Mike McDaniel – September 29, 2023
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Friday, September 29, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Can you share anything on the availability of T Terron Armstead and OL Connor Williams on Sunday as best you know?) – “I can tell you that they’ll both be practicing today and their future hangs in the balance. (laughter) No, we’re just going to assess and do right by both those players. I can tell you just in case – I’m going to beat you to the punch – I can say that Jaelan Phillips will be out. But then we have a group of guys that are ironing things out today, making sure to further test where they’re at and so we’ll have some decisions to make in the next 48 hours after.”
(When you’re facing a division opponent and you’re going to see them again, do you ever hold anything back or is it all just go to win this game? Because if you’re going to see a team another time later in the season, are there things in the regular season that you don’t want to put in?) – “I can’t speak for anybody else. I know in my career, literally it is so hard to win a game in general, that I’ve never held anything back. Your expectation, the way I look at it; I look at for instance, the Buffalo Bills are one of the best teams in football. If instead of having an idea that you would put in your back pocket, why don’t you just come up with a new idea? I think as far as I’ve always looked at it, and the way that our coaching staff does, is everything that we can and are able to use, we give it our best shot because we know that if we don’t give it our best shot, we will learn the hard way of how difficult the NFL is.”
(You talk a lot about deliberate practice and this team mentioned the 24 and 48-hour rule. Can you touch on the 10,000-hour rule?) – “What you’re alluding to is directly in congruence with deliberate practice and I think that anything that we’ve been able to do on the football field this year, any success that we’ve really had in all three phases, is because of an insane amount of deliberate practice that the only way you can really make plays on a consistent basis in the National Football League is to be going full-tilt with no hesitation. So I look at quite literally any forced fumble we’ve had. I can go to any inside two-and-a-half second QB pressure, any explosive run, any completion; they’re all a functionality of guys that have had a pretty good offseason. I think that’s the reason we’re 3-0 and have been able to make some plays, is because guys have taken training from all the way back from April 17 to now and have utilized every opportunity that’s been in their past so that they’ve been able to make some plays on Sunday. It’s hard to win in the National Football League. It’s hard to win in several different fashions so I think when you’re able to do that, that’s an expression of that deliberate practice that is so near and dear to our hearts.”
(Do you have updates on three wide receivers – WR Jaylen Waddle, WR Erik Ezukanma, WR River Cracraft?) – “Jaylen Waddle had a great day at practice. He’s obviously cleared the protocol and is good to go. I think both River (Cracraft) and Erik (Ezukanma), they are independent situations that are going to take a little bit of time. They’ll both be out for this game and we’re independently getting some information on both of those guys and we’ll be able to have a better idea of a timeline in the next few days or weeks or whatever. They’re on their own journeys and won’t be there this game.”
(With WR Erik Ezukanma – can we get some clarification? Did he injure himself on Friday’s practice, the walkthrough, when did he sustain…?) – “So we’re kind of exploring the potential of a re-aggravation of an injury that he’s had before he got here. So we’re just kind of trying to get information on that. Don’t really have the specific instance. It’s more of cautiously looking through that lens because it was something with his neck that he’s had in college so we’re just kind of going through that which is why it’s kind of a vague timeline and kind of snuck up on us.”
(So much conversation about the offense. Obviously when you score 70 points, that’s going to happen. But how would you evaluate where your defense is through three games?) – “First of all, I’d say that 70 points is only possible with our defense. You had three turnovers and you had a stop – a three-and-out after a turnover on downs in our own territory. And with regard to specifically in general, I see a progression each and every week for what they’re trying to do and guys finding their way within the system. I think we have a bunch of playmakers that know that they’re playmakers and play the game of football to make plays, and I think they’re starting to find within the system when it’s their play to make. Team defense is about holding responsibility, but then when there’s a vulnerability in the offensive schematics, you seek and destroy and it’s your play to make. And I think we had too many instances Week 1 where guys were trying to be that player on every play and not a calculated trigger, so to speak, that you’ve seen the last two weeks progressively get more consistent. On top of that, I think last game was the first game of the season that you couldn’t say the defense didn’t win the game in terms of at the end being on the field against the Chargers to get that last stop and then against the Patriots as well. I see a team that’s getting better collectively and there’s no better example by the tape than the defense and how they’re continuing to get better.”
(I’m doing something on the locker room being a player sanctuary and I want to know, what would be a legitimate reason for you to be in the locker room and how many times have you been in that locker room as the head coach?) – “I try to adhere to my own rule. There’s occasionally when work forces me to communicate with a player that I have to go track somebody down and also I get my haircuts in the locker room, which I see you guys when I’m getting the haircut, you guys sneaking out, getting extra interviews outside of our time framework. (laughter) I got eyes everywhere, guys. (laughter) But no, I try to really adhere to that. It’s a policy that we send out in a full building-wide email and I address in the team meeting at the very beginning of the offseason to remind people that the locker room is the players’ space, that they need a place where they can be at work but not have people outside the locker room looking over their shoulder, meddling with them. So outside of really the players and you guys, no one sees that space. You’re in a select few and should be honored.”
(You don’t like your offensive linemen to wear knee braces. Is that correct? And if so, why?) – “It’s not that I dislike that. I don’t like over the top mandates, which I think are, there’s obviously a time and a place where that that makes sense for us. We target linemen on the offensive and defensive line that are athletic, in general, and we want them to use their athleticism when they play. So we run off the ball. I think if you guys have not had earplugs in at any practice, you’ve heard (Offensive Line Coach) Butch Barry scream ‘run off the ball,’ right? So knee braces, I think it’s not for people that necessitate them; it was more that some of the old-school policies of mandating that, it doesn’t really fit what we’re trying to get them to do. It’s not that I’m against them. I don’t want any knee brace manufacturers coming after me. (laughter) It’s more that I want them for purposeful use.”
(Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra has been a fan of yours pretty much since the beginning. He was out there on Sunday. After the game, I got a chance to talk to him and he said, ‘I love watching Mike’s offensive plans.’ Have you guys talked strategy between the sports at all? I know that’s something that he’s done. He’s talked to football coaches over the years. Have you guys shared anything along those lines or has it just been sort of building a personal friendship?) – “We’ve talked a little bit about the commonalities with which we share kind of different ways to look at the game. Really the biggest commonality that we’ve shared is we are in a business where our job is to motivate and curate and get the best out of the players that we have. It’s a complicated life of the professional athlete, where you have so many people in your ear, so many people making money off of you. To be able to take these highly successful individuals, and make them a team, I think that there’s a shared experience that we’ve really mostly focused on when we’ve talked, because it’s some of the biggest problem solving that you need to really undertake. I use basketball references all the time. I think watching the Heat play gave me all sorts of motivation in the offseason, just by team over everything. What is the saying? The sum is greater than the parts, or whatever? That’s what I see from them, and I think that very much applies to professional football in general, because you always have talented players across the board, but 11 people working together is what generates results. We have a cool relationship. There’s not direct X’s and O’s. I mean, I can’t even explain to you. I can’t help watching basketball and following the ball. I know that to be wrong from a coach’s perspective, because when I watch football, I see all the things moving at once. I’m not just staring at where the ball is going. But I can’t do it in basketball, so I would be very little help. It would just be kind of one-sided. Like, ‘tell me how you do things again.’. We’ve got a more equitable friendship, I would say.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Robbie Chosen. Last week he was elevated up from the practice squad and he was kind of the heavy guy in the base package that you guys have. Is that because of his speed or you just saw a matchup that you liked?) – “Last week gave him an unbelievable opportunity. We had specifically Jaylen (Waddle) down, and he had been training within the offense so well. You’re right, the speed is something that you have to account for and makes it a little more difficult for defenses to just hone-in on Tyreek (Hill), especially when Jaylen’s not out there. Having said that, the reason why he’s on the team, and the reason why he was able to make the play – the big play that he made, but then a ton of plays actually in the run game that he made during the week – is because how he’s taken all of this football acumen, all of his playmaking ability, and he’s really immersed himself within the offense. He is able to execute tasks that seem menial, that are huge, that allows you to be on the field to make plays. I think last week, he had the opportunity. We started rotating him at the beginning of the game and he gave us a reason not to take him out. So then he got a lot of burn. That will always be the case. You’re playing well, and you get to stay in there. I would say it’s playmaking ability is very intriguing to us and one of the reasons why he’s here. But it’s his immersion into the offense that allows him to actually do something with it on Sundays.”
(As you watch film, are there teams that will both shadow Buffalo WR Stefon Diggs and spy on Buffalo QB Josh Allen?) – “Yeah, I mean, people try everything against really good offenses like that. It’s a team defense. Those guys are the focal points of their offense, but it’s not the only parts of their offense. It’s the teams that whatever your plan is, if you’re able to play complementary football, you’re able to be sound in coverage but then get pass rush, you’re able to get pass rush but not completely void pass-rush lanes. There’s no exact formula, no right or wrong way. It’s just you have to be a complete way. Because if you jump out of a gap to try to get greedy and get a sack, he’ll step up and he’ll run off to his right and throw a 75-yard bomb to Diggs down the field. If you catch yourself being lazy on the back end, and you have a sound rush, but then he gets an extra hitch and then Diggs wheels out and you’re made pay. I think it’s more about having a complete defense and doing what you’re good at, but applying it to that specific team, which is what we’re trying to do this week.”
Jaylen Waddle – September 28, 2023
Thursday, September 28, 2023
WR Jaylen Waddle
(On whether he could have played against Denver) – “There was always a chance. They said I had a shot to play. That was always in consideration, but I trust the training staff and coaches to protect me from myself at times. We won.”
(Watching a 70-point game, what’s going through your mind as you’re sitting there on the bench watching?) – “Man, excitement. I think our guys played great, played together, played as one on both sides. All three phases did good. It was good. I’ll feel a lot worse if we didn’t win.”
(Have you had any symptoms of a concussion last week that were bothersome?) – “No, I was good.”
(You feel fine now then obviously.) – “Yeah.”
(How much of you was saying “man this would really be a fun game to play in?”) – “I really didn’t think about it. I was just enjoying the game, enjoying my brothers out there making plays left and right and really just cheering them on.”
(Now that they scored 70 without you, what can they do with you?) – “Shoot, only time will tell, I guess. But 70 is historical. It’s a tribute to the guys that we’ve got that are unspoken heroes that really don’t get too much glory that go out there and play.”
(We heard you were the informant who told people on the sidelines that they were on the verge of getting the record. How did you know?) – “The crowd. They were saying it. I don’t know what they were screaming so I asked someone and they told me 72 or 73 was the record. The crowd was telling me.”
Jevon Holland – September 28, 2023
Thursday, September 28, 2023
S Jevon Holland
(Your thoughts on going up against a team like Buffalo?) – “I’m excited, it’s going to be a fun game. Hostile environment, but that makes the game a lot more fun so I’m excited to play.”
(When you play a quarterback with athleticism and size like Bills QB Josh Allen, what are some of the biggest challenges especially if you’re not using a spy on him?) – “His added ability in the run game. It’s definitely something that people tend to highlight. He’s able to extend plays with his feet, so I think that’s one of the main things that an issue. And then like I said, he’s able to extend plays with his feet, continue to keep his eyes down field, get out of the pocket, scramble drill. They are really all in sync – the receivers and Josh so it makes it a little more difficult for sure.”
(Take us through your mindset when you see a ball carrier, and you see maybe more of the ball exposed more than it ought to be, what’s going through your mind?) – “I just be thinking about the ball for real. When they are running with the rock obviously I’m trying to get to them so I can tackle them, but if the ball flashes, then I try to get my hand in there and punch it out. It’s something that we work on in practice and talk about in meetings a lot.”
