
Comments from head coach John Fox's weekly day-after-game press conference:
ON INJURIES SUNDAY: ![]()
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ON WHO WILL START AT QUARTERBACK AT ARIZONA: I don't know that yet. I think even if I did, I probably wouldn't announce it quite yet. But we'll evaluate it and see what gives us the best chance as we head out to Arizona.
ON WHETHER IT UNDERMINES JAKE DELHOMME'S POSITION AS STARTER TO HAVE THE ASSIGNMENT UNRESOLVED AT THIS POINT? No. I think we need to do what's going to help us win. If that's Jake, I think he'll understand that. If it's not Jake, I think he'll understand that, too. Right now, we're not executing well in the passing game. I can't say that it's all the quarterback, but we have to get that better.
ON WHEN HE EXPECTS TO MAKE A DECISION: I think, again, I can't answer that yet because I don't have a crystal ball. We definitely need to do whatever it takes to get better. If that entails a quarterback change, that's what it will entail.
ON WHETHER DELHOMME WOULD BE REMOVED FROM CONSIDERATION TO START: Maybe the best way to say it is, 'I probably won't say.' I think there's a competitive nature to that, and we'll leave it at that.
ON LOCKER-ROOM CONFIDENCE IN DELHOMME: I don't know that there's a lot of confidence in that part of our offense, whether it's the offensive players or what-not. I think it's something you'd have to ask. A lot goes into confidence. When you drive the ball 60, 70 yards and come away with no points, it may not have anything to do with all the offense. I think we moved the ball; we threw the ball well at times. At the end of the day we had four turnovers to none (for the Bills), and that's not a good formula to win in the National Football League. It's not just all the quarterback play, or it wasn't just all the offense.
ON THE RECURRING IMPACT OF INTERCEPTIONS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON: It doesn't do a lot for your confidence, I don't care who you are. So this isn't the first inadequate area we've had during the season. We started 0-3 and our defense wasn't really clicking. I think over the last three games we've improved in that area. Two and a half weeks ago we weren't exactly running the ball like a well-oiled machine; that's an area (in which) we improved. Right now, the consistency of our special teams and passing game might need some work -- and that's what we'll do, or at least attempt to do.
ON WHETHER DELHOMME WOULD BE THE NO. 2 OR NO. 3 QUARTERBACK IF HE IS REMOVED FROM STARTING POSITION: As I (said earlier), I won't be answering that anytime soon.
ON WHETHER HE MIGHT NOT ANNOUNCE THE STARTING QUARTERBACK UNTIL GAME TIME SUNDAY: I can't honestly tell you. When I feel like we've found a solution, I'll try to be as informed of it as I can.
ON WHETHER HE HAS TALKED WITH DELHOMME SINCE LAST NIGHT: Yeah. I've talked with the whole team.
ON HOW SURPRISED HE IS AT DELHOMME'S STRUGGLES: As I've said before, I don't think the lone reason we've struggled in the passing game is the quarterback position. Is there a hand in it? Yes, but I think if you went back and studied every one of those interceptions and every one of those things, that it was just all the quarterback. The reality is that we're not operating very well there, and I don't know if status quo is necessarily the answer or not, and that's all I'm bringing to light to you guys.
ON WHAT DELHOMME WOULD NEED TO SHOW TO HANG ON TO THE STARTING JOB: It's just (about coaches) getting a feel, just like we do with every other position. That will come by the week's work.
ON WHETHER THERE HAS BEEN ANYTHING IN PRACTICE TO INDICATE SOME OF DELHOMME'S GAME-TIME STRUGGLES: Not really. It'd be hard to pinpoint, but "No" would be the closest thing I could say. We're in a results-oriented business and game day carries a little more weight.
ON THE PASSING GAME STRUGGLES BEING MORE THAN JUST THE QUARTERBACK: There's a lot of moving parts in the passing game. Receivers, protection, sometimes the defense -- they have a little bit to do there.
