Mike McDaniel – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
Head Coach Mike McDaniel (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: You warned everyone to check their pulse before you came to Miami. How does it feel knowing that you’re the only standing undefeated team in the AFC East and just transitioning to a short week getting ready for Cincinnati?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yeah, again, people take me way too literal. I don’t like these shock endings., but I’m just really, really happy for the team because this much I do know: Teams win football games, and if you are going to have success over the long haul, you have to have confidence that whatever phase can win a football game for you, can go ahead and do that, and it takes a collection. Every play is almost as equally as important as the next. So to guys persevere in a tough situation in a game that they took very serious, I knew that we were going to get our best effort from everybody. Then to be able to finish the game with two unbelievable efforts by the defense, I think I couldn’t have written a better script for what we’re trying to do. It’s an exciting day for the team, and we’ve had three opportunities, and we’ve won those three. So, that’s also a strong perspective for us because three wins doesn’t do anything at the end of the season. You need a couple more than that. But right now very proud of the guys. We have a short week, so we can enjoy it for maybe a half hour. Then, it’s on to the next.
Q: Mike, time of possessions, yards, first downs, you guys were underdogs in all that today. Can you talk about what you learned about the team, especially at the end of the game when they had the punt situation? What did you learn about the way they held their heads high and were able to overcome that?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think we have a lot of team – I learned a lot about the resolve. You don’t know until you have it happen. The team got a lot of confidence in the offense last week. So when you worry that when push comes to shove and you’re trying to finish the game that if you get a first down, the game is over, and you can’t get a yard, you worry about the team’s resolve.But I see much better than I hear. I was hoping, but to see the way they came back with confidence and played attacking football, I learned what I would hope to learn. You never know until you’re in those situations, but I was very happy with the entire team and how they pressed forward because even special teams, you know, we have an unfortunate situation. We were trying to get some yards at the end of the game to at least, worst-case scenario, punt the ball from our own back end line. We have something that doesn’t totally go our way, but we don’t win that game if we don’t completely flip the field on a punt previous in that half. It’s a great experience for guys. I’m happy that they were able to come out with a win because they definitely did everything in their power to get that done.
Q: When Tua goes out with the I guess head injury and some of the offensive linemen going in and out, how does that affect you if at all in terms of kind of getting the offense running again? How did you adjust to that?
MIKE McDANIEL: That was live-speed action. Now, Tua, he went out with a lower back, and I hadn’t had that rep with him yet. He kind of got bent back pretty significantly on a quarterback sneak earlier. I was kind of with everyone else. When he hit his head on the ground, I assumed it was a head injury, but his legs got wobbly because his lower back was completely loose and as he described it, he said his lower back was like Gumby or something. That is a challenge. That happens all the time in NFL games. It was kind of fast and furious. We had some skill position players get dinged. We had some linemen fight through it, but those are things that you just have to be able to adjust on the fly. Your whole staff better be in concert. You better have contingencies, and you better know some plays you want to go to if things happen. We were able to do the best we could, but it was a lot better when we had everyone back. That’s for sure.
Q: You weren’t here for seven straight losses to Buffalo like a lot of these guys were. What was your impressions what this meant to them?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think it meant something to everybody. I talked to the guys about it, and you’re not there, but you’ve been in the league long enough, and I’ve been on both sides of the coin where you’ve had a streak against a team and then you’ve been on the poor side of the streak as well. I just told the team that it doesn’t matter that we weren’t here. That at some point or just because now moving forward we’re a part of that streak, so at some point in time we’re going to have to handle that. Otherwise, we’re going to keep hearing about it, but I think it’s important for them. So it was special for everyone involved in that regard, as special as a Week 3 regular season game can be. I will say that much, but we know that we’re going to see them again. If they at all took us lightly at all, I promise you they won’t again, so we’re going to get their best shot. That is a really, really, really good football team. So that’s why what I’m happy about most is that our team battled against what’s as good of a team that exists in the National Football League.
Q: A minute ago DT Christian Wilkins said when we brought up the 3-0 part, and the first place in the AFC, he said 3-0 is not our goal. I guess what I would like to ask you is, are the goals being raised as you go along? Is that the impact of the start that you’ve had, or are the goals of this team the same as they were back in…?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think you make it a little more abstract because to me I think everyone can identify what you don’t want to do in this situation in any year of your career, but particularly one where we have an opportunity to play some games with a team that we feel pretty confident in is, you don’t want to do yourself a disservice and fall short of your potential. So you just want to be as good as you can get and continue to grow. I think you bring up things as they’re pertinent and to me because if you don’t, if you are talking about goals that happen 15 weeks from now, you’re just going to get hit in the mouth because every single week in the National Football League everyone is giving you their best shot. So I think now we can talk about not sneaking up on people, but realistically whether we’re 0-3 or 3-0, we’re playing the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, and somebody is going to come out with a win and somebody is going to come out with a loss so you have to do everything you can in your power to make sure that you continue to progress in your game and give it your best shot. I think they will change when our circumstances change. Right now there’s no difference really between Game 4 and Game 1. We have to do our best to win football games, and if you win football games, you can kind of control whether or not you get to play playoff football or not, and that’s kind of our objective.
