Tony Oden – December 3, 2019
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Safeties Coach Tony Oden
(The defensive guys, how do you guys get along? How has the staff come on and for yourself, joining some guys who have worked together previously, how has that been for you too?) – “It’s been good. We have a few guys who have worked together before kind of like you mentioned. They’ve helped us out – the guys who haven’t been there – so we can kind of hear it in different terms. The good thing about it, all of the guys that have worked together, they have worked together on different levels on the back end, the linebackers room, and the d-line room. So it’s kind of helped us, all as a staff, kind of gel. Sometimes if you have one guy that has expertise on the back end, or one guy on the front end, that they can’t always express that to the staff. But for us it’s been great, because all layers are covered from the previous staff in our room. We have guys that have coached in the room already in the league, so that kind of helps to kind of bring some things to the table. It’s been a good experience.”
(What’s been your early sense of what you have with S Adrian Colbert?) – “He’s doing a good job. He’s an excellent, excellent communicator. We can start with that. He has some good physical characteristics. He works hard. Once we pair all of those things together, it’s been a good experience. I’m glad we have him.”
(What physical talents there make S Adrian Colbert someone you’re going to take a look at? Obviously he had 12 NFL starts in San Francisco.) – “Like you said, he’s not green in regards to that. The game’s not too big for him. He’s got some decent size, he can run, he’s got a physical component to his game, and also he has a cerebral component. Then when you put all of that together, he’s a great communicator. When you put those things together, you have an opportunity to have a solid player. He works hard too. It means something to him. He’s a passionate young man, which is excellent. He’s an excellent addition to our room.”
(I was going to ask you about S Steven Parker as well, and what you have in him. Do you have enough body of work to be comfortable with what you have from him?) – “We’re still building it. The same thing with – we’re still building it all together. Those things are going to show themselves over time. The thing right now is that they are all gelling together. They’re all learning the strengths and weaknesses of the guys in the room. We’re learning as a staff the strengths and weaknesses of what those guys can do within our scheme. It’s still a learning process, but we’re happy with the direction the guys are going.”
(Can you just talk about some of the young guys – CB Ken Webster, how CB Chris Lammons played last game. Just talk about how they are performing for you.) – “Well, I’ll just talk about them as a group. As a group, they are doing a good job talking in the meetings. I think it all kind of starts with that. Before we can even get out to the field, the tougher part is the mental – do these guys know how to line up? If they know how to line up, can they communicate? Can they anticipate the shifts and the motions the offenses are going to give us? Before you can execute the play, you have to get lined up, you have to communicate, you have to make sure you know what the guys are doing next to you. All of those guys, because we have so many moving parts in there, are getting used to communicating with each other and getting used to knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the guy that he’s aligned next to and learning how to play off of that. Do I need to communicate a little more with this person? With this person do I know his body language to where I can tell what he’s going to do based off of that? As a collective group they are still learning each other, but each day in the meeting room, each day at practice, it’s all coming together more and more for them. Because we’ve had some guys that were playing that were out and now are coming back, it’s starting to change again a little bit. But this past game was a good start for them. This will be a big week starting tomorrow with practice for them gelling together again. We’re excited for the progress of all of them. We don’t want to single out any one individual because it’s a collective group for all of them. They are all learning together and we’re excited about it.”
(Not to mention anybody individually, but when I said CB Ken Webster it was because he was leading the defense in tackles with seven last week. CB Nik Needham leading the team or tied for first in passes defended. Is the game slowing down for these guys, do you feel like they are getting it?) – “Sure. Just like with anything in life, the more you do it, the more comfortable you get with it. You hit the nail on the head: the game is definitely slowing down for them. It slows down for them and it builds their confidence that they can do it, they can tackle, they can make a play on the ball. Now we want to continue the progression of that. Knocking the ball down, now we’re intercepting the ball – anticipating those kind of things. Those guys have done a good job of tackling and defending the pass. We want to continue to grow and take the next step with those guys, whatever the next step may be for them. Each one is a little bit individual in regards to that, but we’re excited for their progress. They are still young. They still have a lot of football to learn. They are obviously by no means a finished product and they know that. They don’t practice that way. They practice and prepare like they are hungry and they want to get better at it. They are pointed in the right direction.”
(How important is it for you guys as coaches to let your personalities show out and have a joke here and now, or lighten the mood when you’re around each other for 12 hours at a time. How important is it for you guys as a staff to come together like that?) – “We spend more time during the season with each other than we do with our families. So you definitely develop and have a good rapport with the staff. To me, it’s all about being who you are and being yourself. If you’re a serious guy, be serious. Don’t try to be something that you’re not. If you like to laugh and joke around, you have to pick and choose the times to do that obviously. You just have to be who you are as people, just like in the meeting room with the players, or talking to you guys, because you’re true self is going to come out at some point. So you might as well just be that. I definitely like to have a good time when it’s appropriate because life is too short to be all tense and tight. The games are stressful enough. You don’t always want to bring that stress into the meeting room. There are some times where there has to be some stress to grow. That’s part of it; but we’ve been doing good as a staff. We work well together. We’re from different paths in life, from different walks of life in general, and different walks of life where we come up from in the game. I think when you put all of those things together and do things for the greater good and not for the individual position, not for the individual coach, you have a chance to be successful.”
(What’s it like looking down the table and seeing if Head Coach Brian Flores is joking or not?) – “He has a much better since of humor than people may give him credit for. He’s a good guy, good person, a good humble man, a man of faith and that shows. He cares about people. He cares about growing the player as a man, as a father, as a husband, as a brother, as a son. He cares the same way about his staff. I think if you do your business or if you do your job, you see more of that. The more comfortable you are with what you do, then you can step back and see how relationships are formed or bonded, and it’s all sincere. He wants to win first and foremost, but he wants to do it the right way. He wants to do it with men of character, men who are good in the community and just build it and do it the right way. No short cuts.”
Eric Studesville – December 3, 2019
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(I wanted to ask you about RB Patrick Laird. When did ‘The Intern’ nickname become a thing?) – “He told a story about that – it must have been, maybe during training camp he told the team, the offense, the story about that. I think it was about during training camp. He might have told us beforehand in the running backs room a little before that.”
(And it just stuck?) – “(laughter) Yeah. I mean I don’t call him that. (laughter) He’s Patrick but it’s a good deal for him.”
(Which of the coaches call RB Patrick Laird “The Intern?” Any of them?) – “I don’t know. I don’t really pay much attention to it like that. I call him Patrick when I talk to him. ‘Hey, Patrick.’ I don’t think about it like that.”
(How did you feel RB Patrick Laird responded when he got some playing time?) – “I thought Patrick did a nice job the other day, having to go in and his most extensive playing time. I thought he really did some good things in the pass game, pass-protection wise. He had what? Four catches for 43 yards and a 2-point conversion? I thought he ran an excellent route and made a big-time catch on that. He was getting ready to get hit right when he made that catch. It was a good route and catch. He’s just continued to develop and get better. I wasn’t concerned about it. We put him in and doing things and it’s just a matter of getting playing time, and seeing all of the different things that happen with defenses. But he’s done a good job. And he’s taken advantage of the preparation and the time. He knows that he’s potentially part of the game plan and has been all year, he just hasn’t gotten in.”
