LOS ANGELES CHARGERS vs. DENVER BRONCOS POSTGAME TRANSCRIPTS
Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 | ROKiT Field at Dignity Health Sports Park | Carson, Calif.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS HEAD COACH ANTHONY LYNN
Opening statement:
"Sorry for keeping you good people waiting. Sorry for [having to watch] that damn game. If we play like that, we won't beat anybody. That team came here desperate for a win, played hard, out-coached us and it was disappointing — but we have a resilient group, I think. We will see how we respond next week but that was disappointing. This press conference will be really short, to be honest with you."
On Denver's first two series:
"They went straight down the field and scored on our defense. They played faster, they played harder."
On the consistency of the team:
"I don't see consistency right now and that's my job — to keep this team consistent. To come out and play at a certain level."
On the decision to go for the touchdown at the end of the first half:
"That was my decision, trying to create some momentum in this football team. Trying to get us a score before the half and come back out and get the ball again and get another score. I gambled and I lost."
On frustration after the game:
"I mean, there's been some frustrating games. Not many, but there's been some."
On turnovers:
"We've got to do a better job and take care of the ball at the goal line."
On how to fix goal line turnovers:
"Well, we go back, we learn, we refocus and then we got out and we execute, and we work our tails off. That's the only way I know how to fix it."
On if RB Melvin Gordon III's return has affected the offense's chemistry:
"No, not at all. Melvin's a good football player. We welcome Melvin back to our offense, but he wasn't ready to play a whole game, so I didn't play him a whole game — but he played some. He didn't have many opportunities, I can tell you that, but he played okay."
On Gordon's performance:
"Based on what he's looking at and what I saw on the sidelines, he's alright. I know he is going to get better. We didn't have a full-speed practice last week because of certain injuries. The more he practices, the better he's going to get."
On Gordon's practice reps affecting his performance:
"You see some of that, some of that. Some rust, yeah."
On QB Philip Rivers:
"We'll watch the tape and we'll coach Philip like everyone else, and we'll make the corrections."
On C Mike Pouncey:
"No updates on Pouncey yet, but he could not finish the game."
On the defense:
"We played a little better football in the second half, I just don't understand that first half. We talked about all phases kicking in and complementing — the special teams for a punt return for a touchdown. We tried to put ourselves in position at the end where we could win the game and we didn't get it done."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS QUARTERBACK PHILIP RIVERS
On goal line turnovers:
"Obviously, we didn't get in on fourth down, whether it's a turnover or not, we didn't score. Then the interception, just a bad throw. We were probably going to get three there, you throw that one away and they covered everything pretty good. I thought I had [WR] Mike [Williams] there when he flashed, linebacker, I didn't see him, obviously."
On the all-out blitz and throwing to RB Melvin Gordon III:
"He got bumped, I mean that was the plan [against] that. They had brought it in that situation a bunch of times. I shouldn't say a bunch of times, but five or six times in [Broncos Head Coach Vic] Fangio's last 14 games. Collectively, we decided it was the best opportunity because they kind of hold it in a shell and then bring it all and nobody is accounting for the tailback. We thought let's bring it out the back door and kind of bluff the guy coming, and have a chance for [RB] Melvin [Gordon III] to run down the sideline. He just got bumped and then I didn't make a very good throw. They were starting to maybe recover, but it was going to be a race to the first down marker and who knows what else after that. That was kind of the way the day went. Some just near misses here and there, some bad decisions by me throwing it, and a couple turnovers. Two turnovers, that were bad, the throwaway was bad, not getting it back to the line of scrimmage, that hurt us. We didn't get a field goal there. It's one of those days. When you don't score a touchdown, offensively, obviously great punt return by our guys and [DB Desmond] Des [King II], but when you don't score a touchdown, offensively I don't know that I've ever won a game without scoring a touchdown. We obviously have got to do a better job on offense."
