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HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER**
(on how Stephen Tulloch helps with the injuries to the other linebackers)
Well, Tully (Stephen Tulloch) has been here and he knows what we're doing. Tully's got some additional responsibilities now because he's going to be planted firmly in the nickel defense and sub-packages. We've got to get people in position to back that up. But Tully's doing fine and so is Colin (Allred) and Gerald (McRath) too. They know what to do, they understand the challenges, they understand the potential problems with the matchups. So, they'll be fine.
(on how quickly linebacker Jamie Winborn can be caught up to speed)
Special teams won't be an issue and the defense he's been in a number of systems, so he'll be able to relate some things. He could potentially help us in a package.
(on what he's most proud about this team)
We're taking things a day at a time. I'm proud of how they responded and how they practiced. They came out with great intensity and I cut it short because it was going really well. We want to get them back, get their legs and bodies back. It's a day-to-day thing with them. They enjoy preparing, they enjoy playing and they enjoy challenges.
(on if there are any additional challenges with playing on Christmas)
There's always the potential for distractions. Not that they're negative distractions, they're positive distractions. There's family, there's gifts, there's shopping. The same things we're all going through touch their lives. If they know far enough in advance what their schedule's going to be, you can avoid it. They're looking forward to tomorrow to an evening with their families, and then we'll come back and go to work.
(on Colin Allred)
He'll be fine. Colin's a real smart player. He can play both positions, the outside and inside linebacker spot. He won't have any difficulties from a mental standpoint. He's been active on special teams. He's a contact player. He'll be fine.
(on if he's concerned about Colin Allred's durability)
No, he's had a hamstring issue covering kicks. We'll reduce that responsibility, but he'll be fine.
(on if the offense needs to step up this week to take pressure off the defense)
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Well, we need to score points. The Chargers are really good right now in all phases, the run game, play-action, the deep passing game. They're scoring a lot of points. We're preparing ourselves to have to score points to match their output.
(on the advantage of playing at home on Christmas)
You can argue it both ways. There are advantages to what the Chargers are doing. They're leaving Christmas behind and they're going on a business trip. They'll have Christmas when they get back. I've been in those shoes as well. There's an advantage to that. I also think there's an advantage to playing at home on a holiday and all of the things associated with that.
(on Chris Johnson)
You have to give people upfront the credit. They're the ones creating the opportunities, creating the seams, whether it's in the run game, the passing game or the screen game. Once they create the opportunities for him, he takes advantage of it. His speed is something that if you're not familiar with it's very problematic. It's different and he takes advantage of that. He can step sideways and be full-speed in two steps. I think that's unusual. It's a rare gift.
(on why the Chargers are so good in December under Philip Rivers)
There's a lot of good players there. They've done a great job with their personnel and their run game. I think you have to credit their entire team. Rivers is playing very, very good football right now. They've always run the football well, they play good defense and they've always been one of the top special teams groups. They've been a team that traditionally has depth. When you lose the players that they've lost, both the nose guard and the center early in the year, they've been able to overcome that. Philips's playing well and the receivers are improving.
(on how difficult the 0-6 start was to overcome)
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I had an understanding of why we were 0-6. As long as you can figure out why, you've got a chance to get out of it. I think as we talked many times, the first three games could have gone either way. The next two, they were what they were and then the New England game was difficult. Fortunately timing wise the bye week came. We had confidence in each other, had confidence in the staff, confidence in the players that we could pull out of it.
(on if Norv Turner was his position coach at USC)
Yes, twice. He was the receivers coach my freshman year and then he was the secondary coach my senior year.
