Jerome Baker – September 22, 2021
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Wednesday, September 22, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(We haven’t seen you rush quite as much, is that something you’ll bring up to Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, saying ‘hey, give me a few more chances?’ I know you’re a team guy and you have value in pass coverage too. Is that ever anything you might be antsy to do more of?) – “I’m honestly one of those guys that whatever they need me to do, I’m down to do it. They ask me to do so many different things, so I don’t want to say something like that. We have guys that can get after the quarterback. We’re pretty fine. I try do whatever they tell me to do and I’m down to do it.”
(I know the rule with your team and most team about moving onto the next opponent. Has there been any lingering depression for you guys? You guys are used to winning the last year and a half and that was a very difficult moment Sunday.) – “Yeah, we just didn’t execute. I honestly think we just to turn the page. It’s still early in the year and we’re better than what we showed Sunday. We just turn the page and focus on the Raiders. That’s been our main focus. We’re not going to let it linger and let it affect us for the rest of the year. We’ve got a long year. We’ve got to turn the page and keep going.”
(The last time you guys played in Vegas, a pretty wild finish. How much fun was that finish?) – “I am so excited to play there. Their stadium was amazing and it was empty. I can just imagine what it is now. I’m excited. It was a fun game last year. It will be a tough game this year. I’m excited, we’re all excited and it’s definitely going to be a good one.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores called the Las Vegas offense explosive. That’s the word he used to describe them. What stands out to you about them last year and if anything has changed at all?) – “It’s the same thing. They are explosive. They get the ball down field. They get the ball to their playmakers. It’s going to be a challenge for us and I’m excited. We’re going to be fine. We’ve just got to execute and really play together.”
(How did QB Jacoby Brissett look today in practice?) – “He looked good. We’re going to support him. We’re going to expect him to lead our offense. He’s going to be fine and we all have trust in him.”
(Do you have feelings or feel bad for QB Tua Tagovailoa with his situation with injury?) – “Yeah. Tua is my guy, so just to see him banged up, I don’t like – I don’t like seeing anybody hurt in football. But the reality is it comes with the sport. I know he’s going to be in the training room, getting his body right. He’s going to come back, he’s going to bounce back and be stronger.”
(I think you said after the game Sunday that QB Jacoby Brissett showed a lot of poise, and a lot of confidence and he’s a guy that can pick it up if QB Tua Tagovailoa is not in there.) – “Yeah. He’s been like that the whole year. With him, he was behind Tua, but he was coming in and getting our defense right, our first-team defense, and coaching us up, telling us what he sees. He’s been like that the whole year. He’s definitely helped us. Now we’re excited he gets his shot to be the first-team quarterback and we all believe in him. He’s going to do well.”
(You’ve practiced against both of those dudes, what stands out to you as the biggest difference between them?) – “Really just experience. That’s pretty much the main thing. Tua (Tagovailoa) is a younger guy. You can tell that’s really the main thing. Jacoby (Brissett) has seen a lot more defenses, so he knows little things. That’s pretty much the main thing. Just experience.”
(We heard from Head Coach Brian Flores that QB Tua Tagovailoa was trying to re-enter the game on Sunday. Did you see any glimpse of that in the locker room at halftime?) – “No, I didn’t see that. Just knowing Tua, I know he definitely was doing that. He’s one of those guys that wants to be out there with the team and just help us win. I’m sure that was definitely Tua. That sounds like him. Right now, he has to get healthy and he’s going to come back and be stronger for us.”
(For clarity, if you get brought back to the locker room, where are you during halftime? Are you in the position where you can see the rest of your teammates in the locker room, or are you off to the side?) – “We’re all in the locker room. It’s pretty much offense on one side, defense on the other. We get a little break where you can walk around and get your mind right. Guys that are hurt are usually in the training room, so you really don’t see them. That sounds like Tua. He’s definitely a guy that just wants to be out there and help us win and he’ll do anything to help us win. That sounds like him.”
(You get to tackle RB Kenyan Drake. What’s that going to be like?) – “That’s going to be fun. That’s my boy. We’ve been competing for so long. When he was here, now that I actually get to hit him, and really compete in a game day setting, it’s going to be fun. I’m definitely excited to go against him.”
(You might find yourself having to stick TE Darren Waller at some point. What stands out about his game?) – “He’s just a playmaker. He gets open, he’s physical. He’s one of those guys you have to look out for on pretty much every play. Last year was a challenge and this year is going to be a bigger challenge. They are rolling right now and we’ve got to go up there and execute and play together. That’s the main thing we got to do, just play together and execute and we’ll be fine. I’m excited to go up against him. I’m excited to go out there Sunday and bounce back.”