On moving the ball in the 20:
"We've got to finish in the end zone. The fourth down right before the half, the third-and-goal at the two after the turnover, those are two opportunities. The throw away makes it a lot easier field goal if I get that back to the line of scrimmage. Then you look at that, there is potential for 17 points right there. We just didn't capitalize and finish, and we turned the ball over. They had a good plan. They did a nice job. We were kind of back-and-forth, that cat-and-mouse game, trying to counter what they were doing. It just wasn't going to be one of those 350-yard days up and down the field. That's a good defense, as you know how I feel about them and I think our team did. We had our chances to find a way to score one more point than they did. Once our defense settled in, I knew a point in the third quarter there where I said, 'They're done, their offense is done.' I meant that in respect to our defense. Our defense just kind of had them hemmed up and were playing great. I said, 'Let's find a way to go win the game, score a couple touchdowns and win it.' We just didn't get it done."
On whether this game is something to look at on film and grow from it:
"I think we gained something. I have a great deal of respect for the defense and their coaches. Obviously, what Coach Fangio has done in his career and this league and what those players have done defensively in their careers, the combination of that is what defeated us. That will be valuable for us to take a look at. It's going to be a combination of what they did to defend us and what we could do better. I am going to look at the film and [wonder why I didn't do certain things]. There are going to be plans that we should have made and didn't. Credit to them for making it tough on us."
On his 32 completions and whether he credits broncos defense:
"We had some things up this week. We wanted to take some shots, but they weren't going to give it to us. They did a nice job keeping us in front of them. We had a few opportunities made. We obviously had the pass interference that was going to be a huge play and maybe a couple others down the field, but they did a great job. Again, with the pass rush when we get behind it makes it a lot tougher. Obviously, they were missing one of their key guys. With [Broncos OLB Von Miller] and those other guys over there, I thought our guys up front — considering being down and having to throw it more than we'd like to — did a nice job."
On how he feels RB Melvin Gordon III played:
"He played like it was his first game back. I say that with all respect to Melvin. I think he will probably say the same thing. It was his first game back and first time touching the ball live, full-speed full speed since January. He played hard, ran hard, like we know him to do. We will all take a look at the film. Maybe there is a cut here or there that he could have made, or maybe not. I thought we had some four, five, six-yard runs. All in all, it wasn't good enough, collectively, as a group."
On digging out of a 2-3 start to the season:
"We have been in this boat a lot. We obviously don't want to be, but we have been. This group together hasn't been. We'll kind of see how this group responds, collectively. There is certainly a handful of us who have been through it together, but not this exact team. This one's tough. We never want to look at big picture too much, but division games are important as the year goes. With our expectations that we're going to bounce back and get on a roll at some point, you look back and these are the ones that can hurt you. The Houston game hurts. Detroit hurts, but not as much being an out of conference [game]. I know it's way too far to even think about that stuff. We have to worry about the Steelers coming in here and finding a way to get to 3-3."
On playing the Broncos in 2006 and the deficit:
"I don't remember it that well. I remember that we were down and got rolling late in the third quarter. It was our guys against Denver at their place in [2006]. I hit [Hall of Fame RB LaDainian] LT [Tomlinson] for a big one and [former WR] Vincent Jackson caught a fade in the back of the end zone. I don't remember how much we ended up scoring in the second half. [It was] quite a bit. It felt that way as the third quarter got going. It felt like, 'Here we go,' especially after the punt return. That punt return came after the interception, I think. At one point, sitting there, I said, 'We're going to have the ball with a chance to tie it or win it with three or four minutes left,' and we did. We just couldn't get it done."