(Have you stepped up your eyes on the ball trying to force more turnovers this year more than even before?) – “No, I try to force as many turnovers as possible whenever I get the opportunity to. They just happened to roll my way this time.”
(What do you see from Bills QB Josh Allen in terms of ball security? What do you see on tape?) – “Sometimes he holds the ball out there a little bit, but he’s trying to extend the play, he’s trying to make a play. If the play happens and happens to come to us and a situation happens like that where the ball out or anything like that, we’re going to try to punch it out. If the ball flashes, we’re going to try to knock the ball out, that’s the goal, try to get the ball back.”
(You’re the No. 1 safety on Pro Football Focus, I know at one point you mentioned that you wanted to be feared around the NFL. Now that you’re starting to get that kind of recognition how does that feel?) – “It feels good, but it doesn’t really carry over to next week, so if I’m not performing week in and week out, then it doesn’t even really matter. It does feel good though. My dad is happy. If anybody is happy… my pops. He’s definitely bragging to his homeboys and what not.”
(As a player I know you don’t like PFF, but if you’re No. 1 you got to love that right?) – “Yes, and no. PFF – it is what it is so take it with a grain of salt.”
(Madden rating or PFF, which one is more important?) – “Really the one that’s more important is what ‘Baldy’ (Brian Baldinger) thinks of me. That’s the most important. He’s like the best analyst I’ve come across. I love what ‘Baldy’ says. If I’m in ‘Baldy’s’ breakdowns at the end of the week, then I know I did something right.”
(Do you get a lot of critiques from your dad?) – “Yes and no. My dad played DB at a high level so he taught me everything I know. So yes and no, yes and no.”
(How’s the cookie business?) – “Closed now. It’s over now, but it was good thought while it lasted. It was fun.”
Frank Smith – September 28, 2023
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Thursday, September 28, 2023
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(How do you follow up 70 points? What do you do next?) – “Go back to Wednesday, start the process over again. Whenever you have a game like that where a lot of things go well, (there are) plenty of things to enjoy, but the most important thing we were able to accomplish is to get a win. And then now move on to the next.”
(When Head Coach Mike McDaniel was talking about the feat after the game, he said his mind goes back to April 17th, which is the first day of the offseason workout program. He said his mind goes back to the first day of phase two when you guys were out there on the field. I was curious what was the over-arching message from Mike? I know he said that he played a bunch of the pre-snap penalties to show that we got to get this cleaned up. What do you remember being the message? Because he said, ‘hey, we have the guys to be really special on offense?’) – “Essentially that was it. The greatest opponent you face everyday is yourself. How do you maximize not having to fight that opponent? You’re playing with that opponent. I think everything just goes to how do we want our tape to look, how do we want our play to look. It starts with the basics. I always laugh when he talks about John Wooden back in the day, ‘put your socks on first,’ and then you work the process all the way until you get to your performance. It’s the same thing with football. When you start off your offseason looking to get better, and you identify those areas that are under your control to improve, I think that is the key emphasis to our program. We’re a process driven organization, a process driven program. So to improve, it’s not looking at the result. It’s looking at the process to get there. That’s a constant thing and it starts every year when you start in April. You start your process over. How do you teach it, what do you enforce, how do you communicate it, how do you get your guys to understand the intent? And then the challenge then as you go through the offseason, training camp, preseason, regular season, playoffs, is staying true to what you believe and what you’re emphasizing with the group. I think that’s what he meant with it going back to the beginning because it’s Wednesday and the process begins for the week yesterday.”
(What did TE Julian Hill do well and did he do it well enough to earn more playing time?) – “Yeah, he came in and executed. We needed him to do some things. Obviously in the tight end room, when one is in, one is out. Guys get an opportunity to step up and Julian has been very deliberate in this whole process and the way he’s approached since he’s arrived here. He really has great intent for blocking and shows good route speed and route intent, and just everything we’re looking at. Ultimately though, the first game when you play at that level, there are plenty of things he knows he needs to work at. Collectively, we’re excited for him to grow into this week with what he’s going to work on. Overall, a lot of the things we asked him to do, he did well with blocking and being in the right place at the right time, just like we ask all the other guys to do. Very pleased with what he did so far.”
(One sack through three games, plus some incredible run blocking. What has impressed you about the offensive line?) – “Their approach. I would imagine that – again that goes all the way back to April. So many things that we are doing well so far are things that we have really started from the ground up and are our points of emphasis with the group. I think the biggest thing with them is you’re seeing all the hard work, all the hours, all the extra work they’ve done with (Offensive Line Coach) Butch (Barry) and ‘Lem’ (Assistant Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre), like you’re seeing it payoff. But now it’s the consistency to keep doing it again, doing it again and doing it again until you get the opportunity to keep playing for as long as you can. I would imagine, I would think, that they feel the same way with their approach to everything they are doing. Very detailed, very process oriented.”
(What would you say about OL Ausitn Jackson’s starts this season?) – “When we talked about him through the early parts of the season, it’s just opportunities to develop consistency. With Austin, it’s been great to watch him grow. The only way you can grow and develop is through playing. Again, a guy who is very deliberate through his process and has really worked as hard as anyone to get himself one, back on the field, and two, keep refining what he’s done. Overall with a lot of the guys, you can’t really sit there and be like, ‘hey, it’s this one thing.’ Because it’s not the one thing that will separate the growth. It’s the approach and the way they go about it, and his has been awesome so far. We’re excited for it to continue this week.”
(I know revenge isn’t a main motivating factor for anybody this week, but for the players does it have a healthy place in preparation for this game, revenge for those two losses last year at Buffalo?) – “No. Revenge is a fleeting motivation that disappears early into a game. What your motivating factors are, are having the right guys who have the right process to take them into a game to prepare the right way. I think ultimately for us, this is game four in the season. For us to get to where we want to go in our goals, it’s having the guys that every Wednesday, the reset to work the preparation to get ready for Sunday is the most important thing. I really don’t think that focusing on something – the minute the game starts then that’s energy you’re focusing on something other than what am I going to do, how am I going to play, how am I going to execute at the time that I need to do.”
