Josh Boyer – October 20, 2022
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Thursday, October 20, 2022
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(Can you assess CB Noah Igbinoghene getting significant snaps?) – “Yeah, I think this has kind of been the ongoing conversation all season. I think he’s been working very hard. We’ve been, I would say detailing and stressing certain things in his game, and I think he’s kind of risen to the challenge. I said earlier, I was very excited when he would get his opportunity, not knowing when that would be. But you always prepare guys like they’re going to play. I would say he’s been out there and he’s been very competitive. He’s been good at the line of scrimmage. And like all of our guys, we’re striving for consistency play in and play out.”
(Would it be fair to say that on Sunday versus the Vikings, the cornerbacks were pressing more than usual in terms of like press man coverage? Because I know, earlier in the season, the thing that CB Xavien Howard was talking about with a lot of the Cover Zero looks and blitzes, maybe sometimes he was playing more off than usual. And then you kind of can see and naturally kind of give up some space there and some yardage there?) – “I wouldn’t say that’s accurate. I think that’s a – I would say that’s a false assumption. It depends on the calls. There’s some calls that we have off. I wouldn’t say we were pressing more last week than we have in weeks past. I would say there’s certain calls that don’t put us up at the line of scrimmage and I would say that’s been pretty consistent throughout. I would say we do a variety of different things at the line of scrimmage. I would say the amount of times that we’re up there has probably been pretty consistent from game to game.”
(Obviously you guys did not win last week, but did the defense put in a winning effort aside from the WR Justin Jefferson 47-yarder and the RB Dalvin Cook 53-yarder?) – “No, because we didn’t win. I think the things that we talked about earlier in that week, that there were different things that we were going to do to detail certain things that we needed to improve – I think our preparation, and we talked about our players being accountable, that they would come to work, and that we would strive to improve. I think we’ve made some strides in certain areas. And I think there’s other areas that we can continue to make strides. I would say that we’re always looking for consistency. Each week is going to be different from week to week. But I think there’s some things that we saw some improvements on that we can build on and get better. You want to continually get better as you’re moving forward. And I would say at the end of the day, the most important thing is to put yourself or the team in a position to win. I think there were times that defensively we were able to play complementary football, or at least give the opportunity for complementary football. And then there were other times that we probably needed to be a little bit better. I think those are the things that we’re striving to do. I think the process, the players, the coaches, I think we understand our targets. I think there’s a lot of times the targets don’t change but if you’re doing the same thing that you’ve been doing and you’re getting the same results, then you need to change that. I think there were some things that we detailed a little bit different a week ago that we saw a little bit of progress with that hopefully we can build on moving forward.”
(The disparity in snaps between LB Melvin Ingram and LB Andrew Van Ginkel was the closest it has been all season on Sunday, 26 to 23. Was that entirely a gameplan decision? Or was it partly your conclusion that Andrew needs to play a little more and these two players are comparable in skill?) – “Yeah, I think it’s a week-to-week thing. We’re very comfortable with either player. So whether Van Ginkel is on the field or Ingram is on the field or Jaelen Phillips is on the field, it makes no difference to us. We’re very confident in those guys. Then I think just from a rep count, trying to keep guys fresh and stuff, we continue to do that. Ultimately, we try to put those guys in positions that we feel that they’ll succeed. I would say it doesn’t matter really. Certain guys have I would say certain qualities that are a little bit better than the other and we try to put those guys in those positions that highlight the things that they really do well. Sometimes that will be gameplan oriented. Sometimes it is a rep count that we’re trying to keep guys fresh. I would say the overall picture is we’re very comfortable with either one of those guys playing in the game. “
(What have you seen in the limited tape so far of QB Kenny Pickett from the Steelers?) – “Yeah, so obviously very athletic. I mean he can drive the intermediate throws, he can get the ball down the field, he can definitely scramble to run or scramble to throw. He’s making quick decisions for them. They do a pretty good job of putting in plays where he gets a quick read and he can make those decisions. I think he’s been productive for them. And, obviously, we’re preparing for both guys, which we would anyway, regardless of situation or injury circumstance, and both of them will present a challenge to us for sure.”
