Raekwon Davis – October 10, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Postgame – Tampa Bay
DT Raekwon Davis
(How did it feel to be back out there after missing three games?) – “It was fun. It was fun being back with the fellas.”
(What specifically were you hoping to show in your first game out? Moving forward, how do you feel heading into next weekend?) – “Just come in, try to get back in that rhythm. Try to get going, get that little rust off. That was about it. Help the team in the best way I could.”
(Coming from Alabama, you guys won so many games. Have you ever been a part of a four-game losing streak?) – “Unfortunately no, I haven’t.”
(So now you’re here, how do you help turn it around?) – “Bring the team together. Try to get everybody on the same board, same mission. Try to turn things around. Do the best you can.”
(What was it watching three weeks in row when especially when the run defense struggled all those weeks?) – “I don’t feel like they struggled. Other opponents, they get paid too. They get paid the same. There are more good teams out there. It’s football. It’s the NFL.”
(You get to see QB Tom Brady on the field, what makes him so good from your eyes and what you see in the trenches?) – “He gets the ball out fast. He’s quick, he reads coverage real nice and he just gets the ball out fast.”
(Does that ever get frustrating? Playing against a quarterback with a quick release like that?) – “Yeah. Yeah.”
Preston Williams – October 10, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Postgame – Tampa Bay
WR Preston Williams
(Obviously this was your most extensive playing time since the injury. How did you feel it went and I know the result wasn’t what you wanted but how did you feel your contribution was?) – “I felt pretty good. You never feel as good when you lose. Still feel like I have to get better so I’m just going to go back to the drawing board, watch film and fix up my mistakes that I made in the game.”
(That first catch, the toe-tap on the sideline, how much did that help you confidence-wise just right out of the gate to have a play like that?) – “We practice stuff like that at practice individuals with ‘Coach Grizz’ (Josh Grizzard), work sideline catches, toe-taps, foot drags and all that stuff. Its’s just practice.”
(Did you think they might overturn it?) – “No, I felt confident in the catch. We work that stuff.”
(So you were in bounds?) – “Yeah, I was in bounds.”
(What was your mindset once you found out WR DeVante wasn’t going to be available today?) – “We always got the mindset that anybody can go down at any time. Just be ready to pop in wherever. Some people get put in positions where they haven’t played. Just have to know your playbook and be ready.”
(You have this confidence about yourself. Where do you think the confidence is with the team and you guys can turn this around?) – “I think it’s still there. We’re a good team that I feel. I rock with my brothers till the end.”
(What was it like believing that you could contribute to the team, help the offense and not having that opportunity in comparison to today when you get the opportunity? Can you talk to me about the contrast?) – “Coach always talks about just next man up because usually you never know. We got COVID that can take people out. You can wake up one morning, be in that and not be playing. I just stay ready so I don’t have to get ready.”
Jerome Baker – October 10, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Postgame – Tampa Bay
LB Jerome Baker
(What do you see as the biggest problem with the defense? A lot of you guys haven’t been able the success from last year to this year.) – “That’s a hard question to ask. It comes down to just execution. We are not executing at all. That’s the main thing.”
(How good is this Bucs offense?) – “They’re talented, definitely. They have all the weapons. They have the o-line. They were just playing complementary football today. They were running the ball, passing the ball, they just did it all.”
(What was the most surprising thing about today’s game?) – “I don’t know. Just how much we didn’t execute. I think that was the main thing. Just the mistakes we made, that was the most surprising thing I guess you could say.”
(I know it’s still early in the season but how do you guys get the mojo back? How do you get this going in the right direction?) – “It sounds simple, but take it one day at a time. Come in tomorrow, look at the film, see where we made mistakes at and take it one practice at a time and just turn it in one play at a time, one game at a time. Kind of just have to lock in and get that focus back.”