(I was talking to one of the network analysists the other day, and he talked at length about the role of motions and shifts in your offense, and how it’s helping you get to where you want to go. Especially in terms of getting the receivers open, how big of a role do you think all of that is in just helping the offense move the ball?) – “I think it’s kind of the bedrock to what we do. We start up day one in first installation and we’re moving. Like we’ve talked about numerous times, the real thing is that we don’t move to move. Like some people say, ‘hey that was eye candy,’ or something to that extent. For us, there is a reason for everything we move, and why we do it. The reaction of the defense, if it’s what we anticipate, there is a complementary play that connects off of it. And if it wasn’t a reaction that we anticipated, why? And what do we need to do to get to the reaction we anticipated? Ultimately when you move as much as we do to motion, shift, and do all of that, it comes down to the players and their understanding of what we’re trying to do, and what we’re trying to execute because you can move and get them all open, but if they don’t understand what the defense is doing inside of that, it would be fleeting. You’re just trying to move guys around for the sake of moving them. Ultimately it comes down to, yes it helps us attack the defense, but ultimately I think it comes down to the players, and their understanding of why we’re doing what we’re doing. And that’s been the best part so far.”
(Have you ever been a part of an offense that has this much going on before a snap?) – “Motion and movement wise? No, but obviously through studying Mike (McDaniel) and Kyle (Shanahan) and their years together, obviously, that was an integral part of what they did. And coming here and us collecting and knowing how we both see and attack the defense, movement and shifting made complete sense, because that’s the only way you can sometimes get a true understanding of what they’re trying to do or attack a certain part of their defense.”
(A little bit of a history question as it relates to the, I don’t know what you guys call it, whether it’s exit motion, or inside out motion, but what’s kind of the genesis of that? Because I feel like I personally haven’t seen it until you guys did it. And now I feel I’m seeing with other teams, I talked to somebody who said, ‘Hey, we’re using it a high school level now because we saw it with you guys.’ Do you guys want to take credit for creating it?) – “I mean it’s like everything, a lot of motions come out of necessity, or they come out of just something occurred and you’re like, ‘Hm, I wonder if we did this.’ And I mean, I would say that a lot or all of the motioning that we’ve done, or I know that Mike (McDaniel) and Kyle (Shanahan) have done over the years, has been solving problems or solving attack needs for the defense. And I would think that motion, which is the number one thing that I’m getting texts about lately from all levels, high school all the way up the pros, was a genesis that came from what if we did this? And that’s what occurred.”
(So you guys aren’t taking credit for creating it?) – “I mean, I’ve been a part of it. I don’t know. It’s just one of those things that for me personally, to be the creator and the genesis of something, my humility kicks in. So I try to not put myself in a place where I try to go there because I’m sure someone did something at some point and then we were able to pick it and extract upon how we needed to use it to get the advantages we needed.”
(Just to add a little color to this, you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel are obviously very humble. But can you tell us if there was a specific time you remember meeting with Mike or discussing this particular topic this summer about whether you could add more motions, new motions, more wrinkles? Was it over lunch one day in May? Was it in a meeting room in August? Can you share that if you know that?) – “It was actually a cabana at the Four Seasons at Fort Lauderdale. (laughter) Yeah, it was fantastic. Ayla was running around, I was sitting there going, what if we watch her run? (laughter) See how fast? The waiter had no idea where she was going. (laughter) I mean, honestly, a lot of it just comes into as we separate from when you kind of debrief from the season and you look at, okay, what you did and how do you organize what you did, so you don’t lose a lot of the things you did well. I think a lot of it was probably just the usual place where ideas come up. It’s in his office where I sit on the couch, he sits in his chair, and we go over the litany of things we need to go through in a day. I think a lot of our motioning and stuff like that, the ideas that come into the season, the way you lose track of the good things you did is you don’t constantly evolve your system. And I think the great thing we did is we came back through, took what we did, reorganized our entire installation board to fit our evolution. And that way, we didn’t lose anything that we started upon last year. Now the challenge would be what do we do next? And that’s the fun part.”
(Where do you feel OL Liam Eichenberg is in his development at center?) – “Yeah, he’s doing a great job. I mean, the hardest thing is when you get thrust into new situations, how do you handle it? And the great thing about Liam is how he’s wired and how he approaches everything. So far, he’s really working through the process, and he’s been a true pro in everything he does. So he’s one of those guys that again, with the offensive line, love their whole approach because everything they do is so focused on getting better in that moment. So it’ll be fun process for all the guys in preparation for this game.”
(About him, what was it that you saw from OL Liam Eichenberg that made you guys say in the spring, other than necessity, because OL Connor Williams skip OTAs, ‘Hey, let’s try him out at center. Let’s see what his snapping is like.’) – “Like the motion, necessity sometimes is the mother of invention. So at that point, we didn’t have – Dan Feeney was also out. We had nobody else. So I mean, I think at that point, I think we only had one center on the roster. The great thing was, it was kind of like, alright, you couple guys get into it. And then he was the one that it made a lot of sense to quickly, because as you move from outside-in, the world changes. Same thing from a wide receiver you move into tight end, the world changes as you bring people closer in. So it made sense to him. He’s a natural communicator. He’s very process driven. And that’s where kind of the mother of it started. And then he just grew from there.”
(In a league where sub packages and matchups are all the rage, the Buffalo defense stays in nickel almost exclusively. How are they able to do that?) – “Through a very detailed understanding of their system. They are excellent at communication, they’re excellent at working with each other. Very good football players who play very, very well together as a unit. So, I think when you have 11 guys on the field who communicate and can execute and know their system so well, it really doesn’t matter what personnel group they’re in because you can execute together when you can communicate and play off each other so well.”
