On this season:
“It’s a very fair question. I would say, much like the coaches said, I am
extraordinarily disappointed in the season. Nobody would have anticipated 1-7
and the lack of consistency. Today was a prime example of that. Down 24-0, if
we could’ve just played the second half, we would’ve won the game, but it
doesn’t work that way. We’ll take the next couple of weeks and during this bye
period of time and evaluate where we are. Whatever decision we have to make, it
will be made for the right reasons for the long term. We certainly have a lot
of intelligence on this coaching staff. Besides Dan [Quinn], we have three
other head coaches and we’ve got three general managers in the building beyond
Thomas [Dimitroff], so actually four in the building with Rich McKay. The
knowledge base is there, but the performance is not. This is a
performance-driven business. I understand that and they understand that as
well. We’ll continue to look at everything we can and make the right decisions
when we have to make them. I’m not bashful about making those decisions. In
almost 20 years, I’ve had to do it almost five times now. I understand the
responsibility that I have to the fans and to the sponsors and our players and
coaches, etc., to put a winning team on the field. We’re still committed to
that a thousand percent and that’s not going to change.”
On whether or not he will
make a decision within the next two weeks:
“We are going to do something. We’re going to continue to think really hard and
evaluate everything that we can do as an owner and as a senior management team
and figure out if there is anything we can do to make some decisions here
earlier and here later that would help the process, but we have no plans of
making any changes right now.”
On whether it’s painful
watching portions of the season like the first half:
“It’s very painful. It’s very painful, because not only am I an owner, I’m the
steward for the fans, I’m the custodian of things on their behalf. I feel their
pain, I truly do. I see their pain and I understand what they’re going through.
It’s bewilderment how we can play that way in the first half and completely
different in the second half. That’s kind of been typical of the year. We just
haven’t had the kind of consistency to win games. Whatever the reasons there
are, there are, but it’s just not acceptable at any level. We’ll have to
continue to think about what’s the best thing for the franchise and the team on
a long-term basis and we’ll do that.”
On seeing empty seats in the
stadium:
“It’s very painful. I understand that. I’ve always been here, I’m going to be
in my seat. Hopefully, the great majority of our fans will as well. I think
they understand our ownership has been committed for almost 20 years now in
doing the right things for the franchise. I look at our record over that period
of time compared to the prior 36 years and it’s extraordinarily good. Even for
this staff, it’s hard to imagine, but we played a Super Bowl team a couple of
years ago. The year following, when we weren’t supposed to be competitive, we
were five yards away from playing for the NFC Championship game. In the last
year, we’ve had a number of injuries, as we all know. That’s all history. It’s
nice to understand that and appreciate that, but this is a ‘now’ business and
it’s a ‘now’ game, so we perform good.”
On whether or not he’s ruled
out making a change during the season:
“I’ve already answered that question.”
On whether or not his
experience gives him a foundation for decisions:
“Yeah, it does. I mean, you begin to understand a little more clearly – the one
key thing I think you need to keep in mind, it’s not a reason or another, but
it is a fact, the players, they love Dan Quinn. They’re playing hard for him.
Results aren’t there and I understand that, and they understand that as well.
You all heard about Julio’s [Jones] comments this last week. I happened to be
in the locker room and in 20 years, I’ve never heard a player talk that way
with that emotional content and that fervor and that feeling about their
responsibility and their own accountability. I think he touched a lot of
players and the whole staff in doing that. That has to convert to a different record.”
On whether anything today
changed his mind:
“No, I said earlier I think it’s important. I think the players have not lost
confidence in the coach and the coaching staff and they’re playing high energy,
they’re committed, they’re practicing hard, they’re working hard. They’re as
befuddled I think as we are, as the coaches are, but I don’t think they view it
as a lack of confidence in the coach and the coaching staff. I think they’re
very committed to working for him and doing whatever they have to do.
Hopefully, it will be enough. We’ll see.”
That why the coaches need hold these players responsible for there actions on the field they all want big money and they are getting what they want but we are not !!!! Start taking back some money or get them off the team if they can not hold there end of the bargain??