(We’ve heard from TE Mike Gesicki a few minutes ago and he said there’s no negativity in the locker room. What’s the challenge of keeping that negativity out of the locker room especially when as you guys say, you practice well and it just doesn’t translate on game day?) – “The challenge? It’s hard. At the end of the day, it’s hard. It’s just hard at the end of the day. That’s where the leaders come in, that’s where we believe in ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and that’s where you look at guys that really lead this team and you just got to believe. That’s the main thing. You just got to come in, get back to work and at the end of the day, we can’t change what happened today. Got to focus on the next one.”
Byron Jones – October 10, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Postgame – Tampa Bay
CB Byron Jones
(How are you feeling this game? I know you dealt with your injuries this week. Did you feel 100%?) – “Yeah, my health is completely fine. Just wasn’t a good showing for all of us today.”
(What would you say the biggest problem with the defense is right now? What’s the solution to fixing that?) – “Just keep chipping away. We’ve had some tough games, no question about that. I thought we saw some good things here and there, but it’s not consistent. It’s not for the entire game. Any time you go against good competition like that, you got to understand how you are going to be attacked and just attack it that way and understand these are our challenges. They put a lot on our shoulders for a reason because we are good. We’re good on defense and that’s one thing that we didn’t come up with today, was a play to give our offense a chance to go back at it and take the ball away or something like that. We’re working on it. It’s something that I look in the guys’ eyes and they’ve still got that brightness to it. There’s still that challenge we want to keep going and fighting forward and try to be the best defense that we can be. Football is a tough game and we’ve got a lot of tough men in that locker room.”
(How do you keep that brightness?) – “Just understanding – the game that I saw today, I know the score didn’t reflect it, I saw a lot of guys making good plays here and there. It just wasn’t consistent and it wasn’t throughout the entire game. Just to see the energy from the guys coming out, we got some big stops here and there. Obviously, it wasn’t enough, but that’s the challenge of football. We understand how long this season is and how hard it can get at certain times. We talk about it during camp. That’s why camp is tough, because it’s a microcosm of what the football season is going to be like. This was a tough stretch for us, no question about it; but it’s how you respond, and I think we’ve got a lot of high-character men in that room that are going to do the right thing.”
Austin Jackson – October 10, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Postgame – Tampa Bay
T Austin Jackson
(When did you find out that you would be playing guard today?) – “I don’t really remember honestly. I watched a lot of film. Just studying and taking coaching points from our coach when he’s not only coaching me just helped me a lot to be able to go in and understand what needs to happen, and I just am doing anything to help this team.”
(How did you feel today went playing the guard position?) – “I feel good, feel blessed to be out there still to play, to do what I do. There are some learning experiences and things definitely I can learn from and get better at. But it felt good to be out there fighting with my guys trying to get a win. Just to be able to help this team get a win, and we didn’t do that but that’s what we’re working for.”
(You had your hand around WR Jaylen Waddle walking in, what were you guys talking about?) – “We were just talking. Just talking. It’s a very emotional game we just had. He’s come in as a rookie; I was there last year so just, yeah, tough game.”
(Have you ever played left guard before?) – “Well yeah, in the Army All-American game when I was like 17. I went down there and they had brought like nine tackles, so big Tristan Wirfs was at left tackle and I was at left guard. It’s kind of ironic, he was out there this week, too. That’s funny.”
(On where T Tristan Wirfs is on the field.) – “He’s at right tackle, but you know.”
(What can you say about QB Jacoby Brissett’s game today, especially playing through the injury?) – “That’s our guy. I think he did a great job leading us. Just preparation all week. He sits down with the o-line and we go through those extra hours of film without the coaches to make sure we pick up stunts right and I think he a great job just being himself.”
Brian Flores – October 8, 2021
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Friday, October 8, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Will CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones be available Sunday?) – “They’re going to practice today. Hopeful that they’ll be available on Sunday.”
