Transcripts

Search Transcripts
Danny Crossman – October 5, 2023

Thursday, October 5, 2023

Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman

(You guys seemed to have your best all-around performance on Sunday. Is that true and if so, why? Was that just meeting the expectations?) – “Everybody views things differently. I thought we played a sound, solid game. I thought (we had) some opportunities in the return game, which we really hadn’t had. So that was good to get Braxton (Berrios) started there. I thought Jake (Bailey) did a great job of punting the football – hangtime, direction, location. I thought that was good. The coverage teams did a good job on kickoff. There’s always things that we want to be better at. It is the result, okay, because it’s a result-oriented business. But there’s a lot of things that we as coaches look at and maybe critique and evaluate differently. But I thought they played a sound, solid game and I like the trajectory that we’re headed.”

(WR Braxton Berrios took a few more kickoffs out. What did you think of those?) – “I thought it was a great example of we’ve got to clean some stuff up. I thought we were one or two blocks (away) on two of them from having an opportunity for a much better result. But again, that’s going to come with – as much as we emphasize it and you practice it, it’s always going to be a little bit different in the game. It is what it is. But having those opportunities to be able to coach and teach off of game reps as opposed to teaching off of practice reps, I think is great, especially for the young guys.”

(Has the mindset around kickoff returns changed? I mean, obviously it’s changed in the last few years. But in terms of, is it you better get back to the 25? Or is it, are we trying to hit the big play? What’s kind of the mindset when you do bring the ball out on a kick return?) – “You’re trying to make a play. Now what that play is, I don’t know what that result is. We’re trying to get as much yardage as we possibly can. To us, with Braxton (Berrios), I think we feel confident that if we do our job in the blocking scheme, that yes, we would be able to get beyond the 25-yard line for field position.”

(You made some changes on the extra-point blocking two weeks ago when DT Christian Wilkins had that edge position. Then I saw TE Durham Smythe I think took it over at one point. I think Christian switched. But anyway, the changes that were made, have you seen positive results? Have you gotten what you wanted out of those results?) – “It’s a lot of the same guys playing and sometimes we do switch sides, sometimes we don’t. But it’s the same guys playing. I like where they’re at. I go back, and I’m sure in your mind you’re referencing the New England play. I just keep giving them credit. That was an outstanding play. We had a lot of guys doing exactly what we were asking them to do, and they gave us something that we hadn’t covered, we hadn’t gone over. They made a great play. All the credit in the world to them. So I’m happy with where that group is. There’s obviously always things that we have to clean up from a technique standpoint, from a timing standpoint. But that group, and we always talk about Jason (Sanders), we feel very confident in that group when we send them out on the field.”

(DE Chase Winovich, I think this would be his third elevation. He’s progressed satisfactory?) – “Yeah, he’s done a good job. We’ve talked about this and that’s how Mike (McDaniel) approaches it. That’s how the players approach it and that’s how we as coaches have to approach it. We’re working with a 69-man roster. You don’t know sometimes it’s going to be early in the week where you have an idea that a guy is going to be elevated. Sometimes it’s not until late in the week. The key is when your time comes and you have those opportunities, to take advantage of it and be productive and Chase has done that in the games he’s been elevated.”

(K Jason Sanders hasn’t had a field goal attempt, if I’m not mistaken, in the last two games. Can that get weird for a kicker the next time he trots out because it’s been so long?) – “No, not at all. That’s part of the mindset. Ten extra points, that’s 10 33-yard field goals. That’s a lot of kicks. He’s been out on the field and he’s had to kick so that’s not an issue at all.”

(I wanted to ask about CB Cam Smith in terms of his role on special teams. I know he’s been out there as a gunner. Obviously, when you’re a star college player, it’s a different process for you, but where is he in that development?) – “Continuing to grow. Very talented individual, tough, fast, good understanding of football. I think he’s just going to do nothing but keep getting better and better both in the kicking game and on defense. So very, very fortunate, very happy to have him.”

Search Transcripts

Weekly Archives