(RB Patrick Laird seems very polished in the pass game. Is that something you guys saw at California?) – “Yeah. He had a lot of catches at Cal. The thing is for me, we try to establish roles for guys and what they can do; but they have to be able to do everything in order to play. So you can’t just do one thing good. It kind of has to be the whole thing. I’ve seen him run the ball more physically in the spots that we like the ball to be put in and then obviously him catching the ball. Then in pass protection, he’s done some nice things this year already in pass protection in some of the chances that he’s gotten.”
(What’s your confidence level in all of the young guys if RB Kalen Ballage happens to be out for a bit?) – “They all have to be ready. That’s how we talk about it all of the time. Patrick (Laird) has been working at it. Myles (Gaskin) has been working at it. De’Lance (Turner) hasn’t been here that long but he’s the only other guy that’s in the room now and we’re going to have to get him up to speed and get ready because if that’s what happens, we’ve got to be able to be ready to go and just have another guy ready to go in. The one thing I like about all of them is that they’re competitive, they’re focused, they work hard at it, they take it seriously and they’re ready to go for their opportunity. They’re just waiting on an opportunity.”
(Let’s talk about RB Patrick Laird. He’s a kid who seemed to just grind this whole entire season and this opportunity kind of paid off for him the last couple of weeks.) – “I think that’s right. I think that’s a great way of describing what he’s done. He came in here, he was great in the classroom and learning stuff, staying on top of things and really pressing himself to learn everything. Then obviously I think his contributions early on special teams got him into games and got him used to what the NFL setting is. He’s just continued work and then when the opportunity came, he’s performed and he’s taken advantage of it.”
(How devastating is this injury for RB Kalen Ballage?) – “As far as?”
(For the rest of the season, the way RB Kalen Ballage’s season has kind of gone.) – “I don’t know that – I think every injury feels to guys like that and to teams like that. People that you’re counting on, that you’ve got time invested in. It’s important to us to have your players on your team and to keep them healthy. So it’s never a good thing that happens. It’s an unfortunate part of our game. As big and fast and as explosive as this game has become, it’s just one of these things with these athletes.”
(A little lighthearted question – what is Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham like over there? I want to get to know the coaching staff. How do you guys kind of interact with each other? Who is the funny guy? Who is the quiet guy? Who is the serious guy? Who are all of those?) – “That’s kind of a fraternal question. (laughter) You’ve got to be in the fraternity to get those answers like that.”
(How do you think you guys have kind of come together as a coaching staff this season?) – “From my experience, I think this is an outstanding coaching staff. I think ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) has put together a tremendous staff. There’s a lot of good football coaches, guys that are passionate about what they do, how we coach, preparation and work; but yet at the same point and time, there’s great personalities on the staff too and you enjoy the diversity of the personalities on the staff and the people and their experiences and things. Everybody brings something different to the table and I think it makes for a good recipe.”
(What’s something that you bring to the table for the staff?) – “Well hopefully I bring a knowledge of how the offense is affected by the running backs. The fact that I don’t just look at the run game. I’m involved in the protections. I know a lot about the passing game too and how we fit into the passing game and things that come up as well as just running the ball. Hopefully it’s a well-rounded contribution in all areas, not just – where I’m contributing with my experiences and things that I’ve seen in the past, different kinds of runs, different kinds of protections, adjustments and all of those things that are made to help the group be successful.”
(How much do you think a bunch of these guys working together previously kind of helps you guys fill in gaps or helps the continuity of things?) – “I think it helps. I think it certainly helps. I think it helps (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) to have known those guys in the past. But I think too, sometimes you get an influx of new ideas and people see things different that haven’t been around for a long time too, and that’s a good thing too.”
(Beyond how RB Patrick Laird works, what else impresses you about him?) – “Well, I think that’s it. He works and that’s what gives himself a chance to maximize opportunities because he does work so hard and he is prepared and how he attacks every day. He’s trying to establish a role for himself. He has since he came here. He really took that part of it and said ‘Okay, if it’s special teams, I’m going to do that. And when my time comes, I’ll be ready on offense.’ He’s demonstrating that he has done that.”
(RB Patrick Laird did a good job on the touchdown run but his per-carry average was low. Was that him not finding opportunities? Blocking? A combination of the two?) – “Well, we’re always trying to find better averages and better things in there but I think it’s maximizing the situation. He did a great job on that (touchdown) run. There were only three yards to go and he got the three yards. So from that perspective, you’d say it’s a productive run. But we’re always trying to – we’re continually trying to find ways to get the run game going and we know that’s an area that we’ve got to get going some kind of way. It’s all hands on deck as far as trying to figure out solutions to this to give us a chance in that area.”
(Did anything RB Myles Gaskin do the other day intrigue you where you want to see more on the field during games?) – “I don’t think it was just the other day. I think it’s been Myles since he’s been here and how he’s worked on the practice field, in the meeting rooms and all of those things. You love the kid. He’s passionate about it. He’s focused on it. He’s worked very hard to get – it just hasn’t been a situation where he’s gotten an opportunity. All of a sudden that opportunity came and what you saw is not someone who just flashed but someone who has worked for that opportunity and prepared for it, and he was ready for it. It wasn’t too big for him.”
(What’s the on-field NFL skill with RB Myles Gaskin, beyond obviously work ethic. What does he do well that makes you guys intrigued?) – “I think Myles does a couple of things. I think the first thing is Myles is shifty. He’s got a little slipperiness to him. He can get on the edge of people and he can get in small spaces. He’s much faster than – I think he’s fast. So he can get to the edge, he can threaten the edge on things. That being the case, you’d love to get him in space because of his shiftiness and his speed to see if he can do something and make people miss. He catches the ball much better than I thought he would have. He caught that hitch the other day on the sideline, which was a great catch. It was a 6-yard catch but it was really outside of his strike zone and he made a really nice catch on that. Then the other area that I think he’s really probably exceeded even my expectations on to this point is his pass protection. He’s willing to step up in there and hit these guys. He’s not a real big guy but he’ll go up in there and compete and he’s doing what we’re asking him to do. That’s an area we’ve got to keep working on but I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”
Patrick Graham – December 3, 2019
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham
(I wanted to talk to you about the defensive packaging that you guys do and how extensive it is. How do you get guys to, I guess, do those assignments? How do you pick? How do you know what a guy can do because it seems very specific to me?) – “I think first it starts with the assistant coaches. They do a great job of identifying the strengths and the weaknesses of each player and then challenging them to improve on them – a lot of times improve upon the weaknesses (and) keep your strengths going in the right direction. Coaches will say, ‘okay, I think this guy can get this done, I think this guy can get this done. Maybe we can expand his role a little bit.’ That’s what ends up happening and so from there, if the guys can handle the role expansion right there, then we’re able to introduce more packages, introduce to them to more roles. Again, it always comes back to what we think is best. Whatever we did last week against the Eagles, that’s done. We’ve got the challenge now with the Jets in terms of their offensive line is gelling together a little bit. I know they have some injuries, but they’re working together. They’ve got a dynamic back back there. They’ve got several backs, really when you talk about (Bilal) Powell and (Ty) Montgomery – they all present challenges along with (Le’Veon) Bell. Then the receiving corps. It’s going to be a difficult task, but we’re going to try to figure out which guys do the best job for what we need to get done for the game.”