Vic Fangio – September 28, 2023
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Thursday, September 28, 2023
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(There’s a lot of talk with your scheme about how the framework of it deters deep passing. But I was curious how you see it also helping in matchups against mobile quarterbacks like you’re going to face with Bills QB Josh Allen this weekend?) – “Yeah, he’s a handful to play against. I don’t think there’s any one way to play him. That’s kind of the definition of a great quarterback. There is no one way to play him or everybody would do it. And he’s tough to handle and you always got to defend two plays – the play they call in the huddle and the play he can create on the run. And they utilize the RPO game too which he’s good at. So he’s a tough assignment.”
(You made changes in the nickel and dime with CB Eli Apple. How did CB Justin Bethel and CB Parry Nickerson do last week?) – “They did okay. I think it’s the first time that Justin’s had to play full time, and Parry got some snaps from when we went to six DBs. And then late in the game, when it was out of hand, he got to play some corner. And I think they both did a good job.”
(Are those changes, without giving away strategy, are those changes fairly permanent? Or is that up for grabs this week?) – “Nothing’s permanent in the NFL. (laughter) Not for long, right?” (laughter)
(Regarding S Jevon Holland, it seems like he does so much that maybe we don’t get to see from a casual observer standpoint. I’m just curious to hear the impact he has no difference from your perspective.) – “He has a tremendous impact. We utilize his abilities a lot. And as you alluded to, some of it’s not very visible to the average person. He’s just a tremendous player. He has a chance to be a special, special player in the NFL.”
(CB Cam Smith was inactive. Where does he stand right now?) – “Cam has been getting better in practice. We’ve been giving him more reps. When you come down to your last couple DBs, special teams plays a part in that. Versatility plays a part in that. We only had three real safeties dressed last week, so we have to have an emergency fourth. So everything plays into that. But I think Cam’s progressing.”
(As a matter of general philosophy, where do you stand on the idea of having a cornerback shadow a wide receiver?) – “It’s doable and I’ve done it a lot in my career. And then a lot of times, I haven’t. I don’t think with our team right now it’s something that we would do. But it could be down the line.”
(Did S Brandon Jones’ play make you all re-think about how you want to allocate safety snaps with him in and S DeShon Elliott?) – “Yeah, it was good to finally get him some action. He’s had very limited practice. He had very, very limited reps in training camp. Didn’t play in any preseason games. We’ve been getting him more reps in practice and hopefully we’re seeing the progress that allows him to play.”
(As it relates to building your game plan for the Bills offense, I was wondering if you looked back at any of the film from the three matchups last season? Or are you just focusing on what the Bills have shown this year so far?) – “Yeah, we didn’t really look too much back at the three games last year. Didn’t feel they had a lot of relevance to us.”
(What do you think Bills WR Stefon Diggs does best?) – “Get open and catch the ball. He’s one of the top receivers in the league. The quarterback has good (chemistry) with him. He’s heavily targeted. He’s a top-level receiver in this league and that’s one of the reasons their offense is scoring at a high pace. He’s a good player.”
(You’re deep at inside linebacker, but if you find yourself in a spot where you have to use LB Channing Tindall, what’s the skill that you think could help you that he has?) – “Well, he has good athletic ability. He’s been contributing in the special teams area and improving on defense.”
(I know it’s kind of offbeat, but in watching the offense put up 70 points last Sunday, have you seen anything close to that in your years?) – “No. I think that’s an anomaly. You just don’t see that very often in the NFL. And games can turn. We went for it on fourth down there in our own territory. Didn’t get it. It’s 21 to 10. They should come away with at least the field goal to make it 21 to 13 or score a touchdown and we ended up making them punt. With the final score what it was, it’s hard to say that was a big series, but it really was. Maybe that game doesn’t get out of hand like it did. And then it just steamrolled. Plus, there were two short fields. We gave the offense the ball on the two, I think, and the eight, and it just rolled.”
(CB Kader Kohou had been primarily nickel in the first couple of games and then played wide corner a lot in this last game. Obviously, he can do both, but how do you think he looks as a wide corner?) – “Good. I thought he played well this past week. I think he plays well.”
(I could be wrong, but I think the last time you coached against a Josh Allen team was back in 2020. Anything stand out from that game? I know Josh Allen had a pretty good day that day.) – “Yeah, he’s had a lot of good days in his career, and we were victims of one then. He’s a really good player. He’s one of the few quarterbacks in the league that can put a team on his back and carry it with his arm and his legs. He’s a tough guy to stop.”
(Is there anything you’re telling your guys or need to tell you guys about tackling a quarterback that big?) – “Yeah, he’s not your ‘Average Joe’ quarterback. With his movement and his size and his strength and his courageousness, he’s tough. He’s really good.”
(You mentioned that you didn’t look at the games last year. The Bills have kind of changed their offense to more 12 personnel with two really electric tight ends. How does that challenge your defense when you have two tight ends that can stretch the field like they can?) – “Yeah, it gives them a lot of versatility. They can, as you say, it’s a 12-offense, but they can run an 11-offense with those people on the field and they do that. So it gives them versatility – you never know quite what mode they’re in. Anytime you have versatile players, offensively or defensively, it’s a plus, and they have that.”
(Two questions here and they’re related. How has the defense played this year in a three-game sample? And if you haven’t taken that sample yet, at what point do you do it? Like at the four-game mark or the eight-game mark? When do you look overall and see how your defense has played?) – “It’s a game-by-game operation. We obviously didn’t play well in the first game. We did some good things, though, to help us win the game. The last two games have been better. We’re progressing. I don’t think you’re – you never get a final report card. You’re just constantly – every week is a test and a final exam. We’ve got to pass it.”
(I just wanted your general thoughts on LB Jerome Baker in your defense?) – “’Bake’ (Jerome Baker) takes the signals for us. He kind of quarterbacks the defense, and he’s been playing pretty damn good. I’d like to see more out of him. I think there’s more there than we’ve been getting, and hopefully we’ll get that.”