On the split duties of the running backs:
"I think you need more data. I think they are both going to contribute. Sometimes it will be more carries, sometimes it will be some more catches. You will need a handful more games to see how that distribution plays itself out."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS DEFENSIVE END JOEY BOSA
On the slow start:
"I don't really have any answers. Obviously, we are doing some things right when we keep them to three points in the second half. We just have to come out and play better in the first half. It's hard to say. It could be an energy thing; it could be nerves, [or] anxiety. Who knows what it is. We're just going to have to watch the film because if it is an energy thing, we're going to have to figure out how to change that. It might just be we were out of our gaps on a few plays here and there and they broke long runs. I know I was out of the gap a few times. Against a running back like that [Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay], you can't do that."
On frustration of losing at home to division opponent:
"It's really frustrating, but I'm not going to let it frustrate me and I don't think any of the guys on the team should let it get them down because being negative going into this next week isn't going to do anything for us. We need to go in ready to prepare. We just need to keep a positive attitude. There's no benefit in getting down and saying, 'we could have done this and we could have done this'. We have to just evaluate and see what we can do better."
On what improved from the second quarter on:
"I don't really know the big change. It really just takes a play and momentum to get the ball rolling. We can't come out slow. It's a problem if we're going to give up 14 points in 10 minutes."
On the team's resiliency:
"We are not going to get down. I have full confidence in our team that we have the pieces to go where we want to go. It is just execution. We have to score when we get into the red-zone and we can't let them score 14 points in 10 minutes. If we can come out, score points, and hold them to almost zero points in the second half, that means we can do it. We just have to find out how to come out and be more successful in the first half."
On if the Broncos did anything different:
"It's the Broncos versus Chargers. It's a big game. They were 0-4. They have a lot of talent. That's not a normal 0-4 team. They are a talented team. This isn't an upset, but they came out ready to play. If you're 0-4 and you're coming to play a division rival, you're going to be a little pumped up and we didn't match their energy in the first half and that's something we have to change."
On if the energy can be changed during practice and preparation:
"I don't really know. I know, personally, I've been doing a better job this year of coming out and trying to be ready first play on. If that is even a problem, which I don't know yet, maybe we were just schematically out of our gaps here and there. We will assess the film and go from there."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS RUNNING BACK AUSTIN EKELER
On the team's slow start in the first half:
"It's usually one thing we're pretty decent at, the first quarter production. Today it just wasn't there for whatever reason. Coach [Anthony] Lynn talked about the energy on the sideline. I thought the energy was fine, but from my perspective, for whatever reason it just always seems like we're so close. We're right there, right on the cusp of scoring in that first half. Coming into my third year, that's the NFL. It's literally a game of inches. You can see it in games like this, where it's like maybe if I reached a little further on the one-yard line. It just seems like we're right here on so many things. We've got to find whatever it is to get us over the hump."
On the reason for the team's slow start to the season:
"Injuries suck for sure. It's taken some of our key players, or just some of the guys in general. But, we've still got to play. We're still trying to win games. Even if the guys are hurt, they don't expect the season to be over, you know. They're rooting for us too. We've still got to go out there and win games. We're still the Chargers. We've still got to put on a show. So, we're still expecting to win every time."
On how frustrating the offense's slow start was:
"I'm an offensive player, so that's the most frustrating thing. It doesn't get more frustrating than that for me when the defense you know, they're stopping them. Sure, they let up two touchdowns early. But then they were holding them, holding them, holding them. And they kept getting us the ball back, getting us opportunities and we weren't taking advantage. We were just getting off the field."
On being open in the pass game:
"If I'm running the field, I'm probably going to be the check down, unless it's designed to come out there to me. I mean we're trying to push the ball down the field. Usually on first, second down, we're pushing it down the field. That's why I'm kind of like a little outlet."
On how challenging it was to get into a rhythm:
"I don't know. I mean, I felt like I was playing a lot out there. I was in different spots. We had Dontrelle [Inman] down so we were just trying to change it up. Get on the field in different ways. With [Melvin Gordon] coming back as well. I wouldn't say it was hard for us to get into a rhythm. Like I said before, we were just this close so many times. I don't think it was anything with our rhythm, it was just little details here and there that were keeping us short."
