Vance Joseph – October 7, 2016
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Friday, October 7, 2016
Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph
(On losing CB Xavien Howard due to injury) – “Obviously, (we are) disappointed by that; but we’ve got (Byron) Maxwell back in the fold. He has worked hard. His attitude has been great. I’m excited to see him play come Sunday.”
(On where he hopes to see improvement from CB Byron Maxwell) – “Overall improvement. He had some issues with soft coverage and obviously missed tackles, but the last two weeks in practice, he has rectified those things. He’s a press corner and I want him to press most of the time. He has got some splits where he was forced to play off and it led to him being off too often. The tackling stuff, he has to tackle better, he has to play better. He recognizes that, and he’s working that way for us.”
(On how CB Xavien Howard’s injury occurred) – “He got tangled in one-on-ones with Kenny (Stills). It was an innocent play. He jumped and came down on the knee. He didn’t even realize he was hurt at the time. I watched it on tape and it was that play.”
(On whether CB Bobby McCain and CB Jordan Lucas can play in place of CB Xavien Howard on the outside) – “Absolutely. Obviously, Bobby will be the next guy outside, and we’ve got Lucas going outside. Michael (Thomas) also plays nickel, so we’ve got some flexibility in the back end as far as who plays nickel and who plays outside corner.”
(On whether the plan to have S Michael Thomas and S Isa Abdul-Quddus split time at safety changes due to CB Xavien Howard’s injury) – “No. We shared some time last week with Michael and Isa. It worked out well for us. Bobby (McCain) is playing so well at nickel, we didn’t want to waste Michael on the sideline. So, we spilt reps at safety and let Bobby have more nickel reps.”
(On what went into the decision to split time between S Michael Thomas and S Isa Abdul-Quddus) – “Getting Michael more reps for the most part. He is practicing very well. He has played very well in games. So, I didn’t want Michael’s snap count to go down at all. We figured we would split reps there and let Bobby (McCain) play more nickel. Simple as that.”
(On how LB Spencer Paysinger, LB Neville Hewitt and LB Donald Butler played last week against Cincinnati and who will replace LB Koa Misi this week) – “I thought they all played well. I thought ‘Nev’ (Neville Hewitt) played really well. He had a couple things where he can correct, but as far as running and hitting, I thought ‘Nev’ played well. Butler – he played well for his first start. He had a couple things with the pressure package he had negatives on, but as far as the run game, cover-wise he was fine. ‘Spence’ (Spencer Paysinger) played well at dime ‘backer for the most part.”
(On the key to limiting Cincinnati to 76 rushing yards) – “I think the key ingredient was fitting our gaps. It was a nice deal, because we played most of that first half in shell coverage. I was afraid of A.J. Green, because over the top, so I played more shell coverage knowing that the run game was important to be stopped. It was a step forward for us. Most of the time you’ve got to play single high and fill every gap. We didn’t do that. We played shell coverage – four and two – and the run game was stuffed. It’s a good feeling.”
(On whether the Week 4 performance against Cincinnati gives him hope about the run defense) – “Absolutely. The first three weeks, I would say this: out of 40 runs in a game, I would say 30 were fit perfectly, and we had four or five that weren’t fit perfectly. It wasn’t an overall problem where I was so concerned about this scheme or the players alike. It was more of a pop-gap here, pop-gap there. It wasn’t (an) overall problem, it was just a player here, a player here. It wasn’t a big concern, but it was nice last week that it was finally stopped, even in shell coverage.”
(On containing RB DeMarco Murray) – “I’ll say this: it’s a run-first offense. They’re averaging 5.7 run yards on first down. Obviously, stopping DeMarco is going to be a huge deal for us. Everyone else (on) offense, we have to hold our own there; but he is definitely the main focus this week.”
(On whether focusing on RB DeMarco Murray puts pressure on the defense to not miss tackles and not have breakdowns in coverage) – “Absolutely. When you’re closing the middle and you’re adding a guy to the run game, everyone is in single coverage. Both corners are in single coverage. The middle of the field is closed, so the post patch should beat him. But outside routes, quick hitch routes – those things become a problem, because if you miss a tackle there, no one is out there to help you. Those things run off for 40, 50 yards. It’s always a problem when you’re stopping the run game with more than six-and-a-half men. It becomes a single-high pass game, and that’s always an issue.
(On who will play strongside linebacker this Sunday) – “It’s going to be (Donald) Butler.”
(On whether LB Jelani Jenkins will play on Sunday) – “I’m not sure yet. He ran today. I’m not sure where he is, to be honest.”
(On what he likes about LB Donald Butler’s game) – “He is an experienced linebacker. He has played on good defenses. He’s obviously a tough inside ‘backer that can fit the run game. And in coverage, he has been fine.”
(On whether it is a challenge having cornerbacks playing one-on-one coverage with a mobile quarterback like QB Marcus Mariota) – “Absolutely. But each week, it’s an emphasis on what you have to stop. This week it’s the run game, obviously. So, closing the middle, that’s part of the plan, obviously. And if (Mariota) takes off, it’s in the same boat as Russell Wilson. We’ve got to plaster on the back end, keep our rush lanes tight. If he takes off, we’ve got to plaster him, just chase him down.”
(On using DE Cameron Wake against a run offense this week and moving forward) – “Cam, he’s our specialty rusher. So, obviously to use Cam more, it’s got to be more of a passing game. The last four weeks haven’t been that. Maybe Cleveland was kind of like that in the middle of the third or fourth quarter. His role won’t change much. Hopefully we get a lead and Cam can get more snaps; but until that, he’s going to be a third-down rusher for us or a sub rusher.”