Q: Can you take us through what’s going through your head through all the final sequences whether it was Josh Allen and then fourth down close to the goal line, punt that goes for safety and then also time running out?
MIKE McDANIEL: It’s what you call a roller coaster, that’s for sure. When you are the head coach, it’s a lot easier to stay balanced ironically, because you’re taking in the entire portion of the game. What I did know I was watching the defense and hearing the calls and seeing how they’re communicating, they were not giving up. I knew they were going to have to earn the touchdown. Once they got to two-minute and we knew we were going to rip off the time-out and going to try to keep them from scoring a touchdown, so then a couple of those things happened. We were very excited. Me, as the offensive play caller, I immediately knew we were on or minus-2. We felt pretty good about a run play the first down and got minus yardage, so you are trying to make sure that you don’t get a safety. And when you quarterback sneak it, I think we might have lost a quarter of a yard, too. At that point I didn’t want to have to pass the ball, but I thought that was the only way we could protect the team with the way the line of scrimmage was playing out right then. And you get an incomplete. It’s not a safety, but it’s almost the worst-case scenario. You would rather just take a zero yardage kneel and run time off so that was not an exciting moment, definitely. And then we get a redirect off of a punt when we’re backed up. Something that was kind of caused on our own end. And yeah, it’s not exciting, but I was very encouraged. I knew they had to go the length of the field, and I knew our defense was ready, that they’ve been working for this for a long time, and they enjoy those opportunities. So I thought they were going to bail us out, and they sure did. So that was pretty exciting.
Q: Third-and-22. Early in the fourth quarter. There’s a lot of time left. You’re losing – possessions haven’t been — that 45-yard pass, where what did that say to you about Tua? Obviously, it was a huge play. Then, was he playing with any pain at that point? Just what did that play…?
MIKE McDANIEL: No, I think that’s one that’s a big play that I think Tua will always remember, that a lot of his teammates will because he was battling through and that’s really hard. Especially with how he throws, he uses such great base and balance that he uses his whole core to throw. And he had to be on time and on rhythm. He saw the coverage the right way. He attempted to move the field safety as best he could, but I think it goes to show how important it is to him, how gutsy he is, how tough he is. He can sense when big moments are on the line, and just very happy that him and (Jaylen) Waddle came up with the play to get us into scoring position that Chase (Edmonds) ultimately ended getting the score on. That was a big one that I think we’ll all remember for sure.
Jevon Holland – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
S Jevon Holland
(What was that final countdown like to hear all of the fans shouting ‘3, 2, 1!’ to end the game?) – “I did not hear any of that. I was locked in. I didn’t know what was going on. I thought they were going to get a play off, and I then looked up and it was 0:00 on the clock. It felt great.”
(Just the range of emotions for you guys making that stop at the goal line and then the safety and then having to make another stop. What was that like, that whole sequence?) – “It was exhilarating, man. That’s football. It’s what we play. It’s awesome. I was having a blast, fans out there loving it, it was great.”
(What was your approach – you can’t shut down Josh Allen, but to kind of keep him under control, what was the approach today?) —“Just do my job. That’s basically what it is. Just really do my job, execute the game plan that the coaches put out there for us, and go out and make plays.”
Mike McDaniel – September 23, 2022
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Friday, September 23, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(T Terron Armstead sitting out the last couple of days, has it been just to be cautious with the toe so he doesn’t re-aggravate it? Or did he have some setback that puts him in doubt for Sunday?) – “It’s whether or not he can be ready on Sunday. He’s a vet that we can count on if he’s able to play without taking – traditionally you don’t really mess with that stuff. You have to practice to play. He’s proven otherwise. With that being said, I thought it would be extra helpful if we didn’t hurt how he’s treating it by making it worse with practice. And we need to get guys prepared should he not be able to (play). It is literally up in the air. Only his body really knows and I don’t think he knows yet if he’ll play. He’ll obviously make a great impact if he’s able to but if he’s not, we’ve got multiple contingency plans, which you have to do when you have little injuries such as that.”
(I was curious to get your perspective on QB Tua Tagovailoa’s pocket management and just kind of hear what impressed you about the way he navigates the pocket?) – “I think it’s one thing to do things in practice. You try to make practice like games the best you can but you never really know until you get in games. But what I’ve been really pumped about is how we prioritize timing and execution of concepts but also to be able to be a playmaker, and I think he’s done a great job of both playing in the timing of plays in the pocket – being able to move off the spot. He moved off the spot on a couple of (Jaylen) Waddle throws. But also recognizing when he can extend plays. So learning all of that, the nuances of the offense, the timing of it, the only way you can do that is true ownership, which is what I’ve been very impressed with in the two games is that’s the way we all see it. He’s really owning the intent of the plays. Great credit goes to both (Quarterbacks/Passing Game Coordinator Darrell) Bevell and (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Chandler) Henley for making sure the complete understanding of what we’re trying to get done is done. He’s doing a great job in there. There’s not really – so far there haven’t been any sacks that I would have held him accountable for avoiding. That’s a huge deal. In general, your first two games within an offense, you can’t say that. I’ve been very impressed and I think it’s a strong point of his game.”