On correcting the small mistakes:
"It comes back to practice. It's cliché, but that's the truth. It comes back to practice and you just have to lock in on your assignment on these plays. It's a team game so everyone has to be clicking. One person just can't carry the entire team. It literally comes back to practice."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS RUNNING BACK MELVIN GORDON III
On what frustrated him most about the loss:
"We just couldn't get stuff going. What kind of frustrated me most was being inside the 20, being right at the goal line and not converting and making plays. That's just not Chargers football. You know us, we get to the goal line. We're licking our chops. We usually get in. We just weren't successful with that today. [LB] Kyzir [White] gets an interception, and we get nothing out of that. That should be a guaranteed touchdown."
On how it felt to be back on the field:
"Physically, I was good. The first time I got hit, it's different. You can't emulate that no matter what you do. You kind of get the first hit and go, 'Okay, that's how it feels.' You just have to get used to running, guys hitting you and stiff-arming. It's just so different. Just getting back and adjusting things, but we're definitely going up from here."
On how long it takes to get back in game shape:
"I don't know. I've never been in this position, so I can't really tell you when you start clicking. It's just when you start clicking, you get it. Hopefully, the cobwebs are off after this game and next game I can get rolling."
On how ready he was today:
"Health-wise, I'm good. It's just getting back into the game speed, really. Just getting back, adjusted to that and getting the calls and not being able to really hear, leaning over the field. Getting the calls last second. Being able to adjust. It's those things that you have to get used to that you can't prepare for working on a field outside of where we're at. That's where training camp and all those things come in handy."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS CORNERBACK CASEY HAYWARD JR.
On the first quarter:
"We have to do better when teams script us. Most offenses come in with the first fifteen and then they get back to their regular offense. That's what that team did. That's why we were able to settle down."
On improvement after the first quarter:
"Second, third, and the fourth we played really solid. We got some turnovers. We gave our team a chance in the second half [but] we just started out too slow and that will hurt you when you start out [that] slow."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS FULL BACK DEREK WATT
On Denver's run defense:
"They were just playing hard. They came in here needing a win and they did enough. They get it up on defense. They have a good front seven, they were disruptive, they put a lot of guys in the box, and they were filling holes across the field."
On having RB Melvin Gordon III back and being more affective in the red zone:
"It was great to have Melvin back out there, good to see him out there again. We just can't turn the ball over. We have to execute and play within ourselves and not try to do anything spectacular. Everyone just has to do their jobs on the protection, making good decisions in the run game and pass game. [We need to] just execute the game plan and we did not do that well enough today."
On how to not be brought down after this loss:
"We've been here. We just have to be resilient and focused again. It's all about us. There are a lot of things that, internally, we need to lock in a little bit more. We dug ourselves into a big hole and we can prevent that. We just have to find out how to do that, come in this week focused on the Steelers, and get the win next week."
DENVER BRONCOS HEAD COACH VIC FANGIO
On what he saw differently today from previous games:
"I think hang on is a better term than finish. We got out to a nice lead there, playing well on both sides of the ball. Then we just couldn't get a first down there in the third quarter. We continued to play good defense through that span. Then obviously the punt return kind of changed the game there a little bit. It went from a three score game, all of the sudden, to a two score game. We finished, but it was painful."
On making DE Adam Gotsis inactive:
"Well, I wanted to get [Denver DL] Mike Purcell up. The best thing Mike does is play the run, and we can only dress five. One of those guys had to go down as inactive. [DL Coach] Bill [Kollar] and I discussed it and we chose Adam [Gotsis] this week. It has to be that way all the time."
On the DB Kareem Jackson's stop at fourth and goal:
"Huge. Ike [Denver CB Isaac Yiadom] was involved in that a little bit. He made him bow his course, which gave Kareem [Jackson] time to get there. So, good play on those two guys' part. Obviously, it was a big play of the game. They go in halftime 17-0, rather than 17-7. Those are the types of plays we had envisioned when we brought Kareem in here to play safety. It looked like, from my vantage point, that he played well. I have to look at the tape, obviously."