(With OL Greg Mancz – obviously he suffered the neck injury in practice. How concerning is that and do you feel like you have a possible backup if he’s not able to play, that knows the offense?) – “Greg (Mancz) – he’ll be out at practice today as well. I would say that’s probably trending in the right direction, but we’ll see how today goes. And yeah, last week it was Cameron Tom who came up. We signed Austin Reiter this week, so he’s done a nice job these last couple days. We’ll have a backup plan for sure.”
(Did DT Raekwon Davis look good this week – enough where you think he’ll be available Sunday?) – “Yeah, I mean if all things go well today, I expect him to be up on Sunday.”
(With the center, obviously you still have C Cameron Tom, but can a guy who showed up on Wednesday play and execute your offense if put in a position have to play center?) – “He’s done a nice job these last couple days. Is that the perfect situation? Probably not. But we’re going to play the guys we feel give us the best chance to win. I think Austin (Reiter) has done a nice job. Obviously Cam (Tom) has more familiarity with the offense, more familiarity with the guys around him on the offensive line. But can it happen? Yeah, I mean we’ve done that here before. Is that the ideal situation? I think we’re working through that as a staff.”
(How have you liked how your team has practiced this week after last week?) – “These guys always work hard. I can count on that. I can count on them to compete. I can count on them to work hard. I can count on them to come in and be professional and do things the right way so from that standpoint they’ve done a good job.”
(We saw WR DeVante Parker pop up yesterday with a hamstring on the injury report. His status for Sunday, do you have a sense of that yet?) – “Yeah, we’ll see how he does today. He’ll be out there a little bit today. We’ll see what kind of soreness there is there and we’ll make a decision that may go up right up to game time.”
(Can you talk a little bit about WR Albert Wilson? What have you seen from him and if you would like or expect for him to have a bigger role in the next few weeks?) – “Yeah, Albert (Wilson) got off to a strong start at training camp, dealt with an injury, came back. He plays a lot of different positions in the receiver room – F, Z, X – you can move him around a good bit. He’s done a good job in the last couple weeks in practice and I think when his number is called, he’ll be ready.”
(Your team started 1-3 for the second year in a row. What has your message been this week with the team?) – “Continue to work. Continue to try to improve. Continue to prepare, practice the right way, prepare the right way and that’ll give you a chance to execute. If we continue to play with more consistency and not beat ourselves, then we’ll play better. That’s really the message.”
(What you’ve seen from the punt and kickoff returns, obviously you have a couple of candidates including some young players, are you comfortable with one, Jaylen Waddle adding that extra work on his plate and do you have other options?) – “Yeah, I’m comfortable with Jaylen (Waddle) going back there returning punts. Obviously he’s got speed and the ability to make guys miss so we’re always going to put the best guys back there. Jevon Holland has caught punts in the past. So he’s an option, but we have to get everybody on those units to make their blocks, give us an opportunity to catch the ball and get vertical. Obviously ball security is the top priority there. So yeah, comfortable with the guys we have there.”
(Have you and Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman looked at CB Noah Igbinoghene on kickoff returns this week? He did well of course as you know at Auburn on kickoff returns.) – “Yeah, we’ve looked at that. We’ve certainly looked at that. Some other guys there as well to include (Jaylen) Waddle. So yeah, we’ve looked at all potential kickoff returners. But you know kickoff return, it’s one of those where a lot of teams are just kind of (kicking a) touchback and the opportunities are somewhat by game, potentially limited. But yeah, we’ll put the best guy back there and if given the opportunity – again, we’ve got to execute in that phase as well. Make the blocks and find a lane and get vertical and try to create a play there.”
(As far as allocation of carries at running back, I know it‘s a tough call because RB Malcolm Brown, RB Myles Gaskin, RB Salvon Ahmed all are good at different things. Have you – without asking you what was decided obviously – but have you and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey talked about this week in terms of maybe getting a particular guy more carries, whether that has to be revisited? Is that a subject?) – “Yeah, we talk about that every week based on the gameplan, based on how we plan on what the offensive gameplan is. So if we want an in-between-the-tackles runner, that could be Myles (Gaskin), that could be Malcolm (Brown), that could be Salvon (Ahmed). So those are the kind of things we talk about – run game, pass game, screen game, etc. And then the game every week plays out a little bit differently. We have a plan going in. We want to get this guy, this guy, this guy. And then however the game unfolds is how we end up having to play. Or we stay on schedule and we play the way we planned on playing.”