(I wanted to get your perspective on having a cornerback shadow an elite receiver. Based on what I know, it’s not something that you’ve done on a consistent basis. I wanted to get your thoughts on why that’s not necessary?) – “We’ve done it in the past, and when I say ‘we’ meaning me at different places. It has to be warranted. You have to have the guy that can do it, and you have to have a guy that’s comfortable doing it. There are some corners that really only like to play one side and they’re only comfortable on one side, and they don’t like constantly having to flip. So that’s one reason why you wouldn’t, but I’ve been involved where we’ve done it a lot. Some years, we don’t do it at all. Some years, we do it a good bit.”
(So it comes down to the cornerback and his comfort?) – “It comes down to both corners, because both corners have to flip. Some guys just don’t like flipping. They want to stay on their side, they want to stay in their home. There are other guys where it doesn’t matter, they don’t care.”
(I know it’s tough to make extreme statements, but have you ever seen an offense that puts as much pressure on a defense as your offense?) – “Well, they certainly have had it going here in two of the first three games for sure. Obviously, they’ve got a lot of speed, and we have a good mix of run (and) pass. They’re a tough assignment.”
(What’s it, the Rams that was “The Greatest Show on Turf?” Did that offense put as much pressure on a defense as this offense?) – “They were really good. I was the victim of one of those, and they were really good. I don’t think we should go there yet after three games. We’ll see how we do on the road against a good defense this week.”
Danny Crossman – September 28, 2023
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Thursday, September 28, 2023
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(The kick return touchdown that occurred, what happened on that?) – “Multiple things. It was late in the game and we’re trying to get some different people in and had some different people in some different spots. Besides that, we had two guys not where they’re supposed to be on a fit and a little poor backside pursuit. When you do that, bad things are going to happen.”
(Was that a deal where you guys wanted to have a kick return cover and put it inside the 10? Or was that a deal where it just didn’t go through the end zone?) – “Well, it wasn’t the ideal kick. I’ll put it that way. We had a couple of them that weren’t exactly what we’re trying to do. But again, positively we kicked off a lot. Negatively, you’re not going to get what you want on every single kickoff when you kick off that many times.”
(So there might be times where instead of kicking it through the end zone, you, for some strategic reason, will try to place it within the 10 or five?) – “Yeah, without question.”
(When you use P Jake Bailey, is that just to kind of give K Jason Sanders a break, because obviously he had at least 10 kickoffs, right?) – “That, again, is a combination of a couple things of being able to use our resources as best we can. (We have) two guys that we think are good kickoff guys that can do a lot of things.”
(On that touchdown return by Denver WR Marvin Mims Jr., LB Cam Goode missed a tackle. But beyond that, how has he played on special teams for your in the three games?) – “Playing well. He did a good job. You say, ‘missed tackle,’ but he wasn’t the breakdown of that play. We’re happy with where Cam is but like all these young guys, they still have a long way to go.”
(Is he a guy that you’ll need week to week on the roster?) – “Well, we’ll see. The roster and the management of the roster and game day stuff, it’s constantly changing. It’s an ebb and flow, but he’s a guy that we feel good about, if he’s got a uniform, of contributing for us.”
(On a different note, on that play in a close game, is that a fair catch by Denver and you get it at the 25, do you think?) – “I have no idea.”
(But overall, has that kind of been the trend, do you know? Or is there enough evidence to develop a trend?) – “There’s not enough. Every team is different. Every coach is different. Every player. Who you’re playing. There’s so many things that go into it. I think it’ll be a couple more, probably another month or so before you really have a good feel on what’s going on around the league.”
(Does making all 10 extra points do something good for K Jason Sanders? I know you say he’s always confident, but what do you think about him making all 10 extra points?) – “I think we’ve all done a lot of things in our lives and to be 10 out of 10 on anything is pretty good. Especially with the new rules, when you’re looking at 10 out of 10 33-yard field goals, that’s a good day. So again, one of the things that we like about Jason he’s very stay the course, things don’t rattle him. But like anything else, success is a great breeder for positive things going forward, I believe.”
(We’ve heard Head Coach Mike McDaniel mention coming off the bench in games and the challenges of going from cold to up and moving around right away. Obviously, a good problem to have, but is that kind of similar for punt team, where you never use the punt team until like once or twice a game and you kind of have to come off the bench cold in that regard?) – “A lot of it has to do with the different players and different spots of where they are. Obviously, anytime we get possession of the football, Jake’s up and starting to hit some footballs. So that’s a constant. You have some players that are contributing on offense and defense that are constantly working. You have other guys maybe not playing as much on offense and defense. You can get into those lulls where yeah, maybe they are sitting on the sideline for an extended period of time. But more than anything, it’s mental. You’ve got to keep yourself in the game mentally because that’s where the breakdowns happen.”
(On the kickoffs, because there are so few, what do you tell the guys about, in your own words – because I would say, ‘hey, guys, don’t assume there’s not going to be a return on this.’ Is it human nature to maybe kind of, ‘hey, we just had nine in a row go through the end zone?’ You know what I mean?) – “You cover every one like it’s going to be returned and that’s the only way you can do it. You can’t control what they do. They may want to bring it back from nine yards deep. You can’t control that, so you better assume everything is going to be played and then you deal with it. It’s why it’s so important to practice because if (there are) opportunities both in return and the kickoff game. You better be really good in practice because you don’t know when those opportunities are going to come. So practice becomes, to me, even more relevant.”
Tyreek Hill – September 27, 2023
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(Can you see the impact the motion, in particular the motion at the snap, has on the defense?) – “Oh yeah, I can. Most definitely. It definitely allows us to catch the defense off guard in many ways. I wish I could sit here and explain it to y’all, but it’s a lot. But yeah, it definitely gives us an advantage, especially for me being a smaller guy. Corners aren’t able to jam me at the line of scrimmage so I’m able to use my speed and run routes so we all love that.”
