Brian Flores – November 1, 2019
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Friday, November 1, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(One real positive is the few penalties that you have. That TNT wall clearly has worked. Are you happy about that? Was there any guy over the last few years who said, “Oh, why do we have to run to a wall?”) – “Everyone’s got their different ways of showing how important those – from penalties to turnovers to communication to not blowing an assignment – everyone’s, you run a lap or you run to a wall or you just outright just yell at the guy. I think every coach has different ways to get that point across. I think from a penalties standpoint, I think that’s gotten across to our group. I hate to even talk about it because we’ll probably go out there and it won’t be the way it’s been the last few weeks; but there’s a lot of other things on that wall that we could a lot better job with – turnovers being No. 1 on my list. That’s the goal for this week, is to limit the turnovers and create some more and hopefully we can get that done.”
(It seemed like there was a few last week that DBs got their hands on and couldn’t quite bring them down. How do you kind of look at that where guys who don’t work on the J.U.G.S. machine a lot but those plays are still game-changers?) – “Like you said, they’re game-changing plays. Every turnover is, wherever it shows up – offensively, defensively or in the kicking game. We had some opportunities last week. Last week, we didn’t take advantage of them. They did and that ended up being the difference in the game. That’s the difference most weeks. I would say, I guess the silver lining there is that we did have some opportunities; but at the end of the day, it’s just a long foul ball if you don’t take advantage. We’ve got to do a better job form that standpoint whether it’s getting on a fumble or making a play on an interception or punching the ball out. There still are several opportunities and there have been over the past few weeks that we’ve got to take advantage of.”
(Do you think S Reshad Jones or C Daniel Kilgore have a good chance?) – “Both guys are really working but we’ll see. I think it’ll be tight for both guys. The injury report comes out in a couple minutes so we’ll see.”
(You guys obviously have the top waiver claim coming up and WR Josh Gordon was just released by the Patriots. Did you guys put a claim on him?) – “Those conversations are between (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and I and (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore). I’m not going to give that information out in a press conference. They’re internal. We’ll keep them internal. Obviously we do work on everyone on the waiver wire, so it’s a daily thing. We look at everybody who’s been waived, who’s been terminated, practice squad transactions – we look at it all. Those guys do a really good job of (that) and our personnel staff. They do a good job of scouting through it all. You can basically – every guy that’s on that, we have a conversation on. Obviously we’ve talked about Josh and we’ll see what happens then.”
(After seeing S Bobby McCain at safety back in May, April-May, obviously you made the decision to leave him there even though he could play corner. With CB Eric Rowe, have you seen enough at safety – obviously he’s tackled well and done some other things well – have you seen enough to want to leave him there, or do you think he’s still a corner who you can occasionally play at safety when you want?) – “I think he’s a defensive back. I think it depends on the week. It could be a corner. It could a safety. It could be a nickel. It could be a linebacker some weeks. I think his versatility is important to us and it’s allowed us to do a few different things. I think he’s in a good place right now and hopefully he continues to grow in the position that he’s in now, but that could change very quickly. We’ve – clearly we’ve had some injuries at the corner position – and hopefully we can – what I know about Eric (Rowe) is whatever we need, he’ll do his best and try to give it to us. I love that about him.”
(WR Preston Williams leads the team in receiving and yards. WR DeVante Parker leads in touchdowns. You guys are getting contributions from WR Albert Wilson, WR Jakeem Grant and WR Allen Hurns in recent weeks. How do you like your receivers group where it is right now?) – “I like it. I think we’re gelling as a receiver group, as an offensive unit – quarterback, tight ends, o-line, backs, receivers – but that group, I think they’ve really done a good job. I think they work well together. They watch film together. They work out together. There’s a good rapport and working environment there from that group and a lot of other groups. Each one of them has their own skillset. Hurns is tough, reliable (and has) really good hands. Preston – obviously he’s made some big plays. DeVante is the same way. Albert is an explosive playmaker. Jakeem is explosive as well. We like them all. Isaiah Ford – he’s gone in there and made a few plays as well. I like the group, but we’re just continually trying to get better and improve.”