(With CB Xavien Howard, are you confident that he’ll be able to go?) – “I’m confident that he’ll be able to go if he’s able to go. And then I’m confident in the players that will play if he doesn’t go. Does that answer your question? (laughter) With injuries during the regular season, you cannot live and hope. You have to operate as the worst case scenario. I think both him and his position coach are very confident. Myself, I’m going to wait until I see it. Otherwise, we have to be completely comfortable and prepared, which we are, to play without him.”
(Going back to T Terron Armstead for a second, we also saw what Von Miller did on Monday night. So how concerned would you be about Miller lining up against a backup? And for that matter, how concerned are you even if Armstead does go on Sunday?) – “Concerned isn’t necessarily the word. I think Von has proven time and time again that he deserves the attention and respect of the opposing team. So you have to plan accordingly regardless. So his play is high right now. They’re doing a wonderful job of incorporating him and you would think that he’s been playing a four-down defense for his whole career when in fact he’s been in 3-4 systems. He’s playing outstanding. Whether Terron plays or not, he’s a guy that you have to account for and he’s one of those categories of guys that even if you do account for him, it may not matter. He still might make his plays. But you are irresponsible if you don’t plan for his impact and how to adjust, which we have because it’s our job to and he’s an elite player.”
(It seems like you guys have backup plans for backup plans. The Bills are also going to be without S Micah Hyde and DT Jordan Phillips, they announced today. How do all of these injuries kind of always affect your gameplan? Not just the week leading up but the days and the hours leading up to the game?) – “It’s case-by-case in that there are certain defenses that you can only do certain things with certain players. With the Buffalo Bills, those two players are very, very good players. But I don’t think that really regardless of how – that’s one of the cool things about their defense in general is if you have good players go out, they don’t really change. From my vantage point, I feel like they just ask people to make up the difference. But their whole defense is productive because it’s a team defense. There’s not a player on their defense that on every clip isn’t straining, which is the ultimate testament of their coaching staff and what they’ve built there. But for this particular game, it doesn’t necessarily change anything because they don’t change. They play a ton of zone defense with the same structure that having those guys out isn’t going to change them. To their credit, they are assignment oriented. They play unbelievable with each other. So they’re going to be just as impactful. It doesn’t really change how good of a defense they are. They’ve lost some playmakers, but they ask everyone to really make plays and fully commit to the task at hand.”
(I wanted to ask about the coaching staff too. You guys have a bunch of guys who were here the past couple of years that got out-coached by the Bills coaching staff. And it seems like the Bills coaching staff out-coaches a lot of people in the league. Preparing for them this week, how has their experience maybe landed or helped you going up against them?) – “I try not to speak on that type of stuff in terms of whether they were out-coached or not. Like you said, they do a great job of coaching week in and week out. I think it’s important to know people’s experiences so that you can best apply the task at hand. I found more value in hearing more about the outcomes and then kind of how the team approached their games against them. And learning how the history has been. I wasn’t here but I can put myself – I’ve been on both sides of the coin in my career with teams that you have some winning streaks on within the division and teams that you have some losing streaks on. So that’s impactful to me. But outside of that, I think it’s a new year and a new team, really. So we’re not really approaching it like ‘Ok, well we have to get them this time.’ All of that stuff is rabbit pellets, I guess.”
(I’d imagine it’d be hard to play with ribs that are hurting a lot. With WR Cedrick Wilson Jr., do you leave that decision up mostly to him with pain management? How much does the medical staff get involved with ribs?) – “Ribs are tricky because it’s hard to play football and keep them out of the equation or breathe. But yes, that’s something that’s both player and medical staff and coaching staff. You have to assess the risk. You have to – is it is it going to get worse? Are we making ourselves vulnerable? Do you have to – what risk are they taking? Is it just pain or is there further injury? And then you have to assess, ultimately, are you doing a good job or are you doing what’s fair to the player by putting him in a situation where he’s not going to put his best stuff on tape. So you’re trying to find that perfect formula. And with ribs, that’s almost like an ankle, where you’re really trying to see how things progress, because it’s not a linear path of, ‘OK, well, you get 25 percent better every day.’ It is tricky. It is something that’s tough to play with. You end up seeing players earn a lot of respect from teammates when they’re able to grind it out, because if you haven’t had one, you’ve seen some really tough players wince and curdle under some rib issues. I know ‘Ced’ (Cedrick Wilson Jr.) is doing his best to get there. He wants to play and we want him to play, so we’ll take that up until game time. But he’ll be moving around today, just because you have to see what it’s going to feel like and if it’s going to get worse.”
