Mike McDaniel – November 3, 2024 (Postgame)
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Postgame – Buffalo Bills
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Can you offer your perspective on the late situation, the 61-yard field goal?) – “I was prepared for – if it was a miss, getting prepared for the play call; we would have had it on I believe the 49-yard line. So I was getting ready for that, so it kind of caught me by surprised just because you’re focused on the next play. Valiant effort, great job by the Buffalo Bills. Tough place to play, you’ve got to be error free and we had some errors.”
(On the penalty call there on S Jordan Poyer, I feel like he did all he could do. What can a defensive back do nowadays?) – “It takes it out of everyone’s hands when you go helmet to helmet. I didn’t see it live, but if there’s helmet to helmet contact, it is what it is. You have to go strike zone, which is below the neck. They’ll call that every time if that’s the case. We’ll see it on film.”
(Your team battled all day long, probably the best game you guys have played. How tough is it to walk off that field seeing some guy pop a 61-yard field goal to end the ball game?) – “It’s tough. Football is full of stuff like that, especially when you’re playing a good opponent. I think the team recognizes that they played a better brand of football, so the challenge is whether or not that helps or hurts you, and I really believe in all the guys in the locker room to make sure that although it’s difficult, you have to take it for what it is, apply the growth toward the next opponent. I think that’s the expectation and that’s what we’ll be talking about here soon. Yeah, it’s a tough division loss, one that guys strained to try to get, but in this place, if you turn the ball over, which we had one, they have a very high percentage of winning and it was tough to overcome that.”
(You still have a lot of games to play. How does a game like this give your team confidence moving forward and try to get a streak going and get yourself back into this thing?) – “You try to simplify that to one game, and you have one game on your schedule and nothing else. I think it’s important that in all seasons, people avoid the noise, whether that’s good or bad noise, and this is definitely the case where we have to use the effort and utilize the challenge of coming back after losing on last-second field goals two weeks in a row. Yeah, it’s not ideal; at the same time, I think from competitors standpoint, that type of challenge is something that I’m going to be counting on that will motivate our guys to press forward in a difficult time.”
(Nine different players touched the ball today. That kind of balance, was that a focal point for you guys coming in or just kind of a product of how Buffalo was playing defense?) – “As we’ve grown together as an offensive unit, finding conviction in things that guys do well, then you’re looking at an opponent that loves to double 10 (Tyreek Hill) and 17 (Jaylen Waddle). I’ve used the basketball analogy before; you can either try to split the double or you can get an assist. There was a lot of guys involved by intention, and I thought Tua played one of his best games since we’ve been working together on finding those eligibles and taking what the defense was giving them, and that was a lot of double 10 and 17 for a good amount of the game.”
(Talking about QB Tua Tagovailoa, with this game, it kind of opened up your whole offense today. We saw you do a lot of different things, lot of different play calls, some misdirection plays, a lot of successful running, short pass, long pass, it’s got everything opened up. That’s got to give you some hope moving forward with this offense to continue to grow?) –
“Well, I think you’re absolutely right. There’s no moral victories. We lost as a team, and you want all three phases to look at it like they could have been the reason that we won. But there is growth and you do make sure you emphasize that, because you want that to continue. You don’t want it to take a step back. I was very happy with the challenge presented, that Buffalo presents defensively. I was very happy with Tua’s decision making, his ball placement and his overall conviction, and I thought nobody on the sidelines throughout the entire game really wavered and that was important, too, considering that we really had a lot to play for and guys wanted this one bad. So this will hurt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing in the big picture. It just depends on what you do with it. I think the guys are motivated. Didn’t see it coming down like this, but at the same time, you have to hunker down as a unit and come together and continue to progress, because we did show some progress, albeit not enough.”
(On the decision to kick the extra point on the final touchdown drive) – “It was all based upon the clock and how much time we were going to leave them. I think on a second-and-10, Tua progressed to number five in the progression which was De’Von Achane, and he got an explosive as a result and that kind of changed the math. But we were prepared to go for two in a certain time situation, just felt like there was too much time left.”
(What is your take on what DT Calais Campbell called an aggressive penalty there on S Jordan Poyer on third down at the end of the game?) – “You have to play aggressive in this game for success. I have no doubt that the intentionality was appropriate. ‘Po’ (Jordan Poyer) is a gigantic player for our team and has been phenomenal, really helping us take another step in how we prepare, how we play, how we communicate, all that. But he knows himself that you take it out of your hands and put it in the officials hands the second you don’t hit the strike zone. So if you hit the strike zone, it’s unfortunate, but if you didn’t, that’s going to get called every time because that’s against the rules.”
(What was going on with WR Jaylen Waddle on the sideline at the end when you he got hurt and was able to go back in?) – “He had, I don’t really know, I believe it was a kick but they had to bandage some stuff on his shin. And then when you are down, you have to come out for one play. He was ready to go back in, but based upon rules, we had a way to play before he did.”
