Eric Rowe – December 15, 2021
Download PDF version
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
S Eric Rowe
(Obviously S Jevon Holland landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list a couple days ago. There is potential he might not play, which could again put you in a starting role. Have you seen your role change a bit starting for S Brandon Jones the past couple weeks compared to when you were in more of a part-time role? Has your role changed in any way?) – “Are you asking me if my role has changed right now?”
(No I mean the past two games when you started for S Brandon Jones. Has your role been any different than when you were in a part time duty in the weeks prior?) – “No. It’s been the same role even with Brandon going down the past two games. I just stay in the strong safety role and then I still have my role whenever third down comes around. If they want me to man on tight end or play zone, I still have that role. It’s been the same. It’s just people change.”
(The Jets give a lot of targets to their running backs and tight ends. Do you see that as a possible big role for you this week, taking on the tight ends and running backs?) – “Yeah, we know they like to use their backs. They love their backs and their tight ends. I’ve been seeing a little more balls going to them. But essentially, I can’t say we know what they like to do but we have an idea of what they like to do – get the ball out quick. It doesn’t matter who’s back there, whether it’s (Zach) Wilson or (Joe) Flacco. Backs and tight ends each week, you can’t sleep on them because if you let them go off, it’s the NFL and they’ll produce.”
(I saw on social media that you were hosting to host a holiday toy event. Did you have a specific interaction with a kid or kids that was memorable to you?) – “Yeah, I had two families and what I did was just help them to their table of the gifts that they had. I met, it was like five – I had two families, it was like five kids. What was kind of memorable was they would ask for your picture or autograph and I’m pretty sure they didn’t know football like that but their eyes would just light up. They’re like, ‘Oh, wow!’ I don’t know if they thought I personally gave them the gift. They were like, ‘Thank you for the gifts!’ and I was like, I can’t take the credit because I didn’t give the gifts, I didn’t buy them. But just to see how much they appreciated it, it just lights me up.”
(Are you comfortable at both free and strong safety?) – “Yeah. You’ve got to know both. You can’t be one sided and I played free in college back then.”
(How much would you say you split between the two in practice?) – “What, today?”
(Either today or in general?) – “Ah, no. Can’t give that info out there. (laughter)”
(What has changed as the league has been more of a passing league, where you have to know both spots, you can’t just play in the box? Or is that something that has always been the case for safeties, do you think?) – “I personally feel like, I don’t know how other teams do it but I know being here under (Brian Flores) ‘Flo’s’ defense, you’ve got to be versatile. You can’t just be one and done unless you’re All-Pro at it. You’ve got to be able to flip between free, strong, get in the box, go out there and cover on the slot or whoever is out there out wide. You’ve got to be able to do it all.”
(What are your thoughts on QB Zach Wilson? You didn’t get to face him the first time you played Jets and now you’re getting a chance to go against him.) – “We’re excited because he’s a good, young quarterback. He has a rocket arm, he’s accurate and he can run. Those three things are obviously all threats. We’re excited to go against him. We wanted to go against him the first week because a rookie quarterback, high draft pick, good guy. We like the challenges.”
(There have been an awful lot of players testing positive across the league in the past few days. I think it’s up to seven teams in the enhanced protocol. How much thought have you given to any of that? Are you being extra careful now or has it changed anything for you?) – “The numbers are crazy. The numbers are crazy. I’ve been on my own same routine I’ve been doing all year. I wear a mask when I’m out in public or if I’m in a crowded – I know in that one video I didn’t have a mask on, they just wanted me to do a quick shoutout but that whole event I had my mask on, being extra cautious. It’s not just for me. It’s for me, my teammates, my family at home, my wife. I just keep with the same routine though.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores sounded like he was not going to order you guys not to go out for the next month but have you guys as players collectively talked about maybe not going out as much because there are so many positives now in society?) – “Yeah, there’s a lot. We haven’t really had too many discussions as players just going out because obviously, we don’t go out. It’s the season, right? We go to practice, we go home, study and get ready for the next day. There’s been a couple talks of like – we’ve talked about how many positives are going on and how things are really starting to go on the other side. I think guys are more aware of if they go out, just put a mask on at least and just be cautious.”
(Do you worry about high-profile athletes who have suffered from COVID and are now living with the consequences, like Lewis Hamilton has talked today. One of the best strikers in the world in soccer retired because of the effects of when he had COVID. What do you think about that and does that worry you that COVID could affect your game?) – “Yeah, it doesn’t matter if you’re a high-profile athlete or somebody working in an office job, COVID does not discriminate. It does not matter. Whether like, to your question, whether it’s high profile or you’re just the average person working, you should be cautious. Right now with COVID, you can be selfish thinking I have to go out there and play, which we all want to compete but we have to think about the greater good. If I spread it to a teammate and maybe he spreads it to his wife then spreads it to their little child, you don’t know how that child will be affected, right? It’s more than just sports.”