(You have worked obviously the physical, the football side of this team. But what are you doing to keep the concentration, to keep the mentality of not letting the guys, in some aspects of the game, letting it go and keep concentrated like we have not seen from this season?) – “Focus is a big thing. What we always talk about is just taking it one play at a time and focusing on that play and not worrying about something that happened before, what’s going to happen in the future, what’s happened in the past, what anybody’s going to say, what a coach says, what another player says, a penalty that happened, a good call, bad call. I think that’s part of the game. I think we always to need to take the next-play approach and I think if you just concentrate on the next play, focus on the next play regardless of what’s happened, that’ll put you in the best position to succeed on that particular play. So that’s always the message to our team – to the players, to the coaches, to really everyone in the building and the organization. That’s kind of the approach and the message that we try to send out. And that’s not an easy thing to do because there’s just so many things – so much going on in the world, so much going on within a game – that takes a lot of focus and discipline to do that and that starts in practice.”
(After WR Jakeem Grant was traded, one of the names that came up as a guy who could see more playing time is WR Preston Williams. Given his injuries over the past couple of years, where is he physically, as well as mentally in terms of moving past these injuries and just focusing on playing football?) – “I think physically he’s in a good place. He’s running well. He’s in shape. I think mentally, I think he’s in a good place also. I think he’s excited to get an opportunity. I don’t think he’s thinking about what’s happened in the past. I think that’s something we talk about. Let’s not worry about injuries that happened in the past or whatever has happened, good or bad. Let’s just focus on what we just mentioned. Let’s just focus on today’s practice and get ready for the game and when we get to the game, take that one play at a time. I think he’s in a good place. I think he’s excited to get an opportunity and I think he’s preparing so that he can take advantage of that opportunity.”
(Defensively speaking, the first half production has been better than the second half in games so far for you guys this year. Is there a key in your mind to get more consistent play over the course of 60 minutes?) – “That’s something that offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, as a team we’re not playing consistently enough. Specific to defense, it really boils down to fundamentals, communicating consistently, tackling consistently, setting the edge. Those things that have started one way, we’ve just got to maintain our focus, concentration and continue to play well in whatever phase it is, especially if we get off to a good start.”
(I know DT Raekwon Davis is just coming back from the knee injury and getting his football legs underneath him. How has he looked this week at practice?) – “He’s looked good. I think any time you take some time off there is a little bit of rust. I don’t say that in a negative way. It’s just like anything. If you don’t work out for a long time and you come out, you’re a little more sore. My son didn’t do math all summer, he came back to school and he struggled with math a little bit. (laughter) It’s just one of those things you got to get back into it. You got to practice a little bit. He’s probably going to be mad I said that. (laughter) Help me out there, please. (laughter) When I say rust, I don’t say that in a bad way. I think Raekwon is working his way back. It’s important to him. We’re excited hopefully to get him back.”
(Are you solving all of the math problems?) – “The new math is killing me. (laughter)”
(All week we’ve hard guys talk about looking themselves in the mirror. I’m sure that stemmed from somewhere, some sort of leadership. I’m just curious what in your opinion that means? What does it mean to look yourself in the mirror at this point in the season, kind of a do or die in some ways?) – “I just think it is – are we doing everything, am I doing everything I can? Let’s just speak for me – am I doing everything I can, am I making the sacrifices I need to make to help this team the best way I can? I think that is something that some guys are asking themselves. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think oftentimes it’s good to – I wouldn’t say reevaluate, but to take a look at yourself and evaluate what you’re doing. Is there anything you can do better? I’m always doing that. Is there any way I can help this team, can I help this team, can I help a coach, can I help someone on the support staff do a little bit better? I think if we all do a little bit better, we’ll get better results. When you have a team of players, if all 53 do a little bit better, we’ll be better. I think that’s something that a lot of guys have thought about and we’re seeing a lot of that at practice. It’s one thing to talk about practice, it’s another to produce in a game. That’s really what we’re looking for.”
