Christian Wilkins – September 15, 2021
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
DT Christian Wilkins
(How tough was the news about not having DT Raekwon Davis for some time? How do you pick up the slack? I’m sure it’s good having DT John Jenkins around.) – “Obviously that is definitely tough for Raekwon and everything because he’s such a hard worker. He’s fun to play with, fun to be around. We’re still going to need his energy and his spirit around and everything like that. At least we still have that. It’s nice to have other guys who can step up and have played a lot of football in this league and have a lot of experience. Guys are just going to have to pick it up some way, somehow.”
(How would you grade how you guys did against the Patriots run game?) – “I think it was a solid start. Not saying we played bad, but we’re obviously going to have to get better and improve each week if we want to get to where we want to go. That definitely starts on the practice field, in meetings, and taking it one play at a time, one meeting at a time, and just getting better and better. That’s where it is all going to happen, so we’re just going to try to make improvements this week because you’re never 100 percent.”
(How would you describe the Bills offense?) – “They are really talented. They’ve got weapons everywhere – a really good o-line, really good quarterback, really good skill guys, good running backs. They’ve got talent everywhere. They are a heck of a team. We’re really going to need to prepare well if we’re going to take care of business this weekend.”
(Does your pass rush plan change at all against a guy like QB Josh Allen who, if you get to him, maybe he can shake off a tackle and make a big play after that. Do you have to change your approach when you face a guy like that?) – “You can see what he can do and everything. You can see what kind of ability he has. We’re just going to focus on our game plan and control what we can control and take the right approach in order to slow those guys down.”
(QB Josh Allen progressed from Year 1 to Year 2, and then from Year 2 to Year 3, he took that big leap. Where have you seen him improve the most?) – “He’s become a more complete player. He really doesn’t have many weaknesses so he presents a great challenge for us. Like I said, if we want to do well this week, we’re going to have to prepare well.”
(I know players don’t like to look back on what happened last season; but they beat you in week 2 and then the finale in Week 17. Do you feel that maybe some type of payback is in order Sunday?) – “Not really. It’s a new year, it’s a new team on both sides. We can’t necessarily worry about that. It’s not a grudge match or nothing like that. Yeah, it’s a division game so It’s important, and it’s the most important game of the year because it’s the next one. But we’re just going to have to prepare well. You can’t think about anything else except the task at hand and one play at a time.”
(You guys were effective in the red zone defensively Sunday. What’s the key for you guys when you get down there?) – “Again, just preparation and understanding that in those situations, in those critical situations, we have to be at our best because things do happen throughout the course of the game. So third down and other situations, red area and things like that, that’s when you’ve got to step up and be at your best.”
(A full Hard Rock stadium on Sunday. Not that you guys need a lift, but what can that atmosphere provide?) – “I’m definitely looking forward to that. We’ve got some of the best fans in the country. It’s always exciting to play at home so I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m excited about that. To your point, it’s all about what we do. The fans aren’t playing for us, so we’re going to have to prepare well. But it’s going to be exciting to be home with a packed crowd.”
(How concerned are you about some of the quarterback draws that they like to run and what can you do to try not to give QB Josh Allen that lane, because once he takes off…) – “Like I was saying earlier, he presents a great challenge for us. We’re going to have to stick with our game plan and stay within our scheme in order to get the result we want.”
(From what you saw in the Bills/Steelers game, what did Pittsburgh do so well to limit that offense?) – “They did some things really well. You can learn from every opponent and every opponent they’ve faced as well. They did a really good job of executing their game plan and that’s we’re going to need to do. Whatever the coaches decide that we’re going to do, that we’re going to go with, players have to lock in on that and execute the game plan very well.”
(There is nothing specific about how they brought pressure?) – “I’m not going to speak on that. I don’t know what they necessarily were doing, but I just felt like they executed what they were doing well.”
(The turnover battle was so important on Sunday. Is that something you guys have talked about again for this week?) – “We just try to create a mindset here where it’s all about the ball. That’s always important every game – not one game over the other. It’s important every game to take care of the ball and try to get takeaways.”
