Comments from Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox following the team's practice.
On injuries: Did not participate - Tyler Brayton (personal), Jeff Otah (knee) and DeAngelo Williams (foot).
On the decision to place linebacker Jamar Williams (neck) on injured reserve: He's been a little bit symptomatic still from that injury, and this is one of those types of injuries where you err on the side of caution. It was going to be probably six to eight weeks before he could respond, so we went ahead and made that move and he'll continue doing his rehab.
On why linebacker James Anderson is playing so well: He's gotten more opportunities. James has been primarily a backup. He stepped in last year when Thomas Davis got hurt in the New Orleans game. I think he gained valuable experience and confidence during that period of time. With the injury to Thomas again this offseason, he's stepped in and he's taken advantage of his opportunities. And that's what this league is about.
On if the players have more pep in their step coming off a win: Yeah. This game is only fun when you win. Any job is a lot more fun when you have success and you see the results. We put in a lot of hard work and a lot of time and effort, and it was good to see. It was good to see Sunday and it has been good to see every day after that.
On trying to achieve balance on offense in the running and passing games: This game is a lot easier when the opponent is one dimensional, and I think to be dual dimensional is important. Unfortunately, we haven't had a chance to do that and haven't done it effectively enough yet. It was good to finally see that happen. It gives your defense rest, puts points on the board and that's what it takes to win in this league.
On when rookie wide receiver David Gettis started taking the step to the next level: He's shown steady improvement since the day we got him. He is a guy that wasn't utilized a whole lot in his college playing days as a receiver. He's got a lot of the skill set to be a good receiver as far as size, speed. I've seen him grow a lot. (Wide receivers coach) Tyke (Tolbert) has done a great job with him. I've seen him grow every day actually. It doesn't surprise me that he's stepped up and made some plays.
On the Edward Jones Dome being a loud place to play: My experience there has been it's very loud. But typically when you get that many people and you put a roof over the top of it, it gets a little louder.
On St. Louis Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford: He's got all the tools. He's tall; he's got good feet; he's got a good arm, good accuracy; he's been in big spots. So a lot of things you look for in a quarterback. That's why he was picked so high.
On Rams running back Steven Jackson: He's pretty good. In our last outing with them he had a pretty big day and we expect the same. He's definitely playing very well right now. He's third in the (conference) in rushing and he's always been a top-level back.
On if the Panthers will try to strip the ball from Jackson since he had finger surgery earlier this week: There are a lot of guys out here that are playing hurt on game days. I don't know the extent of it other than he had surgery and I'm not really sure what his status is going to be. But it's not like a torn ACL or something, so I'm sure he'll be effective enough.