(So once you get to that point, it seems like you’re able to take the fight to the offense as opposed to reacting. Is that correct or no?) – “We’re always trying to take advantage of their weaknesses and really take advantage of our strengths. Usually, hopefully it plays into our favor, but again, none of that matters – the meetings, the practice, all that stuff is – we’ve got to get it done on Sunday. That’s the main thing. And that’s really a combination of assistant coaches getting the players ready to go and the players being ready to go on Sunday.”
(You have no problem going eight, nine defensive backs deep or however many linebackers because you know if he’s one of those 46, he’s got a role. You identify that through the week and this is what we’re going to do?) – “If they’re up – and I’m sure ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) – if they’re up for the game, we’re going to use them. We’re going to try our best to use them, and they’re up for a reason, so that’s the main thing.”
(I wanted to ask you about the evolution of CB Eric Rowe and the move to safety. I know he played the position in college, but what went into the thought process of making that switch from having him on the boundary to working as the tight end coverage guy?) – “I just think his skillset in terms of what we’re asking him to do – he’s a big long body, he’s physical, he can tackle and he’s smart. Those are like a lot of things – for the role he’s playing right now – that helped for last week and then we’ll see what it morphs into this week. It’s really, his skillset really gives us an advantage there as long as we play well. I think that’s part of it. Then the thing is his selflessness. He’s willing to do whatever is best for the team. He’s a guy that does a good job of communicating, as well. We’re going to need all that this week against the Jets because all the problems they present, with (Jets Head Coach Adam) Gase being one of the best offensive minds in the league and how they deploy all their weapons. Those guys – the smart guys, the communicators, the tough players – those are all key and vital, and we’re going to need it really bad this week against the Jets because they present a lot of problems. A lot of problems.”
(With CB Eric Rowe, how much has he helped because you’ve got a young group of cornerbacks, defensive backs who get here one week and start the next – how much has he helped that unit in terms of understanding the schemes, concepts, the philosophies?) – “I think you have to ask the individual players; but from what I’ve observed, I know Eric (Rowe) is a professional. He comes in – and he’s consistent. He’s a professional and he’s consistent with his demeanor. I’ve never seen him get too up, too down. He’s always taking notes. He always has his iPad, working through (and) looking at film. I’m sure the players – you’d have to ask them specifically – but I would think his consistency in terms of his levels, in terms of emotions, I think is pretty strong. And I think the fact that he’s a diligent worker. Players see that – especially young players see that – and they kind of gravitate to that because he’s had success in this league. That’s a big part of it.”
(How much is that important? That guys gravitate to players – veterans – that have had success?) – “I think just in general – I’ve been coaching in this league for 11 years – some of the most important things I’ve learned as a football coach in the league have been from players.”
(Really?) – “So like guys that have done it. I didn’t play in the league, and I wasn’t a very good player in college; but some of the most important lessons I’ve learned have been from players in this league, so I can’t even imagine a young player, what they’re learning from (veterans) if I’m a coach and I’m learning something from these guys, because it’s pretty remarkable what they have to do on a week-to-week basis. You take this week for example: we dealt with a team that was good offensively last week. Now you’re going into this and it’s a whole different set of problems that you’ve got to deal with. There’s a whole set – different receivers, different backs, different offensive alignment – and they’ve got to get all that information, go out to practice, get that right, come back in, get introduced to more situations. Now you’ve got to get on the third down for the Jets. Now you’ve got to get on the red area for the Jets and then get all that done within six days and then go out and play on a Sunday? Yeah, I want to learn from the guys that have done that consistently because it’s pretty remarkable. I know it’s not curing cancer or anything, but it’s pretty remarkable to be able to do that, I think. That’s why I’ve always looked up to those guys. I’m always willing to learn from them.”
(When they come from the field, they tell you what they see and what’s going on.) – “Or even just about the game and how they see it. It helps – it’s their perspective. I’ve learned a lot of lessons from guys in the past.”
(What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from a guy?) – “The biggest lesson was not football. It was how to be a better father during the football season.”
(Really? Who taught you that?) – “(laughter) I’ll keep that to myself, but he helped because he was a father before I was a father, so I asked him. He gave me good points.”
(What was the advice?) – “He said, ‘I don’t care how tired you are. Take your wife out on Friday.’ (laughter) That was more so a coach, but a player reiterated that.”
(When you look at this team now compared to maybe when you were first molding it early in the season, in what ways can you see the development that you guys have made and the cohesion of what you want this team to be?) – “I think one of the things that sticks out to me is the brotherhood or camaraderie is starting to build. I think these guys genuinely care for one another, and I think ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) touched on it, how much he loves coaching this team. That love doesn’t – it comes through blood, sweat and tears, too. There’s a lot of grind that goes through it, and I think the players, they’ve had to go through the grind with one another and you start to build that relationship. There’s only 16 of these opportunities you’re guaranteed to have, and you do all that work to build up for those 16 opportunities and there’s just a bond, a camaraderie that gets built through that process. It’s good to see that. You can see the genuine care that they have for one another whether they were here since April or they just got here. It’s good to see because that’s what’s going to help us on Sundays. If they genuinely care about each other, we’ll have a shot against the Jets. We’ll have a shot to get the defense right and cover these guys and stop the run. If there’s a genuine care for one another where we’re able to be honest with each other, that’ll go a long way this week when we go against the Jets.”
(How did you guys build that because I know early in the season there was a lot of continuity thing you had to get through because of the trades, the transactions, whatever; but you guys have seemed to – especially at this point in the season – started to pick up things to where like you mentioned, everybody seems to be playing for that single approach?) – “I don’t know exactly. The only way I know how to get improved in anything at this job whether it’s coaching,or playing, is to put the work in. I don’t know what the magic pill or wand or whatever it is; I just know that you’ve got to put to work in, and you’ve got to work at relationships, too. You can work at your craft, but you’ve got to work at relationships, too. If you want to have a fruitful relationship and a fruitful brotherhood or camaraderie with one another, you’ve got to work at it. It might not be pleasant all the time. The best brotherhoods I have, have not been pleasant all the time; but they’ve been honest. I would think – you’ve just got to put the work in. That would be my assessment.”
(It’s interesting because I know you guys always take principles from Head Coach Brian Flores because he’s the head man and I talked to some of the guys in the locker room about what does he and what the coaching staff done throughout this period, and they mentioned consistency. “They’re the same every day. Flores is the same every day. Even through all the adversity when we’re getting blown out, when we’re winning, it’s the same.’ When you hear that, is that what you guys want and how do you guys keep that?) – “I think just lessons learned from whether it’s our parents – I can’t speak for ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) or the players – but lessons learned from our parents. My parents are emotionally consistent. I didn’t know how broke we were. (laughter) I didn’t know. I didn’t know. Did they get too up or too down about anything? No. They just went by their faith and I just know they treated us well, so I think you try to give them examples of just being consistent because that’s how you’re able to push through and get to that breakthrough or get to wherever it may. I think it’s probably lessons learned from family. A lot of stuff of who I am is lessons learned from my mom and dad.”
