Brian Flores – November 3, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 3, 2019
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
Head Coach Brian Flores
(How does it feel to win?) – “It feels good. The first thing I would say is players win games. We coach them but players win games. That group, they did a really nice job today. We didn’t get off to the best start; but like all year, we’ve dealt with a lot of adversity and these guys know how to deal with that and they came back and we played well after that slow start.”
(Does that make it that much sweeter having gone through what you have gone through so far this year, to get that first win, knowing what you went through?) – “Any time you win it feels good. That’s why we put in all the work. That’s why when they come in here, they work on really every day since April – this group got here April 1st. The group’s very different than it was on April 1st; but this team’s kind of starting to jell and bond and we have seen that over the last couple weeks. Today we put – we didn’t put it all together, it wasn’t a perfect game; but we played well enough to win. That’s what matters.”
(How about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick out there today? He really had it going out there offensively.) – “Yeah, he did. And really since we have inserted him into the lineup in that Washington game, he’s been a real leader. He’s been somebody who his energy, his enthusiasm, his toughness really – the guys feed off of it. He was definitely a leader today and kind of led the way.”
(What was it like with Stephen Ross after the game? It looked like he kind of gave you a hug out there.) – “Yeah, Steve’s been great. The entire ownership group – Steve, Tom (Garfinkel), Chris (Grier), Brandon (Shore) – they have been great. It was a good moment.”
(You’re the first Honduran to win a game as a head coach in the NFL. What does that mean to you and your family?) – “It means a lot. It really does. To represent my family and my parents and my aunts, uncles – really everyone I’ve been around – coaches, mentors – it means a lot because I didn’t get here by accident. I had a lot of help along the way. So my family and my coaches, mentors – it means a lot and I’ll keep working because that’s what they expect of me and that will never change.”
(We saw that Gatorade bath and your players jumping around you after the win. What does that kind of say with your relationship with them and how happy they were with this one?) – “I think they were excited to win. I’ve done this since – that’s what I love about coaching is building relationships and having fun out there. Those moments mean a lot more. I think that was the case today. I wasn’t expecting any kind of bath; but that’s what happened and it was a fun moment for them, a fun moment for me. It was something I won’t ever forget.”
(Big picture at the season’s halfway point – can you talk about maybe the areas you’re happy with that have improved the most and areas that still need work particularly?) – “Well, I mean the first thing I think of is we didn’t turn the ball over. At the end of the half – that’s not in the turnover bucket, but I’m going to call that one – on paper we didn’t turn it over, correct? On paper we didn’t turn the ball over so I guess we’re 1-0 when we don’t turn the ball over. So that’s a good start.”
(Can you talk about the contributions from your wide receivers – Preston Wilson and DaVante Parker – and then TE Mike Gesicki coming up with a big game. All three of those guys made big plays today.) – “I think Mike played really well, I think Preston played well, I thought DaVante played well, I thought the o-line played well, ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) played well. Offensively, we moved the ball. We did a good job from that standpoint. We could have finished a couple of more drives. There’s a lot to learn from this game just like every other game. What I don’t want is after a win, we need to come in and make the corrections and try to get better, and I guess I’ve got to have the complacency talk. I shouldn’t, but we’ll have the complacency conversation when we get these guys back and we want to try to string these together. String good football, good play, good execution, good practices, good everything, that’s what we’re looking to do.”
(This team has been grinding and you’ve been closer and closer over the last four weeks, had opportunities. Ahead in the second half of last week. So finally to get over the hump for you for the staff, for those players in the locker room to have that feeling of a win – and it’s a football team that needs a win – how important is that?) – “It feels really good. I feel good for – you mentioned our staff. These guys work tirelessly. (Defensive Coordinator) Pat Graham, (Offensive Coordinator) Chad O’Shea, (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman, the entire staff – they work tirelessly. There’s definitely no stone goes unturned. We try to find every advantage and it’s everybody. It’s (Wide Receivers Coach) Karl Dorrell, it’s (Running Backs Coach) Eric Studesville, it’s (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks) Josh Boyer. I could go on and on. Those guys do a really good job and I’m happy for those guys and I’m happy for the players. Again, players win games. But I think our coaching staff has done a good job putting these guys in good position and trying to put them in good position every week.”
(Your first win as a NFL head coach. It didn’t come easy, took a while, but how does it feel to you?) – “It feels great. The person I’m thinking about right now is my mom. She passed away in March and she’s been my good luck charm for a long time and this is the first season I’ve had in football without her. So she’s the person that came to mind. This one’s for her and it was a lot of fun and it was a great moment.”
(Was there a game ball? Did somebody get a game ball?) – “I got the game ball. I didn’t give it to myself either. (laughter)”
(Talk about that. The players, obviously, the love that they have for you, the respect they have for you.) – “It was a great moment. But, honestly, my thoughts are already starting to turn to next week. We’ve got a tough game on the road. It was a great moment.”
(When did you first think of your mom? Now? Right now? Or were you thinking of her during the game?) – “Well, I mean, right as I was walking across the field at the end. She was very special to me and it’s been a very different season, so it was a great moment.”
