Brian Flores – December 16, 2020
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I was hoping to get an update on some of the guys who are banged up. Do you expect WR DeVante Parker or WR Jakeem Grant to practice today? With TE Mike Gesicki, we saw you didn’t IR him yesterday. Is that a sign that things may not be as bad as some may have originally feared?) – “I think all the guys that are banged up – which for this time of year, everyone has got bumps and bruises. Guys are getting treatment. I think it’s a little early to say if whether a guy is going to be in or out. I was in the training room this morning and there were a number of guys in there getting treatment, all with positive attitudes. They’re obviously going to do everything they can to get back as quickly as they can. As you guys know, I have my medical meeting after this, after I do media. That’s just kind of how the day is set. We have our team meeting and now they’re in position meetings, so I’ll meet with (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) and the medical staff once I’m done here.”
(With Sunday’s game, are you concerned that you have a rookie quarterback facing a Bill Belichick defense for the first time? Or has QB Tua Tagovailoa already seen everything he’s likely to see on the football field from a defense?) – “I don’t think he’s seen everything he’s likely to see. He’s so young in his career. It’s going to be a very big challenge not only for Tua but for our entire offense and our entire team. It’s a good football team. They are obviously well coached. They are tough, they are physical, really in all three phases. They play team football and it will be a tough test for everyone on our team.”
(There were a lot of unknowns headed into that Week 1 matchup, especially with QB Cam Newton there at quarterback. Fifteen weeks later, what are the differences and some things you’ve seen on tape that makes this team different now than the first time you faced them?) – “They are well coached. Situationally, they do a good job in situational football. They run the football well. ‘Cam’ is athletic and he – just as far as extending plays and giving his receivers time to get open, he’s done a very good job at that this season. Defensively, they’ve got a lot of good players, they limit big plays and they make it hard for offenses. I think they’ve done a very good job in the kicking game. It’s a good team. They play well in all three phases and this is going to be a tough test for us.”
(You opened the season by losing by 10 to the Patriots. How much has changed for your team since then? How much better is your team since that point?) – “I think we’ve made improvements over the course of the season, which is always the goal. I think a lot of guys have really worked hard offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, to get better in a lot of areas – communication, technique, fundamentals. But that’s the case for their team as well. I think they’ve made a lot of improvement as well. Week 1 feels like a long time ago, especially in this particular year in 2020 with all of the things that have gone on and the different protocols and things of that nature. We try to take things one week at a time. This week we’re playing against a division opponent who plays well in all three phases. We expect a tough, physical 60-minute ball game.”
(I wanted to ask you about the challenges that adding a fullback to an offense creates for a defense. Is it a little more challenging in 2020 to deal with a fullback since you don’t always see it that often throughout the course of the season?) – “Yeah. It can be challenging. If they add a fullback, they add a gap. They basically add a gap. Defensively, it’s something that we’ve seen. We have a fullback as well. We’ve seen those types of plays; but they do a good job in the run game. They really do. They’ve been able to pick up chunks of yardage. I would say they’re top five in the league in rushing, so they’ve done a good job from that standpoint. The fullbacks are a big part of that. We’re going to have our work cut out for us as far as getting that defended. Those are the things we’ll be preparing for all week, as well as the rest of the things they do. They’re not just a running football team. They’ve got play-action, they’ve got drop back, I think they lead the league in screen yardage. They play well defensively and in the kicking game also. It’s a tough test.”
(This game has two really good No. 1 corners in CB Stephon Gilmore and CB Xavien Howard. You’ve coached them both. Are there any similarities or maybe any differences that you see in their games?) – “They are both very competitive, obviously very talented, both have very good ball skills, both excellent players. They are both team-first guys. They’ll be the first to tell you that it’s not their personal situation but more about the team. Both excellent players.”
(You talked about the Patriots are good from an execution standpoint when it comes to the run game. What does it take to have an efficient run game, one that helps you out on first and second downs?) – “Good execution. Good fundamentals. Good technique. Look, you can’t have a good play without good fundamentals and good technique. Good fundamentals, good technique, good effort and then good execution based on what the defense is giving you. They’ve done a good job from that standpoint and we’re going to have to do a good job defensively of defending their run game. That’s what we’ll prepare for along with everything they do offensively – runs, play action, drop back, screens. We’ll also get into third downs and the things that they do in the red zone, the QB runs. I think all of those factor into their entire offense, to include the run game.”
(With the understanding that your sole focus is this week, there is some clarity now when it comes to the AFC playoff race. In your mind, do you have to win out to make it, so you don’t have to rely on any help?) – “We just take it one game at a time and the focus is this week. Like we’ve said for the last several weeks, you’ve got to take care of what’s in front of you and focus on that. If you don’t, then the rest of it doesn’t matter. We’ve got a big game this week against a division opponent. It’s a good team and that’s where the focus is.”
(There has been a lot of debate in the analytics department about the value of the run game as we’ve evolved over time. I’m curious your view on the value of the run game as teams become more pass heavy in this league?) – “I think running the football is important. I think moving the football efficiently is important, so run, pass, screens, RPOs (run-pass options), gadgets, trick plays, I think it’s all about moving the football consistently. Quite honestly, how we do that – whether it’s run, whether it’s pass, however we do it, as long as we move the ball efficiently, that’s the goal. That’s the goal for every offense. Conversely, defensively we’re looking to stop all of those plays. Yea, the run game is very important.”
(You just listed off, run, pass, screen, RPO, gadget, trick plays – is that how you view offenses or am I missing something?) – “Is that how I view offenses?”
(I’m saying is that how – the different compartments of offenses for a defensive mind. Is that how you view things sectionally? Or is there more?) – “I wouldn’t call myself defensive minded. I coach football – offense, defense and special teams. I think those are elements of offense in today’s game – run, play action, drop back, screens, RPOs. Unless you see it differently. Maybe I’m seeing a different game than you are but whether you’re offense of defense, I think those are the elements of what you’re seeing in the offensive game. That’s what you’re seeing defensively. Maybe I’m missing something – four strong pass offenses, five strong pass offenses. 2-by-2 formations, 3-by-1s, empties. We can get into all of that. But whether you’re an offensive coach, defensive coach, to me I just coach football. They are all parts of it. We can get into the kicking game if you want. Oh, you don’t like the kicking game. (laughter) We can get into that too – field goal protections, things of that nature. It’s just coaching ball – not offense or defense, just a football coach.”