(RB Raheem Mostert seems like he’s had a recent run of fumbles a little bit. What did you see was his reaction as he lost the fumble today?) – “I thought he was running really well. We talk about it all the time, but defenders from pursuit, the guys you can’t see, are what you’re most vulnerable to, and he’s got to fix that. I appreciate his effort; I thought he ran as hard as he’s ran all season and I thought it was a big part of our success, but we can’t turn the ball over, especially to that team, and expect to win the football game.”
(You made a defensive lineup change – LB Anthony Walker Jr. going in for LB David Long Jr. What was Anthony Walker showing and what was David Long showing also?) – “I think it was more about ‘Walk’ (Anthony Walker Jr.) than anything else. We needed to get him on the field a little bit more, and it’s something that we collectively thought gave us the best chance to win against this particular opponent, which is the compass for all decisions made on all playing time is from the team perspective. I thought before watching the tape, it seemed like he added some value to the whole defense, but we’ll check out his play when I comb the tape here coming on the flight.”
Jalen Ramsey – November 1, 2024
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Friday, November 1, 2024
CB Jalen Ramsey
(What gives you hope that things can be turned around?) – “I mean you just look around the locker room. You see the guys that we have and then when you actually watch the film and watch what we’ve done, there is some good to take from some things that we’ve done and then also there is plenty of lessons that we have to learn throughout these games that we’ve lost and won, honestly. But man, we grind during the week, we really prepare. We try to self-correct a lot of things, we put that pressure on each other. We hold each other to a high standard, and we just got to keep going. We’re still in the race, it ain’t like we can’t correct what’s going on. So I hope everybody else thinks the same way as me, but I keep hope until I can’t keep hope no more until the reality is that I can’t have hope anymore. So that’s just how I’m wired, and I feel like we got a good group of guys who are wired like that as well in here. So that’s it, we just got to keep going, keep pushing.”
(I’m sure Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver would like to clone you to be able to use you as a rusher and in coverage on the same play, but have you enjoyed the rushing chance you’ve had there? There’s been about 10 over the last weeks, is that something that you enjoy?) – “Yeah, it’s been cool. I got to capitalize on my rushes a little bit, been a little sloppy in my rushes and my technique and things but I’m going to get that right, that ain’t no issue. But yeah, I like being able to do whatever the defense calls for me to do, it’s fun.”
(How much different do they look on film from Week 2 now they’ve got WR Amari Cooper out there?) – “Yeah, he brings another dynamic, obviously. Good receiver, been in the league for a while, been successful in the league for a while. They’ve all kind of gotten better. Keon (Coleman) has gotten better since the first meeting we had, they’re still in their groove. They’re a good team, obviously, we know that. They play tough, all the stuff y’all already know.”
Mike McDaniel – November 1, 2024
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Friday, November 1, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Could you please give us just a little clarity on DT Zach Sieler? Obviously we haven’t seen him this week in practice. Have doctors advised that he not play this week and give it some rest? And if that’s not the case, could he play with a visor this weekend?) – “No, I think he’s been very diligent in trying to find really all the opinions available, him and our medical staff. I have a feeling today – I would anticipate that we would rule him out later today. If we don’t, I never said that, but I think it doesn’t look likely based upon where the recovery was at. Like I told you, it’s pretty close. He will wear a visor upon return, but I’m pessimistic for sure about it and have planned accordingly.”
(Is it a question of being able to perform at his level or more a question of endangering further damage to the eye?) – “For (Zach) Sieler, I think it would be a lot easier if it was just a question of performance because of his will, but what you’re worried about is further injuring and hurting – you need to be able to see and you don’t want to do anything to your eyes if you can prevent it. If it was just performance-based, I think he would probably be out there regardless, but you have to prevent him from further injury and that’s where the motive is.”
(Did FB Alec Ingold get injured in practice and where does his status for Sunday stand?) – “Alec (Ingold) had – it was something that kind of just came on our radar that he hadn’t really needed treatment for. It’s kind of a soft tissue thing that I think he’ll be available for the game, but we’ve had to be pretty cautious and so we’re going to need the 48 hours to validate. But it was something that he did start to feel on Wednesday’s practice and as a result we’ve had to kind of adjust a little bit just in case we don’t have him.”
(Now with WR Tyreek Hill I guess he resurfaced on the injury report with a foot yesterday. Like last week, do you expect he’ll be able to play through it again like he did against Arizona?) – “We’re trying to manage that. I feel good about the game and him playing in it, but want him full-tilt. He’s executing at a high level and so that was what generated that.”
(And how about S Jevón Holland?) – “I feel a little pessimistic about that, too. Him and (Zach) Sieler, I’m preparing myself to be ruled out with just a couple hours before that could change that, but it’s pessimistic.”
