Brian Flores – October 18, 2019
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Friday, October 18, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(C Daniel Kilgore and S Reshad Jones – are they going to be out?) – “Yeah, both guys will be out this week. They did everything they could to get ready for this one; but yeah, both guys will be out.”
(Where is your comfort level with CB Xavien Howard and the injury that he’s been working back from?) – “He’s doing everything he can to get back. I feel like I say that every day and it’s something that he tells me every day. Treatment, rehab – we can get into cryos and ARTs (active release techniques) and massages – he’s doing everything possible to get back. His desire to play is high and hopefully we’ll get him out there.”
(Is this a concern that if you rush CB Xavien Howard back it could lead to a prolonged injury or something?) – “That’s always (a concern). With any injury, we take that into consideration. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), (Daniel) Kilgore, Reshad (Jones) – every injury, that comes into consideration. We’ll do what’s best for the player always and there’s always a long vision here. It’s a long season. We’ve got a lot of games left to play, so to have – we wouldn’t want to have a setback that would lead to instead of one game, it could be seven or eight games. You never want to do that, so that’s always the case any time we bring a guy back; and the idea is that he’ll be back for the long haul when he is back.”
(I wanted to ask you – with S Reshad Jones going down, I know S Steven Parker has been in there working with the safeties as well. Is that just the person who’s going to fill that void?) – “We’ve got a few guys who have played the safety-type of roles – Bobby (McCain) obviously, (Jomal) Wiltz has played in some safety roles. (Steven) Parker. (Eric) Rowe – he’s even played in some safety-type of roles. Walt Aikens obviously – he’s Reshad’s backup. We’ve had a few different guys. Reshad is a really good player. He plays a lot of different positions for us. It’s kind of ‘replace Reshad by committee’ in a lot of ways.”
(I noticed something in the last game that I haven’t gotten to ask you about yet. There were three third downs where the team got off the field. Third-and-7 incomplete, third-and-10 gain of one, third-and-6 incomplete; there was one defensive linemen and a bunch of linebackers and defensive backs moving around. I know that that’s been used in other places. When you guys do that, what are some good things about it? What opportunities does it create?) – “It gets speed on the field, first and foremost. We want to be as fast and athletic and aggressive as we can, so I would say it starts right there. It’s a hard look for an offensive lineman or a quarterback; but it’s hard for us to kind of get it and get in the right spots defensively, as well. At the end of the day, we want to disguise, we want to give them different looks, but you’re never disguised to the point where you can’t execute. That’s something we talk to the players about. We’ll continue to try to disguise and find different ways to do that. That was one grouping. We may show a different one this week, but disguise is only good if you can execute. At the end of the day, this guy, these few guys in these spots and these guys covering these guys – however we scheme it up – we’ll try to disguise. Buffalo’s a good team. They do a good job as far as diagnosing what you’re doing and finding ways to get things blocked or get things covered or get things really executed on their end based on what their opponent’s doing. It’ll be a tough test.”
(CB Ryan Lewis was a recent addition. With the first full week of practice, is he someone that you foresee some playing time for going into this game?) – “Ryan, he came in, he’s in good shape, he’s smart. He’s a tough kid. I’ve spent some time with him. We’ll see. It’s hard to come in one week in and jump out there. We’ve had a couple guys do it this year. If Ryan’s – he’s put the work in, I know that, I’ll tell you that – but we’ll just see how this shakes out. He may be in there. It may be defensively. It may be in the kicking game; but he’s definitely eager to play. Hopefully we can get him out there, but you can only have 46 guys up in the game. You’ve got to have some inactives.”