Ken Crawley – October 31, 2019
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Thursday, October 31, 2019
CB Ken Crawley
(Tell me about coming into a new situation like this and you don’t know your teammates, you don’t know the defense, the calls – how tough is that?) – “I feel like it’s kind of a little easy transition to me. They play a lot of man, so I’m kind of used to it. The verbiage is kind of different plus learning these new guys and stuff, relationship-wise. I kind of know a couple people here. I’m a fun guy to be around. I’m not that type of dude that comes in with a big attitude. I’m just trying to fit in. That’s it. And I’m just trying to help these guys. That’s it.”
(We hear a lot when we talk about continuity and familiarity. It’s usually with the offensive line. How does it work for the secondary? Do you guys have to be together or can your individual abilities kind of carry you forward?) – “To me, I feel like if you can cover, you can cover; but at a point in time, you need that rush. That rush complements the coverage. It complements the coverage. It works hand-in-hand. These guys, you work together, but sometimes the corners have got to bail the d-line out or the d-line has to bail us out. I feel like it’s not that far off. There’s a little stuff we’ve got to get fixed up, but it’s moving in the right direction to me.”
(Are you glad the Dolphins claimed you because they have – and not just having a job – but also the fact there might be opportunity for playing time on defense?) – “Yeah, it’s kind of crazy because I was talking to my agent and I was saying the ideal place for me to play right now and just help out and try to grow with the guys, is Miami. It’s crazy how God works and it came through for us, so I’m excited to be here. I’m trying to play whatever they try to put me at whether it’s special teams, nickel, corner, safety or whatever. I’m just trying to play and help these guys win.”
(How tough was it going to the guy who started 20-plus NFL games to not playing much this year?) – “It was tough, but my mindset is different. I’ve been through much (more) rough stuff than that. I’ve got a good head on my shoulders and I didn’t let that put me down. I would just come to work every day as (if) I’ve been the starter. Working, working my tail off, helping those guys get better, so I kind of transitioned to a leader role with those guys – helping them out (with) extra film study and just me getting better (with) scout team or whatever I can plug in just to help those guys.”
(When you say you’ve been through rougher stuff than that, what do you consider the biggest hurdle you’ve had to go through either in football or in life?) – “Just in life. I said life. I’m from D.C. I’m from the trenches. That and just growing up without a father, my situation with college and just being the only person in my family to go to college. I went to the University of Colorado and when I was there, we had two coaches and we didn’t win at all when I was there. It was kind of like a rough time and I wanted to leave, but I’m not that type of player to leave on my guys. Most of the guys when I left, they got drafted; so I was with a great group of guys. Chidobe (Awuzie) – he plays for the Cowboys. We’ve got Ahkello Witherspoon – plays with the 49ers. ‘P-Rich’ – Paul Richardson with the Redskins. We’ve got a couple of dudes. Just a great group of guys and just tough times. I went from D.C. to Colorado with one of my best friends, and it was kind of a different vibe. I had to adjust with those guys so it was kind of different. With me, I can get through anything, so it’s not new.”
(So by the time you were finishing up in Colorado, you had started to win, right?) – “No, I wasn’t there when they won. They won the season after I left. They won. They went to the Pac-12 (championship game).”
(So now you’re coming to a team that hasn’t won also. Is there something you can tell these in terms of sticking with it?) – “Just stick with it. Just come to work and get better every day. If it’s something that I learned with the Saints because I learned a lot – ‘Coach AG’ (Saints Defensive Backs Coach Aaron Glenn) – I learned a lot with him. If anything, I can just tell these guys route recognition, noticing formations and what’s coming on, third-and-short, first down, key plays and stuff like that. I’m willing to tell these guys and help these guys.”
(Two years ago you had an interception against the Dolphins. Is there anything that stands out today about that?) – “It kind of – when I got on the field in practice, it kind of brought back memories of going against them and then my last game before I played last week was against (the Dolphins) in preseason. I’m fortunate to be here. I’m just excited. I’m ready to get to work.”
(Do you ever have to sit with the d-line in the locker room in here?) – “At the Saints when I was there, the d-line was kind of like family so I’m kind of used to those guys. They’re pretty cool. (laughter)”
(Did you have a final conversation with Saints Head Coach Sean Payton when they released you after being around them for four years? What was that like?) – “I didn’t, but me and him are kind of close. We were kind of close. I talked to the whole d(efensive) staff and those guys. Those guys are still texting me. It’s just a business. We’re in a business, so I don’t fault those guys. They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do.”