(WR River Cracraft – there were two elevations in two weeks, which could possibly give you a decision to make soon. Your thoughts on the way he’s played and a potential position for him on the active roster?) – “He’s done a great job. He got himself his first career touchdown, which was well earned. But those are things that you’re trying to – when you get to that point, you make these decisions every week for what’s the best thing for the football team that week in the given matchups and whatever. If we get to that point where he’s lost all that eligibility, then we have to cross that bridge. I try – not because I’m irresponsible but only because I want to stay true to my word – I don’t get ahead of myself, because that involves his play and that also involves other people’s play. So we’ll cross that bridge when we when we come to it. But he’s doing a tremendous job. He’s out there and no one would know, ‘Hey, there’s a flex guy,’ which is a credit to him.”
(You’ve mentioned a few times your affinity for football, cars and going to Broncos camp as a kid. When you think about Dolphins and Bills rivalry, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?) – “Jim Kelly. Dan Marino. Turf games. I don’t know. I think that there’s a – it’s always been a cool – from afar, not being in it – it’s been a cool matchup and rivalry, because there’s an extensive history playing each other. And you have – the first thing I always thought was, ‘Wow for the same division, they couldn’t be two different of places,’ which is what’s cool because I think there’s a cool home and away juxtaposition there for both units. One team has to come and play in a place that’s a lot hotter than it is at home. Another team has to play where it’s a lot colder. So I think that balances out. There’s a lot of cool things about that. What’s awesome, too, is they’re so different, but there’s a lot of commonalities, where you have a fan base that is loyal and vested and true in both different places. So I think it kind of exemplifies the cool things about rivalries in the NFL in general.”
(What about OL Brandon Shell and bringing him on board? Why did you choose him in grabbing a veteran tackle?) – “It was more of an opportunity. It wasn’t like just seeking out a veteran. It was that we feel that he has experience, but he’s also a fit for what we’re trying to do. (I) really, really liked the personal accounts of him before we got him. I think he’s a strong player that has a lot of pass protection value and a lot of run game value. I think we’re excited about developing him in in this system because we feel that he can do some good things. Already, you can tell that he’s the right type of guy that he fits right into the team and is passionate about being a part of it.”
(I was just going to ask you real quick with the thinking of you and General Manager Chris Grier leaving a spot on the 53-man roster open for the last seven days. Could that be filled tomorrow?) – “I mean, it’s just more to keep you guessing. That’s how invested we are in you. ‘I bet this will trip up Barry.’ ‘Oh, let’s wait another week.’ (laughter) There’s a – man, the NFL season, it’s all about adapting. So there’s a – I can promise you this, it will not be vacant forever. We’re not just doing it because 52 is our lucky number. (laughter)”
Xavien Howard – September 22, 2022
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Thursday, September 22, 2022
CB Xavien Howard
(Are you ready to go for Sunday?) – “Yeah, I feel good.”
(Talk about this matchup on Sunday. You’re facing a quarterback who can run and throw. The first two games, that’s what the Bills have done.) – “Yeah, that’s definitely what they’ve done. They’ve put a lot of great things on film. I feel like they are pretty good over there. They are doing a lot of great things over there. We’ve just got to be prepared for it.”
(How is the defense feeling after – obviously you don’t want to give up 35 points in the first three quarters of last game but the way you guys locked Baltimore down, what’s the mindset going into this week?) – “Personally, I feel like the defense (didn’t) play to our expectations. Even when it was crunch time, we ended up getting it done. I feel like as a whole, the whole defense, I feel like we can do a little better. I feel like we’re going to have to play better and we’re going to have to make more plays on that side of the ball this game.”
(You’ve often shadowed the best receivers on other teams. You shadowed WR DeVante Parker. What is that like? You’re going one-on-one against the number one receiver. Tell me about it.) – “I’m used to it. I like the matchup. I want to go against the best, if I consider myself the best. I like the one-on-one matchups, and that’s what I’m here to do.”
(Is there much talk?) – “No. I don’t feel like nobody talks when we play against each other, because I don’t say anything to anybody.”
(Cornerbacks/Pass Game Specialist Sam Madison said that he got on you for dropping that pick-six. What happened there?) – “I don’t know. You’re not going to see that again. I’m definitely going to make up for that. Especially an easy interception like that, you’ve got to take advantage of that. It would’ve been a momentum changer if I was able to make that play and scored a touchdown.”
(Is that something you were eyeing? It seemed early on that were trying to get those quick hitting passes. Is that something that was in the back of your mind to jump one of those?) – “Yeah. The defense we were in, it was forcing them to make the short throws like that. I saw it and went and my hands, I don’t know what happened to them. (laughter) I’ve got to make up for that.”
(You mentioned covering the number one receiver and embracing that challenge. WR Stefon Diggs, what makes him so difficult to guard, and their receivers in general?) – “I’d say his route-running, hands, especially the quarterback holding the ball so long extending plays and making it a hard job. Like I said, I embrace the matchups and I’m ready for it.”
(It’s a divisional game. The cliché is it counts for two.) – “It’s the next game too. Each game gets bigger if you continue to win. Each game gets bigger. I’d say we’re ready for the matchup.”
(With you being one of the veterans, and you guys haven’t been able to get over the hump. How much of that is a factor into this game with both of you guys being 2-0?) – “I feel like the best people win. I really don’t look into it like that. It’s the next game and the next game is important. I feel like we just have to worry about that. Even though it’s an divisional rivalry, we got to be ready for it. Especially when you play in the division, everybody is going to bring their best. We got to be ready to that.”