(When you look at just the culture Head Coach Brian Flores and you guys are trying to implement on this team, how much impact do you think that’s had at this point on recent team success?) – “Again, I just think it’s the work the guys put in. That might be part of it, but it’s about the work we put in. It’s about the work we put in and then showing up on Sunday because showing up on Sunday, being able to execute, that’s where it comes (from). I don’t know, but I know if you put the work in, prepare to be ready and then if you are ready on Sunday and you’re able to execute when the whistle blows, you’ve got a chance. You’ve got a chance.”
Jerry Schuplinski – December 3, 2019
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
(Who’s the funny guy on the coaching staff?) – “On the coaching staff?”
(Yeah.) – “Shoot. We’ve all got our own ways. You can’t go wrong with (Offensive Line Coach) ‘Guge’ (Dave DeGuglielmo). He’s always got a one-liner somewhere. You can’t go wrong with ‘Guge.’ Just speaking offensively, he’s usually the guy who makes me laugh the most I’d say by far.”
(How does Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell fit into the mix with you offensive guys?) – “It’s great. I think a couple of us have worked together before, not all of us, and so I think everybody has really blended together nice. I think (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) has done a nice job of giving everyone responsibility, input and that creates an ownership in everything. That’s been really cool for everybody to work. We’ve done some things where we’ve worked together on some different projects and group up with some guys who we’ve never worked with – Karl, (Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville), myself – on some things and getting to know a little bit more about each other and how we’re thinking and what we’re seeing. That kind of stuff has been neat. But everyone is fitting in well.”
(How have you done that? Is it going out to lunch? Is it a team-building thing?) – “No, I think it was more like the offseason stuff. I think in here it might be as we’re game-planning for a week. Chad might say, ‘Hey, you two guys right now, here’s something I want you guys to focus on.’ Maybe it’s something in the red zone or something on third down or something in a protection or something, whatever. We’ll branch off here, some other people will branch off there and then we’ll come together.”
(Who are some of the guys that have worked together? Like Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea tells you and Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell to do it or you and Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo work on something?) – “Yeah, it depends. We all work with each other in whatever facet depending. It might be ‘Guge’ and I and (Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville) in a protection. It might be me and Karl on a route or pass game kind of deal. It might be (Tight Ends Coach) George (Godsey) and Karl and Chad and I on third downs. We all end up working together throughout the course of the week in various phases.”
(What about your defensive counterparts? How do you guys hang out in the room, get to know each other?) – “We probably don’t spend a lot of time with them because we’re all so busy outside of staff meetings and stuff. We’re seeing them grabbing a cup of coffee or that kind of stuff.”
(Those things are important right?) – “Absolutely. I think we have a good relationship with them and vice versa. I think it’s important to have on a staff. We all know each other pretty well. We all – Families are a part of that too. Like some of us who have younger kids and kind of flock to them a little bit and have some things in common. It might not be something football-related as much as asking about how your kids are doing or what’s going on or how’s this that or the other thing. We do a family dinner on Tuesday. That’s pretty cool, too.”
(Coaches?) – “Yeah, that’ll bring coaches and their families together a little bit.”
(Is that every Tuesday?) – “Yeah.”
(So it’s all the coaches, all the assistant coaches including Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “Yeah. You have the opportunity to have your family here if they can make it. It’s nothing crazy or nothing long, but it’s really neat. It’s important for the families. I think it provides a breath of fresh air outside of the normal working area where you can be with your family and with your fellow coaches in a non-game plan setting.”
(That’s probably helped you guys grow a little bit together too right?) – “Yeah, absolutely. All that stuff helps. I think (Head Coach) ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has done a nice job with that.”
(Who’s taking over the family party? Who’s the king of the show? Is it Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo? Is it Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham?) – “I don’t know if there’s any party going on, so you have to let me know if you hear of one. (laughter)”
(Strictly business dinner.) – “Yeah, it is. (laughter)”
George Godsey – December 3, 2019
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Tight Ends Coach George Godsey
(I wanted to ask you about TE Mike Gesicki. I know that you weren’t here last year, but his rookie year probably didn’t go as well as he had wanted it to go, but this year it seems like he’s starting to grow into his own in his role. What type of stuff did you guys work on with him this offseason to get him to where he is at this point?) – “Any first year player is going to go through some bumps the first year. Just showing him on tape that we could be better at releases, we could be better at route stems, we could be better at the top of the route, we can communicate better with our teammates – the quarterback specifically – we can catch the ball more before and after practice. To his credit, he’s accepted all of that. He’s worked hard. He’s taken countless reps in practice to improve his traits. I’m happy that he’s able to go out there and perform.”
(I saw the play that TE Mike Gesicki had last week where he is jumping into the defender. It looked like he’s – obviously, he can jump a lot, but you see him jumping a lot. What do you think when you see that?) – “I’m a big UFC guy and that was a brutal move. (laughter)”
(It’s good TE Mike Gesicki didn’t get penalized for it.) – “I don’t know if that’s what – I don’t know if he was trying to take it to that level or what he was doing. (laughter) I know he’s a good jumper, but not in this sport. Maybe along the sideline or something like, but I don’t like it dead center of the field with every defensive players converging on you. It didn’t make a lot of sense. I’d like him to protect the football next time. (laughter)”
(I see TE Mike Gesicki sometimes on the sideline and it seems like he has this ball of energy with him whether he’s – I see him throwing the ball back and forth or he’s running and down the sideline or something. How do you channel that into good energy on the field?) – “I just let him play. He’s fun to be around. The whole room; I love the room. It’s enjoyable for me as a coach to go in there with everybody in there. He enjoys playing; they all do. I think that’s all their personalities. Just let them be who they are.”
(What do you think TE Mike Gesicki’s ceiling is when you get into the next offseason and build him up to – where do you think he can be as a player long term?) – “We’ve still got four more games for him to improve each game. There’s things in each week that I have a list of them for him to improve, whether it’s finishing to the whistle, whether it’s being better at the top of the route, it could be in the run game, it could be some things mentally that we may have missed during the game. I still think that he’s growing. I’d like to see him keep improving those things the next month of the season.”
(TE Durham Smythe, we’ve seen progress. I just wanted to ask you where he is of course your expectations what kind of year he’s had?) – “He’s had a good year and I think he’s performed in some of the roles that we’ve given him, some more in normal downs than third down. Mike (Gesicki) kind of has that third-down role right now; but we’re mixing all of them. Clive (Walford) was in there this past game and he performed well. So did Chandler (Cox) in his role. They’ve all got a role during the game. I’d like to see him more if we could. Sometimes we end up getting into a passing game and Mike is out there. That’s kind of how it’s been the last couple of weeks.”
(We know TE Durham Smythe was a really good college blocker at Notre Dame. Has he been a good NFL blocker at this point?) – “Yeah. He’s had his ups and downs, but more ups and he’s been working on it. This year he’s put on I’d say 20 pounds from the end of last year, so that’s helped him. He’s understanding the offense. He does a good job with his details and knowing his assignments. There haven’t been many missed assignments. That gives him a start and then as far as executing at the point of attack, a lot of times the runs are directed at him. So it’s either point of attack blocks, sometimes pulling, sometimes cutting off the back side. He’s had multiple assignments that he’s performed well throughout the year.”