(Do you expect to see WR River Cracraft Sunday or do you think he’ll give that 21-day clock more time into next week?) – “I’m leaning more to be cautious with the timeline and the advice of the medical team. I’m leaning more towards next week, but we’ll be communicative about that and make the decision here soon.”
(And with TE Julian Hill obviously not practicing the last two days, usually guys who don’t, don’t end up playing. Where does he stand?) – “He’ll be out for the game.”
(I’m talking to players, and one thing that they’ve told me with WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle is that teams have been more aggressive at the line of scrimmage with them throwing off the timing of the pass game. How do you combat that?) – “Through technique and fundamentals. I think it’s been something that hasn’t been just this week. It’s something that you’re trying to patternize how the things that come up for players in executing their jobs and one thing is that teams have really tried to challenge us, so we’ve in turn challenged them to take their game to another level at the line of scrimmage. And that’s not something that you just show up on Sunday and just do, it’s something that they’ve been working starting with their first drill every day incessantly and I think the dividends have started to pay off both in games and in practice. So that’s something that when you go against a division opponent, you know things that will come up, one of which is that they will challenge us at the line of scrimmage and so the guys starting with the coaching staff but then facilitating different times to emphasize that, making sure that we get the appropriate looks from the scout team. All of those things and then obviously the individuals really honing in on focusing on that portion of the game, and I’m excited about the way they’ve developed in that area. I think that’s very critical for the team in terms of, specifically the pass game, being able to execute against these guys is how you’re able to work the defender at the line of scrimmage and it doesn’t have to be a negative when someone has to defend the goal line and their back is to it. If you’re aggressive enough, you can kind of dictate the terms and that’s where our tonality has been.”
(With CB Kader Kohou, hasn’t practiced. Is he out and also was there thought for you and General Manger Chris Grier to put him on injured reserve since this would be two of four games or when do you expect Kohou back, in the next week?) – “We haven’t felt it was a situation where it merited some IR; it’s not a long-term thing. It has lingered a little bit and we’re just trying to let it cool off so that he can play to his full potential. It’s not a week-to-week thing. It’s more daily and we’re trying to get him out there as fast as possible.”
(Out Sunday?) – “Yeah, I’m thinking that. That’s the way it looks, but that was a close call which is why he wasn’t IR.”
(When you have a team that’s familiar as Buffalo, but also some of the past results, how do you want your team to approach this week with that particular opponent?) – “I think it’s important to learn lessons, not have scars, just in general. The starting point to me is flip it on its head. All right, so we’re facing an opponent where we have the inverse relationship with, where we play a ton against them and we won every time, what does that leave you vulnerable to? Well if you’re relying on the past for your expectation and performance for this, you’re setting yourself up to fail. I think it’s important to acknowledge that we’re trying to be the team that is, at the end of the season, the team that wins the AFC East. To do that, you have to go through Buffalo based upon history. I think it’s also important to express that – I’ve been here for six games against them, I think. Four out of six were one-score games, two of them got out of hand. So what does that mean to us? You have to be prepared for a one-score game and how do you win it? Well, we can learn from things that have occurred in previous experiences, but that doesn’t define us because who cares, what if we won all of those games? It doesn’t matter for this game. You have to acknowledge the obvious when you’ve lost to a team a bunch, you definitely want to beat them, but those games previously – our objective is to make those erroneous and to learn from the past mistakes and execute in a manner that gives you a chance to win. Because regardless to beat the Buffalo Bills, you’re going to have to execute down to the wire because experience has told us it will come down to that if we’re trying to win the game. So I think it’s just important to be not delusional as to your past but that you really focus on learning lessons from the past and using it for your future, or your present, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on all week.”
(What have you seen in WR Amari Cooper and what has he added to that offense over the last couple of weeks?) – “Coaching offense and specifically coaching receivers for a while since he came out of Alabama, he’s always been one of the better players on the scrimmage and continues to be that. I think guys that can separate for really good quarterbacks are a gigantic resource and he is a guy that’s made his living separating. So I see a lot of – I can tell by how he comes off of the line of scrimmage in his unique, specific way. I could tell it was him before I saw the jersey number, and I think it’s a good addition for that team based upon they have a good quarterback that does best when guys are open because he can throw it to him. I think he fits that bill and is somebody that we definitely have to account for.”
