Anthony Weaver – December 19, 2024
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Thursday, December 19, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(With yesterday, LB Cam Goode, a full participant, LB Bradley Chubb still limited – is that purely a medical issue of where they are or is more a conditioning issue? Why is one ahead of the other?) – “Yeah, that is a question better served for the head coach and our medical staff. When they’re out there, like I said, they’re both competing and the few full speed reps they have, they look great and I’m sure it’s just a confidence, timing issue for them to be ready to go.”
(Does LB Bradley Chubb look to you like someone who’s able to help this week? I know it’s ultimately a group decision but from your eyes.) – “Yeah, I think he looks like a guy who’s trying to work himself back to where he’s used to being. He flashes, but again, having been there, you don’t want to touch that field as a competitor unless you know you’re your best self; otherwise you’re going to put yourself at risk. So I know when he does play, he’ll be ready to go, and again, from what I’ve seen so far, he’s out there making plays and looks good, like he’s getting to that point.”
(What’s your takeaway from your unit’s performance at Houston?) – “I was extremely proud of the group and their effort. Like I said, for us, we knew the playoffs started a month ago and the two prior weeks against Green Bay and the Jets, we didn’t think like we played up to par. So we knew we had to go out there and play our best game to date and I thought we did that, so extremely proud of the group.”
(Your name has come up for head coaching jobs, last offseason and I think probably again this offseason. Is that something important to you that you want to aspire to one day achieve?) – “Is it important to me? Eh, I’m so focused right now on the Miami Dolphins and these players. From the beginning, since I’ve started coaching, I had never sought that out. If the opportunity presented itself, I think I’d be good in the role, but is it something that I seek and go after? No. I’m truly working in service for these guys and focused on the now and just trying to pour into these guys and give them every ounce of wisdom that I have.”
(Is there something you feel you’ve added to your resume to what makes you a viable candidate this year in Miami?) – “I mean shoot, I think I’ve been ready for the job for a few years now. I’ve served under a bunch of incredible mentors. I think the last three years I spent with Coach (John) Harbaugh was a masterclass in just how to operate, move throughout the building and push your players in the right direction without being demeaning or demonstrative, but yet, still being demanding. And then you get another experience here with Mike (McDaniel), who’s very different but still very effective and good at his role. So, so many guys that I think – I’m obviously going to be my truest self if given that opportunity, but I certainly feel like I’m ready, yeah.”
(I wanted to ask about the first touchdown where C.J. Stroud I think found Nico Collins in the back of the endzone. Can you kind of go through what happened or what was supposed to happen there?) – “So we were in Red 2, so we were playing a zone coverage which essentially like when the routes declare, they become more matchy. Jordan Poyer didn’t see the release of one really once he released inside, if he becomes an in-breaker, he should buy that and then he should plaster essentially what happened. It doesn’t all fall on that. It’s a three-man rush, because we drop our nose, there’s a little bit of a void there in the middle which you don’t want him to throw the check down and just walk into the end zone. But we’ve still got to be calculated in how we rush and trying to keep the guy in the pocket or at least make him escape out of the back. I think from a rush standpoint, we got a little high, opened a window for him to step up there when you’re trying to really cage that guy down there. So certainly wasn’t our best effort, and we’ve tried to – when I took this job, our red zone defense and improving upon that was a primary focus, so to fall short in that particular instance was disappointing.”
(I remember your comment when S Jordan Poyer missed a game earlier, saying, “don’t sleep on Elijah Campbell.” We’ve seen a small package, certainly these last three games have had 20 snaps with him starting against Houston. What about the skill set has intrigued you to use him with your other two safeties at times?) – “I think it’s a combination of both Elijah’s (Campbell) skill set and the range and physicality he shows back there at safety, and then Jevón’s (Holland) ability to play some nickel as well. I think we’ve showed on multiple occasions obviously, that we’re willing to play Jalen (Ramsey) there and it puts a bigger body and presence there on the slot, and I think you can do the same thing with Jevón. Kader (Kohou), I thought he played an outstanding game and showed a willingness, particularly on some of those perimeter screens, to stick his face in the fan and stop those which have been hurting us for a couple weeks. Again, just trying to mix those guys back and forth and put bigger bodies there so when teams do want to sling that ball out there, we have a bigger presence.”
(What do you think about facing TE George Kittle, considering some of the struggles this defense has had guarding tight ends?) – “Excited, excited for the challenge. He’s arguably – I don’t think it’s arguably at this point – but he’s one of the best tight ends in the league. So whenever we face those guys, I think from a secondary standpoint, safety, linebacker position, these guys; they get excited for those opportunities and those challenges. So this is another good one. He’s outstanding, strong at the catch point, physical blocker, he can run all day, so just excited to see the matchup and I think we got a good plan to contain him.”
(I know you don’t want to ignore the rest of this season, but LB Chop Robinson’s development and the potential next year of Chop, LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Bradley Chubb, talk about that. How exciting is that?) – “You see the smile on my face as soon as you mentioned those three. But I think we all have seen, from all three players, what they’re capable of so the idea of having all three of them available and on the field on the same time, I mean you completely opened up Pandora’s box for me and you just start thinking of ways you can use them in multiple positions and really scare and intimidate offenses. So it would certainly be an awesome, I want to say problem, it’s certainly not a problem, but it’d just be a lot of fun to see what we can do with all those three guys.”
