Frank Smith – January 4, 2024
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Thursday, January 4, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(Did you see anything encouraging yesterday from RB Raheem Mostert in terms of cutting or the things he needs to do play? Or is it too early for you to even know?) – “Through the walkthrough we had yesterday, he was working on his stuff. But I mean, ultimately, yesterday for us, we’re getting ready for the game. With all the guys, everyone who’s working through things, it’s more about for us, the mental side of the preparation for the game and what we’re trying to do. So today is really our day where we’ll get on the grass and be able to do things. But when it comes time at the end of the year, it’s a process for every guy that’s working through things. You can feel very optimistic with the guy all the way through Friday and then all of a sudden, how Friday goes dictates a lot of our stuff. So for us, it’s a three-day process to get to the game and today is the most important day as we focus on our work on the grass.”
(With WR Jaylen Waddle, is he a guy where, so long as he can’t make it worse, 80 percent of Jaylen is better than maybe 100 percent of somebody else? Is that what you think about him as a player?) – “I mean, it’s hard to put exact percentages on performance and stuff like that. When guys feel they’re good enough to play, have gone through the process with our training room, and understand the game plan and can execute it, we feel fully confident in those guys being able to execute. You have a process to get the players ready for the game where they feel confident, they feel healthy enough to go. And when guys feel good enough to go and they can make an impact and do their job, then we have full confidence in the situation we’re going to put them in and our attack.”
(How much does it change the offensive gameplan if RB Raheem Mostert and WR Jaylen Waddle are both out?) – “I wouldn’t really say – it’s not like we drastically go, well we can’t do this or do that it. It just makes us have to know with certain variables where we maybe move guys in different spots or have maybe a different concept that someone does maybe a little bit better if they’re going to be potentially up in their place. But I mean, it’s not like all of a sudden you remove part of your offense. It’s more of you just go, ‘Okay, how do we maybe move a guy here?’ Or you move maybe Tyreek (Hill) to another side, or maybe we use a different personnel group. So I think it’s just more of how you shift things and you try and always put guys in the best position. As we’re going through the week, we make sure we have different concepts, different things that attack different parts of the defense for what our guys do their best.”
(What does the Bills defense do uniquely, if anything?) – “They play very well together. They’re a very well-connected defense, well-coached. They understand what they’re defending, how they’re going to defend it. They understand their opponent. So overall, they just do a very good job just knowing their system and the intent. Similarly to what we try and do, you teach the why and the how. Then you have a plan for offense. You have a plan for attack, they have a plan for the defense. You see a very-well coached team with guys that play hard and it’ll be a very good challenge for us on Sunday night.”
(Given the circumstances yesterday, are you expecting WR Tyreek Hill to be able to get back out there with you today?) – “I mean, how about all that, right? The first thing that goes through my mind was, I hope everyone’s okay and everything goes well … (inaudible) But yeah, we’ll work through all that. It seems like everything was fine. He’s the best. I mean, just as far as how he goes through the game, his competitive nature, how he pushes things. I’m sure with him, it’s going to be completely – everything’s going to work itself out and today, we’ll figure everything out working up to the game. But I’m just glad like, with one of those situations, it’s one of those where you’re like, the first thing is you find out and make sure everyone’s okay.”
(There’s been steady snaps for TE Julian Hill. Has the quality of blocking that he’s given you been at such a level that he’s very much in your mind in terms of a role, whether it’s what it’s been or expanded?) – “Yeah, just his physicality, his commitment to his process to go to the game and getting better each week. I mean, he’s really done a good job from getting here in the spring to now and each week he’s growing. He asks excellent questions. That’s been something I’ve noticed about him. When you have a young player who’s asking very advanced questions, you know that his process to get to that question, you’re like ‘wow, you’ve really thought about all the things,’ and that’s kind of how he’s played. He loves playing the game, he loves playing physical. Always with the tight end group, big physical guys with a complete skillset is always huge. So we’ve been very pleased with him so far.”
(Has TE Durham Smythe improved his receiving skills?) – “It’s not like he’s improved them. I think it’s just more opportunities. The biggest thing is, when you have the guys that you’d say initially are ‘blocking skillsets,’ sometimes they’re overlooked in the passing game and they can find those holes in between zones, and they can catch it and get yards. Guys who are physical after contact can get even more yards off that. So I think it’s more opportunities and you can’t say enough about the guy. What a great part of our program, I mean, just an unbelievable tough-minded person who is just one of the guys that you love coming and coaching because the way he approaches everything is so professional.”
(As an offshoot of that, is TE Durham Smythe’s increased receiving numbers the last few weeks a byproduct of you guys consciously wanting to get him more involved? Or is it a case of taking what the defense is giving you?) – “A lot of it’s just what the defense is giving you. The guys are in position as you deploy them in the concepts and sometimes if you’re the primary, you get covered and other times the ball can get checked down to other options. So I just think it’s more of as the coverage and we go through the attack, sometimes when guys defend the deep part of the field, they’re going to give you the underneath part of the zones. Especially last week, they were trying to defend the deep part of the field, and the underneath stuff sometimes becomes open. Guys like Durham thrive in that area, Alec (Ingold) as well, and then all the tight ends. If you catch a checkdown in between zones, or you catch a vertical in between zones and you can stay on the move, that’s where you can get some good production.”