On LB A.J. Johnson:
"I like A.J. [Johnson]. I think he has the ability to be an NFL linebacker. I thought he played well today, at times. I know he had some flash plays, because even I noticed them from my vantage point. Obviously, the big pick in the end zone, saved three points minimum, maybe seven. He had a chance for another pick. A.J. has good hands, he usually catches that. I'm not surprised he played well. He just has to be a guy that limits the negative plays, too. I'm very happy for him."
On getting the first win as the Denver Head Coach:
"The way I look at it is just the first win of 2019 Broncos. Obviously, the next few days will be better than the few days after the last few games, for me and everybody else. I'm really just happy for this team. These guys, I know the results don't show it, and results can obscure a lot of things – justifiably so – but these guys have been doing everything we ask from them. They fought. [Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach] Anthony Lynn, a guy I respect, told me before the game, 'Your guys are playing really hard. Just keep hanging in there.' He said, 'I hope it's not today', but I'm glad it was today."
On receiving the game ball for the win:
"I did, but I gave it away. It's for the players, you know."
On the Broncos crowd:
"Obviously, the crowd here, the Broncos fans that we had here, were great. I was told that it would be that way, but until you experience it, you really don't know. It kind of speaks well of Broncos Country. When you're with one of the flagship franchises, I was with the Bears recently, they travel well. The Niners [49ers] traveled well. Then you have to put the Broncos in that category, also."
On CB De'Vante Bausby:
"Everything is good to this point. We're going to get him another MRI here, and if it comes out the way they like it, he's going to accompany on us on our trip home. He has movement in all of his extremities. The news up to this point is positive."
On if he'll sleep better tonight with a win:
"I might not sleep tonight. To be honest, we'll probably get back to the facility at whatever time we do, and I'll probably go in and start working on Tennessee."
On LB Justin Hollins:
"He sprained his knee. Looking for more results from there, but he was not able to return."
On what he liked about the offense early in the game:
"Score points. Move the ball. It looked like we were moving it well, both through the air and on the ground. Then it disappeared in the second half, which was disappointing. We need to take a good look at that. Obviously, they got the big 17 points in the first half, and we were able to squeeze out that field goal at the end, which was big. With the 10 point lead there, with the time left, I know it's frustrating and boring to see us play the way we played that last series, but I just think it was the right thing to do with where we were at with the secondary at that time. The receivers they have, even if they had gotten that outside kick, it would have gave them time for just one hail mary. Frustrating, I don't like it any more than anyone else does, but I do believe it was the percentage play at that point. If we had tackled just a little bit better, it wouldn't have turned out as bad. It wouldn't have looked as bad."
On their defense as a whole:
"We hammered them last week, as you guys did, and deservingly so, for our performance last week. You got to give them their due this week. They played their butts off. No points in the first half, got the interception in the end zone after they got a takeaway down in there tight. They just kept fighting. They've been doing that all year, but the results haven't been there. They really played really well. The defense deserves a big pat on the back."
On DB Kareem Jackson's physicality:
"It's about the players. And he's a player."
On RB Phillip Lindsay:
"He busted a couple there, which got him up to all those yards. I would just like to see a little more consistency in our running game. It seems like we pop some nice gains, but we weren't able to grind it out when we needed to."
On CB Duke Dawson:
"He just got here right after the last cut, actually right before then. We want to play him here. We're hoping he can come along, because if he does, it allows us to play Kareem [Jackson] at safety, which is where I would prefer to play Kareem. Hopefully he can keep coming along. I don't think he played a clean game today, but he was out there a lot and we played really good defense. He deserves his credit."
On keeping the ball away from Chargers WR Keenan Allen:
"We gave him a lot of attention. Not every play, but we were tuned into where he was and how we were going to play him. It wasn't just happenstance."