(I wanted to ask about QB Tom Brady, which I’m sure you know better than me, has an extensive record of attacking the new guy in the secondary unit or the replacement player. Is whoever is forced to play in this situation, for either CB Byron Jones or CB Xavien Howard, prepared for that mentality that know that Tom is pretty much going to come after him?) – “Yeah. He’s going to go after whoever – the best match up, coverage match up. Yeah, I think everyone knows. I think everyone in the whole league knows that if there is a guy that’s open, Tom is going to find them. And if there is a matchup he likes, he’s going to attack that matchup. I think we all know that. I don’t think it’s a one-on-one thing. I think it’s more of a – it could be a one-on-one thing. It could be a coverage situation where there is a weakness in a coverage. It could be a linebacker matchup, it could be a tight end/safety matchup, tight end/linebacker matchup. It could be the inside part of the field on Cover 2. It could be the seams in Cover 3. It could be a post route on Cover 4. Yeah, if he knows what it is and he sees it. I don’t know if it’s a one-on-one thing. More of just all of it. He does a great job. He’s done a great job for a long time. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us. We’ve got to play well, we’ve got to communicate, we’ve got to tackle, we’ve got to set the edge. On those 50/50 balls, we’ve got to do a good job on those.”
Jerome Baker – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(From a defensive standpoint, what do you feel most needs to improve? What have been the priority with you as a group with Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Head Coach Brian Flores this week?) – “Just execution. We have guys that are trying to do as much as they can to help us. Sometimes it’s just doing your job that’s all that matters. Just executing, doing your job and letting us play together and execute, and the defense will do what we’ve always done. I think that’s been the message, just do your job and everything will work out.”
(The last couple of weeks without DT Raekwon Davis in the lineup, what does he provide you guys upfront that makes you guys kind of a better defense?) – “I mean he’s a big, massive, strong guy. I think the one thing we don’t give him a lot of credit for is he brings a lot of energy to us. It’s not the energy of ‘let’s go hard,’ it’s the energy of you just want to be out there and play with him. He goes out there and he goes hard for us. He’s just a big, strong guy in the middle of our defense. It always helps when you have guys like that. I’m definitely happy to have him back.”
(Following DT Raekwon Davis on social media, all offseason he was lifting weights and really working hard. Did you feel sorry for him that he had to be out the last couple of weeks and excited for him to be back?) – “I wouldn’t say I feel sorry for him. We have this relationship where we talk a lot of stuff to each other. I was basically telling him – just cracking jokes the whole time. But at the end of the day, he knows I love to have him out there and I want him to be out here. I know he’s excited to get out there and do great things on Sunday.”
(How do you joke?) – “He thinks he’s big and bad and nobody can step to him. Sometimes it’s the fear that nobody really talks to him. Me, I don’t care. He’s still my rookie. (laughter)”
(Is he your little brother too? We heard DT Christian Wilkins say he’s little bro.) – “I wouldn’t call him little bro. He’s a little big for that. (laughter) But he definitely has that spirit of a younger brother. I’m not about to call him my little brother, he’s too big for that. (laughter)”
(As a linebacker do you notice the big difference if he’s in front of you, taking up blockers and just kind of freeing you up a lot?) – “Yeah, just the pure mass of him, he takes up essentially three people. It’s him, and two other guys that usually have to block him. You can tell it’s a big difference, a big guy down there. It’s hard to move him. Double teams are going to happen, but it’s different when it’s a double team and the guy is not moving. We definitely need that and we’re excited to have him back.”