Albert Wilson – October 31, 2019
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Thursday, October 31, 2019
WR Albert Wilson
(Take us to the Pittsburgh game. What were the emotions like, you guys up 14-0, you guys are grooving, everything going right. What was it like on the sideline for you guys?) – “It was a good moment. Everybody was feeling it. (There was a) positive mindset (and) just felt like everything was cooking for us. It felt like everything we’ve been putting on the practice field was finally coming to light and we kind of just stepped back from doing that and it kind of got away from us and it just shows how talented everyone in this league is. In just the blink of an eye, you go from winning 14-0 to now you’re down. I feel like it was a good thing, a good first half for the team, and for the team to go through this, I felt like it was something we needed to do. Now we’re planning for the Jets. (We’ve got to) come at it. We had a pretty good practice and we’re looking forward to moving on.”
(For you, how do you feel personally now coming back here? You dealt with some injuries. How do you feel from kind of a health standpoint and getting back in the flow?) – “I feel really good, just going out there day after day of just continuing to get better, continuing to get out there and run my routes and get more comfortable after these injuries; but yeah, I’m feeling really good right now.”
(You had the celebration after the touchdown with your teammates. How much fun is that for you to enjoy where you get those guys involved?) – “It’s great. It’s great. Like you said, get everybody involved and get everybody’s emotions in and just jumping around and just getting them hyped up. I feel like it did us justice. The defense started it off with an interception. They did it and I feel like when I did it – when I scored and (Allen) Hurns kept it going – I felt like that’s the energy we need and I’m going to just try to bring it every time I’m on the field.”
(You jumped up 14-0 in the first quarter. What positives are you taking away from that part of the game where you really jumped out in the first quarter?) – “Just the obvious that we’re able to do this. We’re good enough to be up in the first half 14-0 and the first quarter 14-0, just knowing the things that we are (capable) of doing. So we just need to continue to build on that, go out here and continue to have good weeks of practice and go out there and try to put on game film.”
(How do you feel about seeing your old coach on the other sideline on Sunday?) – “It’s a good challenge. We kind of know each other, so like I said, it’ll be a good challenge. I’m looking forward to seeing those guys. I wish them success, but I’m looking forward to playing them on Sunday.”
(Was that kind of a relief getting in the end zone because it’s been a little while for you?) – “Yeah, it has. Definitely. It’s always good to get in the end zone. That’s what they’re paying us to do, so to finally get in there, it was a great feeling. I’m looking forward to being there more.”
(Maybe the atmosphere on Sunday – we all know how Jets and Dolphins can be a rivalry game – but add the bonus of Jets Head Coach Adam Gase coming back and this team needing a win, what are you expecting on Sunday, just from the stadium and the crowd?) – “A lot of energy. I feel like they’re definitely going to come down here and just want to get a win because they were here. I feel like the fans want to see it. I feel like the players, we want the matchup. We’re looking forward to it. We knew this week was going to come since the day he signed (with them), so it’s nothing new to us. It’s another week. We’re looking forward to it and we’re excited to play.”
Brian Flores – October 31, 2019
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Thursday, October 31, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I know of course once a guy starts practicing he’s designated as a guy to return in one of the two slots which you have to use, so we saw yesterday LB Andrew Van Ginkel and T Julién Devenport walking around the locker room. They seemed fine obviously, just in terms of their gait. Are any of those guys – or DE Jonathan Ledbetter – are they physical able to practice yet where you just don’t want to make a decision yet on which two guys you’re going to activate or none of them physically able to practice yet?) – “I guess my first thought is their gait in the locker room. (laughter) That’s not the barometer we’re looking for. (laughter) That’s not really something I’m pinpointing as far as whether or not they’re going to get back to practice. (laughter) All of those guys you mentioned, they’re working well. We’re actually going to bring Davenport – he’s going to practice today and that’ll just start the clock. We’ll just see how this works. Obviously, like you said, we only have two guys we can bring back. Julién will be out there today. We’re excited to get him back out there. He’s been working as hard as anyone from a rehab standpoint, from a training standpoint (and) wants to get out there. We know that there will be some rust from not being in practice for a long period of time. We’ll try to knock some of that off and get him going. As far as the other guys, they’re still working their way back. Maybe if you see them jogging in the locker room, that’ll give you a little better barometer. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Xavien Howard as well and the thinking in that decision to shut him down for the year?) – “We just felt like that was the best decision for ‘X.’ He’s been dealing with the knee for some time. It’s something that, thinking long-term and his career and his future with this team, we just felt like that was the best move. Obviously, there was a lot of thought, a lot of conversation and we just felt like that was the best thing for him and for this team.”