(Obviously you were doing some of it last year, but it seems like the evolution this year especially how the short motion and maybe the in and out – can you maybe give me an insight of what that evolution has meant to the offense?) – “It’s just coaches giving me the freedom to just play with the offense a little bit and I’m just having fun with it. And each and every day at practice, I’m just enjoying it, finding small nuances where I can get better and I’m loving it each and every day.”
(How much more are you seeing the game maybe as a coach now that you see all this motion and all that type of stuff?) – “Now the game has slowed down for me so much that it’s crazy. I’m able to notice coverages, I’m able to know what the defender is going to do before he even does it and that helps me out a lot and I sometimes find myself yelling out the coverage for Tua (Tagovailoa) whenever I’m on the field. So if he doesn’t see something, I’m going to see it so it helps me out, it helps out the other guys on the field and it’s definitely a huge advantage for us.”
(I know you guys have your tracking devices and it tells you the speed and all that after a practice and game. Do you ever go on the Next Gen Stats to see how the other players around the league…?) – “No, I don’t get into that because when you know you’re the fastest, there ain’t no reason to get into that, right? (laughter)”
(How impressed were you with RB De’Von Achane? Four touchdowns, just to come out like that and have his NFL coming out party in that fashion?) – “That’s crazy, for him to be able to come out first game of the year for him and to win (AFC Offensive Player) of the Week is crazy, so shoutout to him. I know he’s going to continue to improve and get better each and every week so the sky’s the limit for him.”
(Do you think speed wears down defenders throughout the course of the game?) – “Oh, for sure. For sure. Teams can’t play man to man on us all game because – just like when I was asked earlier about the motion, it wears down defenders. For a guy like me, I feel like I can run all day. Unlike a guy who is six-foot-and-up, not used to running a lot. I can run all day basically.”
(A good buddy of yours in Kansas City has caused some stir in the air with his dating relationship. I’m curious if you have any thoughts on TE Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift?) – “No comment on that. But shoutout to my boy Kelce though man. Keep balling. I love you. I miss you and that’s all I got to say, man.”
(You’ve been on championship teams. Teams that have had to take steps one step at a time to get where you want to go, and show that your championship caliber. Where do you see this Sunday’s game in regard to where this team wants to go?) – “To us, we take it week by week. We’re looking at this game like any other week. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. We’re going to practice the same way we’ve been practicing the past weeks, and we’re going to go out there and play our hearts out and try to come back to Miami with a W.”
(Do you have a preference with how to pronounce RB De’Von Achane’s name?) – “Nah, I don’t get into the pronunciation of anybody’s name because I found myself saying (Travis) Kelce’s name wrong for the past seven years. It’s not Kel-see, it’s Kels. I don’t get into that anymore.”
(One other thing on the motion other than the fact that you raised about not being jammed at the line of scrimmage, how much do you think running starts help receivers in motion when you’re running as the ball is snapped?) – “It’s kind of hard. It’s kind of a pro and a con. Like I said, it allows taller DBs not to get hands on us, but at the same time it’s like, man ‘how do I run this route at full speed, already moving at full speed and break down and get out of it?’ There are advantages, and disadvantages, but it’s all about wanting to do it and help this team get better. I’m good at it. I’ve been doing this my whole life – motioning like that, playing around with motions like that. I feel like I’ve learned from some of the best when I was back at KC when I was watching (Travis) Kelce motion. I’ve had time to watch and learn and know how to do certain things in this league. Now I’m teaching the young guys how to do it.”
(Did you get flak from your teammates about your post-career aspirations?) – “Oh, yeah. A lot of my teammates are hating on me right now. But I was joking. I was definitely joking. It’s something I don’t want to do. I was just joking. I was playing a game with a good friend of mine, Mike Evans. I don’t want to do anything like that.”
Tua Tagovailoa – September 27, 2023
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Wednesday, September 27, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(There’s a lot of talk about this offense. Obviously, you put up 70 points and all the feats you guys achieved. There’s a lot of comparisons to historical offenses. I was curious in your experience playing football, what are the one or two things that makes this this iteration of this offense so unique? Is it the speed? Is it the personnel? Is it scheme? What do you see that really distinguishes this group?) – “I think what distinguishes the group that we have is all of what you said – the speed, the timing in which we play, the pre-snap motions, the scheme that (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) sets up for us, how we play, we go out, we play fast. And then the communication things that we wanted to work on this offseason. It’s an accumulation of a lot of things. But I think all of those things have to play a role in this offense. If not, the offense doesn’t go.”
(How much is the balance now that you guys can be effective and efficient running the ball, how much does that benefit the offense and benefit you?) – “It benefits all of us. It doesn’t just benefit one specific person. It benefits us in the run game when we can pass and it does so vice versa when we can run the ball to pass it. Defenses are getting the same looks (with) different things happening. Sometimes towards the edges, the view for the ‘backers, the second level guys. Guys are looking at me, guys are having to focus on these fast guys that we have. It benefits all of us.”
(The last time the team made a trip to Buffalo, you didn’t get to play in that game, that playoff game. How much did that bite at you then and how much do you still think about it now?) – “Yeah, it’s tough. It’s tough not being able to go out there and help our guys and help the team win. But last year is last year. We’re focused on this year, finding ways that we can win against this team. It’s a good team.”
(I know you said you’re focused on this game, but did you watch the playoff game? What was that kind of like?) – “Yeah, I couldn’t help but watch it and be a fan. I knew the game plan that we went into the game with. I had the pages of things that they’ve worked on. And so I was able to be a fan, but also kind of get a gist of the plays that they were going to run as well. But it’s always tough for any competitor to have to sit and watch their team go out there and play.”