(Your thoughts on how you’ve been playing this year? It’s hard to match your numbers last year. You were in rare company, 100 tackles, five sacks – there was only two linebackers to do that. Are you pleased with how it’s gone for you the first four games personally?) – “I’ve never been a guy to focus on my stats, really. I’m more of a guy that says our defense needs to improve. That’s been the message all around, that we need to improve, we need to play better. That’s been my thing, I need to play better, I need to do better. When I say that, it’s I want this team to be the best that we can be. That’s my mentality. I think we’re all not happy with where we are right now and Sunday is a great opportunity to go out there and show that we can play with the great teams in this league. I’m excited for Sunday, I’m ready to get out there. We’re going against a great challenge. It should definitely be a fun one.”
(Last year, you guys had this identical start. The sky was falling, from us of course. Then you guys turned it around. What was the key to turning it around?) – “I’m not going to say it was a key or that it was a certain thing that happened. I think it’s one of those things where we have guys that want to make the play, they want to make the interception, they want to make the tackle. But in this defense, that’s truly not what it is. It’s about doing your job. If that’s setting the edge, if that’s filling the block, if that’s taking on double-teams, whatever it is. If that’s knowing your leverage on a third down coverage, I think that’s the thing that we just need to focus on what our individual task is. It will work out for us. And that goes for pretty much the whole team – offense, defense and special teams. If we just do our job, the plays are going to come to us and the games will start going our way. I think that’s the main thing. That’s the sauce. It sounds simple, but that truly is the recipe for it.”
(Is there frustration at all in the room because you all are better than a defense that would be ranked in the 20s, which is where you are right now, in terms of yardage. Is there a feeling like we’re better than this and we need to start showing it?) – “Yeah, it’s definitely a feeling of we need to go out there and really show that we’re one of the top defenses and one of the top teams out there. We’ve definitely had talks. We’ve definitely had just individual talks with our position groups, us as a defense, us as a team. We kind of took that approach of we’ve got to look in the mirror and we’ve got to stop blaming other people or blaming other things. We’ve got to really look in the mirror and turn this thing around for us. It’s not coaches, it’s not fans, it’s not media out there playing with us. It’s us. The only people that can really fix it is us and that’s the approach we have, and Sunday is a great opportunity for that.”
(So when guys are not doing their job and maybe they’re kind of all over the place, what does it look like then? Is it missed assignments? Is it guys having free running lanes? What does it look like guys are..) – “No and when I say this, it’s not to be – none of the guys we have are intentionally messing up or intentionally just losing their mind. A lot of the guys we have, they know exactly what they have to do, but it’s those little things of your hand placement is wrong or your leverage is wrong or it could be something so simple, but in this defense, those little things really – if you just keep doing little things, little things, little things – it adds up to losing games and that’s essentially what we need to turn around.”
(Could it be that teams have figured out this defense and know what’s coming and know how to counter it now? Because previously it was new.) – “Could it be? I mean you could always play the ‘could it be’ game, but essentially this defense just history-wise, going back all the way to the Patriots, it’s been just a great defense. So it’s hard to just say ‘could it be?’ But I think we’re not going to sit back and say ‘it could be this, it could be that.’ It could be the players on the field just not getting it done. And that’s what us as a team, us as a defense, that’s what we say. We’re not about to say the scheme is wrong. We’re not about to say the coaches are wrong. We’re not about to say anything is wrong. At the end of the day, we’re the ones on the field, we’re the ones that have got to turn it around. I think it definitely starts with us.”
(You’ve played against QB Tom Brady a lot. What comes to mind when you think about playing him obviously in a different jersey?) – “Greatness. He’s the greatest quarterback to ever step on the field. It’s truly an honor to play against a guy like that. For me, I’m a competitor. I think my earlier years in this league, I was starstruck of ‘this is Tom Brady. This is the guy I played Madden with my whole life. This is the guy that I looked up to growing up.’ But now I’m in a spot of I want to beat this guy. I want to go out there and ruin his day for him. (laughter) All credit to him. He’s definitely great, but at the end of the day, he’s the guy I’m competing against so just the competitor in me, I want to win. I want to walk off that field and feel that happiness and have everyone talk about us. That feeling is – you just compete for that, just to defeat another guy. So Sunday when it comes, I’m going to give all the credit to him now and it’s Tom Brady and this and that, but at the end of the day, I want to win the game so that’s what it’s about.”
