(on if some of the struggles in the kicking game are related to having a new holder and K-Adam Vinatieri missing training camp and most of the preseason) * *
"I tend to not make any excuses for anything. I would not make that a point of emphasis in terms of why, and certainly there are a lot of different factors that are involved in it. Overall, I think our job is to put our team in the best position to complete those things. If anything, it might be a situation where we decided to go for a field goal (that) could have been in question or something of that nature. I certainly would not try to make any excuses for what happened and why. We just try to get the job done, and that is what we are supposed to do."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if he's concerned about the kicking game)
"I do not (feel a concern), none whatsoever. I think we have a great placekicker, and I think Justin (Snow) can snap the ball (well), and we have a guy (P-Pat McAfee) that does do a good job, in terms of holding. He's young, but still perfectly capable. I don't have any reservations whatsoever."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on LB-Tyjuan Hagler and LB-Freddy Keiaho)
"I think they obviously have been in the system and do understand it. From that standpoint, they certainly made the transition a lot smoother. They can do a lot of different things. They play a lot of different positions. They are very capable guys athletically. We certainly are glad to have them back because it does, indeed, give us a certain comfort level there. They've been in some battles with us, and certainly helped us win a lot of football games. We're pleased to have them, and they are doing a good job, as well."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on communicating with Hagler and Keiaho during the offseason)
"Every situation is a little bit different. Tyjuan and I have a bit of a relationship that we've developed throughout the years, standing back there talking after the huddle breaks (ending practice). We talked a little bit more (than Caldwell and Freddy did), but I wouldn't say it was out of the ordinary."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on if the Colts' success against the NFC is due to NFC teams not having as much familiarity with the Colts as AFC teams do)
"I wouldn't think so. We've been playing pretty well in previous years. I think they are all very good teams, and they all give us some problems. They are big, strong, physical teams that maybe have a little bit different style of play than maybe we are accustomed to sometimes. Overall, we've just been fortunate that we've been able to hang in there and win some close games, because some of them have been very close. I don't see any real trend there at all."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the difficulty to prepare when you are unsure of what QB you will face)
"The interesting thing about those two (Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace) is the fact that they do have similarities. Oftentimes, you find a huge difference between the mobility of one and the other. In this particular case, you do not. Seneca does indeed run and run extremely well, but so does Hasselbeck. He can run and get out of the pocket and do some damage. That phase of it, oftentimes if you didn't know who you were going to face, if you had two completely different styles, it creates a little bit of a problem, because then you wonder how much do I work on this phase or that phase. These guys are similar, and besides that, they don't change their offense according to which guy is playing. They run the same schemes, they do the same things. Five years, I think, Seneca has been there, so he knows the system and knows it well. (He) functions well within it. He can just extend plays maybe a little bit longer (than Hasselbeck). The other thing is, both of them are very good. Both of them are dangerous, dangerous guys. I think their completion percentage is somewhere around the same. They function within that system extremely well. They can cause you some problems."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on any differences in the Seattle offense from last season that he has seen with the Seahawks' having a new offensive coordinator)
"There are a lot of the same things. I'm sure that was their intent, trying to keep the system unchanged, so they wouldn't have to go through a complete system change. I think you can see that it is still a very capable offense, and still looks the same. (Former Head) Coach (Mike) Holmgren always had a real strong offensive team, and this one is no different. They make very few mistakes, very few penalties, very few turnovers. It's a sharp group."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on DE-Dwight Freeney's status)
"(I have) nothing more than what we had yesterday. The only other thing I would note, and I think he probably noted it, is that he is a pretty quick healer. There have been times in previous years when he's had the same sort of prognosis, and he's been able to come out and play that week. He's always been a little ahead of the curve that way."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on the running game's improvement the last two games)
"Oftentimes, I think we have a chance to see it developing in practice. We can see the difference, see the things we've worked on, the things we've tried to stress and emphasize. Although it may be somewhat segmented in terms of our teaching and instruction, we can see the development of the improvement. That has kind of been the case. We've just had, I think, all pieces work together, like they are supposed to, and we've had a few more opportunities to make some yards. The thing is, we have to continue to work on it. We have to continue to get better, because every week that you look at something and devise a plan that works fairly well, the opposition takes a real good look at that also, and comes up with different ways to stop it. So, we have to make certain that we keep progressing."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on whose idea it was to have DT-Eric Foster play some fullback)
"I'm not certain. I don't know who it was to be honest with you. We kind of go by the motto around here, 'It's not who is right, it's what is right.' I'm not certain who it was. He's a guy that is big. He can run. He is athletic. He can catch. That's a pretty good combination. Through his time here guys have noticed it, and he's done a good job so far."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on Colts' plans for Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
"I think there are a couple of our guys that are doing something a little different, in terms of shoes, I think. There's been one (RB-Joseph Addai) guy that was sent a pair (of pink shoes) and wore them in practice the other day. I don't know what he is going to do come game time. I think he tested them out and that kind of thing. It just depends. I'm going to wear a hat that has some identifying marks on it in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. I think they are handing out pins and things of that nature, I'm not certain. I think the captains have an embroidered patch for them. There'll be a few things going on. It is a very, very important cause. My mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor. It's a tough disease, and it is certainly pervasive throughout our society. I'm glad that the NFL and our team are doing some more things to bring recognition to that fact and raising money for that effort."
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL (on LB-Philip Wheeler taking some snaps at defensive end)
"The interesting thing about him is that is what he did in college. He was a stand-up player that during some of their (Georgia Tech) nickel looks, he became one of their four rushers, and he did it quite well. So, we've kind of always had our eye on him. As we were evaluating him, that was one of the things that jumped out, 'Hey, this guy can rush the passer.' Now, oftentimes, you can get that from just sending him from his normal linebacker spot, but in this particular case, he has a good understanding of it and in the event of an emergency, we could possibly put him in that position where he could give us a little bit of help."