(You’ve had three games now where you’ve needed to win a shootout: LA (Chargers), start of the season, Buffalo and then last week. One of those times, the offense was there the entire duration. The second time it was there and then there was a dropoff. What’s it going to take if you have to win a shootout against Buffalo to make sure that 60 minutes is in line with where the offense needs to be?) – “Well, it’s a good question because I don’t think you can go in with a mindset of this is going to be what’s necessary. It’s more of you approach each moment like each moment is the most important. If you look at the entirety of the situation, the natural human self will take you to too many conclusions and too many possibilities. Then that leads to thinking you need to do more when reality you just stay in the moment. You realize you need to maximize this moment. You’re so in tune to what is necessary now. Then stack them. So the minute you start thinking – like go back to college, I have a C in a class and all of a sudden I need an A on this exam to save myself because I don’t want to hear my dad giving me hell, then all of a sudden you start pressing, you start thinking about things and all of a sudden you come out with a B-minus and you’re like, damn. Because all of a sudden you made a result for yourself as opposed to, ‘no, what do you really want to do?’ If I want to get that result, I focus on making sure each moment is at my best and making sure that I stay now, because the result you seek will come through the process of deliberately staying in the now. And I think that’s the most important thing we try to strive around here is just our intent each day, each moment. And I think that allows you to bank those reps for the future. If every moment you’re playing is of that intent, the highest level of competition, do you take that to each day, each moment of what you’re doing? Because this one play might not seem like a whole lot, but then what if we call it in a game and it got 30 yards? Did you all play together or something? That is how you approach those moments. I think that’s something that I know Mike really strives for with all of us on offense. Stay in the moment.”
(Was there a common thread between the Buffalo and Baltimore games that you guys didn’t meet that moment? It got too big maybe for some of your guys?) – “I don’t think it got too big. It’s easy to sit back and say what’s the correlation between the two times and try to find the similarities, but there’s different variables at play. That was a different point in the season coming off a huge win versus Denver and then now, this week, at Baltimore was a different set of circumstances. As we go through the different games and different moments, it’s learning from them, because now as we’re getting into this game and hopefully the future, it’s just going to be now staying with that and making sure all thing things we’ve learned throughout the season we can maximize one at a time. But yeah, that’s the hard part. You don’t know what is going to be expected on Sunday. You can’t forecast it. All you can forecast is my individual job and making sure I maximize it as we go forward in the game.”
(How has OL Robert Hunt looked in his uptick in participation?) – “feel really good about everyone in their progression towards trying to make it back to the game. The big thing will be is the summation of the whole week. We feel very optimistic with everyone in their buildup. And today and tomorrow will be the most important days to see if we can get him available for Sunday. But he’s been working his tail off to try and get back and we’re hopeful.”
(A little change of pace question, but I’m doing something on what people have overcome in their careers to reach their level of success. Is there anything you look at when you look at your path to here that you’ve had to overcome or master to get to where you are?) – “I mean, it’s one of those where you could say – I just feel so fortunate so many times. I never really looked at anything as I had to overcome something. My whole life has been trying to – I walked on in college and had to prove my worth there. It worked out really well. Then my senior year I was a team captain on one of the greatest teams at our university. That relationship I had with my head coach allowed me to get a graduate assistant job. When our o-line coach left to go to Arizona, I got very fortunate. I got the job at my alma mater. And then I got to work the second year on defense, which was invaluable, because so many bases of what you learn. I went to a small 1-AA school, Butler, for four years. A lot of people would say I left division one, but it was the greatest thing ever because I didn’t have the hard recruiting schedule that the division one guys had, so it allowed me to go claw and scratch my way into NFL buildings and just go watch tape and learn and ask questions. Then me being a nuisance, I developed a relationship with the guys in New Orleans. When they had an opening, they asked me if I would take a $10,000 pay cut to come stuff binders and break down tape and all that. I was like, I’ll do it for free. Are you kidding me? (laughter) And then I was fortunate enough to work for a staff that two months prior to that won the Super Bowl. You go through it, and I went to Chicago. We were not successful in the win-loss category, but I met great guys who I learned so much of how to teach people, reach people, what works, what doesn’t. Go to Oakland, kind of put it together. And then three years of Pro Bowlers. Then I left to go to L.A. and (it was) unbelievable. Rashawn (Slater) and Corey (Linsley) and Matt (Feiler) and Bryan (Bulaga) and Storm (Norton) and all the guys, I couldn’t say enough. The year before they were really starting over. Four or five o-line spots were open. How are we going to rebuild this thing and do all that stuff? I was like I don’t know, we’ll figure it out. Then we get here, and it’s just, I don’t know. What do you look at to overcome? I don’t know, that’s just kind of from the beginning. My high school coach, I asked too many questions. Him and I didn’t see eye to eye on some things and that could have been adversity. I just look at it all as I’m the luckiest guy ever. Any situation arises, just stay in the moment. How can I maximize now? It’s not see the challenge of it. It’s see the opportunity within it. I think that’s just been kind of my way the whole way. That hill looks pretty tall. Yeah, but this is easy. Let’s go up this part first, then we’ll get up to that when we get to it. So I mean, I guess I had challenges but I never looked at it (that way). I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for every one of them.”
(How has working for Head Coach Mike McDaniel been for you career?) – “Working with Mike has been a dream come true for me. When you watch someone prior, their body of work, and you just see from afar what he’s done – we have the same agent, Richmond Flowers. He connected us in the summertime. Then to be able to work with him has been awesome because it’s so many principles that you believe in philosophically and love for football that we do every day. We just have such a natural alignment on the way we see so many things. That’s why our communication is so easy and it’s been awesome. To be able to implement it on a grandiose scale within the program, I couldn’t ask for anything better. So the basis of our program is adversity is an opportunity. And this is an unbelievable opportunity. I couldn’t thank Mike every day for allowing me to be a part of it.”