Calais Campbell – October 31, 2024
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Thursday, October 31, 2024
DT Calais Campbell
(With LB Chop Robinson, how important is it for young players to learn that you got to diversify your moves and you’ve got to add more to your arsenal just because people like T Terron Armstead are real professionals in terms of what they do and how they study?) – “You just tell young guys you want to have a fastball and a counter, and then you start building after you go through that. The biggest thing though is go with what works, don’t try to be too creative. I try to tell guys don’t have too many moves too early. As you get older, you start building your moves as you go along. You have to have a counter; you can’t just have one move. You have a fastball and a counter, maybe a changeup. A changeup really is power for a young guy like that, because people don’t expect him to have power. You get all the speed stuff going, your swipe or whatever it is that you do, then you have your counter off of that and then you come through and put power on them, usually. Once you beat them enough with speed, they kind of sit down and you can power them. Chop (Robinson) has a pretty good power rush, too. He had a good one last game against Dion Dawkins that was close to a sack, and he has to definitely bring that again this week. But he’s getting close, man. He’s a guy that has a lot of shots on goal, and eventually those will start turning into sacks and game-changing plays, but the first one is the hardest one because you want it so bad.”
(What are some of the key things to keep in mind when defending QB Josh Allen?) – “From a defensive line standpoint is you don’t want him scrambling to beat you. He can throw the ball very well, but he’s incredible with his legs. He’s bold with his legs. The biggest thing is you’ve got to keep him from scrambling to beat you. You have to have a plan, rush together, make sure we’re on the same page, but we’ve still got to rush him, because if you let him sit back there for five or six seconds, he’s going to tear our secondary apart. We have to have a unison rush; we’re all rush four as one.”
(Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver said today that he’ll give you a chance to get the ball out the way QB Josh Allen holds it. What do you see on that, and how important do you think it will be to create some more turnovers moving forward?) – “He’s turned the ball over a lot in his career, but he also made a lot of big-time plays. It’s kind of like you just take a little bit of bad with all the good that comes in with it. It’s something that we have to keep in cognizant. We have to make sure we’re focusing, when we’re tackling him, tackle the ball. He’s such a big guy, a tough tackle it’s almost easier to tackle the ball. But at the same time, guys going for the ball will miss a lot of tackles, too. It’s a balance. I think the biggest thing is rushing together and trying to have a lot of bodies at the ball, meet at the ball.”
De’Von Achane – October 31, 2024
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Thursday, October 31, 2024
RB De’Von Achane
(What do you think is the biggest key for the team to win at Buffalo on Sunday?) – “It’s really all about us. We’re coming in, it’s a hostile environment. Just don’t think about the crowd, just go out there and play. We came in last week, like you said the offense got going a little bit. I just feel like if we keep that same momentum and just add on to it, I feel like we’ll go out there and we’ll play a great game.”
(My friend David told me that the last time the Dolphins ran for 150+ yards in four straight games was 1977. That’s a long time ago, I was three years old, personally. But do you think that you guys are shooting for 100+ yards again?) – “I wouldn’t say we’re shooting for something. I just feel like we just go out there and we just play our brand of football. We run the ball well, the o-line blocks well and like you said, these past few weeks in the run game I feel like we’ve been doing a decent job.”
(Last year, you were in the same situation RB Jaylen Wright is in now – rookie, coming along. How do you see him taking that on?) – “He’s been doing great, man. Like you said, he gets in the game, and he makes big plays. Same as like – I wouldn’t say him coming in is like, ‘OK, he’s a rookie. He doesn’t know what he’s doing,’ but he’s in there. If he’s in, then he obviously knows what he’s doing and we trust him.”
(I noticed in studying the film that WR Jaylen Waddle hasn’t had a penguin celebration this year and obviously it’s because y’all haven’t had enough touchdowns, but are you looking forward to the return of the penguin celebration? Do you believe that it will happen in the near future?) – “Most definitely, that’s my guy. I want to see him get into the end zone every game, but that’s always something that we look forward to. We root for anybody doing a celebration, but like you said, that’s one of my guys, so of course, I always want to see him in the box.”
Frank Smith – October 31, 2024
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Thursday, October 31, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I’m wondering have you felt – pressure is not the right word – but with the offense obviously not playing up to standards of the last two years, albeit well last week, have you felt any pressure as offensive coordinator to present new things to Head Coach Mike McDaniel that might work? Do you feel that internally as an OC?) – “No, actually I feel the opposite where you want to make sure you’re going back to core principles, core things you’re attacking. I learned early on in my career when you’re facing some adversity, it’s like you want to make sure you bring the group back to find consistency in something to improve upon to get better. So I think always when we’re going through stuff, is all right, what’s our core, how do we improve at it, how do we give guys ability to get consistency. So I think always my task is to centralize things and say, ‘Here’s where I see it,’ and help paint the picture as we try and attack the defense each week.”
(I’ve been told by a few players that one of the things that defenses are doing with WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle is jamming them, putting hands on them at the line of scrimmage. What is your counter to that because I’ve been told it throws off the timing of the passing game? They just have to beat that? What is your counter to that?) – “I think yeah, there’s times where you have to be efficient in your release but also it comes down to us trying to help with formations, creating stacks, bunches, access points for them to get into the defense. So there’s certain things like when I was a young coach, I learned that line formations can control defenses so you get certain reactions, so we try to use that to create access for them. But at the end of the day, it’s about ability to get off the line of scrimmage and get into the defense, but we will use different formations that allow us to be able to try and do that.”