(You mentioned pre-snap motions a minute ago. And obviously leading into the training camp and the regular season, pre-snap penalties were a big topic of discussion and you guys have done really well in that regard. So how have you been able to mix in all of the pre-snap motion and still stay away from pre snap penalties?) – “Like I said, that’s something that we’ve been working on this entire offseason, starting in OTAs. We’ve had our goals of what we wanted to achieve this offseason as an offense and how we wanted to operate, and that was one of the biggest ones. So it’s no surprise to me. It’s no surprise to our guys on the offensive side of the ball. And we’re continuing to work. It’s not something that’s perfect. That’s why you have practice and you got to continue to rep it.”
(You get the ball out very fast. We know this. I’m sure some of its schematic, but for you, has being able to process a play and get the ball out always been easy? Is that kind of a learned skill?) – “I would say in this league, nothing’s easy. I would say some of that has been instincts that have been elevated as I got to the league, but it’s not something that I would say has been easy. It’s just something that you got to continue to rep and do especially with the guys that we have. If you’re out of sync and you’re not on time with those guys, you miss your opportunity right there.”
(You guys started off 3-0 last year hot as well. What, if anything, feels different this go around?) – “Well, to think back to 3-0 last year and think of 3-0 this year, I couldn’t tell you the feeling that I felt like last year. I don’t think anyone around the league cares who’s 3-0 or who’s 4-0, who’s 0-3. I mean, there’s a lot of football left to be played and that’s how we’re looking at this as a team. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the Bills and their coaching staff, things that they can do in all three phases of the game. But we’re excited for that challenge. We’re excited to go back up there and play those guys.”
(How important was it for you last year to get over the hump? I mean, the Bills had won a bunch of games in a row against the Dolphins. To get over that hump and show in all three games that you guys are right there with them.) – “Yeah, well, you got to be consistent. And that’s the thing, we try to be consistent in the things that we do. I would say getting over the hump for any of us in the locker room, it’s not even close to the standard. You get over the hump, and that’s it. You can’t beat them anymore. That’s not what we are here (for) or that’s not what we all came here to do. We try to be consistent with that. And like I said, in regards to their team, they got a really good team. And we’re really excited to play against them.”
(Whether it’s personally or as a team, do you remember the last time you had this much fun playing football?) – “It was probably in college, probably in college. It’s hard in this league to do good things because guys on the other side are really good as well. They study and they’re really good. But it’s been a lot of fun, that’s for sure this year.”
(What is it about this group of guys that makes it that way?) – “I think the work ethic for everyone. The work ethic from OTAs, the offseason, training camp, guys put a lot of work into it. And I would say everyone’s reaping the benefit of it right now.”
(From afar, it seems like you have a pretty good relationship with QB Josh Allen. Can you kind of elaborate on that at all?) – “Yeah, I’ve talked to Josh a couple of times. I mean, he’s a great guy. Josh is huge. Josh is big. But yeah, he has a strong arm. He solidified himself in the league pretty early on in his career. I got a lot of respect for the way he plays the game and how he operates with those guys on that side of the ball. But yeah, I got a lot of respect for Josh.”
(This is S Micah Hyde and S Jordan Poyer’s seventh year playing together in the back end of that defense. How do you think that experience together helps them disguise coverage and makes things tough on you guys?) – “Yeah, it helps them all. The communication that they have in the back end. There’s some things on the fly that they don’t need to communicate that they’ve been playing that position and they’ve been playing this defense for so long that they understand the defense inside and out. And I think what helps them a lot is Taron Johnson. Me personally, I think he helps that defense go as well with them being able to stay in nickel defense to any personnel. I mean he’s a player. And he helps that defense go too. But they show you what they’re going to run. They line up in their deal and they’re basically telling you like, ‘Let’s play football here.’ And you know what they’re going to do. Sometimes you don’t know what they’re going to do. But for the most part, they just play sound defense.”
(We talked a little bit earlier about the motion. That inside out short motion that WR Tyreek Hill does where he’s going at the snap, where he’s already moving, can you maybe take me through the timing element and how do you practice that? Because it seems like you have to be perfect when he’s going forward so that they don’t call a flag on that.) – “Yeah, there’s a lot of motions that we have. There’s a lot of things that go into our motion timing. There’s some motion snap points that we say snap here for certain plays, and then some we say snap here for other plays. There’s just a lot. I couldn’t say that we have a set snap point for basically all of them. Some of them are different and could be called the same, just dependent on the play.”
(It seems like there are different ways you can approach a game like Sunday. You could say it’s one out of 17. Or you could say, ‘Hey, that’s a team that’s won the division three years in a row. A team we have to get through to get to where we want to go.’ What’s your approach to this?) – “Oh, we got to beat these guys. That’s how I see it. I don’t think there’s any other way to look at it. We got to beat these guys. They’re the next team up and that’s how I think all our guys see it. We’re not worried about anyone else right now this week, except for the Bills.”
(How hostile is it playing in Orchard Park when you’re there and how much does that add to the motivation to shut them up?) – “Yeah, it’s very hostile. It’s very hostile. Those guys, you hear a lot of things. When I was able to play there and it was snowing, I mean, guys were throwing some packed snowballs. (laughter) Those things hurt. To me, being able to go on the road in an environment like that, it’s always fun. It’s always fun. When you’re a little kid and you’re able to play against a really good team and you see their fans and how they are, it’s always fun to go over there and be able to come out with a win.”
(We’ve seen the highlight plenty of times this week of your no-look pass to RB De’Von Achane. How much and how far do you practice throwing with your off, right hand?) – “I don’t really practice throwing with my right hand. I never thought of it as throwing with my right hand for a touchdown pass for those two shovels. But it’s what it was, so that was cool. Two left and two right. Has it ever been done in the NFL? (laughter)”
(Can you throw a baseball left-handed too?) – “Yeah, I throw a baseball with my left hand. Shoot a basketball.”
(So everything athletically is left-handed?) – “Except for batting. I kick with my right. I don’t know if I’m a real lefty or a fake lefty, real righty. I don’t know. I write with my right. I mean, I don’t know. You guys tell me.” (laughter)