(I wanted to ask you about DE Charles Harris. He’s had reduced playing time the last two weeks. A lot of it coincides with DE Taco Charlton’s emergence. How do you keep a guy’s confidence lifted up in that situation where he’s kind of been moved out of a starting role?) – “I think each individual player – I don’t think there’s a confidence situation here with Charles or really anyone else on this team. I think if you work hard, you put the team first, you do everything possible; I think there’s a peace with that. Charles has done that. I think every week is different in this league, so I think what you need to do – as players, as coaches, as an organization – is move onto the next challenge, which is whatever meeting the next meeting is, whatever walkthrough, whatever practice and then obviously the game, and do everything you can to be productive within your next challenge. I think that’s – I know that’s – the case with Charles. That’s the conversation I’ve had with him. He’s a talented guy. We think he’ll have some opportunities to make some plays for us.”
(I wanted to ask you about DE Charles Harris’ wrist injury because it’s been lingering since the spring. Is it an actual injury or is just something that he just plays with a brace?) – “He’s got the brace on, so it’s something that he deals with on a daily, weekly basis. I think we’ve got a lot of players dealing with things that have lingered or wear a knee brace or a wrist brace or a shoulder harness or whatever the case may be. It’s a tough game. Guys get dinged and it’s just something he’s dealt with. He hasn’t complained about it once to be honest. That’s a good thing. Honestly that’s the first time I’ve even thought about it because he doesn’t complain about it; but it’s there obviously.”
Christian Wilkins – October 17, 2019
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Thursday, October 17, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(On the defensive game plan and Bills QB Josh Allen and RB Frank Gore…) – “They definitely present a good challenge for us. I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys, especially Frank Gore. He’ll be wearing a gold jacket one day, so I’m excited for the challenge and what the Bills present for us. They’ve just got talent everywhere. They have a good solid offensive line – real strong, real big. (They have) good receivers, a good running back, a good quarterback. It’s going to present a challenge for any defense no matter who you are.”
(Looking at film, were you surprised that RB Frank Gore can still do what he’s doing?) – “You’ve just got so much respect for it. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised. It’s just impressive to see a guy, 14, 15 years into the league, still running that thing like he’s in his third, fourth or fifth year. It’s just good to see him. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I definitely (do). Hopefully after the game I’ll gain even more respect for him.”
(I know all of you talk about one game at a time, but the way you shut out Washington in the fourth quarter, does that give you a lift going into the next game?) – “Last week’s stats don’t carry over. Last week’s production doesn’t carry over to next week, but you definitely want to improve and get better. Just knowing that we can do it – we can play at a high level defensively – you’re always trying to get better and improve and build blocks each week.”
(What’s the craziest road environment you played in in college?) – “I played in some good ones – some fun atmospheres. It was fun playing up at Syracuse all the time and NC State was always a good time. Florida State. I’ve played in some pretty good atmospheres.”
(Have your teammates told you anything about playing at Buffalo?) – “Yeah, they said it’s about just as hostile as it gets, from what I hear. I’m looking forward to that. It’s almost like a different sense of urgency. You always have a sense of urgency getting ready for a game, but it’s a little different when you go and take the show on the road and (it’s) literally you against the world. We kind of have that feeling. It’s going to be fun and I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be tough.”
(How much, if at all, has CB Cordrea Tankersley changed since you guys were together at Clemson?) – “The ‘Tootie man?’ He’s still the same old ‘Tootie.’ That’s my guy. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I’m glad he’s here, too – just someone I’m familiar with, someone I’m comfortable with. It’s always good to just see his smiling face around. He always just shows me love every day. It’s good that he’s around for sure.”
(If I could follow up on the atmosphere, S Bobby McCain said yesterday that Bills fans are notorious for giving you the one-finger salute and speaking about your family. Do you just laugh when things like that happen?) – “That’s fun. You’ve just kind of got to take it for it is. It’s part of the territory, part of going into an opposing atmosphere in someone else’s house. You’ve just got to go with what they bring to you. It’s just all part of it. You’ve just got to stay locked in. Hopefully we’ll be all so focused on the game plan and getting our jobs done that it won’t really matter to us.”
Vince Biegel – October 17, 2019
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Thursday, October 17, 2019
LB Vince Biegel
(On being vocal on the field…) – “I always try to be vocal out there and try to be a leader as much as I can. Any way I can lead – be vocal or lead by example – that’s what I like to do.”