(What do you think about RB Jaylen Wright has done with his opportunities and maybe his case for more opportunities?) – “He’s done a fantastic job. It goes into the process to get to your performance and we knew – like all along what we’ve talked about for him is just getting used to the complexity of an NFL offense versus the offense he came from (in) college. But man, he’s worked his tail off and it’s awesome for us and a good problem to have. So just making sure that the backs – we’re making sure that we have groupings where each one of them can get involved earlier is something that we’re being conscientious about.”
(Has WR River Cracraft with his work in preseason, his work the last couple years established himself in your eyes and Pass Game Specialist/Wide Receivers Wes Welker’s and Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s eyes as someone who, when he’s active, needs to get a package of snaps on offense? And what will he give you when he’s back?) – “I think when you have a guy who is very reliable, dependable, you know his play, you know where he’s going to be – being in the system obviously prior to his arrival here helps – just a guy that’s going to go about his business the right way and always just knowing ‘how can I help with all things.’ I mean that’s just where with him, he’s been very reliable and dependable for us. He’s made plays when we’ve needed it in the past, and we’ll be excited to add him to the mix whenever we’re able to bring him back.”
(Three interceptions from QB Tua Tagovailoa the last time out. When you guys turned on the tape what did you see from that?) – “Saw for us just execution things that we know we can improve on. Game 2, it was one of those where we’re hoping to – each year is a little different where you find a way in Game 1 to get success and then Game 2 build upon it, and that one just there were some timing things that didn’t work out in our favor. But now when you come back and you reflect upon it, we know, OK, this is why this happened and how we can be connected. So whether it’s – whoever (is) in the game, is just knowing what’s the intent of the play and that way we can stay connected with the quarterback to make things happen.”
(How important is it for this offense to tap back into some of those explosive plays that we saw so regularly last year, the 20-plus air yards, the 60-, 70-yard touchdown catch-and-runs? How important is that for the success of this offense?) – “I don’t know necessarily if it’s vital. I think also we’ve learned in the last couple weeks especially last week how to have longer drives and score. So you’d say the year before, it was if the drive is over eight, you guys are used to short, explosive drives to score. So later in the year when your goal is to make the tournament, the balance of all teams, you have to learn to make sure you have the ability to be patient and have long drives, ball control drives especially when each opponent is a little different as how you want to attack them. So ultimately our goal is to score points, and however we score points is kind of the way we’re doing it. So last year we got the explosives; this year there are some more longer drives. I think ultimately our goal is to find the balance, be able to score to quick and also you have ball control drives where you’ll be able to effectively score to help the defense win.”
(Regarding RB Jaylen Wright getting back to that, is there just a few plays that you could give him and put him in the game even though maybe you’re tipping it off, is it that simple, or no?) – “I think it’s kind of a mixture of the two like all things. It’s never as simple and as hard as you think, so I think for us it’s just making sure that when we have a group of guys that are very talented in the backfield, is making sure that certain packages, ‘OK hey, let’s distribute it with him. Let’s distribute it with him. All right if we’re in 21 (personnel), being a little bit more specific. Maybe we want to have this back versus that back,’ so I think that there’s a blend of how do you get guys involved early? Well, let’s make sure that we’re good on the preparation end so that way we can have a grouping where they get involved earlier.”
(Totally random question. In the Big 12, they’re doing an investigation. This is the first year that they’re allowed to have the communication between the coach and the quarterback in the helmet and they’re doing an investigation because one of the teams is convinced that due to the lack of encryption, some of the other teams have been listening in on their plays. Have you ever felt that the other team just must know your plays during the game?) – “I mean the only place where I’ve heard they had intercommunication was in New England in 2013. We’re playing them on Sunday night or whatever it was and all of a sudden we’re on the headsets, you can hear a radio station. You’re like, ‘How is that getting in here?’ Seriously. It was like we’re in New Orleans, you’re hearing… you’re like, ‘what is that?’ So like that was the only time, only place in my 15 years I ever was like, ‘what’s going on here?’ (laughter) Just kidding, but as far as years tested with things, it’s like ultimately – I mean, I always laugh with college football because I think they all want billboards so they can steal it from each other and now this new piece that it changes the piece of the puzzle where we’ve never had a problem. I don’t think it’s really ever a thing we ever concerned ourselves with.”
(How would you assess the quality of play of your interior offensive line this year – OL Robert Jones, OL Aaron Brewer, OL Liam Eichenberg?) – “I think it’s like what we’re seeing the last couple weeks is kind of where we thought we would be. There’s factors with all the change of situations early on that for us, we had variables that we had to solve and now getting back to some of our stuff that we felt better that would help consistency, I think that’s why you’re seeing the guys the last couple weeks really being able to play the ball that they feel comfortable with inside. Because ultimately, the inside three have got to be able to all play together. It’s vital that they have the communication, have the understanding and I think that’s something that we’ve really gotten honed in on the last couple weeks.”