On QB Joe Flacco making a few plays outside the pocket:
"That was good. The one thing that you see around a lot of the teams around the league, when a quarterback can create when the play is not going well, whether it be due to protection or due to the routes getting jammed up or covered, being able to create, pull it down and run a little bit is huge. It's nice to be able to see him do that."
On the biggest key in run defense today:
"We just played better. Again, from my level, there wasn't a surge. We weren't getting pushed around. We got pushed around a little bit last week. It didn't feel like we got pushed around today."
On containing Chargers RB Melvin Gordon III:
"I think it just goes back to the last question. We played better up front, so there was a little less room."
DENVER BRONCOS QUARTERBACK JOE FLACCO
On how big RB Phillip Lindsay's run was on their last drive:
"They were really big. Good call there at the end and good job of him for getting all that he could out of it just to make that field goal as makeable as possible. It was huge."
On what worked so well for them early on and what changed the third quarter:
"We kind of creased a couple runs early and made the big play to Courtland [Sutton]. We did a couple things. We were just kind of going. We had them on their heels a little bit. I think they did change some things a little in the back end and started playing some more quarters. They started playing downhill more. We let them get some momentum, and they played the run game a little better at times. They got after me a little bit. They were able to create a little bit of something like that. We had some bad breaks. I'm getting ready to throw what I think is probably a touchdown to Emmanuel [Sanders], or at least a shot to him in the endzone, and it gets stripped. I'm getting ready to throw a 10-yard completion to Jeff [Heuerman] and it gets batted out and picked, so there are bad breaks in there too, but they made things a lot tougher in the second half. We had to work for everything we got. That's why it was huge the defense really stepped up the way they did, and the running game was as good as it was today."
On being able to exhale until today:
"Well, it took all the way till the end to exhale, but it's always big. When you have a lot of young guys and you have some new faces, it's big to get these wins and to start to feel some juice. We've been in a lot of games, but just haven't been able to pull it off. It's just one of those things where if that continues to happen then it's just obviously not as easy to have that confidence that you should. We got the first one. Now, if we can start stacking some, I think guys now at least believe–we've all seen it. We've all witnessed it. We've all been through it. We can do it, so it's definitely a little bit of added confidence that comes along with wins."
On FB Andy Janovich:
"He definitely makes a difference. Andy knows exactly where to be every single play. He gets in the huddle, breaks and knows exactly what to do. All the little movements that he does to get himself into position. You just don't have to waste time and effort coaching somebody like him. He's on top of everything, and obviously the physicality that he brings and creating some of those holes is huge."
On the team's defensive performance:
"Man, they were awesome today. They obviously got those guys off balance a little bit. It seemed like they forced a lot of throws into the flat and came up and made tackles quickly, and that was huge. Then there were probably a couple times where they get impatient and the ball goes down the middle of the field and our guys were there waiting for it when they had their opportunity, so it was good to see those guys have a big game and play the way they did. They have a lot of young guys–a guy making his first start. Things like that. We had a corner go down, so a lot of things going on over there, and those guys rallied and played really tough."
On RB Phillip Lindsay's performance:
"That's awesome to see Phillip get going. I mean, he's an awesome running back and just plays so hard. You can see how hard he runs and the kind of guy he is, so it's awesome to see him kind of break out and have a really big day for us."
On the crowd:
"I don't know. It's a different atmosphere. You don't know who's cheering for who sometimes. It's kind of a pretty cool place to play honestly. Not too dissimilar from like a really nice Double-A stadium, and it is cool to see a lot of orange jerseys out there in the stands."
DENVER BRONCOS RUNNING BACK PHILLIP LINDSAY
On big runs in the second half:
"All the credit goes to the great offensive line. They are doing a great job. For the past couple weeks, we got either behind or we are having to play catch up and not able to establish the run like we wanted to. When you are able to run the ball, you command the game. Hats go off to all the offensive lineman doing their job. That was what we wanted to do going into the game. We wanted to seal the deal running the ball at the end of the game. We knew it was going to be a close game. We made it harder than it had to be, that goes in time, going through so many close games. You have to find a way to push through and finish. Today we did that."