Jaylen Waddle – September 22, 2022
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Thursday, September 22, 2022
WR Jaylen Waddle
(On the hype of this game) – “I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s hype or anything. It’s a divisional game against a good opponent, a real dominant opponent, so we just kind of look at it as another game. Of course, it’s going to be a little more at stake playing a team like Buffalo, but we kind of look at it as the next game.”
(You were obviously really, really good as a rookie. This year, I know it’s a small sample size, but you’re looking like a Pro Bowl receiver. Has WR Tyreek Hill challenged you as a friend in a good way to even be better than you were last year?) – “I think just having a guy like that, playing alongside him, you just have to up your game. Just seeing him go out there and make plays, how he approaches the game, you don’t have a choice but to improve.”
(Now that you’ve been able to play a couple games alongside him, how have you guys been able to complement each other, him opening things up for you and vice versa?) – “You have to respect ‘Cheetah’ (Tyreek Hill). When someone like that is as dominant as him on the field, the defense has to respect him. He opens up a lot, not just for me, but for other guys, tight ends, run game. You just always have to be accountable for a guy like that.”
(What’s been your impression of FB Alec Ingold over these last two months getting to know him and getting to learn about him and his game? You’re in open field and you see him blocking for you, you know that one’s going to get blocked.) – “Man, Alec (Ingold) is a dawg. I’m talking about he really loves the challenge of him going against someone and blocking him. He just goes about it each and every day like a real pro. I love playing with Alec.”
(You played against the Bills twice. A couple of the guys on this team have seen them a couple more times and it hasn’t gone your way. I guess what are some things that the team feels about going up against this team?) – “We’re going to go out there to compete and play our game. (We’ll just) go out there and handle business. We’re not looking at it like anything more than that.”
Matt Applebaum – September 22, 2022
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Thursday, September 22, 2022
Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum
(I want to get your impression on T Greg Little’s first start for the team here?) – “Yes, he did really well in there. I was proud of him. I think it’s been a little while since he played and he had a great week of preparation. He went out there against some good players and performed pretty well, so I was really happy for him. I think he was really proud of himself after the game. It was a really cool moment.”
(With OL Liam Eichenberg so far, your thoughts on how he’s done? Do you feel like left guard has turned out so far, a small sample size, to be a good spot for him?) – “Yes, I think it’s turned out to be a good spot for him. I think every guy on the field is always striving to be better. Like you said, it’s a small sample size up to this point, but I know he’s working at it. I think he’s done some really good things out there and I know he’ll keep getting better.”
(How much does it help the offensive line to know that you have a fullback who can clear the path as well as FB Alec Ingold can?) – “I think it’s great to have a guy like Alec (Ingold) out there. He’s a tone setter for the whole offense and the whole team. Just his physicality, the multiple ways you can use him – I mean, he had a knock down block on essentially a defensive end on the line of scrimmage early in the game and then you turn around and he’s making a block for 30 yards downfield and springing what could have been a regular pass play to an explosive (play). So I think everyone is excited to have him on the field.”
(Are fullbacks supposed to be that fast to get down there?) – “I don’t know if they’re supposed to be, but I’m happy ours is. (laughter)”
(Was there much doubt in your mind last week about T Terron Armstead playing? Obviously, he was listed as questionable. He was sort of non-committal Friday. Or had you known he’d be able to play through the toe?) – “I felt pretty confident that he was going to be able to play. I mean, you’re talking about a pro’s pro – the guy has been doing it a long time, knows his body and knows what he’s got to get out at any given week to be ready to play on Sunday.”
(This fell through the cracks where we didn’t have a chance to ask Head Coach Mike McDaniel yesterday about it, but just bringing in OL Brandon Shell, is that just to have a veteran in the building on the practice squad and see what he still has left in case of break glass if needed?) – “At the end of the day, that’s really a question for the front office and Mike (McDaniel). I just coach the room. But he’s been good so far. I’ve watched his tape from previous years. I think he’s a really good player. He’s a veteran player. He knows how to play and knows his own skill set. We’re getting him in shape right now and what that leads to, we’ll see.”
(If I may go back to T Terron Armstead, on that game-winning drive, we kind of saw him calming the offense down, kind of getting guys in the right rhythm. We know what he does in his position at left tackle, but I was curious if you could speak to the ripple effect that he has in the rest of the room just by everything that he brings to the profession?) – “I think he has a ripple effect on the team. I think it’s been like that since the day he joined the team. I mean, again, (he’s) a pro’s pro, a very smart, articulate man (who) knows not only what he needs to do but what everyone needs to be doing in terms of scheme, technique and just like behavior stuff. So I think there’s a ripple effect on the whole team with Terron. That was – I saw that little clip. I think that was a cool moment, but that’s something that he brings to the table every day.”