Chad O’Shea – December 3, 2019
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea
(Some of us would say the last game was probably the best game overall for the team this season and Head Coach Brian Flores credited you with calling a good game. What were the challenges that you had, obviously, with the running back position, losing RB Kalen Ballage, down a couple receivers? There were some challenges, but you guys were able to overcome it in that last game.) – “It’s a tribute to the players that they were able to adjust and do some things maybe that they haven’t done in different roles. I’ve said all along this season that our team has done a really good job in preparation of trying to learn the game plan from a conceptual perspective for each of them so they can maybe play in a different role that they haven’t played in previous weeks. And I thought that the team did a good job of embracing some of the things that they maybe had to do differently. It’s a tribute to them and it’s really because of their work ethic and their preparation.”
(Just to get a group of men to buy in and do all those things, that’s difficult in itself and for you guys to get that progress since you guys got here and the guys are buying in, what can you say about everything kind of coming together for you guys?) – “I think it starts with (Head) Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) and his leadership and his consistency he’s had as a leader. Through good times, bad times, he’s been consistent and I think that’s very important. I think our players have really embraced what we’ve tried to do here. Again, their work ethic has always been the same which has been very good. Their preparation has been good. It’s nice to see them have some success and be rewarded by their work ethic and a lot of the preparation they’ve put in.”
(So the first three drives against the Eagles I think gained 6 yards. Then after that you guys scored five-straight touchdown drives. What changed for you in the game planning and the game calling?) – “I think that there’s always different variables as the game goes on and certainly there were some things differently or some things that we had to adjust and do after those three series. A lot of it has to do with an overall execution of fundamentals, execution of the technique, execution, maybe better scheme, better assignment. There’s a lot of things that go into that, but our team definitely responded well after we had some adversity early – which we’d like to start a lot better than we did, but it shows the mental toughness of this team as much as anything more so than any adjustments or any play calls. I think it shows the mental toughness that this team has to bounce back from some adversity early.”
(Even down 28-14 you’re thinking “Okay, this is where teams usually decide they’re going to call it quits or they’re going to keep going.” And you guys seem in the last couple weeks that every time a deficit comes up, you’re fighting harder.) – “It’s a confidence that we have I think in the team – I know they have it in each other right now – that if we go down that we have the capability to come back. I think it all starts with a mentality that you have – not only the confidence, but the mental toughness – to push through some adversity and have some success. Certainly, I think ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is big part of that because he’s the leader on offense. I think that Danny Kilgore does a great job of leading the offensive line. Between those two guys, I think that their leadership that they demonstrate through those times that things aren’t going as well, I think that has a lot to do with our success after that.”
(“Mountaineer Shot,” you guys have this – every time that replay comes up you’re going to have a reputation now of now teams are kind of afraid if you’re going to score in that red zone area. Is that the kind of goal there? You want to become feared in the red zone area instead of trying to fearing it being there and making mistakes?) – “The ‘Mountaineer Shot,’ all the credit goes to (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny (Crossman) and the special teams. They did such a great job. I would say that’s something that was practiced a lot and they did a great job executing it. But I think in the red zone overall offensively, it’s been an area that we’ve really prided ourselves in and we’ve had success this year statistically in the red zone and we’ve made improvements. I think in our bye week, I think we were dead last or near the bottom of the league in red zone and now we’ve gone up statistically quite a bit in that area. I think, again, that’s because of the players’ preparation and embracing what we’re trying to do from a scheme standpoint. I think it’s a mentality when we get the ball in the red zone, we want to be aggressive. And ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) has a lot to do with our success in the red zone as well.”
(That was very modest of you. I think you guys are first in the league since the bye week in the red zone.) – “That’s a good thing.”
(What’s changed? I think in the preseason, training camp you saw that there was not enough push in the offensive line, maybe some things weren’t happening where the defense was getting the best of you in that area. What are some things? Was it creativity in play calling? Is it fundamentals?) – “I think that it takes all 11. I know a lot of the time the offensive line, the spotlight is on them in the run game, in the pass protection; but there’s certainly other people that are involved in both of those areas. I think it’s important that our skill players and our quarterback know we need to play on time in the pass game and that has a lot to do with them running the correct routes or having the correct route detail. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) certainly has to be very decisive with his reads and go to the right guy on time. I think that in the pass game, a lot of those things have to be right to be successful. In the run game, there’s all 11 it takes in that too. It takes the correct communication from ‘Fitz’ to the offensive line, the correct combination of blocks, the correct technique. There’s been improvement in a lot of those areas that I think have really allowed us to have more consistency here in this last game.”
(You guys have praised WR DeVante Parker for what he’s done off the field to put himself in position to put the numbers he has put him. Can you point to one single thing that’s stood out about what he’s done?) – “I think that his – I’ll say this, first of all his durability at practice is the most important thing. He has been – I don’t remember him ever missing at practice from when we started here in the spring. When you are available and you’re at practice, you’re going to improve, and I think that’s the one thing that he’s really embraced. And he’s done a lot to put himself in position to be at practice every day from his overall conditioning, his work in the strength program. Those guys do such a great job led by (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach) Dave (Puloka) and our strength program. He’s done a lot of, I would say, different type things on his own that he can speak about to try to get himself to where he’s healthy on a consistent basis. I know that’s been a big part of his success is his ability to be on the practice field daily.”
(I’m sure you’re aware of WR DeVante Parker’s history here before this year with injury issues. Was there a conversation at some point either where he mentioned or you guys mentioned to him the importance of being available and staying healthy and doing whatever he can?) – “That was a message, really a team message for us, from the very beginning of the importance of all those things. I know he’s embraced those things, he really has. I can’t say enough about his preparation and what he’s done. (Wide Receivers Coach) Karl (Dorrell) has done a great job with him as far as the football end of it. I think that he’s allowed himself to really use the great support staff that we have here in all those areas to really benefit from that and get him to a point where he’s the best version of himself. I think right now, that’s what you’re seeing. Certainly, there are some things that he would like and will improve on, but he’s really playing at a level right now that is really good and I think a lot of it is attributed to a lot of those things that he’s done in preparation.”
(That game WR DeVante Parker had Sunday was just crazy. I personally don’t remember a game with somebody catching that many like high-pointing passes or jump balls. Do you recall anything like that?) – “We were very fortunate to have him out there on Sunday, because it’s like every time I looked up he was coming down with the ball, which has a play-caller makes it easy to keep throwing it up to him. It was great to see.”
(That’s just pure athletic ability. That’s not something you can coach right?) – “Yeah. (Parker) has got great ability. We always tell the player, ‘You’re ability to with the 50/50 ball really separates you as a player,’ and I certainly thought he separated himself by winning those 50/50 balls. That’s a tribute to him and his ability. I will say that there’s some preparation that goes into that as far as being in the right spot on the route to be able to be in a 50/50 situation and be able to make that play. There are some things that go into that prior to that and then he’s got to make the play.”
(Also wanted to ask you about “The Intern” RB Patrick Laird. Do you call him Patrick or you call him “The Intern?”) – “I call him by both.”
(About how many of his coaches would you say call RB Patrick Laird “The Intern”?) – “I would say ‘The Intern’ name has been used. It’s been used. (laughter)”
(That just took off when you guys heard that story?) – “Yeah.”