(Do you know that you guys have the – the Dolphins have the best win-loss record against Tom Brady?) – “Yeah, I think it was the Patriots-Tampa game last week. They showed it on TV and I watched it, so yeah I’m aware of it. (laughter)”
(So you would play with QB Tom Brady in Madden growing up? You would pick the Patriots?) – “Yeah. Well, I was more of a guy that I did the fantasy draft thng, (laughter) and Tom Brady was always either if not the No. 1 quarterback, he was No. 2. So that was kind of a safe bet, go with a good quarterback and he was always one of those great quarterbacks.”
(What was the cooler moment? The first time you played QB Tom Brady or the first time you played as yourself in Madden?) – “Oh, the cooler moment was when I played with myself. (laughter) I think it was even cooler when my little cousins – they send me videos and it’s me and they’re – my little cousins are jokesters so if I drop a pick or if I get ran over or something, they’ll send me the video. (laughter) Those are like the cool moments that you never really thought about and now that I’m older, I don’t even play Madden like I used to. But seeing them and them sending me videos and them talking stuff to me, it’s always fun. But the conversation always ends as ‘I’m in the game.’ It’s definitely fun.”
Eric Rowe – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
S Eric Rowe
(I know TE Rob Gronkowski told Jay Glazer that he’s got assorted things, ribs and other issues, so he doesn’t seem terribly likely to play Sunday. How would that change your responsibilities Sunday and the look of their offense?) – “For us, it changes nothing. You always have to prepare as if he was going to play or if he is going to play. If he isn’t, then you just adjust. Whether he plays or not, they still have two other great tight ends that are a big part of that offense that we need to stop.”
(Where is the pick-six ball from 2019 at?) – “(laughter) It’s at my house in Houston.”
(Do you got it framed up and stuff?) – “Yeah, I got it in my little mancave room. (laughter)”
(A couple years later, does that football still mean a lot to you?) – “Honestly, I don’t think about it during the season because of the grind of the season. I can’t think about stuff in the past. When I’m done playing, it’s always a good thing to look back at.”
(Have you and QB Tom Brady had any interaction since that day, that late December day, when you picked him in his last regular season home game there?) – “No.”
(I always enjoy players over the years talking about QB Tom Brady. It has been 20 years. But defenders have always said it’s a helpless feeling that no matter what you do, he knows the answer to and you’re subjected to it. As somebody who has played with him and now somebody who plays against him, is that how you see it?) – “I mean, yeah. He’s seen over two decades of defenses. He does and he’s very, very intelligent so if he sees one thing, he can make the quick decision on whatever read he needs to make. It’s just up to us to make it as hard as we can. He’ll figure it out eventually, but we don’t want to line up in it and have him make a quicker decision.”
(How much more difficult is covering QB Tom Brady with the three receivers he has – Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown – and backs and tight ends that can also catch the ball?) – “Yeah, I mean he has some weapons. All the receivers, tight ends and backs are all very talented skill players. They all obviously have a name for themselves in the league and they’re all proven. You add him (Tom Brady) to the equation and it makes it 1,000-times harder.”
(In 2019, you played WR Antonio Brown and QB Tom Brady together for their only game when AB was with the Patriots. What does AB do in that slot position that makes him so difficult to guard?) – “He’s just one of those kind of receivers. He has speed, quickness, hands, route-running ability, and it’s hard to anticipate what route he’s going to do. He’s very good at the top of the route. Obviously, him and Tom have a good connection and that’s all you need, a quarterback connection and you can make it happen.”