(I know CB Xavien Howard is eligible, I think, for the last game or two of the season.) – “We’ll see how that goes. Look, any time you can play, that helps the team, that helps your confidence, that helps getting back into a football environment, that’s always good. But we’re obviously going to take a long-term approach and a long-term thought and vision on it. I’m not ruling anything out, but we’re going to do what’s best for ‘X’ and this team, this organization.”
(CB Xavien Howard has had some knee injuries in the past and some surgeries. Did you guys talk in-house about that and his long-term viability?) – “Yeah, we talk about past injuries. That’s just a small part of the evaluation of each player. Again, obviously whether it be performance on the field, production, injury history, the way they communicate, there’s a litany of things we talk about when we evaluate each player. Injury history is obviously a part of that. Yeah, that’s part of the evaluation and part of what goes into our decision making. In this case, to put a player on IR, to bring a player back, to sign a player, not sign a player, it’s all part of that process. We try to take a thorough approach. We do that in all cases.”
(Staying on the corners, how is CB Ken Webster? How’s his outlook for this week?) – “Ken, he’s dealing with an injury. He’s doing everything he can to get back. I think in a lot of ways with him along with some other guys, we’ve got to hold them back from themselves in some cases. We’ll see. It’ll be close. It’ll be close with Ken; but he’s doing everything possible to get out there.”
(Will CB Xavien Howard require surgery at some point and do you think by shutting him down now eases any concern in the future about his knees?) – “We’re not going to divulge any medical information on our guys. I think everything’s on the table. These things we discuss as an organization. I’ve had conversations with him, but those are internal discussions I should say. We’ll do what’s best for ‘X;’ ‘X’ will do what’s best for himself. We’re all kind of a part of that. There’s a few different routes we can go. At the end of the day, his long-term – there’s a long-term vision in place on really him and really all players.”
(You brought TE Clive Walford back yesterday. What sort of role do you see him having this weekend against the Jets?) – “Clive, I thought he had a really good preseason. (I was) really happy with how he played then and practiced and what type of player he was, the type of – what he brought to this team. Then he got injured, so that was unfortunate. His role is going to be what he makes of it. That’s the case for every player. He’s got a couple days here of practice. We had a walkthrough yesterday, so we’ll practice today. If he goes out there and has a good practice, then we’ll talk more about his role. If he doesn’t, then we’ll talk more about his role then, too. (laughter)”
(What are TE Clive Walford’s biggest assets that he brings?) – “He’s a tough kid. Football is very important to him. He’s obviously got length and speed and catches the ball well. He’s a good player.”
(You had mentioned a minute ago CB Xavien Howard will do what’s best for himself, which is what you would expect I think of any player really. But philosophically speaking not just about ‘X,’ how do you feel about players getting a second opinion away from team doctors?) – “I think that’s the right thing to do. The first thing that comes to mind is I’ve got family members who’ve been sick. Yeah, you get a second opinion, that’s what you do. I think it’s the right approach to make sure you’re doing everything, taking every step to make the right decision for yourself, your family and your personal well-being. I have no issue with that. I think players should take advantage of that. I think that’s the smart thing to do. It’s not just in this instance because it’s an injury. Any sickness, any illness, any situation where you can get a second opinion, a second set of eyes on it, I think you should do that. I know I do that from a football standpoint. Am I looking at this correctly? If somebody sees something else that I’m not seeing, I think that’s how you should approach really any decision, specifically any big decision. That’s just my personal opinion on that.”
(In terms of NFL starts, CB Ken Crawley is suddenly your most experienced healthy corner. Did you all sign him purely for depth or did you sign him thinking if he practices well, he could play a lot for us?) – “Experienced in that he’s been in this league, but to go into a new system it’s almost, it’s brand new. From that standpoint, yeah, he’s played games. We like what we’ve seen from him. That’s why we claimed him. But like anyone else going into a new environment, I’m sure he doesn’t even know where the practice field is. Someone’s going to have to walk him out there. He’s got experience, but in this system (and) in this building, he’s going to have to find his way. I have confidence that he’ll be able to do that, but this isn’t a – we’ll see what it looks like in practice today. Obviously we brought him here because we feel like he can help this team. I know and understand that it takes a little bit of time.”
