Brian Flores – August 2, 2019
Download PDF version
Friday, August 2, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(How would you describe the difference in running back styles between RB Kalen Ballage and RB Kenyan Drake? How different are they?) – “I think they’re both really good backs. I think they both can run with power. They both have speed. They both have good vision. I think they’re both explosive backs. I think they both do a good job in the pass game. I think we’ve got a couple of good backs, but we’ve also got some good young guys who are coming along as well. Kenneth Farrow, Myles Gaskin, (Patrick) Laird, I mean all of these guys are doing a really good job. We’ve got a group of backs – Mark Walton, I don’t want to forget about him. He’s done a good job as well. I like that position. I like that group. It’s a good competition, and I think they’re all improving every day and getting better.”
(With RB Kenyan Drake and RB Kalen Ballage, how much progress have you made in figuring out how to use their skillsets, and how much will you learn tomorrow do you think?) – “I think that’s ongoing. I think we learn something a little bit more every day – what guys can do, what they can’t do, what plays work better for some guys and don’t work as well for some other guys, what positions offensively, defensively, in the kicking game are the best fit. It also ties into the best groupings or pairs in some instances. I think it’s ongoing. I just think of something defensively. These two guys, they really do a good job of working games together, or this pair of offensive linemen do a good job of passing off games. That’s an ongoing thing, and part of that is – we see it as coaches, but we need to see it on the field from a communication standpoint, from a fundamental standpoint. Both of those guys are good backs. We expect to see improvement and production from both guys.”
(Do you think by naming QB Ryan Fitzpatrick the leader in the competition publicly, that it motivated QB Josh Rosen this week?) – “My hope is that he’s motivated every day regardless of what anyone says – me, the media, anyone. It doesn’t matter. I hope that’s the case for everyone on this team. I’m very passionate about this game, so motivation is something that energy and effort and consistency – the three of those, those should be a given. My dealings with Josh and really everybody on this team is they’re motivated internally. He’s a self-starter. He’s a guy who works hard, and he’s competitive. He’s a motivated individual, as well as are a lot of guys on this team.”
(What do you think of your defensive tackle rotation/depth right now with DT Christian Wilkins and DT Davon Godchaux and then DT Vincent Taylor and DT Akeem Spence – I don’t know if DT Adolphus Washington would be No. 5, but what do you think of that right now?) – “I think it’s a good group. I think you definitely need to rotate at that position. I shouldn’t say ‘you need to rotate,’ but when you have some depth, you’d like to rotate. I think they’re all getting in good shape. I think they have a little bit of a different skillset. I think they all work hard. I think they all are strong at the point of attack and do a good job in the run game. Each one of them has a little bit different pass rush attributes. I think it’s a good group. Again, it’s another one where there’s a good amount of competition. It rolls on first down to second down to third down to the red zone and then the kicking game – field goal block to field goal protection. There’s multiple roles for big guys, big athletic guys. I think they’re doing a good job. Again, it’s about consistency. They’ve done a good job up to this point, and we just need to be more consistent. I shouldn’t say, ‘more consistent’ – continue the consistency.”
(You’ve got one practice left before the scrimmage. What will be your focus tomorrow at the scrimmage?) – “My focus in the scrimmage tomorrow will be about, let’s take the fundamentals, the technique, the things that we’ve harped on, that we’ve preached really since the spring and put them in action in what will simulate a little bit more of game-action. That’s the hope for tomorrow. Again, (it’s) just another element of the evaluation for each player. It’s an opportunity for the coaches to work in that setting as well. We try to simulate it as much as we can out here on the field. Hopefully tomorrow, getting in the booth and getting on the headsets and having everybody kind of work from that standpoint from a coaching aspect – that’ll be good.”
(Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham and Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea said to ask you where they’re going to be, so tomorrow – and maybe during the season if you can tell us that part, too – are they downstairs on the field or upstairs in the booth?) – “During the game?”
(Yeah. In the booth or on the field? Where would you like them?) – “They’re going to be on the field. I think their voices need to be heard on the field by the players. I would say most coordinators are on the field. I know there’s a handful that like to be in the booth, and I think it’s a personal preference thing, but I think they’ll both be on the field.”
