Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips – Media Availability – October 11, 2018 (On what to attribute the defense's success to in regard to only allowing three points in the fourth quarter the past two games) "First of all, you've got to play good enough to win. You'd rather not give up the points we gave up, but you also want to be 5-0 rather than 3-2. We obviously keep working to getting better on defense. We're still, what, a top-10 defense and sixth in scoring defense. I know we gave up points before, but it's still an accumulation and it still says 5-0 on our record. There's certainly things you have to work on. That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to not let them score – that's the first thing. Nine-to-nothing in the fourth quarter and the game before, the last play of the game we made the play. I've been with a lot of teams and I just think this team – I've told you before – plays really well under pressure. We don't want to be pressured to play that well all the time, but I feel good about where we're going. We're not there yet, but that's where we're going." (On players potentially doing too much) "Well, that's pretty much with everybody. We just tell them, 'Hey, play the defense called. Don't play 3-4 (defense) on your own.' Guys want to make plays. You've got to trust the guys on your team. You've got to trust the calls and trust the guys on your team. If everybody does their job, then you can do yours better. So, that's always been the philosophy in football." (On if he has identified anything the defense can get better at in the run game) "It's still up and down run-wise. We had some great games already against good running backs and good running teams. I thought Seattle did a good job, number one, but the last five rushes, they made five yards. So, we can stop the run. We're playing a team this week that the two rookie running backs are the tops in the league as far as rushing average. They're in the top five in runs. So, we know they can run the ball so it's going to be a challenge for us that way. Their quarterback threw for 377 yards last week, so for people to say, 'Well, they can't throw the ball either' are wrong about that. It's going to be a big challenge playing in Denver. The home crowd is great. It's tough to win in Denver. I've been on the other side of it, so I know that." (On going back to Denver) "I'm still close with a lot of the players, obviously. I have great feelings for them and the coaches. I got too much credit when I was there because (Broncos Defensive Coordinator) Joe Woods and (Broncos Linebackers Coach) Reggie Herring and (Broncos Defensive Line Coach) Bill Kollar – they're all there. They were the guys that met with the guys every day and got them to play the way we did. I was just riding on the train clanging the bell. I got too much credit in that area because those guys are great coaches. I have a lot of feelings for the guys there. Guys that gave up – just like I do here – the guys that sweat and play hard for you, you have great feelings for. They've got some – obviously (Broncos OLB) Von Miller is a great player. The two receivers, (Broncos WR) Demaryius (Thomas) and (Broncos WR) Emmanuel (Sanders) are really good players. When you've seen their players, you know the abilities they have, it makes you worry more certainly. Then, (Broncos CB) Chris Harris Jr., I know he's a great cornerback, but he's one of the best players I've ever coached – besides also Von – but they don't talk about him. So, they've got really good players that I care about personally, but I care about our team a little bit more. We'd like to win this game. It's a big game for us." (On his relationship with Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph and if he takes pride when he sees guys he worked with having success in the league) "Yeah, I do. (Broncos Head Coach) Vance (Joseph) and I were together in Houston and we went from the 31st (ranked) in the league in defense to second in one year. I think that's the biggest ever and a lot of it was because of Vance. Bill Kollar was there and Reggie Herring was there. So, those three guys, again, did a tremendous job. I told Vance all along that he should be a coordinator. When I first got with him I thought, 'He's too good of a coach not to be a coordinator.' I think somewhere at that time I let him call defenses and I thought he'd become a head coach. So, that's come to fruition." (On what is most difficult to prepare for with Broncos QB Case Keenum) "He's a really good quarterback and we played him last year. They obviously paid him a lot of money because they thought he was too. Like I said, he went 377 (passing yards) last game, so he can throw the football. They've got really good receivers, so we've got to do what we do. We've got to play good pass defense and rush the passer well against a good quarterback. That's always the menu." (On if CB Marcus Peters is moving around on defense) "I think his is more me than him. I think just getting comfortable with the things he really does well. Until you have a player – he's got to play coverages certainly...and he didn't say it, but he was banged up a little bit. But, I think the key is with all the players on defense, you get a feel for how they play, put them in situations that they can be aggressive or they know they don't have to be aggressive, those kind of things. So, it's partly on me." (On if CB Aqib Talib not being able to play affects the entire defense) "Well, I mean he's a good player. He's an elite player, really. But, (CB) Troy (Hill) came in and played well last week I thought. (CB) Sam (Shields) is a talented guy that I think is going to get better and better every week. We've got guys to replace him and that's what we're doing." (On Peters mentioning that his eyes were on of place during the Seahawks game, if that was a one- time thing and if eye training is really important for defensive backs) "Well, he's one of those guys that's special in that he sees so many things and he can diagnose routes and those kind of things. You don't want to take that away from him, but you also don't want him peeking too much in certain situations, that's why I say that's partly me. We've got to get him, system-wise, in to how we want things done, especially with – it's not how he moves and so forth. He's got great movement skill and ball skill and all those things. So, I think it's just working out how we want to play it and him fitting into the way we want it done. But, he's like a great quarterback that can scramble, if you take the scrambling away from them they're not as good. The same thing with him, if you take what sees away from him – now you've got to limit it a little bit more and that's what we haven't done well enough with him. He's getting there and he's a great competitor. He's like any great corner, the next play he's going to play as good as he can play. He doesn't get his head down. He keeps fighting and that's what happens in the fourth quarter. If bad things happen for really good players, they keep playing." (On any snow game memories that stick out) "Well, it's always cold when it’s snowing. That's the one game I want to go up to the press box and say, 'Hey, you guys are on the field. I can see better up here.' Our Super Bowl year we played New England and beat them in overtime in a snow game. It was cold. In fact, in the overtime, they won the toss and (Patriots QB) Tom Brady was cheering because they got the ball. I'm sure he felt like – which he's done a million times – that they were going to win the game, but Von Miller sacked him and they had to punt. Then we scored. That's some good memories, at least that one anyway." (On what he saw from LB Mark Barron in his return last week) "(LB) Mark (Barron) did well. I don't know if he led the team in tackles, but he was pretty close. I was worried about how sore he'd be this week. I talked to him today and he said he was a lot better than he thought it was going to be because he hadn't played in a long time and coming off of injuries and so forth.