Vic Fangio – January 4, 2024
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Thursday, January 4, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(Do you envision having one guys picking up the brunt of the load with LB Bradley Chubb out? Or do you envision a fairly even split of playing time between DE Emmanuel Ogbah and LB Melvin Ingram?) – “Yeah, it’s going to be by committee, for sure.”
(What’s the strengths of each of that committee? What does DE Emmanuel Ogbah do well that maybe LB Melvin Ingram doesn’t and vice versa?) – “(Ogbah) is a good pass rusher for the most part. Mel’s a little more well rounded in the OLB position, the ability to drop and stuff like that.”
(When you have a guy like DE Emmanuel Ogbah, who’s more of a traditional defensive end and is not extremely versed in that dropping back into coverage, do you have to call things differently? Or scheme things differently for him?) – “At times, yes.”
(Could you talk about last week? I know we’re moving on to this Sunday, but you guys seemed to play more man-to-man. There were some communication problems. Maybe I’m wrong there, but just from watching.) – “Yeah, it wasn’t that much more man-to-man than usual. Yeah, we had some execution problems. But I think one of the biggest problems was I just didn’t call a good enough game, really.”
(Has anything happened at corner in your mind that’s made you rethink essentially what has been obviously CB Jalen Ramsey, but then CB Eli Apple and CB Kader Kohou in whatever order. Have any of the other corners done enough to make you rethink that? Or do you go with the guys you’ve gone with in CB Xavien Howard’s likely absence?) – “Yeah. When ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) went out early last week, we went with Eli and Kader stayed at nickel. I think that’s the way we’ll move going forward.”
(When you say you didn’t call a good enough game, do you mean calling stuff that maybe you saw from Baltimore that you didn’t expect? What do you mean by when you say you didn’t call a good game?) – “No, just that the calls didn’t work out.”
(Do you look it as because the calls didn’t work, you didn’t do a good job? Or do you kind of view it more process-oriented? Like if you’re process is rooted in what you think is sound, you can live with the call. How do you kind of rationalize your calls after the fact?) – “I’m not sure I follow you totally, but just the way it turned out, some of the calls put us in tough situations that we didn’t handle well enough. Usually that doesn’t happen. But you have to give Baltimore credit. They’re a well-balanced, good offense and they can do that to you.”
(How different is Buffalo now than the last time you played them? New offensive coordinator obviously.) – “They’re different to some degree. They’re really running the ball well right now and when you are running the ball that well, the play-action game is opened up. So that’s really helping them. They are really talented on offense. They have two really good tight ends. Everybody knows about (Stefon) Diggs. Their slot’s a good player. (Gabe) Davis is a good player. (James) Cook is the best back they’ve had in Buffalo maybe since Thurman Thomas. Their line is doing a good job and obviously everybody knows about Josh Allen and his ability. They’re highly ranked in most offensive categories and when you watch the tape, you can see why.”
(When you guys used CB Jalen Ramsey to shadow Jets WR Garrett Wilson, how did the rest of the secondary handle their different responsibilities? Would they be comfortable doing it again?) – “Yeah, they handled it well that day. I think if we want to do it again, I think they’ll handle it well again.”
(I wanted to get your thoughts on how LB Bradley Chubb got hurt later in a game that was kind of out of reach. Do you regret having him out there at that point?) – “Obviously you do knowing what happened now. But I think Mike (McDaniel) addressed that earlier after the game or earlier in the week, and I just stand on what Mike said.”
(What does CB Cam Smith need to do either the rest of the year or headed into his second season to take a positive step in his career and be a more likely contributor?) – “Just improve in all areas – assignment, technique, execution, know how. Just a little bit in all areas.”
(LB Jerome Baker is returning to practice. If he can return to game action, what difference would that make?) – “It would help. We’d be able to have a better three-man rotation there with him, David (Long Jr.) and Duke (Riley). It would help for sure. Bake’s a good player, we’ve missed him. I think today’s practice will be telling whether he can make it back or not.”
(All five Buffalo offensive linemen have played over 1,000 snaps this season. What does that continuity do for an offense? And how challenging does it make it for you guys to attack an offense that has that kind of o-line continuity?) – “Yeah, it’s unusual for that to happen as witnessed here locally with our offensive line. And they are good players too. When you put continuity with good players, good things happen. They pull a lot of their linemen. They do a good job scheming their run game. I think that’s attributed to continuity also.”
(What did you learn from the couple of games – you’ve been so good for most of the season – but the couple of games where it’s kind of gotten away from you, has there been a common thread?) – “The two games I think you’re alluding to I think are last week and the first Buffalo game. Yeah, we didn’t play well early and things snowballed. It wasn’t one area that was letting us down. It was basically all phases, both run and pass. I think when that happens, you get not back on your heels playing wise, but it makes you feel that way a little bit.”
(Is there a similarity, different styles of quarterback, but between Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Bills QB Josh Allen, they both run, they both pass. Are they similar threats?) – “Yeah, they are very similar. Different body types, different running styles. But the same problems for sure. Allen is just a beast of a guy, a physical specimen like John Elway was in the mid-80s to the mid-90s. This guy is the new John Elway on steroids. And I don’t mean he’s taking steroids. (laughter) He’s just bigger, faster, cannon for an arm, tough. He’s a dude.”
(Have you gotten any lobbying from CB Jalen Ramsey about shadowing? Any good nature lobbying from him in general or this week about shadowing Bills WR Stefon Diggs or whoever?) – “Occasionally. Occasionally.”