(So if your offensive coordinator is on the field – I might be asking too much – but is there a person who will be solid – I know it’s a team effort – but a person who’s really going to be good eyes for Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea in the box that you know is going to be in the box?) – “We’re going to have coaches in the box, for sure – offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. All of those coaches will have a responsibility in-game. Those roles are clearly defined, and yes, there will be people and persons or persons and people (laughter) – however you want to word it – up in the box who are going to be eyes for Chad (O’Shea), eyes for Patrick (Graham), eyes for (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny (Crossman). Again, we’re all just trying to help each other put the players in the best position; so yes, we’ll have eyes for both coordinators in the box.”
(Obviously this was mainly jest earlier, but the T.N.T. wall – we’ve seen coaches run to the wall as well in addition to players. What has to happen for a coach to run to the wall?) – “We’re all in this together. I think that’s what a team is. We don’t separate the players and the coaches, the coaches and the scouts, the scouts and the executives – we’re all in this together. The coaches run. I ran yesterday. I think it’s something that if you embrace the team atmosphere, team culture, put-the-team-first type of environment, I think one run, we all run. That’s the kind of environment that we’re trying to create. The coaches, they understand that. This is not a ‘you have to do it.’ It’s a team-first attitude that we’re looking for.”
(What made you run yesterday?) – “It starts with me.”
(What happened?) – “We had an issue defensively, which falls into the ‘Takes No Talent’ category, and we ran. Mistakes happen. The idea right now is we’re trying to eliminate the ones that are pre-snap or that take no talent. We’re trying to eliminate those. Again, that starts with me. As a leader of this team, I’m going to lead by example. I told those guys that. It’s not a punishment. I know it could be perceived that way, but to me, it’s just standard operating procedure for us. If we want to execute and take care of those little things, those little details that are really focus-based and things that we can handle – that really truly, honestly just beat ourselves. So again, it’s just a reminder to the team that those are the things that stop you from winning games. That’s important detail, and we need to be on top of those.”
(Offensively, when you want to have specific lineups for down-and-distance, different packages, how do you combat that when a team is going no-huddle?) – “Keep the same group in there. Again, if they substitute then by rule, we’re allowed to substitute; but if they’re going no-huddle, then we’ve got to leave the group that’s in there. You’ve got to be multiple enough in that group with calls and fronts and coverages and pressures and exotics. If you’ve got a group that’s multiple enough to do that, then you do it. If you don’t, then they’ve got you where they want you. If you can only sit in a couple coverages, they know what you’re doing and they take advantage of it. It’s our job as coaches to create a situation defensively where we can be multiple and conversely, offensively, if we catch a team who’s stuck in a particular defense and they’ve only got a few things that they do, we have to take advantage of that. It’s a little bit of a chess match, but going no-huddle in this heat is a little – it can be tough.”
(What will the structure of your scrimmage be?) – “We’ve talked about that a lot as a staff what that’ll look like. It’ll look a like a game in a lot of ways. We may kind of skip a few – we’ll try to create some situations. So we may create a 2-minute situation at the half, one end of the game. We may create some kicking game situations. There are some specifics I have in mind that I’d like to see in this type of environment; but for the most part, it’ll just run like a game.”
(We’ve seen changes at the starting guard position the last couple of practices. Are you happy with what you’ve seen from G Michael Deiter and G Shaq Calhoun?) – “I think they’ve done a good job. (They’re) two young guys who are working hard and taking to coaching and trying to apply the coaching as much as they can. I think they’re two good young players, and they need to continue to develop, but everyone on this team needs to continue to develop and develop the consistency on a day-to-day basis from a technique and fundamental standpoint. Those guys are doing well. We’ll be moving guys around and trying to get the best group out there throughout training camp, into the preseason games and beyond that.”
(As you know, former Miami Dolphins LB Nick Buoniconti died a couple days ago. He attributed some of the problems he was having later in life to football. My question for you is how often do issues such as proper tackling technique, player safety – how often does that come up with the coaching staff and players here?) – “Well, my condolences to the Buoniconti family. He was obviously a great player for this team for a long time. (He was a) Hall of Famer. Again, we talk about tackling technique and keeping your head up for health reasons. It’s something that’s important to us as an organization. It’s something we stress. I’ve pulled people out of practices or games for bad technique and form. It’s something that’s important to this organization and to me personally. It’s a great game, but it’s a physical, tough game. There are collisions, and I think it’s part of the coaches’ and the coaching staff’s – really, at all levels – to teach the proper form and technique so that we can avoid the head and neck injuries if we can.”