(A mishandled snap in shotgun, another one under center. Are there any coaching points that maybe need to be emphasized or does it come down to the chemistry between QB Tua Tagovailoa and OL Aaron Brewer?) – “Just minor nuances of coaching, but ultimately it’s like both of them said, it’s just hey, making sure that I distribute a catchable ball and I’m there at the right time. So it was a variable for that and then under center was just making sure that we’re getting the connection. They’ve been awesome yesterday and today and they’re very aware of making sure that doesn’t happen again.”
(Obviously when you have smaller wide receivers the opportunities in the red zone are going and goal-to-go situation changes how you run routes. What can you do to counter that in terms of making sure you’re not throwing corner routes to WR Tyreek Hill on a consistent basis?) – “I think ultimately it’s just the distribution and what formations you’re doing to create space and where’s the ball get pushed to? Sometimes it pushes it into that spot. But ultimately in the red zone, the most efficient teams in the red zone are good running teams because the space is minimized so that’s where you’ve got to maximize run opps and then you get run opps, then you can get them to compress and then when you can get them to compress, you can hit different lanes. So it all works hand-in-hand, but ultimately I think it’s just for us to make sure that we’re getting formations and movements so that way we can attack the different areas of the defense so when it’s in that pocket, it’s about the release and the timing. And then when it’s in other areas it’s about timing and distribution.”
(How did the offense look to you last week with QB Tua Tagovailoa back in there?) – “I think everyone here would feel – it’s like (it) felt kind of more where we wanted to be. Like ultimately we think we’ve got to end our drives with touchdowns and get that area to improve, but overall felt the movement of the game and the growth is where want it to be.”
(How concerning is the TE Julian Hill shoulder situation?) – “Like all guys, when you have guys that are part of the puzzle when you’re working through things it’s challenging, but he’ll be diligent in his rehab. So ultimately we always try to make sure we have answers for contingencies so that way we don’t limit ourselves as far as the attack for Sunday.”
Anthony Weaver – October 31, 2024
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Thursday, October 31, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(Any team obviously that doesn’t have its two starting edge rushers of quality like LB Bradley Chubb and LB Jaelan Phillips are going to probably struggle to get pass rush. How much of a dilemma has it been for you in terms of needing to rush defensive backs the last couple of games more than you want to because you don’t have a sack from an edge player these last two games? And in fact, have only three all season from edge players.) – “I don’t know if it’s a dilemma; it’s situationally where we’re at. I have faith still in our guys that are on the roster. We have some younger players with Chop Robinson, Mo Kamara who we’re trying to get on the field, ‘Q Bell’ (Quinton Bell) and then some veterans, who again in Emmanuel Ogbah who is giving us everything he has. He’s kind of dealing with, tore something in his bicep, so kind of fighting through that a little bit. And Tyus Bowser who’s up there, shoot, working his butt off trying to make sure he’s good to go out there. So I never attack any game plan the same, it’s really based on opponent. So a couple weeks ago when we were sending people at Anthony Richardson, that was with intent. That was because he was a young quarterback, we were giving him some looks that he hadn’t seen and we knew how to get there. Last week, some of the plans changed, particularly in the latter part of the week when we lost Zach Sieler. So that forced some gameplan changes that were unforeseen at the start of the week, so I have a tremendous amount of faith in those guys. I don’t think our lack of edge sack production, like I said, is a reflection on them. I’m just calling the game based on the opponent and how our personnel matches up.”
(If I say QB Josh Allen, you say…?) – “(laughter) Oh man, where to start. You say this about so many of these guys in today’s game where they can beat you both from in the pocket and with their feet. And he’s a guy that he doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses in his game, so just a tremendous amount of respect for him. They’ve had the success they’ve had there in recent years for a reason and he’s a big part of that.”
(Late in the game against the Cardinals, we saw CB Cam Smith trying to cover WR Marvin Harrison Jr. an awful lot. Why not CB Jalen Ramsey?) – “It’s not as easy to move in and out of personnel groups, particularly in that situation. So at that particular time, in order to get our best 11 on the field, we thought Cam (Smith) was one of those guys – to have him learn multiple spots in the limited amount of time that he’s been out there, I think would be a disservice to him. So in order to put the best 11 on the field, we thought at that particular moment that was it. We could say, ‘Hey, Cam slide inside when we’re playing man,’ but then some of the zone jobs, that makes it very difficult for him and for them. Just from traveling and finding people and things of that nature, you’re opening up an entire new can of worms. So from a matchup standpoint, yeah, do you want to see your best on their best? Sure, but we had a tremendous amount of confidence in Cam at that particular point that he could get the job done.”
