Byron Jones – December 28, 2020
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Monday, December 28, 2020
CB Byron Jones
(Did you get an explanation on the defensive pass interference?) – “Yeah. He said that I grabbed the receiver from the front and pulled him back from the shoulders. In those situations, I pride myself on being poised and trying to go up and get the ball. I’ve got to be better in that way.”
(I noticed from watching the games that you guys tend to switch your matchups around a lot. I’m wondering what that preparation is like in that defensive back room. I know you have your individual study, but is there a collective – here is what this guy does and here’s how we defend him as a whole as opposed to individual study?) – “What was your question? What do you mean? I play on the right mostly, and ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) plays the left.”
(When you rotate covering different players, I’m wondering if there is more of a group collaborative studying what each player does that you’re going against?) – “Yeah, every player has their strengths and weaknesses. Some players in the slot are more shifty while outside receivers are big play guys, fast guys. Understanding every receiver’s strengths gives us the opportunity to guard them the best way we think is possible. Every week we’ve got a scouting report on each receiver and we go through that. We decide on how best to play them. Of course we have our technique, we have our thing we always do consistently regardless of who we play against; but it’s always good to know exactly what receiver you’re going against and how they can be beat.”
(How great a difference, if any – and by the way this isn’t just about Saturday but in general – how great a difference, if any, do you see in the way offensive pass interference is called versus defensive pass interference?) – “I’m not an expert on offensive stuff. I’m not sure when they call it or what they are looking for. But defensively, we’ve got to – or at least I’ve got to do a better job of not allowing the officials to come in and affect the game. We understand what it is – the challenge that we have as DBs in the NFL in today’s era. That’s a challenge that all DBs accept. We’re not going to get much OPI (offensive pass interference) and that’s fine. We just have to play accordingly.”
(I wanted to ask you what happened on the long touchdown play. It seemed like you were in good position. Did you just have your back turned towards the play or were you pushed off on?) – “I need to do a better job of just staying on top of the receiver, especially in that situation. (Derek) Carr, throughout his career, he’s made a lot of plays with his feet buying himself more time. In those instances as a DB, you want to plaster your guy; but protect that deep shot because that’s what they are going for. They want a big play. We’ve seen the Raiders make big plays throughout the entire year. That’s one thing we wanted to limit, so I’ve got to do a better job of staying on top of the receiver.”
(You guys have been through several adverse situations or potentially sticky situations through the year, whether it’s COVID, whether it’s QB changes. It seems like you guys have not really been affected at all by anything. Is there anything that Head Coach Brian Flores has done stood out on keeping you guys together in those moments?) – “I think we all have ultimate trust in what ‘Coach Flo’ is doing. He’s been very real and very straight up and very straightforward since Day 1, which gives the players a comfort that what the coach is saying is not BS. I think that’s why we’re having such a good response to the year, regardless of what’s happening. It’s because we trust our coach and he keeps it straight up, he lets us know what he’s thinking and how he’s feeling. It’s really a collaborative team effort when we go into games like that, and we know and trust him, and we just follow through.”
(When you watched that first Bills game, I know you were hurt, and CB Noah Igbinoghene was stuck with a huge assignment in Bills WR Stefon Diggs. How tough was it for you to be there as an observer, and what did you pick up on what Diggs can do from what you saw in that game?) – “Diggs, he’s always been a really good route-runner, a guy who catches the ball really well, a savvy, vet player. That’s what he showed. He showed a guy who just had great experience and Josh Allen did a good job of getting him the ball when they needed it most. That’s one thing we’re going to have to stop this game is both of those guys have been on a tear this year along with the other receivers on that crew, especially (Cole) Beasley. This is a fun challenge for us as a secondary and as a defense and really as a team. Our destiny is in our hands, so let’s go do it. That’s the goal.”
(My question is about Bills QB Josh Allen. What do you think is most unique about him?) – “I think his decision-making at this point is really impressive. He knows when to run and he knows when to fit the ball into a tight window. He’s doing both pretty well. Obviously he has a really good offense, and especially his receiving corps is probably one of the better ones in the league. He can really make all of the throws – deep, short, especially deep. He’s got a really good deep ball, so that’s a challenge for us. You’re competing against not just the receivers, but the quarterback and the offensive line. They just really work well together and they’ve been really efficient all year. His deep ball, his ability to leave the pocket, extend plays and also run, that’s what makes him special.”