(What gives you confidence in CB Eli Apple?) – “I think Eli recently has played better than he did earlier in the season. He’s a veteran. There’s know how. He knows his limitations. He knows who he’s covering. He knows the strength and weaknesses of whatever we’re playing and does a good job adjusting.”
(You’ve mentioned before you’re not a huge fan of the corners traveling.) – “I never said I wasn’t a huge fan of it.”
(Maybe there’s not a lot of situations you’d do it in a normal game plan. Is that fair?) – “I’ve done it a couple years in my career a lot every week. But when you have two corners that you think are pretty good, than you’re less likely to do it.”
(So I guess that was my question. Is it the talent of the corners or something schematically that gives you an advantage of showing your hand in that perspective?) – “No, I don’t think it matters schematically that much.”
(I wanted to ask about shadowing quarterbacks like Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson and Buffalo QB Josh Allen. When you have a guy who specifically is assigned to shadow, I don’t know if it’s every down or specific downs, what does it take away from the defense?) – “Well, a lot of teams will do that. To me, the biggest question is, is that shadow guy the fourth rusher or the fifth rusher? And then that affects what you’re doing coverage wise.”
(Does it matter if the shadow guy is closer to the line of scrimmage? Is he pretty much out of the play? If Buffalo QB Josh Allen passes the ball, that guy is pretty useless right? If he’s further back, he can at least play some defense. Is that a correct assumption?) – “It is. But if he takes off, you’re farther away from him.”
Danny Crossman – January 4, 2024
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Thursday, January 4, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(There were a lot of kickoff returns the last time you guys played Buffalo. Was that by design, or wind related? Why was that?) – “There are a lot of different aspects that go into it. There are times you want it in play, there are times you don’t want it in play. There are times that it is in play whether you want it or not. There are a lot of different aspects that go into it.”
(What happened with the kickoff return to start the second half?) – “That’s a great example of if you’re a little bit off on a fit, or if you’re a little bit late on a fit, against good people, bad things are going to happen. We had a bad fit and a late trigger, and a terrible play you can’t afford.”
(Buffalo also allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown to start last game. Is there something you can find that may exploit that?) – “Every play is independent. If there was a pattern at this time of year, it would’ve been exploited numerous times. It was a one off. They had a fit and a missed tackle. At this time of year, all of those things are amplified.”
(Do you think at this time of year, special teams are more important than the usual 1/3 of the game?) – “No, I don’t. It’s similar. It’s just at this time of year when you’re playing in late December and playing in January and playing in February in critical games that have major implications, whether it be in the playoffs, seeding in playoffs, advancing in the playoffs, whether it’s offense, defense or kicking game, every single play of every single phase is amplified because there may not be many more.”
(WR Braxton Berrios is the fourth alternate for the Pro Bowl with the season he’s had. Do you think he’s close to breaking one?) – “I do. We’ve been close on a couple. Like we talked about with the kickoff coverage, we’re a little bit late getting to a responsibility or a second leverage player or whatever it may be. But I’m really happy with where Braxton is and he’s done a nice job. We just got to get him a little more help.”
(FB Alec Ingold is a Pro Bowl selection for the fullback position but I know he plays a lot on your units as well. I just wanted get your perspective on his work on special teams and how happy you are for him.) – “No. 1, a great individual as a person. A great leader. Plays through a lot of stuff. Does everything and anything you could ask for. Yes, super happy for him. Like all of these guys, I’m very happy to have him on our club.”
(LB Cam Goode had a hold on a punt that went out of bounds. What happened there?) – “It’s all technique. He got something earlier in the play and tried to do something to help himself, and put him in a negative position, and got called for it. Those things are amplified, the ball would’ve been on the 30 if they catch the front end of it and a positive. They catch the back end of it and now we’re starting the drive on the 10-yard line. It’s a 20-yard swing, so those things can’t happen.”
(Was WR Braxton Berrios upset with himself on that kickoff on the sideline? He called fair catch, but did he think it was going out of bounds?) – “He thought in hindsight it might have been going out of bounds, or maybe establish himself out of bounds before he caught it. But it was a long way to go. Fortunately he made the right decision early with the fair catch. The rest of it was going to play out. I think he thought if he may have taken another half a count, maybe the ball would’ve went out on it’s own. Those decisions happen in a split second. He ran over 28 yards to get there. In hindsight, you say ‘I could’ve done this.’ But I’m happy with the way he executed the play. The results are what they are.”
(What is the risk/reward with that? What do you instruct him to do on those?) – “If we can, if we know the ball is going to go out of bounds, we’re going to establish ourselves and touch the ball, and then we’ll get the ball on the 40-yard line. But in that situation where you’re running and you’re not sure and the ball is drifting away, you’re not sure where you are because you’re still tracking the football, so you’re going to live with what you get. He made the right decision early with the fair catch, so at worst we were going to be on the 25.”
(Regarding K Jason Sanders, we saw him against the Jets last year, and we saw him against Dallas this year. We know he’s not afraid of those moments. Does he really relish those moments and look forward to them? Or is he pretty business like about it and it doesn’t matter either way?) – “You’d have to ask him that question. The way I look at Jason, he’s ready no matter what. He doesn’t blink and whenever we send him out, we’ll look for the positive results.”
Alec Ingold – January 3, 2024
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Wednesday, January 3, 2024
FB Alec Ingold
(WR Tyreek Hill is dealing with a fire at his house. What goes through your head realizing he’s got a wife and kids at the house and is practicing and has this to deal with?) – “Yeah, just seeing him bolt and go take care of what he’s got to take care of right now, obviously he’s a prioritized guy and he’s going to take care of it. So you hope everyone’s safe, happy and healthy, can get out of there and just allow for family to be safe so that your home is good. That’s the priority in all of this. This is a workplace, this what we do for a job, but that’s obviously wellbeing. You definitely have prayers for their family that they can get out and Tyreek can go back and take care of business there.”
