Brian Flores – September 19, 2019
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Thursday, September 19, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I know we’ve moved on past the S Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, but there was one thing that would bother me if I didn’t ask you, and it’s a better question for you than for General Manager Chris Grier. I know last year, Minkah, when he was in slot – his coverage area was 49 passer rating against. On the boundary, 80 passer rating against. One number is exceptional. One number is good. Why not just allow him to play one of those or both of those spots and relent to his request to do that and move forward with the player?) – “I would say that is – I’m really – My focus is on Dallas. Minkah is in Pittsburgh. We wish him all the best. I think he’s a good player. I think there was – I wish it could’ve been different; but the situation is what it is, and to spend energy talking about why this, why that – I’d rather spend my energy someplace else.”
(And one non-Minkah thing. Just as far as understanding your general philosophy, do you feel like the coach – and I can understand this if you feel this way – do you feel like the coach always should have final say in how a player used even if the player wants to be used differently? Is it the coach’s job to know, “hey, this is how you should be used. I don’t need to know your opinion about how you feel on the issue.”) – “Can you repeat the question?”
(Yeah, if a player asks you to play a certain position – if he expresses a preference – is your opinion as the coach always should be the one to make that decision and the coach should never acquiesce to the player about he wants to be used? Not S Minkah Fitzpatrick specifically, obviously – a general philosophy question.) – “I would say, I think there are multiple answers to that. Yes, as a coach, you want to put a player in a position he feels comfortable in, as well as a position that we feel is best for that particular player and for the team. I think the player – in our building – most players feel the same way. I think we’re always trying to put guys in the best position to help the team. That will never change. Sometimes, players are in positions where they aren’t as comfortable, but they’re doing it and for the team, so that’s kind of my thought there.”
(Regarding LB Sam Eguavoen, he’s a guy who we know has played pro football but not NFL football through two games which is a small sample size. What have you observed about him? How has the transition been for him?) – “I think he’s done a good job. I think this is a guy that’s tough. He’s smart. He works extremely hard. He’s in here early. He stays late. I think he’s played well in the kicking game. He’s gotten some opportunities defensively and played well there. Hopefully he continues to improve and grow. I think we’ve got a good player there.”
(Has there been anything on the field that LB Sam Eguavoen has done well whether it’s reading his keys or coverage or attacking plays or anything along those lines?) – “I would say he’s gotten better in every area – reading his keys, coverage, tackling, fitting the run – and I think that’s kind of showed up in games a little bit. There’s obviously some things he could do better. He’s working on those. Communication. He’s done a lot of good things. Football is very important to him. He’s obviously taken advantage of an opportunity here, and hopefully he continues to do that.”
(You guys have produced three sacks in two games. Where is your comfort level with not just the sacks, but the amount of pressures that you’re getting as a team?) – “I think we need to do a better job there. It’s something we’ve talked about as a staff – how to create more pressure whether it’s blitzing more or five-man pressure or just winning one-on-one rushes. It’s something we’ve talked about. Obviously we’ve got to put the opponent into those passing situations to create those opportunities. We need to do more of that. I think it’s – there’s a lot that goes into it, and we have to do a better job overall as a team. We’ve talked about that as a staff, and hopefully we get an opportunity to do that on Sunday.”
(Barring QB Ryan Fitzpatrick being ill or hurt, can you now say with certainty he’ll start Sunday, or is there still some question about that?) – “Yeah, right now he’s the starter. Again, we split reps every day. Josh (Rosen) has had to go in both games. He’ll be ready to go if we need him; but yeah, that’s where we’re at.”
(How has QB Josh Rosen responded this week at practice with the leg after being rolled up on Sunday?) – “Well, he went right back in the game. He responded well. It’s the first couple of weeks of the season. Everybody has a ding or a bruise. Guys are playing through some things. It’s no different for him, and I think he’s working through it.”
(How is G Michael Deiter doing?) – “I think he’s – He’s a rookie. He’s leaning how to play in this league. From an assignment standpoint, from a communications standpoint, he’s been good. From a technique, fundamentals, execution standpoint against two good defenses, I think he’s done a good job; but I think it could always be better. I think every experience is a good one for him, especially as a young player. I like where he’s going. I’d say he’s trending up.”
(What type of role are you looking for out of S Doug Middleton – the safety you signed yesterday?) – “Doug – My first thought goes to the kicking game. He’s had some – Obviously he’s fast, he can tackle, he’s tough. There’s some things I like about him from that standpoint. As a defender, and really in the kicking game as well – he’s been here one day, so there’s a lot to take in. What are we doing in the kicking game, what are we doing defensively – he’s been here a day. We’re still trying to figure out what he can do defensively. He’s got some experience in the kicking game. I think that’s kind of where we would start.”
(Obviously S Steven Parker has been here for – I think this his third week. Does he have a comfort level with the defense and do you have a comfort level to put him out there with the starting unit?) – “He’s gotten much more comfortable each day he’s been here. I like Steve. He works really hard. He’s spent a lot of time with our younger coaches, as well as ‘T.O.’ (Safeties Coach Tony Oden) and (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks) Josh (Boyer), getting up to speed on what we’re doing. He’s a lot more comfortable now than he was when he got here. He’s obviously played a little bit the past couple of weeks, and I like what I’ve seen. I like what I’m seeing at practice. Again, this is another guy who football is important to him and he wants to take advantage of his opportunities. I think he’ll do that.”
(We’ve seen a lot of snaps for DE Avery Moss. I know obviously you started the year with DE Jonathan Ledbetter at the spot before he got hurt. One, how has Avery played with all of those snaps? And two, would your hope be to emerge from this year with at least one young defensive end who you can eyeball and say ‘okay, this guy could be a part of our future?’ Whether it’s those two, whether it’s DE Dewayne Hendrix on practice squad, somebody like that?) – “I think Avery, again he’s been here three weeks. He’s a guy who’s worked extremely hard to pick up the defense, to learn a couple of different positions, to get adjusted to a new climate, to find a place. There is a lot of other things that go into this, for these newer players. I think he’s done a good job. He’s gone into games and played tough and played smart. He’s given us some good snaps. I’m happy with where he’s at. As far as your question about coming out of the – really, I’m focused on one day at a time. But I think we have a lot of good young players on this team who are all developing, who are all working to get better. I’m seeing improvement on a daily basis, and I think, hopefully, it continues on that trajectory.”
(I’m just curious what you thought. It seems players have been a little bit more empowered recently, not just with S Minkah Fitzpatrick but with Jacksonville CB Jalen Ramsey and some of the players across the league feel like they can ask out or say they don’t want to be somewhere. What are your thoughts as a coach on that seeming to happen more frequently?) – “Me personally, as a guy who has built a career on building relationships with players, that’s one thing that I would say – it’s not disheartening; but as a guy who has built his career on building relationships, you hate to see that. That’s kind of how I felt about the Minkah situation. But like everything else, you deal with a little adversity and you have to move on, get better and try to improve the team. As far as what happens around the league, I’m not there. I don’t know what those situations are like. I really don’t have much of an opinion on it, to be honest with you. It’s not something I think about.”
(What is something that you’ve learned in cultivating relationships with players in the past month as players have requested trades?) – “I’m just always going to be myself. I’m always going to be honest, transparent, tell them the truth. I think that’s been the case. I’ll always be that way. I think that’s the best way to approach really any situation. I like that we’re getting that and I want that to be something that’s reciprocal. I think that’s the best way to build trust. Ultimately in this game, you need trust from coaches to players to the different groups. When you have that, it’s a really good thing and it’ll help you win. We need to continue to build that.”
