PACKERS HEAD COACH MATT LAFLEUR
(on the injury and ending the game early) "Obviously a very scary ending to the game right there. Thoughts and prayers to Isaiah Bolden and his family. It's a scary situation and one that you never want to see in the game and I thought it was in the best interest of both teams. Coach Belichick and I talked on the field and just to take the action that we took. There was a lot of good work that we had over the last couple of days, but it's hard to think about much of that. I just hope that young man is going to be ok."
(on when he knew the game would be suspended) "When we were both out there. Obviously, anytime you see somebody getting carted off like that it's a tough situation to witness and we could see the care for that young man by his teammates and the coaches. We just felt like that was the right thing to do."
(on saying something to the Patriots sideline) "It was a pretty chippy week all in all, and it kind of got escalated in the pregame a little bit. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't going to be any problems postgame and the respect that we have for each other and just, let's get out of here and go home."
(on if he saw everything he wanted to see in the game) "There was a lot of things that were good for both teams. I thought both teams competed really hard and there were a lot of things that we need to clean up in terms of the amount of penalties and there were a couple of mistakes. We obviously can't have that on the first series, an odd snap like that, but all in all, it was a very productive week. We had two really good practices with them and I thought our guys up to that point competed really hard and there was a lot of good that came out of our week together."
(on the timing of the decision to suspend the game) "That was something that was made on the field and that can only go through the commissioner. We both agreed that that was probably the right way to handle the situation and so I've got no regrets about that decision."
(on the botched snap) "Basically, we were using a dummy cadence and one of their d-linemen flinched. He just didn't go into the neutral zone. When that happens, we teach the centers to snap the ball if they cross into the neutral zone. It didn't appear that their d-lineman went into the neutral zone and Jordan wasn't ready for the ball."
(on handling that type of injury situation with the team) "We're going to get together tomorrow. We'll have a team meeting. We'll talk about it. There's a risk every time you go out on the field. Like I said, it's an unfortunate part of our game that you never want to see and, when it happens, it can be pretty scary. You never want to think about that going into the game you're playing, because usually when you're thinking about getting hurt that could happen. Go out there and play fast, play free, but unfortunately that is part of the game."
(on Jordan Love) "I've been really impressed with how he's handled himself. It dates back even to last preseason. I know we didn't always have the results and I sat up here and defended him pretty hard in terms of just some of the play, but it's about the process. It's about all the little things that go into that position. The command that you have in the huddle and just total command of the offense, the operation. Obviously, execution is a big part of that as well, but I think we've all seen the growth over these last few years, and it's been pretty cool to witness. But you've got to have a short memory in this game because, you're only as good as your last game and we all know that. There's a lot of work and quite frankly, it's only the preseason so we're going to have to keep building on this and hopefully continue to get better each and every day in practice or whatever the situation."
(on if Jordan Love is ready for Week One or if he needs more time in the preseason) "I don't want to make any decisions quite yet on whether or not we're going to play these guys, but I would anticipate them playing a little bit more next week. That's just the gut feeling I have right now, but I do have the right to change my mind on that."
(on Rasheed Walker starting at left tackle) "Rasheed had a really good week of practice and we wanted to see him. I talked to coach Belichick throughout the course of the week and had a pretty good indication that they were going to play their ones and we wanted to see how he would respond in that situation."
(on the decision to play the starting offense for three series) "It was just... again, total feel and it felt like we wanted to give him (Jordan Love) one more crack at it and I'm certainly glad we did because we made a couple of explosive plays. I thought that the throw to Rome (Romeo Doubs), he made a hell of a catch. You know, that's something we've talked pretty openly, in terms of just trying to get your guys an opportunity to go make that play. I thought he put good air under the ball to Rome and then obviously the ball to J (Jayden) Reed was a really good throw and catch."
(on Emanuel Wilson tonight) "I thought Wilson ran really hard. I think he ran with really good power, ran through some arm tackles, ran with low pad level. I thought he had an outstanding day, and that is two games in a row. I'm excited for him. There are a lot of things that he needs to continue to improve on and, like most young backs, pass protection is one of those, as well as just getting in better football shape. I think that he's gotten a taste of what it's like to be an every down back, especially in this game. There were moments where I could tell he was pretty gassed, so I think that's one thing that he can continue to improve on, just that conditioning."
(on Kingsley Enagbare) "It's not a shock that he went out there and performed like that. He's had a heck of a week of practice. We saw it in the two practices against them, he had multiple sacks, four perceived sacks since we didn't call any of them. But he went out there and I think he performed just how he practiced. It's funny, I ran into him right before kickoff and I was like, 'Hey, you're going to get yourself a couple sacks today,' and he went out there and did."