(You’re so good at having perspective not only in football but outside of football. Seeing something like this, what’s your biggest takeaway?) – “Man, it’s a shock, right? It catches you off guard a little bit. You don’t think that it’s ever going to happen to you until it does. It’s something as a team, we’ve got to be able to come together and make sure that we can reach out to Tyreek (Hill) and be human beings with him and make sure everything is squared away and we can do everything we possibly can to help our teammate. That’s the human element of this locker room. I think that’s what special about this locker room is we actually do care about each other outside of the building. We’ve been there, we’ve taken care of one another, so it’s just another step in being good teammates and human beings to one another in this organization.”
(Let’s talk about Sunday. A big one. So much excitement for the actual game. What can you do to stay calm? It’s a late, late kickoff on Sunday.) – “I had a wise high school coach, Gary Westerman, once tell me, it’s a slow build. You can’t peak too high, too late. It’s a slow build. We’ve had a number of different primetime games and opportunities, so that’s what I’m going to do, man. You get extra time to review that play call sheet, dial in on those details a little bit more and then by the time kickoff goes, I’m going to be locked and loaded and so will the rest of the guys so it’ll be exciting.”
(You guys are special at home. You win here all the time. How much of an advantage is that knowing that the Bills have kind of had your number the last three times?) – “I think it’s a collective belief. We’ve shared in all of those experiences. The wins, the losses, we’ve learned from all these opportunities throughout the year. So this is the next one. It’s the biggest one because it’s the next one and it’s the regular season finale. I think it’s a great opportunity for this team to be able to get right, to go back and do what we know we can do and just be at our best. I think that’s what everyone is going to be gunning for and I think if we do that, we’ve got a shot.”
Andrew Van Ginkel – January 3, 2024
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Wednesday, January 3, 2024
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(LB Bradley Chubb going down, we know how emotional that was. What’s your confidence level in DE Emmanuel Ogbah and LB Melvin Ingram?) – “First it starts with Bradley. Obviously the ultimate competitor. He brings so much energy and juice and is just a guy that does everything right. It’s tough seeing him go down like that and we’ve got his back. We’re going to be praying for him and wish him a speedy recovery and surgery. Obviously Ogbah is a guy that’s played a lot of years in this league. He’s no scrub. He’s going to come in and he’s going to make plays. That’s what he’s done his whole career. It’s tough, but it’s the next man up. Obviously, Melvin (Ingram), the same thing. He’s been in the league a long time, Pro Bowler, knows how to play and has played at a high level. So I’m excited for what they can do for this team and I’m excited to see them ball.”
(For you, another big stage, Sunday Night Football, primetime with so much on the line. What do you do during the day to kind of stay calm?) – “(laughter) That’s a good question. Obviously, I just try to relax in the morning. I’ll get up and get a little activation or something in, just to keep my body moving so I’m not laying around all day. I’ll usually try to get a little nap in or a little downtime just to relax and try to get the game off my mind and then get ready to roll. When I head to the stadium a few hours before the game, just let my body build up from there.”
(The Bills have had your number the last three times. What feels different about this game that you feel gives you the edge?) – “We’ve got a team that’s hungry. Obviously, we’re coming off a difficult loss. We’re motivated. We know what we’re capable of doing, and we’ve got a lot of guys in this room that they want to get that sour taste out of their mouth. Obviously, it’s a big game and we know what’s at stake, so we’re going to come out in full force.”
Melvin Ingram – January 3, 2024
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Wednesday, January 3, 2024
LB Melvin Ingram
(How has it felt out there?) – “Amazing.”
(Is everything back? The speed, the quickness?) – “Yes. It never left.”
(How tough is it for an NFL player to not play and then be thrown into important playoff caliber games?) – “I can’t speak for everybody else but I know it isn’t tough for me. I can’t speak for other players. I can only speak for me and it isn’t tough.”
(The luxury of this team having players of the quality of you and DE Emmanuel Ogbah and LB Andrew Van Ginkel, when two really good edge players go down, how much of a luxury is that?) – “That’s a blessing. That’s a blessing for a team to have that. We have a lot of guys here that can play football, including all of those guys you just named. It’s a next man up mentality. We don’t plan to skip no beats.”
(You’ve played QB Josh Allen before. What are the keys to limiting him?) – “We’ve just got try to cancel out every phase. Josh is a tremendous athlete. He’s one of the best in this business. We just have to try to cancel out everything and play smashmouth football.”
Tua Tagovailoa – January 3, 2024
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Wednesday, January 3, 2024
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I’m assuming you know what’s going on with WR Tyreek Hill in terms of his house being on fire. How difficult would that be for just any teammate, in your opinion?) – “Yeah, I think that would be difficult for not just my teammates, but anyone in general to be going through what Tyreek is going through right now. The main thing is his family is safe, his loved ones are good and he’s good as well. I know it’s a little cliché to say, but things like that, part of the house, some of those things can be replaceable. I’m just glad that a lot of his family members are safe.”
(Were you able to talk to WR Tyreek Hill before he took off?) – “No, I wasn’t able to talk to him. I didn’t know that it happened until after practice. So we’re thinking of them, hoping that everyone is good.”