(What kind of things can you detail to try to increase opportunities at interceptions?) – “So, a couple things, just talking turnovers in general, one of the things is when you turn on the tape, are we making an attempt at turnovers? Are we punching at the ball? Are those things happening? Are we getting enough people to the ball? Because usually the more people you have to the ball, that’s going to create a greater opportunity for turnovers. And those boxes are checking off. I would say there is – we’ve had our opportunities where we’ve been in position to catch the ball and we got to make those plays. It’s all hand in hand. So like, for an example, if it’s a three-step (drop), it’s a quick-game pass, if we get our hands up, you tip a ball, guys are running to the ball, you have a greater opportunity to turn the ball over. One thing that we have to do, we had really two opportunities last week in the game – (Zach) Sieler forced a fumble. We had an opportunity there. And again, the more people you get around the ball, the better your odds are to get it. Now again, sometimes you can knock the ball out and bounce right up to a guy, like Alec Ingold from a year ago, when we’re playing the Raiders. We force a fumble, it pops up, he’s right there as a fullback, he catches it and there’s not much opportunity there. The same thing goes back with the pass game. So whether you bat balls at the line of scrimmage, you defend balls on a pass, and you have other people running to the ball that have an opportunity for that tip ball, then that increases your odds, which those are things that we’re working on. And then obviously, when you’re in good position, you basically as a DB or a coverage linebacker, become the receiver and your opportunity to go attack the ball, those are the things. Then the reality of it is you have to make the most of those opportunities when they arise because there’s only going to be so many. I think what you look at is are you setting yourself up for a chance to create them? And then are you making the most of them when you get those opportunities? So again, I think those are things that, we’ve looked at how we’ve detailed that, how we practice that. I would say we get good effort. We get guys run into the ball. As long as we continue to do that, sooner or later, they’ll come. And then when we have opportunities to catch the ball, we need to catch the ball.”
(What do you think would be the best ways for the players to reduce or limit penalties? When there’s a reduction in penalties, what usually goes along?) – “Yeah, I think – well, you start with the obvious like we can’t be in the neutral zone, we can’t jump offsides, hands to the face, defensive holding, illegal contact – the things that we can kind of control – our hand placement or fundamentals techniques, I think when you kind of drill that down, a lot of those kind of eliminate themselves.”
(The first career full sack for DT Raekwon Davis in 34 games last week. I was wondering, obviously stopping the run is by far in a way the number one responsibility for player in his position. Do you look at pass rush from that position as gravy that’s nice to have? Or would you ideally like someone in that position who can generate consistent pass rush?) – “Well, in that situation, the sack came up, it was really a passing situation for him, so he was in a straight rush. But whether it’s Raekwon or any defensive lineman, when you’re playing run and you’re trying to – let’s call it, it’s not a gap-charging scheme. You’re playing run, you’re trying to play square, you’re trying to build a wall. But what you have to do is when you recognize that it is play-action, you have to transition into a pass rush. And I think those are things that we drill and we work very hard at. It puts you a little bit behind the eight ball when you’re playing run. Then the harder the sell is of the play-action, or the better the sell is with the offensive lineman, then the slower you’re going to be on the transition. Now if they’re running play-action and it’s high-hat right away, then your transition should be very quick. Then again, it matters what you’re doing in the back end to marry the coverage with the front structure to allow those guys time to get there. So again, it just depends. Sometimes like when you’re playing man coverage, okay, if you have good tight coverage, then you might have a little bit longer extra second to get there. If you’re in a zone coverage that the quarterback reads pretty quickly and accurately, then time is going to minimize. And then again, if you’re a pressure scheme on the opposing side of the ball, they’re going, ‘Let’s get the ball out quick. Let’s get the ball quick.’ So that also minimizes when those opportunities come. A lot of times you would say defensive linemen that are playing run technique that have opportunities on play-action passes is when it’s a deeper route concept where it’s usually more guys in protection. There’s usually two to three guys out in the route, but that puts more guys into protection. And again, a lot of those times when that occurs, there’s usually about one one-on-one situation that somebody has to transition right to get the pressure there.”