(That’s pretty funny. RB Patrick Laird kind of looks like it a little bit.) – “I’m not going to get into that. (laughter) I’ll let somebody else speak about that. I’ll say this about Patrick: I’m impressed by his detail, his dependability. I’ve been impressed prior to him playing in his overall preparation and in the classroom. He’s a great teammate. He works his butt off on the practice field. He works very hard in all the areas that we’ve just mentioned that DeVante (Parker) works very hard in to try to put himself into the best position to be successful on the field. I’m glad he’s here. He’s unselfish. He’s a good teammate. I look forward to his opportunities here moving forward.”
(Very polished in the passing game isn’t RB Patrick Laird?) – “Yeah, he’s done a lot of that in college where he had the ability to catch the ball or had the opportunity to catch the ball in college. It’s something that I think that he does well, but I also think that he’s done well carrying the football. I was really impressed at the end of the game, although we were in a four-minute offense at the end of the game, and his goal was obviously to protect the ball and get the ball vertical and I thought he handled that situation very well.”
(TE Mike Gesicki every week keeps making more plays, more plays, more plays. Are you seeing the stuff you’re seeing at practice translating to the field?) – “I think it has. I think the practice has really transferred to the field with Mike and this has been a work in progress, but it’s been a story we’ve seen prior to you guys seeing it as far as his success. The success has been happening here on the practice field and he’s been really making a lot of progress. (Tight Ends Coach) George Godsey has done a great job with him, working with him, on the details of playing the position. It’s very rewarding for all of us to see him have success, because he’s worked to earn that success on the field.”
(Was there a point during practice where you I don’t want to say felt it clicking but you noticed a difference with TE Mike Gesicki?) – “I think it’s been a cumulative thing with him. I think it’s been something since Day 1 he’s really tried to improve daily. I know that’s cliché to just take it day-by-day, but he really has. He’s been able to make some plays and is certainly a guy that we like out there and he’s done a good job for us.”
Karl Dorrell – December 3, 2019
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell
(How surprised are you when WR DeVante Parker just dominates a game the way he did last Sunday?) – “Not surprised. I’ve always had a lot of confidence in DeVante. I remember even when I wasn’t even here and coaching at another organization, him coming out – his skillset – I thought he had some special qualities for a big player. I’m excited for him that I think he’s playing his best football, and I think he still has some room to grow and get even better in a lot of ways. I think he realizes that. I think he’s become a really good player by example, by practicing and playing hard and all of his reps are quality reps, and then he tries to duplicate those reps in the game. He’s definitely in a zone that he’s feeling good about himself. I feel good about where his development is, and I know that he’s going to get even better.”
(On those 50/50 balls that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was throwing him where he was just giving him an opportunity to go get it, what’s the key to being successful on those?) – “Be the first one. (laughter) I always think the first one that reacts to the ball usually has the best chance of getting to it, and he’s done a nice job with that. That’s probably part of his basketball background in terms of rebounding and things in a basketball game; but he has a good feel of reacting to the ball and timing it up at a pretty good – at good timing. I think that’s really what’s helped him from doing those things, and he was doing that stuff for a quite a while. We did it early in the season. A lot of it is, I believe it’s timing. He understands the timing. He sees it. He goes after it. I think usually the guy that reacts first has the best chance of coming down with it.”
(So how much of that is raw ability and how much of it comes from being out here working on that during the week, things you might help him with as far as technique?) – “It’s always both. I would say both. It is ability because you have to have a knack for understanding the timing of it, but I think part of it is, it has to be repped. It is something that you practice. I do a number of things in my individual drills – doing certain techniques – and sometimes they ask, ‘why am I doing this?’ I say, ‘well, because this is coming at some point in time down the road,’ so I try to do a lot of different things…”
(Do you have that kind of conversation with WR DeVante Parker? Explain why it will pay off in what happened on Sunday? Do you have those kinds of conversations?) –”Absolutely. Absolutely. I think all of our players have to understand that a 50/50 ball, that’s a guy that’s making an aggressive play, and usually like I said, it’s the first guy that reacts usually is the first one that has the best success at coming down with it. Whether you’re 6’4” or whether you’re my height at 5’11” or 6’1”, you still have a chance to come down with it if you’re the first one to go and try and attack it.”
(We know what you don’t have among your receivers ranging from Preston Williams to Jakeem Grant to Kenny Stills – with what you have, how would you describe these guys?) – “They’re all unique. They’re all different sizes and shapes. They’re fun to coach, and I like that as a coach with guys that have unique skillsets that are really more individually personalized for them; and I’m the type of coach to try to bring out the best of their qualities to make it benefit for our offense. I can’t ask for Albert Wilson to be like DeVante Parker and for DeVante Parker to be like Jakeem Grant. Those guys have all got different qualities. I try to just really build on their own natural skillsets and to bring out the best in them.”
(Are they a fast group, an overachieving group, a quick group, a hustling group because I really don’t know them?) – “I think all of the above. I really do. I think all of the above. These guys work hard. They work hard in practice. They’re scrappy. In ways they’re overachieving. In ways they’re developing and getting better by the week. Albert Wilson for example, is getting better by the week. You can see his confidence is growing. He’s had an injury that he had to deal with early on in the season. He’s still not 100 percent, but he’s getting close and you’re starting to see his movement improve. Same with Allen Hurns who’s kind of a new addition to us that we picked up in the summer time. He really has found a niche where he’s a dependable player for us. So we’ve had guys that are growing in our system pretty well. They all have different roles and different things that we try to maximize that all of them bring to the table, and that’s what’s helping us have a little bit more success.”
(Looking forward, what characteristics will this team want in a wide receiver?) – “To me, you have to be smart. You’ve got to be tough. You have to be able to adjust and to make adjustments in the course of a game. You have to be able to understand the game at a level that it takes to play in the NFL. All of those guys have those qualities. I think they’re a very unique group where they have athletic ability, really strong talents, but yet they’re very smart guys. They really get what needs to be done. They understand the adjustments that we need to make, and they’re able to – I’m able to verbalize this like I’m talking with you without the schematics of a board or anything like this and they understand what I’m talking about. I think we’ve been doing a really good job at least these last several weeks about making the right adjustments, given how teams are playing us and then coming up with ideas about still being successful.”
(WR DeVante Parker said after the last game that he almost lost his confidence in himself. DeVante doesn’t say much, so for him to publicly say that…) – “That’s true. For him to say all that, I’d be surprised. (laughter)”
(It was a very deep moment. It was touching, but it was sort of a reflection on the first four years of his career. I know you weren’t here, but I’m wondering – you weren’t here, so I’m going to tell you – WR DeVante Parker was beaten down. He was beaten down by the media. He was beaten down by the fans. Coaches publicly scolded him for not doing everything he needed to be doing and all that stuff, so what I’m wondering is, the DeVante you met when you arrived – did you sense in any way that he was somewhat wounded?) – “I’ll put it this way. I’m a new coach that comes in this building for the second time in my career, and I know of these players that I’m coaching. The first thing I do is put on the tape and I watch every snap they took last season – every player – and I make my notes about where we can improve, where we need to go. ‘Hey, this is really good. Let’s build on this.’ That type of thing. In DeVante’s case – in answering your question – I told him, just like this table here was kind of blank before you guys put your microphones down, but you really wipe off whatever has happened to him in the past. I’m a new coach. I’m coaching a new player, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re a great player just like I thought when you came out and let’s get to work. That’s really all I needed to say. He needed to know that I don’t have any stereotypes or based any opinion off anybody else, what everybody else has said or anything like that; and I knew of all those things. He has to prove to me that he’s that type of player or is he going to be the type of player that I’ve envisioned him to be when he came out of Louisville. So right now I think I’m winning that battle. I think he’s developing into the player that everybody thought he could be – at least that I thought he could be – and I know that he’s going to continue grow and get better.”