(When you’re in the huddle, do you sense the guys kind of feed off of that energy from you pre-snap and in the huddle?) – “I think this last Sunday, I think we were all feeding off one another (on the) defensive side of things and special teams. I think ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) really hit it on the head – being us as a team, being able to lift each other up, being supportive, celebrating with each other. I think (from) the energy standpoint of things, last Sunday was definitely evident. I always try to do my part and just be myself. You don’t have to be somebody you’re not, but definitely having that energy was important for us this last Sunday.”
(I’ve watched you especially during kickoff for the past couple of games and your energy level before kickoffs is extremely high. Where does that come from?) – “I think for me, starting even back in high school, my dad always talked and instilled on me the importance of high energy and being able to control effort. In college, that was evident and obviously it’s transferred to the NFL, as well as having that energy, having effort and being able to be a guy that guys look to for that spark. Obviously I’m honored and want to be the guy out there for us to provide that spark.”
(You’re playing on your third team in three years. What do you think has led to the constant movement?) – “That’s the NFL, man. I got drafted by the Green Bay Packers – a new general manager, all new staff, they brought their guys in and then I was (with) the Saints. I had a wonderful year last year and then got traded. That’s the life of the NFL. I think what I’ve learned in that time is being able to be adaptable. (It’s) my third different defense, fourth defensive coordinator while I’ve been in the NFL (so) adaptability is key and if you don’t adapt, you won’t be here for long. For me, it’s always being adaptable and being a player that guys can count on and coaches can count on as well.”
Brian Flores – October 17, 2019
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Thursday, October 17, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(A few of us in the media room, after you told us about you and RB Frank Gore went to look up some more tape of you and Gore. We found that that 2003 game and you had a pretty good lick on Gore. When you tackled him, you showed a lot of emotion there. Do you remember that?) – “I didn’t remember that until one of our guys showed it to me. Thanks for looking that up, I appreciate it. (laughter) I had a couple of laughs in there. Let’s not get into that. (laughter)”
(Did you show it to the team?) – “Nah, I’m not showing it to the team. Definitely not. (laughter) I had a great time at Boston College, I made a couple of plays. That was probably one of maybe five total. I’ll put it on my highlight reel. I tackled one of the greatest backs to ever play in the National Football League. I’ll take it. Now hopefully we can, as a team, tackle him this weekend. He’s a great player. They’ve got a really good team. I took a little slack for that yesterday. Thanks. (laughter)”
(You mentioned the long RB Frank Gore run in that game. I think he had fumbled right after RB Clinton Portis game in came in that 2001 game. Do you remember if that may have been the 2003 game when you guys both played more?) – “That was a long time ago. All I know is they had a stable of backs. It could’ve been Jarrett Payton, it could’ve been Portis, it could’ve been (Willis) McGahee, it could’ve been Gore. I’m pretty sure it was Gore. He went in there – I don’t know, you guys went back and looked at it. All I know is he was a pretty good player and they had a lot of them. When I think back to those teams they had, there were a lot of good players. (Vince) Wilfork to Jeremy Shockey to Mike Rumph to Sean Taylor to Ed Reed to Bryant McKinney – you can keep going on and on and on. I just happened to fall in line during that time. That was the one game, in 2001 we came close. I think it was 2001 – yeah in 2001 we came close. You guys did your research so maybe I was wrong. I could’ve been. I know Frank Gore is a good back though. (laughter) I’ll tell you that right now. That’s not far off that he broke off a run. I wasn’t far off. I’m sure he did. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Preston Williams and how you thought he did as a punt returner.) – “I thought he did well overall. We wanted him to – obviously ball security is number one on our priority list. We thought he did a good job there. One of them was a fair catch he had there. The ball got away from him a little bit, but he made the catch. He got the ball vertical on the return units. I think that was a phase where we had some missed opportunities over the first four games, but we got some positive yardage last week and hopefully we can continue to do that this week. I think a new role of something he hadn’t done in the preseason, I think he – with Jakeem (Grant) being down for a game, he went in there and was solid for us.”
