Gerald Alexander – October 27, 2020
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Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander
(LB Jerome Baker has mentioned how QB Tua Tagavailoa is inquisitive and has gone into defensive meetings to ask questions. Has he talked to you at all about the types of defensive coverages he might see at this level? Have you guys had any conversations?) – “I might be low on Tua’s totem pole in regards to defensive information. I have not had the pleasure of having a conversation with him about defense.”
(I want to ask you about a guy that’s probably high on the totem pole for you on S Bobby McCain. We’ve heard from both Head Coach Brian Flores and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer the past couple of days about the relationships and the way he nurtures those and how it helps him communicate both in the locker room and on the football field. I want to get your perspective on what Bobby means in terms of bringing guys together and galvanizing that group and that core in your DBs room?) – “I think Bobby has accepted the responsibility of what we want out of the free safety position in being a primary communicator. What allows him to do so is his understanding of the defense and his understanding of not just his 1/11th but everybody, and getting guys where they need to be, in positions to make plays. He’s done a great job of that. Those are things that aren’t reflected on the stat sheet, but it is a very important piece for us to be able to operate defensively. That’s a huge emphasis that he takes pride in, and he does a really good job for us.”
(You got a guy in CB Xavien Howard who has had four interceptions in four consecutive games. What does his impact on the field for this team do?) – “I think anybody on our defense or anybody that has a knack for getting turnovers – that’s our job as a defense is to get the ball back for our offense or possibly even score ourselves. What he does – and not just from getting a turnover, but there are various games where the guy hasn’t had a ball caught on him. Just the fact that he’s back there and doing a great job and when they do try to test him, he’s coming down with the ball, it makes us very opportunistic and obviously feeds our defense in order for other guys to possibly get turnovers as well.”
(I have a CB Nik Needham question. What does Nik need to focus on to make sure he’s at his best? What maybe happens when he’s not at his best? He’s obviously been pretty good recently?) – “I think for that position, the nickel position, again it’s different than playing the perimeter corner, like Nik has experience dating back to last season. For him to continue to develop, there are going to be multiple things we’re going to be asking him to do. We’re going to ask him to play man coverage, we’re going to ask him to play zones, we’re going to ask him to pressure, and a lot of it really has to do with playing with great discipline because there’s a lot of space when you go inside and understanding where your leverage is, especially in man coverage. You’re a little bit closer to your help that’s in the middle of the field that’s present than you are when you’re on the perimeter. Now when you have offenses like the Rams, who present a lot of pre-snap movement, that’s going to test your eye discipline and making sure that your alignment and your eyes are in the correct place for you to be able to execute your assignment.”
(If we can go back to CB Xavien Howard for just a second. Given the role that he’s on with interceptions and given his ball skills, do you sometimes wonder why quarterbacks are still testing him the way they are?) – “I think quarterbacks just naturally go through their progression. They don’t necessarily look at maybe people. If they want to throw him the ball and he comes down with the ball, great for the Miami Dolphins. I think at some point, they are going to look at certain matchups. Especially if we’re in some type of man coverage, they may or may not want to go away from him, or if some just want to see if that’s the matchup that they like. They may like the receiver on ‘X,’ and we’ll see who wins the matchup. If he continues to come down with the ball, I think people are going to second-guess their decision.”
(One last QB Tua Tagovailoa question. As you’ve watched practice the last three months, what has your impression been of him as a player? What has stood out to you as a defensive back perspective?) – “I think there is a reason he was drafted in the first round. He has great skill. I’m pretty sure from the offensive perspective, he’s been developing since he got here. I’m looking forward to what he’s going to do for us; but that doesn’t necessarily chance what our focus is as a secondary. Our job is to get the ball back for our offense.”
(I wanted to ask you about all the screen plays that the Rams use. What’s the key to playing a team that plays east to west and throws the ball laterally as much as they do?) – “I would say setting great edges and maximum effort to the football. You can never assume that one guy is going to have a guy on the ground. They do have a lot of really good players and skill guys who can catch and run, whether it be from the receiver positon to the tight end position. They do a really good job in regards to that; but guys who are setting the edge have to set the edge, especially on the perimeter, and not let the ball get down on the sideline. Then all of the other individuals have to run relentlessly to the football. Even if you are the backside corner or the furthest guy away, you have to run with the intension that everybody in front of you may miss the tackle. You saw a great picture of that in the Seattle game not too long ago.”
(Since CB Byron Jones came back from injury, the numbers have kind of – you guys have become a more effective unit. What does it mean to have both him and CB Xavien Howard patrolling the sidelines and what does that force offenses to do?) – “Byron is obviously an experienced player. I’m not sure about the numbers, but I know when Byron’s in there, obviously the level of communication increases because of his experience. It really helps us all out as a secondary. Having him, and having ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and having experienced guys at the perimeter positon allows us to eventually just play good defense. Guys are covering guys, and they have the skills to be able to do so, and we’re talking about different things that may present themselves offensively that we’ve prepared for, and we’re communicating things pre-snap, getting everybody on the same page. It’s not just Bobby McCain. It’s also the corners as well. It allows us, for that snap, to play good football.”
(The Rams receiver, Cooper Kupp, is a fun guy to watch. What do you notice and what are some thing your defensive backs have to be specifically aware about when it comes to Kupp?) – “I’ve known about Cooper Kupp for a very long time. Being a grad assistant at Washington, he lit us up in the stadium as a sophomore. I coached against him at Montana State when he was at Eastern Washington. He’s a very skilled player. He’s strong. He does a really good job, especially in the run game, of effort of cutting off defensive ends. He’s a reliable target for (Jared) Goff on third downs and moving the chains, and they like to scheme up some things with him on play-action on shots. He’s a guy we have to be aware of and where he is, especially on ‘got to have it’ situations because he seems to be the guy that they trust the most to be able to come down with a catch.”
