HEAD COACH DICK JAURON
Post-game Press Conference – August 14, 2008
Opening Statement:
It was really a great way for us to start, there's no doubt about it. With our offense moving the ball against what we think is a real good football team and our defense got that early turnover, so it was a terrific start for us here in Toronto. The fans were good, they were good. They got loud when we let them get loud and that's usually the way it works. You have to give them something to cheer about and luckily we did that early. We didn't make the errors that we had made a week ago. Our guys worked hard, and we got a little bit better. We sure have a long way to go, but it's a start.
On how the first-string offense performed today:
They were sharp. As I said, we didn't get the silly unforced penalties that we got a week ago in the game, so we didn't hurt ourselves in that regard. Let's face it, the Steelers are good enough to hurt you on their own. We blocked okay, we ran it okay, it was a nice kind of combination, that first group. I thought Marshawn (Lynch) looked very sharp running the ball, he had a little space to run and when you give him a little space to run he can make things happen. He's just a very good football player. Our receivers caught the ball, and we made plays. Robert (Royal) showed up, that was really good, that was a good thing for us.
On the performance of tight end Robert Royal:
Big for him, and big for us, too. You know, we're counting on him to be a leader on our football team. He always has been excellent in that area, but as you pointed out, he's coming off of that injury and made two big catches, and he ran after the catch and scored with the ball with the second one. It was very good for us to see.
On the first touchdown pass from Trent Edwards to Royal:
That's usually the way it is in this league. They are very seldom really open. Talk to a lot of quarterbacks and they'll tell you when they come into the league, you tell them guys are open that look covered to them because the spaces just get very tight. Trent's getting a lot more comfortable, he's got confidence and he put it right where it had to be.
On the Bills' pass rush:
I thought it was good, and I thought it was good early, and it was a good thing to see. The whole group, for our first outing in Toronto. It was an exciting thing to see, to come out and have the defense create a turnover, to have the offense move down the field and score, it was a nice win.
On if Leodis McKelvin's return tonight is a preview of what's to come in the next few years:
Two weeks in a row now, he gets that foot in the ground and just explodes. And when he does, it doesn't look like there's a lot of guys that are going to be able to catch him. It's a great thing for us to see. He's our number one pick, we obviously thought he was very talented, and he's shown it in two games, so he's got the talent. He's got work in front of him, it's a very difficult position to play, that corner position. Not any position in this league is easy, but you're on an island out there, he's tested every down.
On the team's kick returners:
We've got really good returners. Terrence (McGee) and Roscoe (Parrish), our first-line returners, and now of course, Leodis (McKelvin). Those guys, knock on wood, they tend to get nicked, so there is room for all of them. They'll all have their opportunities, which is a good thing to see.
On the offensive line's performance:
Throughout the night, that first line performed really well under really tough conditions. We came in two tackles light, that was tough, so we had guys playing out of position. I mean, Duke (Preston) moved out to tackle almost the whole second half. He did pretty well out there, and that's something, that's not an easy thing to do. I liked the way it looked early, in the second half we knew we'd struggle some, because they're young and they haven't played together much, and we had to move them around to fill in some gaps, and the Steelers are not an easy team to play against. I'm very happy with the way they performed under not the best of circumstances.
On the performance of Robert Royal and how it affects the tight end position as a whole:
It gives us confidence that Robert's back. Our plans are our plans, obviously they are very much affected by personnel. But in our business, sometimes you have to go find personnel to fit your plans, too. Guess that's kind of a roundabout way of saying we're very happy Robert is here. If Robert wasn't here, something else would have to happen, we wouldn't change everything because of that. That being said, we're really pleased with Robert Royal. He's a tremendous teammate, he's a big effort guy.
On if he had concerns about the turf or stadium:
I don't have anything to say about the turf. We were on it twice today, we came over earlier and worked on it, we wanted our guys to get a feel for it before they got here tonight. I didn't hear anything from our team, I didn't ask them. I walked the turf, it was certainly playable, and we'll go from there. The hospitality that's been extended to us here in Toronto, the stadium, the locker room facilities have been first-class. It was a good night, and it was good for us to play here in front of our fans here, and it was also really good for us to get a start here, to get an experience here, before our regular-season game.
On if he feels as if the Bills are giving away a home game by playing in Toronto:
I feel like this is our home game, this is a home game. We've been around and around, as you know, about the circumstances that bring us here, and the reasoning behind it, and that's not my area. It's not my area, but I understand it, and I'm fully behind it for our organization and for our fans in Western New York to keep us viable and competitive in the National Football League. We're excited about it.