On taking on plays in the critical moments of games:
We got a lot of playmakers. If it's not me than it's [WR] Emmanuel Sanders. If It's not Emmanuel Sanders, then it's [WR] Courtland Sutton. At the end of the day, we all have to stick together. Whoever is hot has to get hot. Sometimes it has to be [RB] Royce Freeman, it just depends. At the end of the day, we just have to win games. Today was my day to get hot and help spark the team."
On the locker room after winning:
"It feels good, but we have a lot of work to do. We made it harder than it has to be. We could sit here saying could have or should be 3-1. We just have to find ways to win. Every game has been tough for us. Every game we have gotten stronger and bigger. That's what it's about. We have tough a conference and it's going to pay off down the line."
On the impact of the hit by DB Kareem Jackson:
"It impacted a lot. Kareem Jackson brings a lot of energy to the team, that's why he's here. He has effort and heart. It's about grit and offensive line that's what we want to do. You have to control the ball. We have to find ways to control the ball. We have to find ways to get better. I have to find ways to get better. There are a couple plays that I helped them out and I probably could have busted the lineman more. That's just me, I have to clear my mind and be patient."
On getting off to a fast start and running with a chip on his shoulder:
"I always run with a chip on my shoulder. That's who I am. Its just different defenses do different things and you have to take advantage of what you can. We knew that going into the game."
On the defense:
"Defense played great. They are out there playing for each other. You guys saw it today. We have been through some tough games that didn't go our way. We just have to keep pounding. They are going to rage on. This give us some confidence and brings you together. We are a close group. If you were in our locker room, you would think we are 5-0 right now. That's just how we are, and we understand we are family. Things don't always go our way. But you keep chipping away and that's in life. You can't sit down and coddle yourself, your family needs you. You need to find a way to get through the stone and things will get better as you go."
DENVER BRONCOS OUTSIDE LINEBACKER VON MILLER
On the Broncos' first win of the season:
"It feels good to win. We can't really bite off more than we can chew, just stay in the moment. We had a great team win today, on offense and on defense. Special teams played well as well. Yeah, just staying in the moment. We're going to celebrate this win and then move on to the next one. One day at a time.
On this win being a divisional win:
"Any win is big. We've had a tough month of football, and to get a win, it feels good. No one really dwelled on the past and we don't want to move too fast going forward. Just stay in the moment. All the games that we've played in the past we've been in it and it feels good to come out on top today."
On Chargers QB Philip Rivers not throwing the ball often:
"I haven't paid attention to the game. It just ended about an hour ago. I know we played well on defense. They had two opportunities to score within the one to two-yard line and we came out victorious. It feels good to shut a big-time quarterback like that out."
On stopping Chargers RBs Melvin Gordon III and Austin Eckler:
"I don't know if I would say we shut those guys down. We created situations where they had to move it around. We had a situation on defense where they couldn't just go to Melvin or Austin. They had to find a different answer and it feels good to mix it up and not just have one guy win the day today for us on defense."
On DB Kareem Jackson's play at the end of the first half:
"It was great. I thought they were going to kick a field goal right as they were going into the half, but they stayed on the field and they went for it. It feels good to have big time plays like that on defense. Not only that play, I think we had a forced fumble within the five, and we tightened up and got out of there with a pick."
On Head Coach Vic Fangio's demeanor:
"That's Coach Fangio, 100 percent. To deflect all the light to his players. He's a great coach and he's been coaching us great all year long. Not just during season, but training camp, OTAs. We've been excited about having Coach Fangio as our coach, and it feels good to get some success as a team. It feels good to have him get some success as well and get his first win."