(Coaches and players have been using two words that stand out to me to describe WR DeVante Parker this year from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea to Head Coach Brian Flores to you. You guys have all at some time used the words “trust – I trust him” and there’s another one that’s similar to trust, “reliable.” These words that weren’t necessarily being attached to him early in his career. Can you sort of illustrate that for us? Is there something that you’ve seen him do or anything that he’s done that you guys have asked him to that is an example of him being reliable, trustworthy, mature, responsible – those positive words that we’ve attached to him?) – “I can just give it to you – all those words – let’s define trust to me. Trust to me is when I came in here and I wanted to earn the trust of my position group, they needed to know how hard I was going to work for them to help improve them to be the best they can be. I need to prove that. Over the course of time, I’ve been able to prove that, and they’ve taken to me just like I have taken to them and we’re close. My group is – we’re close. They understand the standards of how I like our players to play. They get it. They agree with it, and they’ve been able to grow and move forward. The trust thing that I think that you’re displaying is that from peer-to-peer, is that you have to have a level of consistency and a level of dependability in your play. DeVante has not missed a practice since I’ve been here. Yes, we’ve probably held him out of a couple of the preseason games and things like that, but he’s done everything to build up who he is up to this point – where we are right now at this point in the season. He’s been dependable. He’s been coming down making plays on the football. He’s done a lot of those things at a very high level. I think our quarterbacks trust him because of that long-term what’s built over the offseason all the way through this point, is that he’s become this type of player. It’s fun and it’s probably flattering and honoring for one of his peers to say that about him because that’s when you – you don’t want to talk about yourself. You want your players, your coaches and your peers to talk about how good you are; and DeVante doesn’t talk about himself. He knows he can better than where he is, but I know that he thinks he’s on the right track when he knows that he’s getting this type of feedback from his peers.”
(Given that WR DeVante Parker is a man of few words – and I assume that’s the case, not just with us but all the time, I don’t know – but did your relationship with him develop? Did it take longer? Was he harder to get to know?) – “No, not at all. I think he and I hit it off right from the start when we had our first meeting about ‘I’m coaching you the player from this point forward and not looking backwards;’ and I think he respected that, and I think that he liked that approach and then ever since that first meeting, he’s been taking off moving forward. We’ve grown over the time. He understands just like us – all of our players have a better feeling of my coaching style, the qualities and the priorities that I put within the things that we do, and I think they understand that. Then again, I also know that these guys are great young men, great people. They have feelings. They have personal concerns. They’ve got a lot of goals and aspirations for themselves that I want to help them achieve those things, too. I just think that get along well. They know that I’m working for their best interests, which is building the trust factor, and then they know that – or I know that – when I’ve got them on the field I trust that they’re going to do what’s needed to be done on our offensive standpoint. They’re going to do their job effectively and they’re going to try to make the plays that the offense needs to be successful.”
(So it didn’t take longer to get to know WR DeVante Parker before you got a handle on what he was about?) – “No, not at all. He doesn’t say much. He grunts a lot, (laughter) but other than that – he smiles, though. He smiles quite a bit, and he’s…”
(So how do you get to know a guy like that pretty quickly? What is it about WR DeVante Parker that you…) – “The things about him that he’s grown to understand, is that he’s become a better professional player. He has me talking and preaching about study habits and watching tape and all those things and giving great examples of guys that I’ve coached in the past that have done certain things (and) that have had high success. I think he’s bought into that. He comes in and he watches tape. I see him in there, we discuss a lot of things and he’s been – I would say he’s been a professional. He’s really taken to taking care of himself off the field, making sure he’s ready to play by Sundays. He’s had a lot of snaps this year. He’s still playing very, very well. I think he’s feeling this is what it means to be a player, and he wants to be a great player and I want him to be a great player. I want him to achieve his goals.”
(Did you have a plan for WR DeVante Parker this offseason in some of those aspects – the professionalism, the eating right, he mentioned massage and acupuncture and some of the things he does now?) – “All of those things, yes. That’s a regimen that you have to do to play at a high level. Most of the great players in this league, they play the game hurt. Sometimes you’re not feeling great and you’re having to play a game and they’re expecting so much of you; and I think he understands from a maturity standpoint, everybody’s sore at this point in the season, but I can do it still better than most and that’s what he’s building on.”
(How much of this breakout season is a function of him just being able to stay pretty healthy?) – “It’s definitely part of the equation. There’s no question about that. He’s had some nagging injuries, I would say the last two or three years, but I think that he’s taking care of his body and making sure he’s getting the proper treatment and doing things from a week-to-week basis which is helping him sustain good health, which is helping him be more productive.”
Brian Flores – December 2, 2019
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Monday, December 2, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Could you share what the offseason plan was for WR DeVante Parker – I guess getting him ready for the season?) – “It was the same it was for everybody else – conditioning, playbook, obviously weights and practice, fundamentals, technique. Obviously he took to it and worked hard like a lot of guys. He’s done a good job and he’s played well the last few weeks.”
(Do you think WR DeVante Parker’s breakout season is simply a function of him staying healthy or is there more than that?) – “I think it’s a little bit of everything. It’s health. It’s maturity, his experience. It’s him. It’s DeVante. He’s worked extremely hard. This is very important to him. Football is very important to him. He’s a guy who puts the team first, and we’re really happy with the way he’s played in games; but also how he interacts with the team and how on a day-to-day basis, he’s really shown a professional approach to how to do this.”
(And what about Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell’s role in it? Do you think he’s connected with WR DeVante Parker in a special way?) – “Oh, yeah. Karl does a great job. He’s done a great job coaching that position and other positions for a number of years. He’s a really good coach. He’s smart. He’s diligent. He expects a lot from that group. Really, Karl’s a very fine coach, and we’re lucky to have him.”
(How would you describe what’s happening with the two of them – WR DeVante Parker and Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell – as far as the way they’ve connected and Karl bringing out what he’s brought out of him?) – “I think Karl connects to each one of his players. I think they respect him. They want to play hard for him. They know that he has a standard – a high standard – for those guys from an alignment, assignment, technique, fundamentals, communication, blocking (standpoints). He’s got a very high standard, and they’re trying to play to that standard. They’re doing a good job, and he’s done a great job.”
(I wanted to ask you about over the years – I know you inherited him – but there have concerns, criticism, comments about WR DeVante Parker’s professionalism and doing what it takes to be a pro. Now he says he’s doing acupuncture, massages every week, hydration. When do you players generally get that level of preparation as part of the game, in your opinion?) – “It’s something that they need to be taught, I would say. Not to say that he wasn’t taught that – that’s not what I’m saying at all, but I think that’s part of coaching; but also it’s up to the player. When you’re 22 years old and you’re just coming in the league and it’s the first time you’ve ever had any money and it’s the first time you’re dealing with playing in this league and it’s a long season, some of those things that you’re talking about – acupuncture and massages and hydration – they kind of fall by the wayside. As you get older in this league, you understand that those things are very important and that everything you do counts. I think there’s a level of maturity that if you can – if we can get guys to mature as quickly as possible, that’s the goal for each staff on every team. I think he’s – I wasn’t here with him prior to this – my dealings with DeVante have been very good, and I think he’s really taken a professional approach and he’s done a very good job.”