ON HOW MATT MOORE IS PROGRESSING IN PRACTICE: He's a young quarterback. He's gotten some playing time, albeit not a lot lately. But he's been in the offense, he understands the offense. ![]()
ON JORDAN GROSS SAYING THAT A QUARTERBACK CHANGE WAS A "BREAK GLASS, PULL HANDLE" MOVE: I think that was a little bit of a new one (analogy) to me ... other than that we'll do whatever it takes for us to start developing some confidence in that phase of the game. Whether that's stay the same or make a change, those are all things we'll evaluate, just like we do with all positions. Sometimes it's a matter of executing better -- a little bit like our run game was a couple of weeks ago.
ON WHETHER HE WOULD CONSIDER LETTING DELHOMME START AGAINST THE CARDINALS SO HE COULD EXORCISE THE DEMONS OF JANUARY'S PLAYOFF LOSS TO THEM: Different stadium. It's the same opponent. But I don't know how much voodoo I put into this.
ON WHETHER HE WILL MAKE THE QUARTERBACK DECISION OR WHETHER IT WILL INVOLVE OTHER COACHES: We talk to our staff all the time. They are part of the evaluation process -- position coach, offensive coordinator, player(s). It's a matter of we've got to do something to get confidence in that area of our football team. Whether that's practice, like it was in the run game and on defense. Whether that's making a change, which was the case a little bit on defense. We got some guys back, which I think was helpful. But again I think guys played a little bit better. But there's no question it's an area of our football team that we've got to improve, and we'll continue to see what we've been seeing until we get it fixed. We're probably fortunate to be 2-4 with a minus-14 turnover margin. The way you fix that is you try to eliminate giving it away and try to take it away more. It's not just, like I said before, the offense or just that part of the game; (those are) the ones that are highlighted. As an offense, your job is to score points and when you travel quite a few yards and get no points, it doesn't do a lot for your confidence. We have to get over that, plain and simple. Nobody's going to come rescue us. We have to fix it and we'll do the necessary things to do that to the best of our ability.
ON PAST SUPPORT OF DELHOMME AS STARTING QUARTERBACK: I think the results. I still believe Jake's our best quarterback. I would have no reason to believe otherwise truth be told. But collectively we'll do whatever it takes for us to improve. What that is I can't honestly tell you at this second.
ON WHETHER THE JOB IS DELHOMME'S TO LOSE, OR HE MUST WIN IT BACK: I can't answer it any more than what I already have.
ON IF HE WILL DECIDE THE STARTING QUARTERBACK BEFORE WEDNESDAY: We probably won't answer every little detail to the media. Really all I know is I haven't made it yet. I really can't speak much more moving forward until it gets here.
ON WHETHER DELHOMME'S MECHANICS OR POCKET PRESENCE HAS CHANGED: I don't see any difference in his arm strength, his delivery or anything of that nature -- just like I didn't see a big difference in ![]()
ON WHETHER THE QUARTERBACK COACH CHANGE IN JANUARY AFFECTED DELHOMME: I think that's what we do every day -- probably adjust, whether it's the same coach or not. But I don't know that's to blame.
ON THE RECENT SPECIAL-TEAMS BREAKDOWNS: Again, that's part of the confidence. Those negative plays influence the whole football team. I used to say, "A punt's not a bad play." I'm starting to wonder. But our punt game was a positive in the game yesterday. I think injuries have been part of that, but that's no excuse because injuries are a part of everybody's team. Two weeks ago, our kick-off coverage wasn't exactly stellar. That was a potentially game-changing play up 21-7, and (to) have a kickoff taken back 98 yards doesn't do a boatload for your confidence. We missed three tackles on the play, one by our kicker. So it's been a variety of areas. Those are different matchups, different things that happen in different games. That crew we played last night was a very good special teams group. We'll have to see how we match up this week.
ON WHETHER THE SPECIAL-TEAMS BREAKDOWNS ARE CONNECTED: A couple of things that happened that were negative, whether it was not as good of a kickoff as we've had to missing two field to muffing a punt, I don't think were opponent related.
ON WHAT HAPPENED ON JOHN KASAY'S TWO MISSED FIELD GOALS: One was wide right and one was wide left. I saw it probably a lot like you did.