(What has LB Vince Biegel brought to this defense and is he playing the role that you envisioned him playing?) – “Vince brings a great effort, great intensity, great attention to detail. He’s smart. It’s very, very important to him. He practices hard. All things that you want out of your players and I think he’s a young player that’s developing, and I think that there is something to develop there. He’s got a long way to go as far as just learning overall defense – our defense and then how offenses play week to week. His role could be very different. It could be very multi – he could rush, he could drop, he could get involved in some games and some stunts. That changes week to week. He’s got a lot to learn. He’s got something to learn every week. Over time, some of the things that he’s seeing now for the first time, hopefully there is some recall towards the end of the – not towards the end of the season, but game-to-game and year-to-year hopefully. That’s how guys develop.”
(Is that what you envisioned for your outside linebackers in this defense – the ability to rush, edge set, drop back?) – “Yeah. I think each player is a little bit different, so it’s case by case. If we end up with a guy who is an elite rusher, we’re going to rush him. We’re going to try to put him in positions to rush. If we have a guy who can do a few different things – rush, drop – everyone has to be able to set an edge – then we’ll try to use those players however they fit. It really is case by case.”
(What would you assess is LB Vince Biegel’s best attribute?) – “Probably edge setting, and just overall – he just brings a toughness that I like, that I want this team – I want this team to be tough, and I think he brings that. He’s tough, edge setting; but again, he’s got some areas where he can certainly improve – pass rush, edge setting, and just understanding our defense but also the best ways to attack the offense. What are their weaknesses, versus our strengths, versus the guys he’s around? In that role, you could be working with two or three people – a tackle, another linebacker – and how do those three work on those three and what is the best way to do that? I think that takes time and we’re working to do that.”
(How well has WR DeVante Parker done through five games at coming close to or reaching the goals that the coaches have for him?) – “I think he’s made some progress. I think he’s turning into one of our dependable players. He had a couple of drops early in the year that were big and he’s kind of cleaned that up to a degree. He made some big catches for us. He made a big one for us last week and the week before. He’s starting to string them together. He’s out at practice every day. He’s getting better. He’s improving and you see it kind of coming to fruition on the field. I’ve been pleased with the trajectory he’s on. It’s still early in the season and hopefully we continue to go in that trajectory and he continues to play well.”
(I’ve got a question about DT Christian Wilkins and forgive me if I’ve asked you a version of this question. In his first eight games, he’s going to have gone against Ravens G Marshal Yanda – who I believe is a seven-time Pro Bowler, Cowboys G Zack Martin who I think is five-time, Steelers G David DeCastro who might be a six-time Pro Bowler; when you assess the first half of his season, do you realistically grade it with a little bit of a curve considering the tough opponents he’s faced?) – “No, I don’t. I think in this league you play against good players every week. He’s just happened to line up against some of, I would say, the better players at that position; but every week there’s a good player in front of us and a good team in front of us. Especially for a rookie, I think those are good experiences for him. Those kind of – let’s call them ‘higher-tier players who are upper-level players’ – to play those guys and to feel that against a powerful player or a guy who’s quick or a guy who’s got some savviness and craftiness and to use some of your – some of these guys, they’re pretty savvy. They’ll use your quickness and some of your strengths against you in some situations. Those are really good experiences, especially for a young player. I think Christian’s handled it very well and actually played at a pretty good clip for us and hopefully will continue to improve and get better. I think any time you can play against a good player, that’s a good thing. I’m not going to knock him or grade him on a curve. That’s not the standard we really want here.”