(More with LB Chop Robinson. When you guys run those overload looks where he’s the only guy on one side of the line, it seems like he’s so adept at forcing that tackle to widen and create gaps for other guys. I’m curious, did you guys see that in his game coming out of college? Has he grown into that ability to be a guy that can be the one rusher on that side of the line?) – “No, we certainly saw that ability in college. Like I said, from a skill set and physical attribute standpoint, we saw that off the tape. We knew there was some refinement and teaching that needed to occur, and development in terms of just his pass rush acumen. I think Coach (Ryan) Crow and Sean Ryan have done a tremendous job with him to this point and his confidence is high right now. It’s important for us to keep him there and put him in as many advantageous opportunities to get one-on-ones.”
(With LB Jordyn Brooks, I don’t think many of us expected him to be up here challenging Zach Thomas for the tackles lead. Did you expect that type of production from him coming out of Seattle?) – “Yeah, we were fortunate where we kind of had some inside information with DeShawn Shead who’s on staff and works with the defensive backs. So he had spent time with Jordyn (Brooks) recently in Seattle and told us the type of player he was. So once he got in the building, it certainly wasn’t a surprise that he’s had the success he’s had. He’s a guy that approaches every day the same, gives the same effort regardless of whether he’s dinged, how he feels, it doesn’t matter. He’s the same guy each and every day and that’s why he’s had the success he has. So I’m not surprised by it. The consistency, the physicality, the temperament – usually those things equate.”
(With inside linebackers, I know the game of college football is kind of evolving. How do you think that that’s impacting that position because if you look at the draft, it’s like inside linebackers are probably one of those positions where they’re very sparsely found.) – “It’s just changed so much throughout the years because really, positionally, from an attribute standpoint, that guy has gotten a little bit smaller, right? You have to be faster. It’s become so much more of a space game. The days of like Levon Kirkland and those big Mikes being back there and plugging on a lead play; you don’t need those bodies anymore. So you’re always trying to figure out ways, like is there a safety that can move inside and play backer and things of that nature, some big body type guys, but the position has become so much more athletic than it used to be. You used to have to have a cross of both that and then shear physicality. Not that you lack that now, but you’ve got to be able to run nowadays.”
(You could probably do this just about any given week given all the coaches that have come off the Kyle Shanahan tree, or Shanahan tree, I guess. This week, do you spend more time maybe picking Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s brain about what the Niners offense might do compared to other weeks?) – “I don’t know. I mean shoot, it’s like every team you face nowadays is this scheme. Me and Mike (McDaniel) spend an awful lot of time, talking all the time about ball, about life, about a number of things. So I think we’re all very familiar with this system. We faced it all offseason and now it’s just a matter of going out there and executing, trying to take away what they do best.”
(Where is LB Chop Robinson against the run at this point as we get to Week 16?) – “I think he’s been doing a great job. I think he’s doing a good job on the edges. When he’s out there, we certainly don’t see him as a liability in the run game, so I’m pleased with where he’s at. There’s sometimes where there’s some new things schematically that he hasn’t seen, where you get these kind of missile blocks and moving blocks. Offenses, they try to create chaos for these defensive ends because they make the most money and they want to slow them down in pass rush, too. So there’s some of those things we try to protect him from, I guess to say, but I’m certainly pleased and we don’t hesitate at all or think that we’re at a disadvantage when he’s out there in run situations.”
(As you look at this defense, then looking ahead, does it need overall help? Does it need situational help, like run stuffers? Different attitude? What do you think?) – “I certainly don’t think it’s an attitude thing. Like I said, I’m incredibly proud of the guys that are here and the way we’ve played to date. I’m sure there isn’t a coach in the National Football League that doesn’t think they could use some help. And there’s certainly aspects that we can, but the guys that are here, I am so proud of and have a tremendous amount of confidence in us being able to go out there and do what we need to do to win.”
(I wanted to ask you a general football question. I guess going back to your playing days, how important is it for a player to have that one coach that makes a difference in their life and trajectory and who was that for you?) – “I think it’s enormous. I used to always say this when I was younger, in my younger days – pre-wife, love you, baby (laughter) – I used to always say, when you went out to the night club, you needed some of these ugly guys, so you look better. (laughter) I think in coaching, it’s the same way. You hope that you are blessed as a player to be around a great coach; one who cares, one who’s knowledgeable, one who’s in it for the right reasons. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. I was blessed that for the majority of my football life, I was around that, and it started early in high school with Blase Iuliano was my high school coach, who was a tremendous influence. And then when I got to this level, it was Rex Ryan. Rex Ryan, he’s a guy – I’m an army brat, so this was not unusual for me, but the football space is always very militant, very regimented – and then I got around Rex and Rex did all that but kept the game the game and kept it fun. So probably just from a coaching standpoint and the two guys that probably had the biggest influence on me, both as a player and now as a coach are Blase Iuliano and Rex Ryan.”
(I wanted to ask about the mentality when you’re at this point in the season and even though there’s a slim margin of chance that you guys can make the playoffs, what do you tell players in terms of, “Hey, these three games matter because of ‘this?’”) – “Shoot, every time you step on the field matters. The second you disrespect the game, or you try to short cut it, it disrespects you. So for us, again I know the margin is slim at this point and things look bleak, but we have things to prove, right? This is our last home game, and our fans deserve our best effort. We’ve got to go out there and defend the rock. Next week, we’ve got to win in the cold and put that narrative to sleep. And then that last game against the Jets, they hung up 400 (offensive yards) on us the last time we played. So we have something to play in every single game, and I know our guys are going to answer the challenge.”