(Against New England, T Terron Armstead and a couple of the others talked about communication and identification was a little bit rough in the first half and it got much better in the second half. I’m wondering how it went last week and how long does that generally take?) – “I think it was better last week. Still room for improvement. In terms of a timeline, I think that goes back to answering the question about Liam (Eichenberg). You’re always striving for it to be better. So I mean, you’re always striving for perfection knowing how hard that is to achieve. I don’t have a timeline for you. I think we’re making the right strides. I think we know the things that we need to get better at and the guys are working at it.”
(So if T Terron Armstead is good to go again, what are your thoughts of the matchup with DE Von Miller and DE Greg Rousseau on the other side?) – “I think Buffalo has really good players on defense at multiple positions, and obviously, their defensive ends are really good players. Von (Miller) has been a great player in the league for a long time. So I mean, we know the challenge in front of us. Terron Armstead is a really good player, and he knows not only how he needs to play individually in a game, but also against the different types of opponents he’s going to face. So you know, I always feel good rolling out there with (No.) 72.”
(Just kind of piggybacking off that, that T Terron Armstead versus DE Von Miller battle, we get excited on receivers versus DBs. Do you get excited on a matchup like this where you have one of your guys versus one of theirs?) – “I don’t ever look at like one-on-ones. We have five guys on the field every time. I’m just excited to see our team go out there and play against a really good football team and see how we stack up. So I wouldn’t say that I get particularly excited about one individual matchup like that, plus we’ll see where (No.) 40 (Von Miller) lines up.”
(To add to that point during the game, I’m not sure if you’re on the sideline or in the box.) – “I’m on the sideline.”
(OK, are you like intently watching like just the offensive line? I mean obviously that’s your position group and I guess, during the game, what are you looking at? Or what do you really focus on?) – “I think there’s a whole checklist of things you’re trying to look at, but obviously, the main focus would be on my guys. But you’re surveying a defense, seeing how things could – what tells they’re showing that could potentially lead to things unfolding certain ways and then what that would lead to for our guys in terms of reactionary things. Then we could use some of those tells on the sideline as we’re going through corrections. But I mean, the majority of time that the offense is on the field, yes – my eyes are on my guys.”
(I know you were asked about OL Greg Little. What NFL skill did you see when you looked at his tape that made him a high pick that manifested itself on Sunday?) – “I mean, the guy’s got a lot of physical tools. There’s a reason he was a high pick. I mean, he’s probably 6-6, 325 pounds. He’s got long arms, good feet and can bend. I mean, those guys don’t grow on trees. That’s what everyone saw when he was coming out. In terms of manifesting itself on the game, I think he just was locked in and ready to play, and he went out and executed his job. I’m not going to speak on the things that have happened to him or haven’t happened to him in the past because I had nothing to do with any of that, good or bad. I know that since I’ve been here, Greg (Little) has done everything we’ve asked, and I’m really happy that he’s been able to go out there and perform.”
(On the first touchdown to WR Jaylen Waddle, T Terron Armstead went downfield and made a block. We’ve seen him move – to be honest, I didn’t watch him that much in New Orleans, but his ability to move is a lot more than I think most left tackles. Is it?) – “Yes, I think he ran a 4.6 (40-yard dash) coming out of college, so that’s pretty good. (laughter) Yes, he’s really athletic, quick twitch, fast guy. On the touchdown to (Jaylen) Waddle, Liam (Eichenberg) had a really nice block, too. But yes, it’s rock and roll.”
(Speaking of OL Liam Eichenberg, what kind of growth have you seen him in playing left guard, being able to focus really on one position throughout the offseason and also being able to play next to a guy like T Terron Armstead?) – “I think he’s gotten better throughout the course of the offseason. Each position has its own intricacies. If you haven’t played the position before, it’s going to take some time for you to maybe pick up on some of those things. I think playing next to Terron (Armstead) is an advantage for anybody. Like I said, the guy is a pro’s pro. So he’s going to be someone that’s going to be able to help him see things a certain way and see things how he sees them, so they can work in combination with one another. So I mean, all that stuff’s been good and then honestly, playing next to Connor Williams. I know Connor is playing a new position that he’s played, but the guy’s played in the NFL. He’s played a lot of football in the NFL. So I mean, another guy that maybe isn’t a veteran like Terron who has played 10-plus years, but he’s a guy who’s seen a lot of football and also can be very helpful to the guys next to him.”
(I guess just to quickly follow up on that. Have you noticed T Liam Eichenberg is playing more instinctually than he showed on tape last year when he was kind of bouncing around?) – “It’s honestly hard for me to comment on that because what exactly is being asked of him in previous years, not just like scheme-wise, but then like the little nuances of o-line play. I just don’t think it’s fair to have a comparison like that.”
Sam Madison – September 22, 2022
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Thursday, September 22, 2022
Corner Backs/Defensive Pass Game Specialist Sam Madison
(It’s one thing for an undrafted rookie like CB Kader Kohou to make the team, but to play as much as he has, what has led to that? What is he done specifically that has impressed you?) – “Mindset. I talk to him all the time. I was like, ‘Man, coming into the league as far as me, like, I didn’t really have many friends in the National Football League. So all my friends were on the Miami Dolphins.’ So same with him. He was like, ‘I don’t know nobody. I have nobody in the league.’ So he takes everything to heart. He takes it seriously. He goes out there and he just works. So it’s just fun to be able to watch the things that he’s been able to do since he’s been here. Just being able to talk through some things with him and then goes out there and applies them. But he’s a hard-nosed, tough little young corner, and we try to get him in when we can.”