(With this game, obviously a high-stakes game, which is what you guys have been talking about playing in December and January. Does it get any bigger than this? What would you kind of compare this situation to based on what you played so far probably in college and the NFL?) – “I don’t think I am making this any bigger than what it is. I understand there’s seeding at stake if you will, but outside of that, I think if we continue to prepare the way we’ve prepared and play team football, in which I think is the most important thing for our team in this back half, then I think we’ll be fine.”
(There were a lot of people who said Monday when we talked to them that the offense began to press or the team began to press against the Ravens. How do you counteract that when obviously the game is getting out of hand?) – “Well, I think the most important thing in games like that is that we continue to fight regardless of what the scoreboard says. In regards to that, what you don’t want to do is make something that’s bad, worse. And compounding that with interceptions, the turnovers, you can’t do that. I think that’s what they meant by pressing and whatnot. You can’t have everything back in one play. That’s what I would say.”
(How’s your shoulder feeling? Is it limiting you in any way?) – “My shoulder is good, brother. It’s all good. Thank you.”
(We saw on Hard Knocks you were complaining about some inflammation maybe on your thumb? It was bruised.) – “They showed that?”
(Yeah. How quickly or how long did it take for those residuals on the thumb to sort of get out of the way for you?) – “Well, everyone has the nicks and bruises at this point of the season. So that’s not an excuse for me. But that’s what was going on.”
(How much pride do you take getting to this point and playing an entire NFL season for the first time?) – “I take a lot of pride in it. But I also take pride in helping our team win. I look back at some of the losses we’ve had and wish I could’ve had some plays back. Wish we could’ve done some things different. I think those things stick in my brain more than where I’m at right now this season. Things that I could’ve done better to help our team.”
(Does it ever get frustrating having the focus and attention on your health and durability? I think I remember last year you did an interview with Maria Taylor where you hated that the rule would always be attached to you. Despite all the work you did this offseason, does it kind of get frustrating the additional attention on your health considering everyone is nicked up this time of year?) – “Not really. I haven’t heard anyone say much this year about concussions having to be something that I had last year. Everyone has their own ways of have their concussions, whether it was a hit or a hit from the ground and other different ways. But I would say no to that this year.”
(What has your relationship been like with some of the other receivers not named WR Jaylen Waddle or WR Tyreek Hill and sort of building those up as those guys battle injuries during this season?) – “Yeah, I think my relationship has been good with those guys. I think those guys have also done a great job. This isn’t an easy offense to work yourself into given the longevity of the calls and things you need to really hone-in to with the motions and hear if it’s tagged for you or not. But this late into the season, I think they’ve done a good job.”
(It’s been a while since the last division title for this team. You guys can accomplish that on Sunday. Is that something that brings extra value to the game for you or to the team?) – “Yeah, I would say that’s our goal short term. We want to win the division. But like I’ve said in many of these press conferences, in order for us to go where we want to go, we have to win every game. And it starts this week.”
(You’ve seen this defense a lot of times. What’s the first and foremost thing you think of when you think about going against the Bills defense?) – “They are very sound defensively. They’re coached well. They know where their problems are. They hide their problems well. I mean, they are really good in that sense. They’re really good also with their disguise and showing shell and then going one-high, and disguising that with their other coverages and their two-high deal. They present some good problems for us, and it’s going to be a good challenge for us this Sunday.”
(One scenario if you guys win is to face them back-to-back weeks, have them come right back to Hard Rock Stadium for the Wild Card Round. What would that be like to see the same team two weeks in a row?) – “It wouldn’t matter what team we play. I think what matters to us is our style of football and how we play and how we execute.”
(What would it mean to you personally to beat the Bills, win the division, to put yourself in position to make a Super Bowl run? To do that all on Sunday.) – “I think it would mean a lot to the team for us to do that. We’re looking forward to the challenge this Sunday and we’ll be ready.”
(The last time you faced them, they got a lot of pressure on you with just a four-man rush. Obviously now you have a couple of injuries on the offensive line that has impacted the performance. Do you feel like this unit and especially considering all that they’ve gone through and all they’ve endured, will be ready for what the Bills will bring?) – “Yeah, I think our guys up front, I think our guys outside, offensively and defensively, will be able to handle what the Bills have. I say that because a lot of our guys, we have a lot of guys have been told they ‘can’t’. A lot of guys ‘can’t do this, can’t do that.’ I think they’ve heard enough and they want to do something about that.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel talks a lot about adversity being an opportunity. Certainly with what WR Tyreek Hill is dealing with, he’s dealing with some adversity. How do you guys, with all that swirling around this week, focus on what you have to do?) – “Well, it does get tough, especially when it comes to family. But you have to find your happy medium. Everyone is different with how they find that and how they go about their business. It’s up to every individual with how they go about that process.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that after the first Bills game in Week 4, you kind of changed the way you practiced and kind of simulate game situations more in practice. How do you think that has helped you up to this point?) – “Yeah, I think we have done that, but it was just to the extent of being deliberate with how we are offensively, in and out of the huddle, no one talking when I’m spitting out the play. Then after the play, then you can ask your question with what the formation is and whatnot. Then after the play is done, getting back to the huddle. What’s the personnel? Things like that. We sort of try to simulate game-like situations where prior to that our operation just wasn’t as good.”
(Coach McDaniel was saying earlier today you arrive early, you leave late. You don’t have office hours when it comes to taking time to take care of your body with the trainers, no matter how long the session lasts and also in preparing for the games, as long as it takes. How have you evolved in that area since your arrival in the NFL?) – “Yeah, I think a lot of it is trial and error for me throughout the years. What’s worked, what hasn’t worked. Then trying new things. And then also asking veterans what their process is. I think someone that has a really good process or routine weekly is Christian Wilkins. He has a really good process in how he goes about taking care of his body, taking care of the mental aspect of things, how he goes and does his thing. But just hearing everyone’s process, it is different and tailored to what I do. But it’s also cool that I can find what works for me and implement what needs to be implemented.”