(With G Shaq Calhoun, he got a lot of opportunity during exhibition season and then he’s played in spurts. What do you hope to see from a developmental standpoint from him?) – “Really for all young players, it’s about – to me, this is a process. I know you guys have heard me say that. So how do you prepare on Tuesday and Wednesday? How do you practice on Wednesday? How do you practice Thursday and Friday? And all that leads into the game. The process for Shaq and all the young players – really any player on this team – is one of the most important things for me. I think as a young player, you have to learn that. We have to teach it to them. That’s part of our job as coaches. We’re trying to do that and I think Shaq’s really improved in a lot of those areas. He’s in early on Tuesdays. He’s working. He knows the opponent. He tries to get an idea of what we’re doing schematically, specific players who are going to be tough to block in this particular scheme, how important this double is, how important my angle on this pull is. All those things go into it. That is a process, and I think he’s getting better at that week-to-week so hopefully when he does get into the game, he can execute and play well.”
(Where is your level of comfort with identifying protections if C Daniel Kilgore does not play?) – “From an o-line standpoint?”
(Yes.) – “It’s good. I feel good about (Evan) Boehm. Boehm, (Michael) Deiter, those guys inside – they work well together. As far as identifying protection and identifying Mike points and where it’s coming from, I feel good about it. With that said, Buffalo does a lot. They could bring the weak safety, they could bring the star, they could bring the strong safety, they could bring the Mike, they can stunt the line. They do pretty much everything, so it’ll be hard to be 100 percent. (laughter) That’s a tough thing to do. I think we’ve shown them all the looks, got a pretty good grasp of it. There’s a couple tells, but they (Buffalo) do a good job of breaking tendencies. That’s what good defenses do. That’s what good offenses do, too, and that’s what good kicking games do. It’s really a chess match in the game within the game. Maybe they get us on one and we go back to the sideline and say, ‘hey, we thought they were going to do that, but they didn’t. All right, now, just follow our rules.’ At the end of the day, that’s what you need to do really at all positions.”
(When you look at takeaways, I’m sure the rate of takeaways are way lower than you’d like…) – “Yeah. Oh, I look at takeaways. I definitely look at takeaways. (laughter)”
(What’s the missing element? Are guys not ripping the ball or making plays on passes or what?) – “It’s something we talk about a lot. Sometimes – every year is a little bit different, so there’s some droughts. Sometimes you go through a little bit of a takeaway drought. I would say normally they come in spurts. We work on it on a daily basis – ripping the ball out, trying to disguise and fool the quarterback into making an errant pass. We had a couple of opportunities last week where we were close on them. The quarterback made a couple, maybe bad decisions from a throw – I’m talking about our opponents – we just weren’t able to come up with them. We’ll keep working at it. We’ll keep trying to put ourselves in position where we can knock the ball off our opponent. That includes the kicking game as well. We’ll continue to work at and hopefully we get one this week.”
(When the season started, RB Mark Walton was the third back. We saw he got the start this week. Do you see him continuing ascending and could possibly be your lead back at some point?) – “Yeah, I think he’s really done a good job. He’s a guy who does a lot. (He can) play in the kicking game, he’s good out of the backfield catching the football, he’s a good runner inside and outside; but I feel good about all of our backs. (Kenyan) Drake’s been in there. He’s played well. Kalen Ballage has been there. He was in there for the goal line touchdown last week. I feel good about all our backs. Patrick Laird’s played well in the kicking game; but yeah, Mark’s played well. I think he’s got a really good skillset – a three-down skillset. He made some plays last week. He really did. If he continues to do that and he’s productive, then we’ll leave him in there. We’ve got some other backs who have been productive as well. I like them all.”
Brian Flores – October 16, 2019 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call
(I read that your high school coach – Coach Dino Mangiero – he was like 80-5 or 90-5. Did you ever lose a game at Brooklyn Poly Prep?) – “In high school?”
(Yes.) – “No, I never lost a game in high school. We had a tie one time in high school; but yeah, I was very fortunate. We had some good teams and a lot of good players.”
