Jay Ajayi – January 5, 2017
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Thursday, January 5, 2017
Running Back Jay Ajayi
(A lot of times when you have big runs, you get downfield blocking from the receivers. Can you tell me how receivers have done in that area this season?) – “They’re incredible. I think it kind of started earlier in midseason where we just made it a focus to finish all of our runs in practice, receivers finishing blocking down the field and it’s translated to during the game. I don’t see it during the game but when we go back on film and I get to watch those guys straining and blocking all the way down the field, it makes me feel good about what they’re doing and makes me want to continue to run hard for them.”
(Is any one of them a better blocker or better at any type of block than the other?) – “I think they’re all aggressive. I think ‘Juice’ (Jarvis Landry), he’s kind of shown his physicality this year in the blocking game. He’s shown how important he can be even when the ball is not in his hands.”
(How did the first Pittsburgh game impact your feelings about what was possible for you?) – “The Steelers game, it was kind of like my first time getting a good workload at running back. It was a good day for us; for me personally, as well. I have the confidence that I can have a game like that. It was just about being consistent after that.”
(How much do you cherish, if you ask many players they say that the running game is important, especially in the playoffs. How much do you cherish that?) – “I’m excited for the challenge this weekend – the opportunity that we have. (It’s) my first playoff game. It’s a big moment for big players to step up. I’m excited for our offense to really showcase what we can do and it’ll be fun.”
(How much have you learned patience-wise and how much does patience play, especially now when you want to do so much?) – “I think it’s all about reading the keys. For me personally, I feel like I have a good grasp of how I want to run the ball and how I want to play each game and I know what I need to do to be productive so it’s just about being consistent for me.”
(I know you get jacked up and you get real emotional. Are you going to try to mellow that a little bit and not do too much once this game starts?) – “I’m an emotional player. I’m going to play passionate, regardless; in the confines of the whistle, of course. But it’s the playoffs. I’m going to get up, get ready to play. I’m excited about it.”
(Offensive Coordinator Clyde Christensen was saying today that some of the biggest runs have come when the opponents play eight players near the line of scrimmage. What kind of opportunity does that present when the defense actually overloads on it?) – “So this year for sure, we’ve seen a lot of different looks, different schemes that defenses have tried to do to stop our runs and sometimes when they pack the box, it creates a lot of people up at the line of scrimmage to where if you can get through that initial wave, then it’s just about beating the second level of defenders and making big runs. So we’ve had some good chances to do that this year and we hope if they decide to do that on Sunday, we’ll have a good time out there running the ball.”
(Does playing a defense a second time, is that harder because you’re not going to be a surprise to them anymore or easier because now you know them a little bit?) – “I don’t think it’s harder. I think at the same time, we kind of know what they were at the time. But it’s a whole new team. The playoffs, they’ve gotten some guys back, we’ve gotten some guys. It’s kind of like a whole new game for us, I would say. So it’s just about us reading our keys, sticking to our game plan, executing. It’s a common opponent of course; but if we just handle what we need to do, I think we’ll be alright.”
(Do you feel like you must have a good game, if not, a really good game, to give this team the maximum opportunity to come out a winner?) – “I understand that the run game and my productivity is going to play a crucial part in how successful we are on Sunday. At the same time though, I’m very confident in all of our players on offense. We have a 1,000 -yard receiver in ‘Juice’ (Jarvis Landry), a guy that scored nine touchdowns in Kenny (Stills), and DeVante (Parker) can take it to the house any play. I feel real comfortable that we can spread the ball out and run the ball on anyone. So I just think that if we just go into the game with that confidence and if we execute and we handle all the details, o-line keeps coming off the ball physically, tight ends making plays, I think we’re going to have a good day.”
(So it’s not all about you?) – “No. It’s not all about me. It’s a team thing. I know that when I’m productive, the team is going to be successful; but I feel that my play also allows a lot of guys to be able to make plays as well, and it’s shown. We hear a lot of talk about the other team and who they have and the players that they have, and it’s starting to get to me where you have to understand that we’ve got players too. We’ve had guys that are playing at a high level and are showcasing their abilities and I think it’s time that people need to respect the fact that we have players on our offense too, and we can get some stuff done when we’re on our game.”
