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Matt Burke – November 21, 2018 Download PDF version

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke

(With DE Charles Harris, do you have a feel yet as to what you have? A year and a half, but now with the absence, do you not quite know exactly what you have in the player?) – “I think we have a sense of what he is as a player. Obviously he’s had some up and down moments and the setback with the injury. I thought before that, those were kind of his best couple of games. You’re hoping you start to see some trends and those things and the consistent level of play. It’s disappointing to have the injury and have that setback and have to miss this time. He’s working his way back in. He’s looked good. He’s looked explosive. He did a good job while he was out and rehabbing in terms of putting some strength on and working with (Head Strength and Conditioning) Coach (Dave) Puloka and the strength guys to put some weight on and do some of those things. We’re hoping the trend we were seeing before the injury is something that continues post-injury when we get him back into things here.”

(Colts QB Andrew Luck hasn’t been sacked in five games.) – “I’ve heard that.”

(QB Andrew Luck’s yards per attempt, is that one reason? And getting the ball out so quickly?) – “Yeah, I think it’s a lot of factors. I think their o-line is playing well. He is getting the ball out fairly quickly – really quickly, actually. I think they’re just … (Colts Head Coach) Frank (Reich) and the offensive staff, they’ve done a really good job. It’s a very efficient offense. Luck is getting ready of the ball but there’s answers, there’s outlets, it’s going. It’s a well-oiled machine. They stay on track pretty well so they’re not necessarily bothered, I don’t think, by the yards per attempt. It’s just kind of part of what they do. They run the ball, they hit those quick passes and they keep on track. They’re first in the NFL on third downs right now. Part of their identity is built into that. I think the sack thing is just sort of an output of all of that. I do think their o-line is playing well. I think Luck is playing well but I think part of that is their identity and the mode they operate in is a very efficient offense. They’re always ahead of the chains or with the sticks and they’re kind of moving it. They keep those third downs manageable and keep the chains moving and its sort of part of what they do. I think Luck is operating at a pretty high level within that context. They’re doing a good job. They’re playing good ball.”

(LB Darius Leonard kind of came out of nowhere for them. Not so much because he was a second-round pick but during the pre-draft process he kind of came out of nowhere from South Carolina State. Is that a guy you were in on at that time and kind of lobbying for?) – “I don’t lobby. Yeah, we liked him coming out. He’s a good player. Smaller school, so whatever the stigma is that goes along with that. But, as an athlete, he’s a tall, long, rangy kid that can run. He made a lot of plays down there in college. We definitely liked him. We liked him coming out. He’s definitely having a lot of success in that system. They’ve done a good job with him. He’s making a lot of tackles. I don’t really watch that side of the ball much, but we’ve had some crossover games and you see him. It’s the same type of thing. He’s a long, rangy kid that’s makes a lot of those plays. I guess one of the questions you’d have about him coming out is from a small school and that transition to make the leap into the NFL, but obviously he hasn’t had a lot of problems with that transition.”

(You were impressed and then you thought … Not necessarily predicted what LB Darius Leonard became but you were seeing something?) – “Yeah, we liked his skill set and the tools he had. Absolutely.”

(Has S Minkah Fitzpatrick played about the same in terms of quality performance at safety, slot corner, boundary corner? Or is there one you think he’s been better at?) – “No. It’s hard. He’s doing a good job. I’d say when we put him on the outside part of the field, it’s probably where he has the least work. I don’t know if experience is the right word, but the least amount of reps out there. So there’s still a couple of nuance things he’s working with from the outside part of the field. It’s been two games we’ve had to play him at about three different spots just with all of the circumstances that were dictating (things). He’s done a good job. It’s hard to absorb. He’s doing a good job playing where we’re asking him to play and executing the things we’re asking him to execute. Hopefully the more we keep doing that and he keeps expanding on, he’ll keep making plays for us.”

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