(The team was good when you were there, so you’ve never had a losing season in your life in football. Is that correct?) – “That is not correct. (laughter) I played for, obviously Pop Warner; so yeah, I’ve been fortunate to be on a lot of good teams. But ‘never had a losing season…’”
(This is not about you, obviously – this endeavor – but what have you learned about yourself here? Is there a newfound patience or what do you think?) – “I’ve always been the same. I’ve never made excuses. I’ve never complained. I’ve never worried about anything except for the next day and trying to improve and get better, build, and that’s kind of how I’ve approached everything really since those days in high school. That’s what I learned from my high school coach. That’s really my approach. I’m not going to complain. I’m not going to make excuses. I’m just going to try to get better every day and as long as I do that, then I’ve got peace with that.”
(What prompted the decision to go back to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, especially when you had said something about letting this week play out a bit and you made this decision really before you started practicing this week?) – “Every week, you kind of look at the opponent. You see their strengths and weaknesses and you kind of put them up against your strengths, your weaknesses, and we just felt like that was the best move for this team this week.”
(Does it say anything about just the idea that a veteran like QB Ryan Fitzpatrick would obviously give you a better opportunity to win games, I guess regardless of the opponent?) – “I think that was the case this week. That’s what we talked about. That was the decision we made and that’s why we made that decision.”
(What do you make of this season? I know it’s been tough and there’s been a lot of questions about players’ commitment and just the losing hasn’t been easy. How do you keep this team together and what is your message to keep this team together?) – “I’m here every day. I kind of see the way these guys work, the way they apply themselves in meetings and walkthroughs and practice and the effort they give and all those areas. What I see is I guess somewhat different (than) what you’re talking about. These guys are motivated. They work hard. Right now there’s a lot of adversity in this building and I think that is in a lot of ways strengthening a lot of guys in this building. Hopefully we’ll be better for it.”
(You prepared for Bills QB Josh Allen Week 16 last year when you were in New England. What kind of strides have you seen him make in his game breaking down the first five games of his season this year?) – “He’s definitely standing in the pocket, reading the defense, going through his progression and he’s got a big strong arm and he’s making some really good throws. That’s – I would say – more so than he did a year ago. He would kind of take off and run when he had maybe a little bit more time, and now he’s sitting in the pocket and making those tough throws. He’s still a major threat running the football. That’s something that any team that plays against him has to kind of deal with. I think he’s a good quarterback.”
(What gives you the confidence that this team can have a breakthrough and compete given what the numbers look like, given that the Vegas odds have you as 16 1/2-point underdogs or however many points and people are down on you? How do you keep the outside noise out of the locker room, and what gives you confidence that this team is capable of competing this weekend against a pretty good Bills team?) – “We just worry about the guys in this building. The odds and those things – I really don’t, I don’t even – that’s the first time I’ve heard them this week. I really worry about what’s going on here. I think this team tries to do that and we try to just string good days together. We just had a good practice. We’ve had good meetings. We’ll go up there. We’ll compete. It’s a good team. We know that. It’s a tough team. It’s a physical team. It’s a well-coached team and we’re just going to try to go up there compete and obviously give our best effort and try to come out of there with a victory.”
(As a linebacker at Boston College you played against Bills RB Frank Gore in 2003. Do you remember anything about going up against him?) – “That was such a long time ago. Not really. (laughter) He’s a very good – he was a very, very good player. He was much better than me back then and he went on to have an incredible career. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, as a person, and he’ll be ready to go Sunday. I know that for sure.”
(As somebody very familiar with running a high-level defense, when you look at Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott and Bills Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier’s defense on film, what really stands out about them and what they’re able to do, especially after five games this year?) – “They do a great job with disguise really across the board. I think just from, ‘is it two-high, is it one-high, is the star blitzing, is the Mike blitzing, is the Will blitzing?’ Really what I love (about) watching these guys is they’re all great effort, they’re relentless to the football, they’re trying to punch the ball out and they play together. I think that’s – above all things – they play together as a unit, as a team. You can see that on film. The communication, all of those things are at a high level. As a defensive coach, I have high praise for Sean, Leslie and what they’re doing, and I know for us it’ll be hard to – we’re going to have to play at a high level to compete against that defense.”