(How significant is it to you to start 17 regular season games this season?) – “It’s a blessing that I get to play the entire season. I think anyone would say the same around the league that it’s a blessing to make it this far as healthy as anyone can be right now leading up to this week. So, very blessed. Very fortunate. And I don’t take this for granted.”
Mike McDaniel – January 3, 2024
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Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I wanted to touch on the one guy we didn’t get to Monday, WR Jaylen Waddle. Will he practice this week? Is there any sort of realistic chance he would play, or do you need to rest him another week, realistically do you think?) – “There’s a little time. We just got done with walkthrough, which he participated in. Then we’ll take it step by step. He’ll be working with the training staff today, to make sure there’s no setbacks and see where he’s at. If all signs are a go, then we’ll give some practice reps a try, see how he responds to that. With steady communication with everyone involved, we’ll come to a decision on that. The team’s prepared to play without him, but the team would also love to play with him, so we’ll see how his ankle decides.”
(Is LB Jerome Baker getting his practice window open and if so, is he at a point where he’s potentially close where he can come back within this week?) – “He will be practicing today. It will be the first time that he’s practiced since I think November something. It’s January, I believe. So what does that mean as far as the game? Time will tell. You can’t just go there and say ‘hey, yes, you’re going to play,’ or ‘no, you’re not.’ We have to get him out there and see how he responds with that and then how he feels and how convicted his body is allowing him to play, so that he can do right by himself and the team.”
(A couple days ago when asked about your concern or lack thereof for QB Tua Tagovailoa’s shoulder injury, you said some things that he does on his own time or with Head Athletic Trainer Kyle Johnston kind of inspire confidence within you. Could you maybe specify or go further into that? What kind of things does Tua do to protect his body in the season and make sure he’s right for Sunday?) – “Well, he doesn’t have office hours relative to what needs to be done with his body or his mind. If he’s working out a contusion on his leg, however long that process needs to take, he’s not inching his way out of the door. He’s coming early, staying late. If a gameplan, if he didn’t like the way that he executed some plays or if he didn’t like his ownership of the plays, there’s been times that I see his car in the parking lot well after its dark. His nature is to say to me that he’s fine. However, our relationship is too connected where I’m like, ‘What? You’re just saying nonsensical words now. Let’s have a conversation about it.’ And then he’ll tell me. But in that process, you can see a person trying to will himself to, this is not an issue, I need to focus on the matter at hand. He just is relentless with that stuff. It’s a big deal for a football team when we have the leader that has the ball every play is in the same and he’s toughing out things. Really at this stage of the season, a lot of guys aren’t feeling what you’d call 100 percent just with the game of football. So if you want people to strain and separate, I guess, something that hurts versus an injury, I think as a leader, as a captain, you lead by example. I know he knows that. He tries to exude toughness in any opportune time and he’s really willing to do whatever it takes. I mean, case in point, he had issues with hitting his head on the ground, so he took jiu-jitsu and spent a lot of hours of his life training so that he could be proactive and preventative. Not everyone’s doing that. Not everyone would do that. Anything that he can control, he tries to take in his hands. He’s my guy, man.”
(A couple weeks ago, we were talking about how the team had learned from its various losses. You said that the Bills loss forced you guys to change how you practice. I was curious what specifically changed after that loss in terms of your practice, maybe regimen or routine?) – “Communication and focused, deliberate intent. I think practice, there’s a lot of them. Hundreds. It’s every athlete’s human nature – not every athlete, but a majority of them – to not look at it as though it’s the game, because it’s practice. However, if you get yourself as close to that mindset of the game in practice, you’re getting more reps at how to act and react in a game. I think from a team-wide perspective, I saw it wasn’t that a bunch of people were telling me, I got it. It was that I see better than I hear. There was more communication, more game-like attention to detail, all the way to the little things of how you break the huddle, how you strain within the play. You’re as good in the game as you’re able to execute your assignments in practice and I think guys have started to understand what that really means, how you can use practice instead of letting practice use you.”
(You were talking a little bit ago about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s progress. I know a big question was his availability going into the offseason. He’s about to play his 17th game. I’m curious what the significance is for that for you?) – “It’s significant for the organization, but more importantly, it’s significant for the player. I really gravitate to the human experience of each individual player. And I can relate to ‘you can’t’. I think he’s understood in a much better manner. You don’t need to be mad at any sort of narrative. You have to understand it, and you have to understand that you shouldn’t be entitled for this, that, or the other. The fact of that matter is he hadn’t stayed healthy for a whole season. So what he did was try to take control of everything that he could control and made that a goal. That’s a big deal to me when people are winning, in that sense, where you’re taking head on something that you can’t control and doing your best to control all things and just being at peace with what it is. Alright, if I want people to say that I have the ability to stay healthy, then I need to do everything in my power to try and do that. And then there’s things that are outside of your control that if you do, you’re at peace with it. That’s the ultimate test of what really pretty much every person has to go through. You have to decide what is said or how you’re perceived. You have to decide if you’re ok with that. And if you’re not, are you going to blame people for saying that? Or are you going to do something about it? So, that’s a big deal. Much like a lot of the feats that numerous individuals on this team. It’s why I’m so connected with all the people that they said ‘you couldn’t’. We talk about it a lot with the offensive line and Raheem (Mostert)’s story and Alec Ingold, etc. That’s a big deal because you have to focus on what you can control. It’s a hard thing to do.”