(on Samori Toure getting all the return opportunities) "It's both he's earned those opportunities, but also a little bit of matter of circumstance. I thought he's handled himself well back there."
(on if the fighting in practice might make him think about only having one day of a joint practices) "Potentially. We have a long time to kind of mull that over, but you know, I see some benefit in only having one. I thought we had really good work with Cincinnati when we did that. We've had two practices with teams in the past, and haven't had... like when the Jets were here, we didn't have any problems and I don't believe we had any problems last year with New Orleans. So, I think you can. I think it's just all just circumstantial in the situation. We'll have plenty of time to think about that moving forward."
(on Love's composure) "This game isn't always about how you start, you're going to have to weather some storms and you're going to have to bounce back. You have to have a short memory and you've got to show some resiliency. I think that's a big part of it. For him to have the poise with that start... I mean, shoot even on the first play, we were so late getting out of the huddle that they repumped the clock. That's not what we intended to start the game with, but you know, it was just one of those situations. I think he looked up and got surprised and just, to his credit, he just called something. Which obviously would be catastrophic... no, not catastrophic, but it would not be what we want to start the game out with, with a timeout. Even in that moment, he didn't panic. He just called the play and went out there and ran the play, and I want to say got six yards on the first play of the game."
QUARTERBACK JORDAN LOVE
(on if he thought Romeo Doubs made the catch on the sideline) "Seeing it live, obviously I was just kind of watching the catch and I saw him catch it, but I couldn't see his feet, so I was just waiting to see what the refs did, and obviously they said he was out of bounds. So I was just like, 'All right.' I didn't get to see a good replay of it until we challenged it and after seeing that I was like, 'Oh, that's a catch.' The whole time 'Rome' was saying he caught it and said he thought he got his feet in, so I'm just glad we were able to challenge that, because it was a great catch by him."
(on if he feels ready for Week 1 based on what he's done so far in the preseason) "At this point I think I'm definitely ready for Week 1 and carrying on throughout the season. I think these first two (preseason) games were a lot of good work, obviously getting the practice in with Cincy and with the Patriots as well. But I think playing in that last game with just me getting more reps, just getting more comfortable, seeing new looks, going against a different team, I don't think would hurt."
(on why he feels like he's ready for Week 1) "I think it's just getting those reps, getting comfortable, just being in a game. I think throughout training camp, practice reps and obviously the five series I've played so far through preseason is a good start going into the season."
(on what he saw on the TD pass) "It was a great route by 'J Reed,' what we call a through route. It was man coverage, it was sticky coverage, but he won inside. It was pretty much just running away from the DB. There was a backer that kind of out in front of him, so I just held on to it for a little bit, let him just continue to run through that second window and he made a great play at the end, just being able to bounce off that DB and get in the end zone, so it was a great rip by him."
(on the first play of the game) "There was something we talked about pregame, we had a play call and if they were giving us a field pressure look, we were going to get out of it and go to a different play. Pretty much I was telling the offense in the huddle that that's what we would do and I looked up and the play clock was at like 13 (seconds), so I wouldn't have time to get us back into that other play. So I just let that play ride and right when we broke the huddle they bumped the clock back to 25. I don't know what was going on with the clock at that point, but, yeah."
(on if he knew he was coming back for a third series when they decided to punt) "I think the goal for us going in was for us to score a touchdown and obviously we weren't satisfied with what we had done so far in the game. The situation there, I think we were going to punt regardless. We were just trying to get a play to draw them offsides right there with that fourth-and-5 when we were out there. We'll just take the delay (penalty) and kick it."
(on if the long throw to Doubs needed to be placed in a different spot) "I think just where the defender, the way he played it, Romeo was trying to get back outside of him, and he kind of just walled him to the sideline. Obviously you can throw it a little bit more inside, but I don't know if he (Doubs) would have been able to get to it with the way the DB was kind of just walling him on the sideline. But like I said, he made a great catch just getting his toes in bounds right there."
(on if that throw was where he wanted it) "I think that ball was where I wanted it. When it came out of my hand, I thought it might be a little underthrown, but it was able to get to where I wanted it."
(on the botched shotgun snap) "On that play it was what we call a double cadence and after the first cadence it looked like the D-end on the right side might have jumped, and that's kind of what Josh (Myers) saw and felt. That's why he snapped it right there and my eyes weren't ready, weren't on the snap at that point, and obviously it went back behind me. (That's) something we never want to happen and I just wasn't able to get the ball back right there. It was just kind of miscommunication, obviously thinking that we got a free play with them jumping offsides, and I guess I'd have to back and see, but I'm not sure if the guy was offsides. The ref said he wasn't, so it's something we've got to go back and look, but obviously something we've got to clean up, something you never want to happen."