(WR Khalil Shakir here has 36 receptions, 38 targets. What does that tell you about how they use him and where they hit him and things like that? What does that stat tell you?) – “That means when he throws the ball to him, you better have somebody on him. (laughter) But that kid, he’s a tremendous player. He has elite change of direction and quickness. It’s funny because the thing about losing when they lost Stefon Diggs, the one thing you notice about Josh (Allen) is he’ll throw it to everybody and he has confidence in everybody and getting them the ball. The other thing, they’re very specific in the routes they run and how they target each guy, so that kid right there just in the slot, he’s a difficult matchup because you don’t have the sideline as your extra defender so you’ve got to make sure you usually have multiple people accounted for him.”
(The addition of WR Amari Cooper seemingly opened up WR Keon Coleman. What have you seen from him over the last few weeks?) – “Man, his growth from when we played them in Week 2 has been, I mean it’s been tremendous. You can see his confidence is growing, both in his ability and the quarterback’s confidence in him has grown too. Those 50/50 balls have now turned more into 60/40 balls, which for a rookie that’s awesome. You talk about a security blanket for a quarterback; any time you can just throw a ball up and you think he has a chance, that’s huge. So I think we have the corners and the ‘DBs’ that can match up with him, both from a size and athletic standpoint. So we’re just going to have to show up and get it done.”
(I know you had expected last week when we spoke about LB Mohamed Kamara potentially playing, what led to LB Quinton Bell being active over Mo and do you still feel like Mo has to play more?) – “I think we all want to see ‘Mo’ (Mohamed Kamara) on the field. Ultimately, who’s responsible for that is Mo. There’s a bunch of other decisions that factor into that – special teams, injuries at certain positions, both offensively and defensively – and because of that, a lot of times he’s left as kind of the odd man out. So I’ve challenged him, like where he can add value, add value so we no longer to have that discussion about him.”
(The Cardinals last three drives were long scoring drives of 75, 70, 73 yards. Is the lack of depth contributing to any fatigue? Is there anything that’s showing up as a common denominator for late game, long drives by the opponent?) – “That’s a good question. I don’t want to say it’s fatigue or lack of depth or anything from that standpoint because I think in each of those drives, we’ve had opportunities to get off the field. Right now, we’re not cashing in on those opportunities, so that’s been a point of focus this week. Ultimately, if there is fatigue at any point in the game, what you have to rely on at that particular point is your technique and fundamentals and that’s where our lapses have occurred. It’s been as simple as taking a proper angle on a tackle or missed communication because you have had some different bodies kind of rotating in the back end, and that’s been where we’ve suffered. So in those moments, particularly late in game when it’s critically important, we have to be on our Ps and Qs in terms of technique, fundamentals and communication.”
(You mentioned the play that QB Josh Allen can make with his legs – obviously, some difficulties last week corralling QB Kyler Murray – different type of mobile quarterback, obviously a lot bigger. What are some of the key teaching points you have to focus on?) – “Different, but still the same in terms of how you have to attack him. You have to make sure you attack the high shoulder. Now he doesn’t really care where he escapes to, whereas Kyler (Murray), we had an idea and we allowed him to get out of the back of the pocket which we didn’t want to happen. The one thing about Josh (Allen) is he gives you a chance to get the ball because he is so strong. He reminds me a little bit of Steve McNair, Ben Roethlisberger back there where when you get there, you have to make sure not only try to tackle him, but you almost have equally as good of a chance as tackling the ball because he just kind of hangs it out there like a loaf of bread. So I think the biggest thing is to throttle down, first thing, let’s make sure we’re securing and try to get the sack and then try to attack the ball in doing so.”
(The rookie receivers have kind of given guys trouble – WR Marvin Harrison Jr., WR Brian Thomas Jr. – what does that say kind of about the rookie receiving class this year?) – “They’re an incredibly talented class. I think everybody knew that coming into this season, there was high expectations and hopes for them. It’s a credit to them that they’ve just continued to develop throughout this NFL season.”
(What does T Dion Dawkins do for their offense?) – “I mean shoot, he’s kind of their dude up front, right? He can do everything. It’s funny because from a technique standpoint, he can be a little bit unorthodox, but he always gets the job done. So I have a tremendous amount of respect for their offensive line. I hate to say this, I don’t know who their offensive line coach is but hats off to him. I think he does a tremendous job.”