(How important is it for you to have players in your secondary stay with the team and learn your system at least one season, two season, three seasons to really hone the defense?) – “In a perfect world, that’s the way it is. Unfortunately this isn’t a perfect world and people get injured. Moves are made. It’s our jobs as coaches to coach the guys we have here, and if we get new guys, we’ve got to get them on board and get them up to speed as quickly as possible; but yeah, in a perfect world, there’s continuity. You have guys who have been on a team for four or five years and they know what you’re going to say before you say it. That would be great. That’s not the case in this league because there’s so much movement. There’s so much transition year-to-year, but that’s part of the challenge and it’s part of the challenge of coaching. I enjoy that.”
(With guys like CB Jomal Wiltz, CB Chris Lammons and S Steven Parker, CB Ryan Lewis – these guys that you brought on this season – have you seen anything in there…?) – “You don’t know these guys by heart yet? (laughter)”
(I’m just trying to name everybody. Do you know them by heart? There’s been a lot of them.) – “(laughter) I mean, I’m pretty good. I can get them all.”
(With some of those guys in your secondary, have you seen some play and some signs there that these guys could be a part of the team in the future?) – “Yeah. I think it takes time. You can see things that we said in Week 1 or in the preseason that you felt like you weren’t sure if they fully understood it. They understand some of those things now. Those lightbulb moments that you have in Week 2 (and) Week 3, you’re starting to see it show up in games – not as much as we want obviously – but I think over time that continuity, it’ll show itself more consistently than it has; but it takes time and it’s one of those things where I think the guys you mentioned – (Jomal) Wiltz, (Chris) Lammons, Ryan Lewis – guys like that who have only been here a couple weeks, couple months, however long it’s been; I think they grow within the system. They help each other with the communication and they start to see how everything kind of fits. I’ve seen improvement for sure.”
(I was going to ask you about RB Patrick Laird and how would you assess his progress this season and are you getting close to the point where you might want to see what he can do on offense?) – “I think Patrick (Laird) has done a good job. I come in Tuesday mornings; it’s their day off and he’s in there getting a workout, getting a lift, watching film. He’s doing a lot of the things – a lot of right things I would say – from a preparation standpoint. From a preparation standpoint, he’s doing a lot of good things and he’s shown up in the kicking game for us. He did a good job out of the backfield in the preseason and I think he’ll be ready if we call his number. He’s always ready. Again, as the season progresses, if he does get an opportunity on offense, then he’s just got to take advantage of it, and I think he’s doing everything possible to take advantage of it. To me that process is very important.”
Brian Flores – October 30, 2019 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call with N.Y. Jets Media
(I know the wins aren’t there, but the team seems to be playing hard and what do you see out of that? Do you feel like this is getting close?) – “I think every week, these guys – regardless of the outcome – they come in and work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. These guys are motivated. They work hard in meetings, in practice and walkthrough, and I think they’re trying to improve, get better and really at the end of the day, that’s all I can really ask out of them. I think we’ve got a good process. We try to go about that process every week and see where the chips fall on Sundays (or) Monday in the last case actually.”
(When you look at this Jets team you’re running into, obviously a quarterback in Sam Darnold who is struggling. What do you see from this team the last couple of games and how much of a challenge is it to play another team that’s extremely desperate for a win?) – “I think just in the case of Sam Darnold, I think he’s gone up against two pretty good defenses the last couple weeks, and I think personally, this a good young quarterback. He’s got a quick release, can make all of the throws. He’s had some really good games, and that’s what I always expect from him. I expect his best. There’s some good skill players over there as well, so we’re going to have our hands full.”