(When you guys have CB Xavien Howard shadowing a receiver, what does that do to the corner on the other side?) – “It gives them an opportunity because you know, sometimes when you have a great corner like ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), people tend to shy away from them. Then the ball tends to find the other corner. So quarterbacks, offensive schemes, offensive coaches, they’re going to try to deliver that ball to the opposite side. But whoever’s out there on the field, you’ve just got to be ready to go and when your number’s called, you just got to go out there and make something happen.”
(Speaking of CB Xavien Howard, we don’t see many big plays on him. The one to Rashod Bateman, it seemed like there was some late communication going on there. What happened on that slant?) – “Just talking to ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) about technique. Every single play, every down, throughout the course of practice, when you’re in games, when you’re in film study, just making sure that you’re on point at all times. It’s just some lackadaisical play for his technique. And I’m pretty sure if he had that play back, he’d want to go back and do it again. But watching it, coming to the sideline, being able to break it all down and give him the information so he can go out there. Then after that, he went out there and he was confident and he played extremely well towards the end of the game. So just from playing one all the way to play 67 or 77 or 55, you’ve got to be locked in. After that, he definitely was locked in. So we just want to get him there from the beginning of the game and making sure little things like that don’t creep up during the middle.”
(I know CB Xavien Howard has good playmaking ability. Did you say anything about him missing that pick six?) – “Absolutely. I definitely did. (laughter) He’s definitely trying to reach a goal. And by dropping those, he’s not going to get there as quickly as possible. He was heartbroken. And just being able to watch film over here in the last couple of years, he’s been in those positions before. So throughout the course of the week, we’re always doing ball drills and making sure that everybody is in the right position and being able to get their hands on the ball. So that is one of my things that I really like putting these guys in position of being able to catch on a consistent basis. A wide receiver will catch probably over 100-plus balls a day. As far as defensive backs, we’re doing other things, have to tackle and read concepts and all of those. So trying to get them ball drills almost every day is really important.”
(I know on CB Xavien Howard, he was out with a groin yesterday. Are you worried about the possibility of him not playing on Sunday?) – “I’m not worried. I mean, you look around the league there’s veteran maintenance days all around the league and something new to me. Jimmy (Johnson) was like your veteran day is out here on this field. But just understanding it. He’s a pro. He’s been through this before and I’m looking forward to him to be 100 percent. But that’s the trainers. They’ll get him right. Coach (Mike) McDaniel, he’ll do what’s right by the players and making sure that everybody’s available when it comes time for Sunday.”
(Assuming CB Xavien Howard will play, what are your thoughts on the matchup this Sunday?) – “We’re going to see what happens. Coach (Josh) Boyer does a very good job of dissecting what offenses do and where we need him to go. And he’s always up for any matchup. His mindset is right. I think when it all comes down to it, he’s going to go out there and put his best foot forward no matter who he who he’s covering. But the Buffalo Bills have whole lot of wide receivers. A lot of good guys. And then they have a really good quarterback who can deliver the ball, and guys just making plays. So it’s going to be fun to be able to watch these guys go out and play.”
(You mentioned the ball skill drills that you do. We don’t get to see all of practice. Can you give us a little insight on what you work on with the DBs and try to get those ball skills?) – “It’s just understanding and watching film and seeing exactly what types of route and these concepts that they’re running. Then just understanding the breaks that they’ll have to be coming out of, and then delivering balls that you’re pretty much going to see from a quarterback and just try to simulate those throws, and putting those guys in position to utilize their hands, if it’s body catching, big-body wide receivers or tight ends. Just simulating those types of things to try to put them in position to be able to get around those situations, using the bag drills and using other players to make sure that they have opportunity to secure that ball when they have the opportunity to.”
(It looks like you’ve got a good arm.) – “It’s ok. I’m still working on it. (laughter)”
Wes Welker – September 22, 2022
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Thursday, September 22, 2022
Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker
(How many times has this been for you in terms of Hall of Fame voting?) – “I’m not sure how many times exactly. I know there’s been a few. So I think since I’ve been eligible, I believe so. But it’s definitely an honor just to be in the breath of the Hall of Fame and everything like that. We’ll see what happens but I’m just kind of focusing on Buffalo this week and let everything else kind of take care of itself.”
(Last Sunday was WR River Cracraft’s first touchdown catch. You’ve been with him for a couple of season. What was that moment like for you seeing him have that moment?) – “It’s so cool for River. I’ve been really proud of him and the work that he’s put in. It was funny in the preseason, that was his first touchdown in six years. And so to have a touchdown like that in a critical moment in such a big game and the win that we had was such a cool moment for him. So I’m just really happy for him and the work that he’s put in. To finally get that opportunity was such a cool thing, just to kind of see over these past few years of just the work he’s put in and how valuable he’s been to our team.”