Robert Nkemdiche – October 16, 2019
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Wednesday, October 16, 2019
DT Robert Nkemdiche
(How did it feel to be back to practice?) – “It felt amazing. Just being able to work, back to being there and being able to get on the field with my guys. (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores – he gave me the opportunity to be here and do that and come out and keep living my dream as an NFL player. It’s amazing. The guys in the training room have done such a great job – staying consistent, staying on top of me to make sure I do everything to get this thing possibly right. It’s feeling amazing. I’m going to keep going, take it day-by-day and just growing and elevating and get ready to get back out there.”
(How much better do you feel physically in terms of conditioning than you did when you first got here?) – “I feel great. It feels good. It feels good. Honestly the work – honestly the whole process of just grinding, I really love it. I’m just going to keep getting better and keep finding ways I can keep elevating and growing physically and mentally as a player, on and off the field, and just keep getting my body right and be ready to get back on the field and have a great [expletive] time.”
(Since you showed up here, you look slimmer. About how many pounds have you shed?) – “I’ve got an eight-pack, I don’t know. (laughter) I’ve been being consistent because they’ve been on top of me and making sure I’ve been consistently losing weight. I’m finally able to move around and actually able to have my feet under me so I can actually do stuff and be mobile. I’m not immobile. I’m able to do stuff so automatically that helps you lose weight and get better and feel better about yourself so you’re not just cooped up and hurt. I’m able to move around so again, it’s getting a lot better and it’ll keep getting better, too.”
(What do you think about the opportunity you have here in Miami? What do you make of it?) – “It’s just the best. Honestly, it’s the best. You have an opportunity and you just want to make the best out of whatever situation you’re in, honestly. I’m here and I’m going to do everything possible in my soul and my energy and my spirit to make sure I’m doing everything I could possibly to do be the best player I can be here, and I will. I’m going to keep going and I’m going to keep going and get out there and dominate and just keep elevating.”
(When you’re healthy, what do you believe are your on-field strengths?) – “Just dominating and being the best player I could possibly be. Dominate and just be very aggressive and a scary d-tackle, and be the best – one of the best – doing it.”
(How far away do you feel you are? Is it like one, two, three, four weeks?) – “I’m right there. I’m right there. I’ll keep getting better and take it day-by-day and stuff like that and keep staying in the treatment room and getting ice on that thing and just staying with (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Jon (Boone) and (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) and (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach) Dave (Puloka) and all of the guys that are here helping me and just keep climbing up the ladder. It’s a process of course, but the more energy and time you put into it, the better it’s going to be and the more you’ll get out of this. It’s only right to put all of your effort and time and energy into that so you can get the most out, so you can be at your peak of your career. There’s no ‘peak,’ but you could be close and keep growing.”
(What, if anything, do you wish you had done differently in Arizona?) – “I did my thing. I gave it all I could. Things aren’t perfect. Some things happen. Just the little things, little situations. It didn’t work out. It wasn’t perfect but you adapt and adjust. You move on and you just keep getting better. You figure out things that you didn’t do right, things you could’ve done better. In any situation, you re-evaluate yourself as a man and a player, and see what you could’ve done to get better. You take that here, you come here and you just look those things in the face and you take that onto yourself and understand that you’re going to do those things better, and you’re going to make sure that you do those things better when you’re here.”
(Today the three-week window starts. What’s your confidence level that come three weeks, you’ll be able to go?) – “I’m very confident. I was confident on crutches. I was confident on crutches. There was only so much I could do physically on crutches; but mentally, physically and in my soul, I’ve always been confident. That’s just how I am. I’m not just saying like cliché but I always keep a good positive attitude of regardless of whatever because it’s just life. Stay positive, keep going.”