(I know you like to tune out the outside noise. I wanted to ask you a question however about…) – “The outside noise? (laughter)”
(There were some prominent voices in the football community – Steve Young, Dominique Foxworth, Louis Riddick – who had some not just strong criticism of this franchise, but personal it seemed like. Words like “morally reprehensible” about what the Dolphins were doing. Obviously you guys have proved them foolish, wrong, all of those things with how you’ve played over the last month, month and a half. Did you hear that criticism at the time, and when people of that caliber – it’s not just like talking heads on TVs, these are real established people in the National Football League said that – did it hurt you at the time and what do you think now after proving them wrong?) – “I just focus on the things that I can control. My focus is on the guys in that locker room – people within this organization. I really try to tune out all the noise. That’s why I don’t have any social media or I don’t watch much television. I watch tape of our next opponent. I watch our practice film and I try to leave it right there. A lot of the things you’re referencing, I don’t know very much about. I don’t really take – I don’t know much about it; but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says. All that matters is our approach, our process, the things we want to get accomplished in this building and that’s all that really matters.”
(Let me ask you this way, then. Teams want to be a place where free agents want to come to, obviously. They want to create a culture and have a stability all that free agents see as a destination. Do you think how you guys played over the last month and a half, two months has made this a more desirable place that you can grow your program?) – “Free agency is so far from my mind. We made the corrections from, or we’re trying to make the corrections from yesterday. We’re going to move onto the Jets here in the next couple of hours. That’s just, that’s way too far out into the distance for me. I think – look, if we’re going to be a tough, smart, disciplined team, we’re going to work hard. We’re going to give great effort. We’re going to compete. If that’s the type of player you are or if that’s the type of person you are, then this is the right place for you. If it’s not, then it’s not the right place for you. If that’s attractive, then great; but that’s the way it is. We’re not going to change.”
(I talked to guys in the locker room about you, and the first thing they say is consistency. When you hear that and players pick that up from you, what does that mean and how do you want that value…) – “I think in this league, consistency is so important. I think – hopefully if they see consistency from me then they know how important it is for them to be consistent as well. Again, I’ve said this before, if you are in this league that means you have talent, you can make a play. Can you consistently make those plays, consistently block, consistently tackle, consistently do your job, communicate. This team is a reflection of me. I try to be consistent on a day-to-day basis. Hopefully that works.”
(How have you dealt with this season and the ups and downs and everything personally, and how does this compare to other seasons in your coaching career?) – “I just try to take a day-to-day approach, and try to improve and get better on a day-to-day basis. Up, down, highs, lows I just try to stay pretty even. That’s always been my approach and I don’t think that will change. It’s been a fun year, I’ll say that.”
(I wanted to get your update on RB Kalen Ballage, who we saw get carted off with the leg injury. And, also how prepared are the rookie running backs – Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin – to carry the workload?) – “Kalen, we’re still going through the evaluation process with him. He did get dinged yesterday. We’ll see how that progresses over the course of the week. No official word on that. As far as Myles and Patrick and De’Lance (Turner), I think the three of them – Myles and Patrick, obviously we got De’Lance a few weeks ago – but those two, their work ethic is very good. They’re in early on off days, they’re lifting, they’re running, they’re in there preparing for the next opponent and they’ve prepared as if they were starting all year. From that standpoint, they’ve done a really good job and I think they will be ready to go – both guys. So as far as carrying the load or splitting the load, however we’re going to handle that if that’s the situation, I’m confident those two will be able to get that done. De’Lance as well. If he’s got to step in there and play a little bit more, we’re confident he can do that as well. But again, it’s a great opportunity if that’s the case for those guys. Life is about taking advantage of opportunities.”
(What tipped you guys off on RB De’Lance Turner that said ‘hey, let’s go get him from the Ravens practice squad?’) – “We saw the speed, a physical player, a guy who can play in the kicking game which you always want an offensive, or running back, or receiver, or tight end, any of those guys to play in the kicking game, just to give us depth at those positions. He’s a smart kid, he’s hard working and he’s tough. We like those things about him.”
(Can you talk about the job CB Eric Rowe did on TE Zach Ertz in the game and how much of an influence you feel it had on the game?) – “Yeah, I thought Eric played well. (It was a) tough matchup. Ertz is a very, very good player. I’d say he’s one of the top, if not the top tight end in the league. I thought Eric did a good job, and I thought collectively as a team, we tried to hit him and disrupt him as much as possible. Eric played a big role in that. He’s a good player so he made a few catches, but we were able to limit him. That was one of our goals and we accomplished that.”
(You say it’s been a fun year. How so, because people on the outside might be surprised to hear you say that?) – “I enjoy coaching this team. We’ve got a group of guys who really work hard. I’ve been impressed with how they’ve dealt with the adversity. They keep coming back, they keep fighting, they keep practicing, they continue to work. I’m proud of this team. We’ve improved and gotten better, and that’s the goal in coaching. As a teacher, as an educator, you want your pupils, your students to get better. I think we’ve seen that and I think the season is not over. We still have more time to improve and get better, and we’re going to try to take advantage of that.”
(I know most teams break up the season into four quarters. I’m assuming you do as well. What is the goal for the final quarter of the season in terms of what you want to achieve?) – “We want to improve. We want to get better. We want to improve individually. I want our players to improve individually. I want our coaches to improve individually. I’m going to try to improve individually, and if we all do that, then collectively as a team, we’ll get better. There’s different areas that we can all get better in. We can go down a line – third down, red area, two-minute, run game, run defense, drop-back passing, play-action passing, RPO (run/pass option) – we can go down a list of things we can get better at. We’ll try to get better at them all. I think if we can do that, then that’ll only help us down the road. Just overall improvement in every area and just continue to stay the course with the way we’ve done things; I think when you get towards the end of the year and the holidays, you need a lot of mental toughness to continue to just fight and improve to get better. That’s something we’ll talk about a lot.”
(With T Julién Davenport, I know he got hurt in the game, but he seems to be giving up a lot of pressures. Is that something that can be addressed, or is it just a game-by-game situation?) – “I think he struggled early. I thought he got better as the game went on. I thought the entire line got better as the game went on. That’s a good front we were playing against – a very good front – but look, we’re going to play against a good front every week. I think Julién knows that he’s got to improve (and) get better from a technique standpoint, from really across the board, he’s got to play better. He knows that and he’s going to practice and try to improve and get better. That’s part of the ups and downs of playing in this league, but that was a good front.”
(Have you seen examples of your team using the adversity you talked about or maybe even some of the outside noise to fuel them in individual or team ways?) – “I can’t speak to everyone’s individual motivation. I think that’s different for each one of us. To me, in this league, if your only motivation is what everyone else says, then you’re probably not going to be here that long. I think you’ve got to have an internal motivation – an internal drive, a constant chip on your shoulder – so that you can go out there to prepare and go through each week with the intent to play well and obviously be the best version of yourself that you can be. I think our guys take that approach. I know I try to take that approach, and I think if we do that, we’ll continue to improve.”