(What has the process been like going from coordinator in obviously a well-respected and very successful franchise to the head guy and all that you have to deal with, especially during a season like this when you’re going in a direction that seems more based for the future? How tough is that for you?) – “I think it’s been – it’s hard for me to have any complaints. This is a dream come true for me. This job, it’s something I’ve worked towards for a long time. Any adversity, any tough times – I think that’s just part of the process for me and this organization. There’s no heartache or anger or anything. I just try to come to work every day and never make excuses and hopefully our team’s this way, too. We’re not going to make excuses, we’re not going to point fingers, we’re not going to place blame, we’re not going to do anything like that. We’re just going to come to work every day and try every week to get better … I want these guys to play hard and compete. We’re going to compete. I’m going to compete every day. I don’t care what the outcome is. I think if I do that and this team is a reflection of me, I think things will turn at some point.”
(I know it’s only been – you’re going into Week 9 here – but what’s the biggest thing that you’ve learned from being a head coach so far and how much is it different than what you might have expected?) – “There’s a lot. Every time I step on the field in the game or the practice, I learn something whether it’s maybe we needed a couple more plays in the red zone or every game just from a game-management situation, it is an experience and a good one for me – timeouts, challenge flags, conversations with officials. It’s all been a learning experience for me and I find myself constantly writing down things that I would do better and things that I would do differently in an effort to just improve what I’m doing, too. Look, I don’t have all the answers; but I’m certainly willing to kind of learn and try to improve daily.”
(How beneficial is it for you to have worked for a guy like Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick who has the thing down so well and you can look to and learn from him?) – “I think my – I was very fortunate to be around Bill, but I was very fortunate to be around a lot of coaches in that building from Bill to Dante Scarnecchia to Ivan Fears to Josh McDaniels to Billy O’Brien, Scott O’Brien – I don’t want to leave anybody out – Matt Patricia. I was very fortunate. Romeo Crennel. Charlie Weis. Scott Pioli in personnel. I was around a lot of talented individuals in scouting and coaching. Thomas Dimitroff. There’s a lot of guys who come through there. I tried to be a sponge when I was there and I took a little bit from everyone and built a lot of great relationships. I think each one of those in some or fashion has kind of helped me get to this point and obviously those are guys that I can call on if I’ve got a question or just want to bounce some things off of. That entire stretch was great, but I also kind of think back to my early coaches – my high school coach, my college coaches, even some Pop Warner coaches who I stay in touch with, and I’ve been lucky to have a lot of mentors and people who helped me along the way.”
Jakeem Grant – October 30, 2019
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Wednesday, October 30, 2019
WR Jakeem Grant
(I know it sticks out for the fans that the Dolphins are playing their former head coach this week. Is that something that maybe the players get a little motivation behind, maybe a little grudge match? Is that element in your head, for the guys that were here last year?) – “No, not really. Not to me. Me personally, I have a relationship with him outside of football. I’d say just for me, it will be great seeing him just because I have a relationship with him. It will be great to go against him, just knowing that he was the coach that drafted me and things of that nature. It will be great seeing him just in general.”
(It’s special for you for that reason?) – “Yes, because I’ve got a relationship with him outside of football. It has nothing to do with football. It will be great. He’s a great coach and I know he has a great game plan and so do we.”
(The thing you remember about Adam Gase just from your time with him – a particular anecdote or something that you recall about him in a smiling way?) – “I’d just say me personally, he truly cared about me. That’s what I love about him. It has nothing to do with football. Me and him have a relationship outside of football. Like I said, I talk to him outside of football. Whenever the season is not going, I just talk to him. He asks me how my family is doing and I ask him the same, and just things of that nature.”
(It’s hard for guys like you and WR Albert Wilson who have had injuries, with the type of skillset you have in terms of speed and explosiveness, to be what you were immediately after you were hurt. Do you feel like you’re all the way back or do you still feel like you’re not totally back to where you were before the hamstring?) – “Yeah. Every day I’m progressing and every day I’m going to continue to go out there and get better. I feel like I’ve just got to continue to push myself to get better and better each and every day so the coaches know that I’m 100 percent and they can get ready to roll.”
(Are you close?) – “Oh yeah, definitely close.”
Jerome Baker – October 30, 2019
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Wednesday, October 30, 2019
LB Jerome Baker
(What would it mean to beat the former head coach and be able to have that up on them as a little motivation?) – “It’ll be big, but I don’t think it’d be big because we beat him. It’d be big because we finally got it down, we finally got a win. We’re not going to focus on beating him necessarily. We’re going to focus on beating the Jets. It’s definitely going to be a good one.”
