leverage on Antonio (Gates) there, so I threw it to (RB) Austin (Ekeler) short, but thinking he could go get it and he almost did. I think maybe the ball had come out - it's going be close. It's probably a measurement, I haven't seen the TV footage of it. But no, Gates came up big and obviously he was down all week, so he didn't get any practice work at all. It's a, 'We're going to need him as the year continues to progress.' You're sick about this game because you feel like you just kind of - hats off to them, they won the game - but we didn't take advantage of the opportunities we had. But shoot, we're gonna keep growing, keep building. We got the Niners next week, and see if we can get to 2-2 after the first quarter."

(On if his thinking changed after two quarters)

"No, we went right after it from the start. As you saw on the touchdown about eight minutes into the game." 

(On QB Jared Goff and how the Rams offense looked)

"Yeah, he's doing a nice job. And I'll tell you Coach (Sean) McVay is a heck of a coach. He does a heck of a job with those guys offensively. Yes, they're doing a nice job."

(On if he would like to run sweeps similar to the Rams to open up the offense)

"We're pretty opened up. I think we're a little more traditional than that but whatever works. The name of the game is to score more points than the other team, and they're doing that right now."

(On two-yard swing pass to RB Austin Ekeler)

"Yeah, he was just faking the reverse, we had things going on down the field and there was just nothing there. He's kind of the outlet, so just flip it to him and let him go. I mean, it ended up being a 12-yard, 14-yard gain."

(On if the two-yard swing pass was part of the pressure)

"Oh yeah, he's the last resort. It just ended up working out that way."

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVER MIKE WILLIAMS

(On if he got hurt on his touchdown reception)

"I just got the wind knocked out of me. Made a great play and landed on the ball, just got the wind knocked out of me. So, I just needed a little time just to get everything back together."

(On if he expected to get the ball on his touchdown play and if it was specifically designed for him)

"I expect the ball to come me whenever it's a pass play. I run every route like I'm getting the ball. Had an opportunity to go make a play, went up and made it. It was a play that was designed for me. It was designed for me to go up and make a play."

(On what it meant to have Chargers QB Philip Rivers go to him on that particular play)

"It means a lot. I'm just showing him that he can trust me. I can go out there and make the plays that are needed."

(On if he can sense Rivers increasing his trust in him)

"Yeah, for sure…I'm making the best of my opportunities. Every time the ball comes my way, I feel like something good comes from it. So I've just got to continue to get better. Come out here Tuesday, Monday watch the film and get better from there."

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS CORNERBACK DESMOND KING II

(On missing Joey Bosa)

"Hopefully, that's our key point right there. We're missing a lot of guys. We got Corey Liuget out and Joey (Bosa) out. We're trying to build around what we can do without those guys and try to make plays.

(On if the defense needs to bring more pressure)

"I don't know we just have to do our jobs, honestly. At the end of the day everybody has to do their job and do their part. We're the ones that make the plays come to life. We're the ones out there running it, whatever gets called. We just have to get better."

(On the outcome of the game)

"Definitely, a close game. We had a lot of turnovers. We couldn't really convert much on third down to try and get them off the field. They kept executing. We just have to come back, watch film, get better and move on to the next week."

(On the Rams talent)

"They're a good team. They're a very good team. You can't knock an NFL team, it's an NFL team. There are a lot of good guys in this league. They're going to come out and play their heart out as well. They just came out and played a little bit better I'd say."

(On the Chargers performance)

"Definitely, you can't knock our season. We're going to bounce back for sure, that's one thing. We just can't let this loss or Week One affect the rest of our season."

(On if the Rams and Chiefs have the two best offenses they'll face this season)

"Definitely, yeah. These are kind of similar teams. They've got good talent at receiver, great running back, good quarterback. They kind of have a similar playbook, you see (play) actions, you see boots (bootlegs), you see motions. It was a similar game from Week One for sure."

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS SAFETY DERWIN JAMES

(On the outcome of the game)

"It was on us on defense. We couldn't get a stop this game. I think we made them punt one time. Offense put up enough points. This one is on the defense."

(On the interception in the end zone that led to bad field position)

"It was my momentum carrying me because I had to travel so far to get to it. I was trying to get the ball out of bounds. I was trying to, but my momentum took me out."

(On the defensive scheme versus last week's)

"This game they wanted me back deep. They had a lot of deep threats and a lot of open field tackles that I know I had to make. The game plan was for me to play free safety more this game. More than just blitzing, we mixed it up this game."

(On if he blitzed today)

"I blitzed twice"

(On how he adjusted to not blitzing as much this game)

"Sometimes when I blitz I get in my rhythm. It doesn't matter what coach calls. At the end of the day we have to execute as a defense."

(On facing the Chiefs and Rams offense in the first three weeks of the season)

"We see where our defense is. We just have to continue to get better. Our offense is one of the best in the league. Going against that defense today, I feel like they did a good job. Like I said, we have to get stops as a defense, look at the film and just get better. It's a long season, we still have a long season to go."

(On defending the pass with a lack of pressure on the quarterback)

"It's tough you know that's where it starts, getting pressure on the quarterback, playing man and mixing it up. Overall as a whole it wasn't just the defensive line. It was overall as a defense."

(On what he learned from facing Jared Goff today)

"He's a good quarterback. He does good in the offense, getting the offense settled, making sure everybody's good and checking into the right plays. I feel like he's a good quarterback."

(On what the defense can do to get consistent pressure on the quarterback)

"Mix it up and the guys that have one-on-ones have to win. That's what it comes down to, a man whooping another man. We'll get better."

(On being the second defensive back since the merger to record two sacks and an interception in the first three games)

"Don't matter, we got two losses."