On Alexander Johnson receiving the game ball:
"It's great. I'm not surprised by his play. He's done it time and time again, and he's a big-time linebacker. He has the size, he has the speed and he's smart. It feels good to have things go his way."
On getting more attention with Bradley Chubb out:
"I don't know. I moved around a little bit, so that felt good to move around and not just stay on one side and have them guessing. There were a couple times where Philip took a double take and saw me on the right end, and switched it to the right, then saw me on the left. It felt good to mix it up, but we've got guys that can play. Malik [Reed] has done great for us. Justin Hollins did great for us."
On the energy the defense brought:
"I think it all started with the offense. They started off hot, on fire and they went down and scored. They went down and scored again, and then they kicked a field goal. It's easy to feed off stuff like that. They led us today, and it was just easy to feed off their momentum. They had a good day on offense."
On the defense's adjustment to the run defense:
"Totally different team, totally different scheme. Austin [Ekeler] and Melvin Gordon, they're great backs. We just had situations where they couldn't just go to them every single play. We were up by seven, and it was third-and-six and you just can't get a ball to them and run it right there. You have to throw it, so we did a great job of keeping them in situations where they couldn't pass it or throw little short routes to them."
On stopping the Chargers' short routes:
"Inside linebackers. They did a great job tackling. Our strong safeties, Kareem [Jackson] had a couple big plays. We had a couple big plays, one-on-one plays with those guys. We were able to tackle, one-on-one tackles and those guys can make you miss. They can make three or four guys miss at one time and we were able to get them down with one or two tackles. We had a swarming mentality on defense and didn't really give those guys space. Those guys are great players, like I said before, we just didn't put them in the opportunities to be successful like they usually are."
On Broncos fans cheering them on:
"It was loud. Broncos country, they travel well. It feels good to get a win for Broncos country, even though we're here in [Los Angeles]. It feels good to get a win for the fans, they've been patient on us. Patiently waiting for us to get a win so it feels good to do it for them."
DENVER BRONCOS DEFENSIVE BACK KAREEM JACKSON
On potentially starting the season 0-5 for the first time in franchise history:
"I think I saw that earlier in the week. As a team, we can't pay attention to the outside noise. We have to continue to build — continue to get better on a day to day basis. It was great for us to get this first win in the fashion that we got it. That's what it's about. It's [about] going out there and getting wins regardless of our situation. We're starting out 1-4, but it's still early. We'll continue to build on this — and we have to."
On how important the win was for Head Coach Vic Fangio:
"It's huge. First year head coach — to be able to get his first win on the road [in] a division game is huge for us as a team. It's huge for us to see him get that win. We just have to continue to build on this. Like I said, it's a long season. We can still turn it around and get to where we want to go as a team. It's going to take a complete group effort."
On if Los Angeles' turnovers helped Broncos win the game:
"Definitely. Takeaways are definitely a huge part of the game. Anytime you can get a takeaway — if it's in your favor and you're in the 'plus' category in that — then nine times out of 10 you're going to win the game. For us to go out and force three today is huge for us. You know, coming into the game having none, and to go get three today is huge for us. [It helps] to give our offense extra possessions. They did a great job with them today and we were able to get the win."
DENVER BRONCOS SAFETY JUSTIN SIMMONS
On how much takeaways matter:
"Takeaways are huge and, like you said, we were able to get three today. We won the takeaway battle and ultimately that's what helps you win games, especially on the road. You have to play good defense and take the ball away to allow your offense to have more opportunities."
On how the offensive performance today helped alleviate the defensive stress:
"As a defense, we took this game a little personal, especially since we took an early two-touchdown lead to start the game. The last two home games, we had the chance to close out with a win and we didn't do that. This game, we got ahead early and just kept telling each other that now was the time. Every time we step out on that field, we try to take advantage of all the opportunities presented in front of us and today we were able to execute."
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BROCK**
ANDERSON
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Coordinator, Football Communications
Hoag Performance Center
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