(on if he said anything to the team at the start of the TD drive) "I think everybody was feeling that we weren't playing up to our standard the first two drives. I think there was a penalty on the kickoff and pretty much my message to the guys was to go 97 yards or 93 yards, however far it was, let's go get the touchdown. I think everybody rallied. Obviously going into that first play we had the false start, which didn't help, but it's just one of those things when adversity hits, but I like the way we rallied though and were able to score."
(on how he senses what kind of start the team is off to) "It's just on the field. Obviously we want to be successful, you want to go score right away. We didn't do that the first drive, got the second-drive opportunity and we didn't do anything with that one, didn't put any points up (or) get into field-goal range, so it's just one of those things you feel it. Everybody feels it. It's just we've got to turn the tide, be able to bounce back and go put some points up."
(on if anything was said after the personal-foul penalty) "I felt the guy that was running behind me and that's why when I saw I got the first down I slid, and he jumped on my back and right on my neck. I knew it was going to be a 15-yard penalty, and it was one of those things, the heat of the moment, things were said and a little shoving match, and then obviously the O-line stepped up, which you love to see as a quarterback, the guys having your back. I appreciate all those guys getting in there for me."
(on when he decided to pull the ball down and run) "Right when I hit the top of my drop I saw the coverage that they were presenting. They were taking away the concept we ran and I kind of just felt an opening right there and it's just a split-second decision. You've got to just hit that back foot and decide if you're going to throw a checkdown or take off, and I saw the hole, just was able to make a play right there and get out."
(on the ending of the game and what he was feeling) "I've never been a part of a situation like that, and it's a scary situation. You don't know what's going on, if he's (Isaiah Bolden) going to be OK or not. We've heard that he's stable condition and going to the hospital now, so it's just a scary situation. Everyone's not knowing what's going on and thoughts and prayers are with him. Just the way that kind of ended the game, I think it was the right decision. You never want to see that happen. Going back to last year with the Damar Hamlin incident, it's just a scary incident that you never want to see happen and everyone was just scared after that I feel like."
(on the approach of playing in preseason as opposed to regular season) "Once you get in the battle, in the heat of the moment, you're not thinking about that. I think if you are thinking about that, it might amplify the risk for maybe injuries and things like that, so I just go out there and compete when I get out there and let the coaches kind of decide what's going on, if it might be getting a little too much for me to come out. Things like that happen, I'm trying to get the ball back in that situation (after the botched snap), not even thinking about somebody landing on my arm, things like that. The late hit, things that happen during the game, you can't really control that."
(on if the reaction after the late hit builds any team camaraderie) "Oh yeah. I think it does completely. For me to feel that those guys have my back, it's awesome. I feel that already, but then to see it, you love to see that. I appreciate those guys stepping and having my back right there, and I think it does build some unity, camaraderie, and I think going back to practice, some of (those) incidents happened in practice. We love to see guys having each other's back and fighting for each other and not letting any of that stuff kind of slide out there on the field."
(on the value of facing the Patriots defense this week in practice) "I think it was great. Any time you get a (joint) practice, I think it's good and I think these guys do a really good job of mixing their coverages, doing man, and they do have some sticky coverage, and they do a good job up front with some twists, things like that, so I think it's very valuable reps. Obviously in practice versus a preseason game you get to see a little bit more of their defense, more of their scheme come out, so I think it's all valuable stuff and obviously practice is a little bit more free. You can try new things, experiment, and it's great reps to learn from."
(on if the second day of joint practices is worth it given how chippy things got) "I think it just depends on the situation, but I do agree that two days of practice, after the first day tensions might be there and then you go back and watch the film, come back the second day and, yeah, Day 2 for us the tensions were high. It started right at the beginning of practice. For us it's a way to find out how you can reset, just focus on yourself and not get distracted by those things. But tensions were high today. I think we had one (a two-day practice) with the Saints last year, but obviously compared to the Cincy practice, I think two-day practices get a little chippy."
(on the importance of not getting frazzled and if it's a strength of his) "I think that's one of my strengths and as a quarterback you kind of have to be that guy for the team that's not going to let anything faze you if things aren't going right. If some adversity hits, you're not going to be fazed by it and you're going to be that steady rock for everybody that they can look to and know that if you're good that we can all be good as well. But I think that's one of my strengths. It's one thing that I've done since high school, is just be able to stay calm in situations when things might not be going right, or when things are going good just trying to stay easy and be that calm place for the team."