Brian Flores – August 14, 2021 (Postgame)
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Postgame – at Chicago
Head Coach Brian Flores (transcribed by the Chicago Bears)
(What were your impressions of, I guess, what your starters did in the first half of the game since that’s how most people would evaluate preseason games?) – “I mean we’re evaluating the entire game. I thought we did some good things, executed in some instances, didn’t execute in some other instances. I thought played well defensively, got off the field, played well in the kicking game. Punt return unit got some positive plays there with Jakeem and Jaylen. Offensively we actually moved the ball. We just didn’t finish drives. When you don’t finish the drives, you can’t punch it in from the one, turn it over in that area of the field, you know, that comes back to bite you. And it did. It did today.”
(What did you think of Tua?) – “I think he did a lot of good things. I thought he made several good throws. I know he had the drop early. I want to say he had another drop, but he fired the ball in there, couple end cuts, made some good decisions. Obviously the one bad decision in the red zone. We talked about it. He knows exactly what he should have done with the ball there. And it’s correctable. That’s what we talked about as a staff, something that is very correctable. And he’ll make the correction and we’ll move on and get better from it.”
(Your wide receiver group has several guys that have missed time. At what point do you reach like that critical moment where they need to start to work so that they can get with their starting quarterback and be ready?) – “I mean, DeVante has gotten some work. Albert has gotten some work. Really who you’re talking about is Will Fuller. That’s the one guy.”
(I’m talking about they’re not all working.) – “I mean DeVante’s been in there. Albert’s definitely been in there quite a bit. So as far as timing and working with the quarterbacks, I think you’re really talking about one guy. So we’re going to get those guys back as soon as we can. They’re all working to get back. It’s still early, got two preseason games left and then there is basically two weeks after that last. So there’s quite a bit of time here. So I think once we get them back, hopefully, I think we’ll have enough time to get the timing and the QB-receiver chemistry I think you’re alluding to.”
(What did you see in the running game as it relates to the running backs and the offensive line?) – “I saw some good things, looked like. We had a head on the hat when we did we got good yardage. When we didn’t, they were in the back field, and they had a couple of plays that were some negative plays. I thought we over came some negative plays and some penalties in the game. But at the end of the day we didn’t finish the drives well enough, which I think we’ll learn from. I think our guys understand the importance of that. We gotta have better technique, better fundamentals, better overall execution in those instances, especially in the scoring area. We’ll work towards that.”
(What was the thought process for Malcolm starting the game and then how you used and rotated in the backs?) – “I mean, you saw all three backs played. All of them got carries. So pick one and put him in, basically. We like all three guys. They all do good things. And I think we saw that today. We’ll just keep working all three days.”
(Jacoby had the touchdown to Ahmed. What did you see from Jacoby today?) – “Good command of the offense. Good decision making. I think he had to get out of a few instances where the rush was on him, but he got the ball off and didn’t take negative plays when those situations occurred. Thought he made a nice throw to Ahmed there just before the half, or it was 40 seconds left before the half. Thought he played well.”
(You came about that close to going into the locker room at halftime without giving up a first down. What were some of the things that you liked out of the defense in that first half?) – “Good fundamentals, good technique, good communication. Guys were competitive. Looks like they tackled well, set the edge. I thought they played solid. I mean that’s a good situation for us at the end of the half. Didn’t really execute the way we would have wanted in that instance. We gotta be better. We will be better. But I thought defensively and the kicking game, really across the board I thought we did some good things, and hopefully we can build on them.”
(With the breakdown Fields’s touchdown to wide open Jesse James. I’m assuming that’s a breakdown?) – “Yeah. It was a breakdown.”
(I mean, I guess you’re not going to tell me. How does that happen? How does something like that happen?) – “Man, breakdown in communication. Blown assignment. I don’t know exactly what happened on that play. I’ll be able to tell you that probably tomorrow or tonight after I watch it. It happens. There’s breakdowns and it was a good play by them. I thought, you know, on that play it looks like a run, it’s not a run. Guy kind of sneaks out the back. Kind of lose track of him. I think that’s what happened on the play. But missed assignment, which is essentially a blown coverage is what it was.”
(What did you think of Fields overall?) – “He’s a good player. He’s a good player. I know he’s had a great college career, and just seeing him throughout the course of the week, I thought he did a lot of good things, obviously mobile. Somebody you gotta be aware of setting the edge and keeping contained and not letting him out of the pocket. I thought he threw the ball well on the run today and really this entire week. He’s a good kid. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. If he keeps working the way he’s working, or the way I saw him work these two days — I don’t want to speak for him or anyone with the Bears staff which I would say these joint practices, coach and I and his staff, they were incredible this week, welcoming us here. We got two good days of practice, which I think were very good for us We got a lot of great work. So I just want to say thank you to them for being so welcoming to us. But specific to your question on Fields, if he continues to work the way I saw him work this week, I think he’ll be just fine.”
(With Jakeem how pleasant is it to see him make the most of those opportunities, two big punt returns?) – “I mean it’s — he’s a good player. He’s a good returner. He’s a good receiver. Good teammate. Yeah, I mean I’m not surprised. I mean we’ve seen him do it before. I’m not surprised. He’s done a good job for us really since I’ve been here, good teammate, and we’re happy to have him.”