(A couple of weeks ago you had DT Ndamukong Suh in for a workout. I know DE Frank Clark’s out there as well. Was there any consideration after LB Bradley Chubb’s injury of signing one this week? And if so, why did you decide against it?) – “You consider all things. But we’re considering it under the veil of we know and are very happy and can depend on the guys we have. I know (Emmanuel) Ogbah and ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram) are thirsty for the challenge. The whole room is. They’re very much connected. That’s what their teammate would want . And that’s what they want to deliver for their teammate and the team. I think we might have acted differently if we didn’t have so much firsthand fact that we’ve witnessed day in, day out, that we know the team’s in good hands with that group. So, that’s kind of how it rested.”
(Was DE Emmanuel Ogbah a healthy scratch?) – “There’s a lot of nuances to it. He was eager, as eager as really anybody, to force his hand with a soft tissue injury. So he was inactive one week and then the following week on the heels of do we press it? Do we allow him to get fully healthy? Because he was letting everyone know what his mindset was. Then, we felt with the practice reps that went on in the individual week that was best served for the whole team and him, to have him down. We’ve depended on him and he’s come through in a bunch of ways all season and he’s tough minded and I think he’s got his energy focused in the right direction, which is, ‘okay, well, this opportunity is the only opportunity.’ This game – just in general, we’ve been talking about what type of team we want to be and you have an opportunity to win the division and that’s important to us. So the only way you can and should win the division is beating division opponents. That’s where his focus is at, as the rest of team’s.”
(With WR Tyreek Hill, it seems like since the ankle injury against Tennessee, we’ve seen him do un-Tyreek things like go down after making a catch, pounding on the ground in pain, limping to the sidelines. What have you seen from his ankle injury? How has it affected the offense?) – “I’ve seen a warrior. He takes that ‘C’ on his chest very serious. So from the team’s perspective, he’s doing everything he can. Generally, he can will himself to do pretty much anything and most of the time, he does. But the team knows that. He’s done some inspiring things, making sure he’s on the field. And he’s a fast guy that cuts very violently, so I don’t think people can totally understand the amount of toughness it takes to do what he does. That’s just physics and science. He can’t tip-toe around in his game, nor does he. He’s done everything that the team could ask for and more. And I think that’s kind of helping guys really commit to each other because that’s what you need down the stretch of the season, specifically in January.”
(The Bills have won 10-of-11 against the Dolphins. You’ve only been part of that equation. Is there a mental hurdle that you have to overcome when a team has had a number for several seasons going into a game like this?) – “I can’t speak for other teams. This team, I think does a pretty good job of understanding that each game is won in itself. I think the expectations, I’ve never – that’s just not part of the equation, I think it’s one of the reasons this team has been able to minimize losing streaks to one loss all season is you understand that this is a tough game in an unbelievable league, and you have to earn everything you get. Then sometimes you are naturally humbled, but in that process, I haven’t seen anybody literally waver or blink. They have full expectations to put their best foot forward for this game, whatever day that is. Today is Wednesday, it’s the only day that exists.”
(We were talking to the players on Monday, and they feel like they’re a completely different team than they were when you saw the Bills in Week 4. From a coach’s perspective, what do you see different about your unit?) – “I would totally agree with that. I think it was in all three phases, it felt like at that point in the season, maybe the players were running the system that we have in each phase. Now it feels like they’re owning the system, and there’s an incredible power to that. When we’re at our best, that’s what you’re seeing. It’s not anybody’s plays, play calls, systems – it’s theirs, which I firmly believe because they are painters. They’re doing all the stuff. We give advice. We give every tool that we can possibly give in preparation and then we try to put players in the best position to succeed. But they’re the ones that are out there doing all of it, the doing part. I think everything that we’ve – all 11 wins have been an orchestration of that. I think they’re proud of that and they take pride in their work, because this is their art, their craft and they’re not speaking a second language anymore. And that happens every year as you evolve, it’s not just in Year 1 or (Year) 2 of a scheme. You have to have true ownership for you to be able to evolve. We’ve been talking about December and January all year, and they’ve taken it upon themselves to work at developing their craft. Along the way it’s not always easy, but that’s what makes you who you are. You don’t get that much better from all high fives. You need to go through stuff together to become closer to have the intangibles that it takes to move the needle when you’re going to have good teams every time you’re on the field that want every bit as bad to win that game as you do. So when push comes to shove, something’s got to give. It’s all that that you compile for these moments, which is what you work for, what you play for. We’re in the moment now, and it’s cool to see guys really take ownership of their moment knowing that it’s going to be a fun product Sunday night, but until then we have a lot of work to do.”
(What do you see as the value or advantage that you get to play Sunday night at home for the offense in particular?) – “Home field advantage, you take all the knowns, the controls of the situation and you try to own them and have nothing reside as an excuse. You want to win every single game, but in the process, in terms of communication and how things are orchestrated, how you can communicate with one another and just all the natural things that come with being able to hear, those things prove beneficial to a degree. But it’s also, what ends up happening is teams that don’t worry about home or away, you end up getting better in both. I think this team has earned confidence at home, but I know that the Bills probably don’t care about that. It’s a football game that we’ve played this team the last three times in Orchard Park, which is a little unique. It feels like a lifetime ago that we played here at home against them. I guess in a sense, it’s just odd to play three road games against one team in a year, so that’s kind of unique. But they just want to play and beat an opponent after not being able to sleep or harboring all the things that come with a collective experience like that. We’re eager to press forward and do something that we feel very fortunate to do, which is compete for a division and something that has been on our mind since we started this in April.”
