Minkah Fitzpatrick – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(Have you gotten advice on how to prepare for such a quick turnaround? Have you gotten advice from your teammates?) – “The main thing they say is to take care of your body. Like you said, it’s a quick turnaround. We played a tough game yesterday. So you just have to take care of your body, study as much film as you can because you don’t really take too much practice reps. So you just have to watch as much film as you can, break it down and that’s it.”
(Your thoughts on QB Deshaun Watson?) – “He’s a great quarterback. I played him multiple times in college. When I went against him, he made some amazing plays. He’s a tough player. He can take some hits, make some amazing throws, great throws. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us. He’s going to be one of the better quarterbacks we play this year. Like I said, it’s going to be a challenge; but we just have to step up, do what we do and lock it down.”
(You look forward to a challenge. You smiled when we mentioned QB Deshaun Watson, why is that?) – “When you’re presented with a challenge, that means you have to be on your A-plus game. I think that’s when I perform my best when I’m going against the best. You just have to lock in, clench your jaw, do what you have to do to win the game and just perform.”
(With a guy like QB Deshaun Watson at your position, you said you have experience against him. Do you know when to come up or to sit back? Is there something that you notice about him?) – “You have to cover the whole time until he crosses the line. That’s the toughest thing about playing against him because I think the second time I played against him, there would be time where he’s just running right on the border. He’s just running back and forth and you want to jump up and bite and sometimes people do and that’s when he dunks the ball right over your head or makes a good throw. You just have to be real disciplined in coverage; but also at the same time, contain him in the pocket with the d-line and in the back end just cover your man as long as you have to.”
(Do you talk to QB Deshaun Watson before or after the game?) – “I never got a chance to.”
(Is QB Deshaun Watson the best quarterback you ever faced in college?) – “Yes, I would say so. Yes, sir.”
(You and QB Deshaun Watson got a little rivalry going I guess dating back to college?) – “You could say that. Clemson and Alabama, two great programs the last couple years, so there’s a little bit of rivalry in the air I guess you could say.”
(I guess you all won one?) – “Yes, sir.”
(What went wrong on defense yesterday?) – “Just a couple different things. I can’t really say specifics right now. I’m going to go watch the film in a little bit with the coaches and everybody. It just comes down to execution, everybody doing their job. That’s it.”
(You guys have, throughout the season, maybe given up some yards and made that big play when you needed to. Why couldn’t that big play get made yesterday I guess is the question?) – “It comes down to what I just said, just execution. Those big plays happen on our side of the ball when we just do our job. There might be some leakage yards. Somebody might make an amazing play. But when everybody is doing their job, that big play comes on defense. You get that pick, you get that tipped ball. Yesterday, it just didn’t happen for some reason.”
(We know CB Bobby McCain is a veteran. What’s the difference in having him back out there on the field?) – “Just experience. He’s real knowledgeable. All of us in the back end, we communicate a whole lot. We just talk. You can see plays … I was watching film earlier today and there was a play where it just looked like we were having a whole conversation, but we were just talking about moving, leverage, stuff like that. The play was coming and having him out there and having his mind out there and his energy out there was real good.”
(With CB Xavien Howard now shadowing guys, teams are putting their best receivers inside the slot. The Bengals did that with WR A.J. Green. How much are you looking forward to that challenge let’s say if WR DeAndre Hopkins goes inside?) – “It’s going to be a challenge. He’s a great receiver. You see him making plays all over the field, making amazing catches and stuff like that. Like I was talking about earlier, whenever a challenge is presented, that’s when I like to perform. I’ve got to do my job. I’m going to get better, he’s going to get better, and I have to step up to it no matter if I’m a rookie or a 10-year vet. He’s just another person lined up in front of me. I have to do my job.”
(What is it about WR Jakeem Grant’s determination and drive that makes him play a little bit bigger than what his size is?) – “It’s just that: he’s tough. He’s undersized, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to him. He plays with a whole lot of energy, a whole lot of passion. He’s tough. He doesn’t want to get beat. He doesn’t want anybody to cover him. I think people overrate size sometimes. I think he understands that and he doesn’t let that hold him back. He’s one of the fastest people out there, so he uses that to his advantage and he’s just explosive.”
(What has it been like playing next to CB Xavien Howard?) – “It’s been good. I feel like he’s kind of an underrated guy across the league. Last year he played really well and this year he’s been playing great. He’s been shutting everything down. I feel like he’s just doing his job out there. He’s just waiting on his moment for everybody to recognize who he is and the job that he does. It’s been awesome playing with him. I’m looking forward to the future.”
(Has CB Xavien Howard mentioned how he’s going home to Houston? Did you know that?) – “Yes. Xavien and ‘Mo’ (Maurice) Smith, they both talk about it any time, the whole time. They both haven’t been back in a long time, so (they are) excited to get back and play in front of their families.”
(You’re no stranger to playing on big stages, obviously. How do you prepare mentally at the NFL level for a Thursday Night Football game?) – “You just have to watch a whole lot of film, because we’re not practicing a whole lot. We’re just doing a lot of walkthroughs. It’s more mental than it is physical. You just have to break down as much film as you can, talk to your coaches, talk to everybody else on the defense, on the defensive secondary, and try to understand the other team you’re playing against because you don’t want to wear yourself out physically. We just played a tough game on Sunday, so just preparing mentally is going to be real important.”
(How do you adjust physically to the pace of this condensed week?) – “You just have to take care of your body as much as you can. Yesterday, the hot tub and cold tub. Today, it’s the same thing. Stretch. Loosen up. Massage. Get everything loosened up and ready twice as fast as you would for a Sunday game.”