(Does a spy you think work on QB Josh Allen? It’s a two-part question: A couple years ago when Josh Boyer was here, Channing Tindall during his rookie season was tried as a spy on (Justin) Fields – and obviously Channing hasn’t played a snap. Has he shown you guys anything and where potentially he could have a role like that? And does a spy work on Josh Allen, do you think?) – “Spies to me, they’re kind of hit or miss. There’s a lot of times where that guy, he’s sitting there and then the quarterback scrambles off and he still doesn’t get him. So it’s like, ‘Oh, well now we just wasted a guy. Now we’re playing with ten.’ So ultimately, I try to funnel quarterbacks where we want to go more through games than through actual spies, just because I hate wasting the extra defender. but there are times when it’s absolutely necessary. In terms of Channing (Tindall), I love Channing Tindall. I love his approach to work, his attitude. Even though he hasn’t seen the field, he is the same guy every day and just comes out here trying to get better. I know his number hasn’t been called yet, but if and when that time comes, I have a tremendous amount of confidence in him to go out there and get the job done.”
(If DT Zach Sieler is able to go, he’s permitted to wear a face shield, is that correct?) – “I believe so.”
(I didn’t think there was a rule. I know there was a rule about tinting, but I think you’re allowed to wear – you don’t see a lot of it right?) – “Yeah, not anymore. Particularly from big guys, you don’t see a lot of it, no.”
(Can you tell of what part of the eye orbit it is with him? It goes all around the eye, right?) – “Oh man. I am not a doctor, nor did I stay at a Holliday Inn Express last night. (laughter) I cannot get that done.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel left the door open to DT Zach Sieler playing. Are you hopeful he will?) – “I am a much better coach when he is on the field, so I am certainly hopeful. Ultimately, there’s been a lot of prayers sent out there from the Weaver family, so we’ll see what happens on Sunday.”
(How is LB David Long Jr. doing physically? I know he’s had a hamstring and a knee, right?) – “Yeah, he’s been battling just some kind of knicks and bumps all season. So I know he’s in good spirits, but he’s certainly, from a health standpoint, he’s been battling. He’s been the ultimate warrior, for sure.”
(In the last Bills game, you guys held them three-for-nine on third downs and had only one very long scoring drive as there were a couple of short field plays. What did you like from that game that you would actually like to see repeatable?) – “Outside of the long run where they broke the 49-yarder, I thought for the most part our run defense was pretty solid, and you’d like to continue to have the success that we’ve had on third down. Now the one thing I don’t think he did as much because he (Josh Allen) was kind of nursing a hand was run the ball and that obviously helps their third down stats, so we’ve got to be cognizant of that in terms of how we’re calling the game. If we can have that same success, both eliminate the explosive run and have the success we’ve had in the other part of the run game and have the same success on third down, I think that would bode well for us.”
(What did you learn about defending RB James Cook from that game?) – “Man, try not to give him open space so he can run for 49 yards. (laughter) I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and just the way that he runs. I think they actually have a tandem of really good backs back there, and when you pair that with the physicality that their offensive line tries to play with, that’s why they have the success they have. So I like that kid and hope he doesn’t have a lot of success on Sunday.”
Danny Crossman – October 31, 2024
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Thursday, October 31, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(You got good results with WR Dee Eskridge on kicks and WR Malik Washington on punts. Obviously, you always allow yourself flexibility with that, but generally is that the way that you want to move forward at this point?) – “Again, it’s going to be a continual fluid situation. I was really happy with how both those guys performed. It was good to see carry over from preseason with Malik (Washington) and then a good start for D’Wayne (Dee Eskridge). But as always, the roster and play time and all that stuff is always going to be a fluid situation.”
(I know you never have a perfect game, was that your best game of the season last week?) – “There’s a lot of different ways – it depends how you want to look at it. I look at myself as a teacher, and if one guy gets an F and everybody else gets an A, I still think that’s a poor job. As you look, we didn’t have any negative plays, so I guess in the way (of) your visual or however you look at it, that could be one – no negative plays, that’s a good thing. There’s a lot of different ways to look at it. I was happy with how we played, but not content at all. There’s things that we need to do a lot better in just about every single phase just because it’s not always as good or bad as it seems. If there’s one mistake, it’s crucial; everybody else could be doing a great job but it’s a negative. So happy but not content.”
(WR River Cracraft has not returned a punt in a regular season game since 2020. Do you want him during this 21-day window or however long he is practicing before activated to field punts just to have as an option? Or do you guys want him just focusing on offense?) – “No, he does that continually. He’s back there catching punts for the last couple of years. That’s always something that’s part of his daily, so it’s something he’ll continue to do.”
(So you don’t grade on a curve like–?) – “No, as you guys well know, there are no curves in the National Football League. Whose student gets the poor grade is even just as important.”
(As far as the wide receivers go, and I know you don’t have the final say, how much will special teams matter in WR River Cracraft coming up and when he comes up?) – “It depends on a lot, there’s so many moving parts. When you talk about one specific player, you’re really talking about a group position and then you’re talking about a side of the ball, so there’s a lot of things that go into those decisions. It’s not always just a, ‘There’s one player, well why isn’t his happening?’ There’s a lot of things tied into how that group is set up for the week, how the offense or defense is set up for the week, so there’s a lot of moving parts before those decisions are really ever made.”