(The second halves have been difficult, that’s the trend. Is there anything you can do to prepare differently to make sure that doesn’t happen again or is it just a thing that is happening?) – “It’s all a mentality thing. We’ve shown ourselves that we can play in the first half, we can play with anybody. The second half, we’ve got to have that mentality of we can’t let it slip away. We have to do the same things we’ve been doing, we have to up our game more and more and more. We can’t just ooze out and hope for the best. It’s all a mentality.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – October 30, 2019
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Wednesday, October 30, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Just thoughts on how you’ve played so far since being back as the starter. Are you pleased with what you’ve done? You’ve obviously had some good moments.) – “I think I just need to be more consistent and we’re all working on that right now, just becoming more consistent as a unit, and that definitely starts with the quarterback. That’s something I need to do and there’s a million different things in terms of communication, in terms of my recognition pre and post-snap and what I’m seeing in terms of accuracy, getting the ball out and all of those different things. I just need to continue to do a better job of that and continue to grow as a quarterback and as I go, this offense will go.”
(With the way that you guys played against Pittsburgh, would you describe yourself as a tough team considering they had sort of manhandled you guys on the line of scrimmage?) – “Can you repeat that? Sorry.”
(Based on the way that you guys played against Pittsburgh – a physical team – would you guys describe yourself as a tough team considering it seemed like you got manhandled on the offensive line?) – “It didn’t seem that way in the first quarter, just being able to put those two touchdown drives together. I think sometimes some of that stuff gets blown out of proportion a little bit when you’re behind and throwing every play and they’re pinning their ears back. That’s not a great situation to be in sometimes, but it’s amazing that it’s such a week-to-week league because two weeks ago, no sacks and singing the praises of how these guys are coming together and then this last week some questions marks and all that; but I just will continue to say we’re getting better. We’re improving. Those guys are working hard and I’m really pleased with the guys we have up there. I’m happy to be in the huddle with them.”
(What’s going on in the second half? We talk about consistency. One thing that’s consistent throughout this entire season is you’ve only scored 20 points in the second half. What’s going on and is there any parallel you can think of in your very long career where you’ve gone through something like this?) – “It’s been – it’s obvious we’ve had trouble scoring in general this year, but I really – as I look at the season, I almost just push the first two games out and then focus on the rest of it. Two of those touchdowns or scoring drives came in the Washington game in the fourth quarter; but yeah, we just have to continue to get better and more consistent because we’ve struggled both in the first and second half, so I don’t know that it’s all a second half problem. I think sometimes when you fall behind, you get out of the game plan and what you’re trying to do which makes it a little more difficult. I think just overall, continue to be more consistent as an offense.”
(A non-football question: your wife must be gold taking care of seven kids.) – “She is.”
(Can you talk a little bit about that and just elaborate a little bit about your wife and what she’s doing this season?) – “I would say it might be a little easier this year with seven kids rather than me being home and having eight kids around. (laughter) Because I’m not very good at bedtime with getting the kids all riled up. Especially when she travels and does things, I’m almost in the way sometimes. She’s unbelievable and she does it with a smile on her face every day and just has a great love for life, and that’s something that trickles down to our kids. I got very lucky in finding her. It’s been awesome. It’s been a lot of fun and she makes my life a lot easier.”
(Do you FaceTime your family regularly during the week?) – “Yeah.”
(That’s how you visit with your kids each day, I would guess.) – “Yeah, a lot of FaceTime. Trying to go back and forth (to Tampa) on off days and things like that, and they’ll come for home games every now and again. Just seeing them as much as I can.”
(She wants you to play until you’re how old?) – “She’s fully supportive of whatever decision I want to make.”
(But she doesn’t want you at home, it sounds like.) – “(laughter) No, she’s okay with me continuing to play, but I’m sure she’d be okay with me being done as well.”
(I actually have a question about how they commute. How do you get seven kids to a football game?) – “Either flying – like she’ll bring them all on a flight – or we have a big ol’ Nissan Envy – a 12-passenger van that basically is just a people mover that she’ll drive back and forth. It just depends on what’s going on with activities and stuff with the kids, but she’ll do either. Seven kids on its own every day is amazing, but watching her walk through an airport with seven kids is pretty incredible as well. (laughter) I know she could write a book – and she never would – but she could a write a book about it and how to do it because it’s pretty incredible.”