Michael Deiter – October 16, 2019
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Wednesday, October 16, 2019
G Michael Deiter
(Is there a change at all now that Head Coach Brian Flores says that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is back at starter this week?) – “No. Nothing is changing for me or on the o-line or the offense. It’s the same stuff, it’s just a different guy kind of running it, and getting us all squared away. That’s all. There’s not much that changes. It’s the same confidence, same energy, so it’s about the same.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores went back on what he said last week. He said that QB Josh Rosen was starting the rest of the season and now he went back to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Is there a responsibility on the offensive line a bit that maybe things didn’t work out for Rosen?) – “Yeah. We definitely – especially me in particular – need to do a better job of protecting him so he can play better and look better and get through all of his reads without someone being in his face. I think definitely we can help. We can definitely make the quarterback look good no matter who it is back there. That’s kind of our job is to give him as much time to make good decisions and be as good of a quarterback as they can be. We can definitely help and we can definitely hurt, it just depends on the day. I would say, especially me, that definitely didn’t help Josh Sunday.”
(Did QB Ryan Fitzpatrick give you guys a spark on Sunday? Obviously you scored a couple of touchdowns, but is it that veteran leadership that gave you guys a spark or was it something else?) – “I just think – I don’t know if it was him necessarily or if we all just cut it loose. We knew we had to make plays. Everyone knew that we had to protect, we had to get rid of the ball, we had to catch the ball and we had to make plays. I think everyone understood it including ‘Fitz.’ He just happened to be the guy in there who was delivering good balls and making good decisions. He definitely helped, no doubt; but it was all of the guys on the offense.”
(Is there something QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said in the fourth quarter when he came into that huddle that helped you guys?) – “No. Nothing in particular. It was just kind of ‘make plays.’ Our only option right now is to try to make plays and try to tie this game up. That was the mindset and he did a good job.”
Jerome Baker – October 16, 2019
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Wednesday, October 16, 2019
LB Jerome Baker
(When you watch the game film, are you surprised at what RB Frank Gore can still do?) – “Not at all. I trained with him a little bit this offseason. I’ve been seeing it this whole offseason. It’s definitely going to be a good one.”
(When you say you saw RB Frank Gore this offseason, the way he works out, the way he…?) – “The way he works out, the way he prepares, the way he knows each linebacker in the league and their strengths. He’s not only (good) talent-wise, but his mental game is also up to par. That alone, he might have gotten older, but his mind is still working at 110 percent. That’s really what separates him. He’s smart. He’s smarter than a lot of running backs that you have in the league.”
(Is that what attributes to what I believe is 4.4 yards per carry? RB Frank Gore is still grinding there.) – “Yeah. It’s film study for him. He knows that if you rock over the top too fast, he’s going to hit it right downhill and you’re going to be too late, so that’s four yards right there. He really understands football. Even when he was here last year, that’s all he talked about – how different linebackers moved and things like that. It’s not just talent for him. His mental game is up to par.”
(How has QB Josh Allen changed from what he did to you guys last year?) – “It’s amazing how much he’s developed. He stands in the pocket, he makes those tough throws. He’s always been a tough quarterback. He’s not the one that always just slides. He’ll duck his shoulder a little bit. It got him hurt a few times; but for him, he’s a tough, smart quarterback. You can tell this offseason he was ready to really improve and it’s definitely working out for him.”
(How big of a challenge is QB Josh Allen? He was a big challenge last year they ran for 200 yards. How much of a challenge is it now?) – ‘It’s no secret. Last year it was he might can run or whatever; but he can run. He can break your ankles. It’s just a credit to him, the athlete, the toughness he has. It’s definitely a credit to him.”
(You guys had a few games at home. Buffalo is not going to be an easy place to play. What do you like about going on the road, especially a place like that?) – “We’ve got to stick together. That’s really what it is. There is no pats on the back, there is no going home. It’s we’re out here all together and it’s really time to build as a team. Us being a young team is definitely going to help us.”