(To follow up on that, you’re a fellow undrafted guy. What kind of qualities do you see in WR River Cracraft that can help him etch out a lengthy and successful career? He’s been in the league for a while, but what qualities do you see in him?) – “I think it just has to do with his work ethic and how much time – you can tell he thinks about football all the time. On his off days, he’s always up here, always doing extra, after practice, even during the spring and all those different things. It all adds up. To me, it’s just the work that he’s put in and he listens and he’s on time. He just does everything right, the way you want a professional athlete to go about his business. So I’m really, really happy for him and I hope he continues to go down that path, which I know he will.”
(WR Erik Ezukanma been inactive for the past two games after what looked like from the outside a pretty strong training camp. How have you seen him respond to being that healthy scratch?) – “I think he’s responded really well. He’s just kept on going about his work. For rookie receivers in the league, it is very tough. And we have a very talented room with a bunch of guys that are very, very detailed. At the end of the day, when you’re talking about fourth, fifth, sixth receivers on your roster, you’ve got to be at play all three positions. You don’t know when somebody’s going go down, you don’t know when somebody’s going to get tired, you don’t know when somebody needs an IV in the third quarter. You don’t know all of those different things and be able to plug and play guys, and not lose a beat, not sit there and be nervous as a coach or anything else. It’s a huge learning process being able to learn all these different positions week in, week out. It’s not the same plays every week like at Texas Tech. It’s not hand signals on the sideline. These are long calls. It’s a process. He’s preparing as if he’s playing and he needs to continue to do that. I think over time, we know what kind of talent he is. But we’ve got to keep everybody accountable when it comes to out there on the field. I just can’t – I and our whole staff can’t have that knot in your stomach when he’s out there and say is he going to do the right thing? Is he lined up in the right spot? Do we need to call a timeout? All those things are so critical that he is starting to understand. It’s not just being more talented. Everybody’s talented. But it’s all about the details and being on point with every single play that you’re out there because one MA (missed assignment) or anything out there can be the difference between winning and losing and right now, that’s just not something that we’re willing to do right now. He’ll get there. He just needs to continue to put in the work and understand that it is a process and when he’s ready, we’ll know he’s ready. We love his skill set. We love the way he’s going about his business. But it does take time. I’ve gone through it with a lot of rookies who have had to play too early and it’s hard. It is really tough. It’s hard on a coach. It’s hard on a staff. It’s hard on the player. And right now, we don’t have to do that. So we’re not going to do that until we feel comfortable with him being able to execute the way we need him to execute.”
(The way the WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle complement each other, is it as simple as two guys being really good on the same team or is it something deeper?) – “Their speed has really changed my perspective on the receiver position. Not totally changed my perspective, but not only do they have speed, but they’re dawgs. And they’re tough. It’s very rare to find guys that are that fast, that explosive, but aren’t track guys. They’re tough, they’re hard-nosed, they want to win, they compete, they bring it every day on the practice field. All those different things. I think that’s what sets them apart. I think that’s what sets most receivers apart is the mindset that they bring each and every day to want to be great and want to win and want to be successful and understanding that there’s a guy with lined up across for me and I’m going to win. To have two guys like that with that kind of talent and that kind of speed just puts so much stress on a defense. We’re very fortunate to have two guys like that. There are still a lot of things that we can improve. But I think we’re definitely headed in the right direction.”
(Speaking of those two guys, I know, things are on a case-by-case basis. But is it fair to say that one of them should have double digit targets every game?) – “It’s whatever the game presents. If they want to sit there and play two shell and have everybody way back there. Yeah, we still want to give them the ball, but we also don’t want to be dumb about it. If they’re giving us opportunities to be able to run the football and do those different things, we definitely want to take advantage of whatever the defense is going to be able to give us and they understand that. That’s the other cool thing about them is they know that their targets will come. And do we expect it to always be that high? Probably not. But if that’s what the game presents and in the situation that we’re in, then they know that they’re going to be on call to go out there and make plays for us. But at the same time, we can’t just sit there and try to force it or anything else. We want to put them in great positions to be successful. And if that means us running the football or whatever it is, having to block, having to do all those different things to win a football game, that’s what the game is about. I would never see them sit there and get upset if we won the game and they didn’t have double digit targets. That’s just not who they are. They’re competitors that want to win and at the end of the day, they’re going to get theirs. But we also have to be smart as a staff to understand that we’re going to do whatever it takes to win the game.”
(You guys lead the league in pre-snap motion. How do you see that impact defenses particularly when it comes to WR Tyreek Hill coming in motion?) – “Yeah, I mean you know that defenses are talking about him the whole week. And so moving him around or changing the strength of formations and all those different things, they’re tough on a defense. If we’re running a three-by-one, where’s Tyreek? Alright, we’re in a two-by-two, where’s Tyreek? Where’s (Jaylen) Waddle? Are they on the same side or are they on opposite sides? There’s a lot of stuff for them to think about when you have skill players like we do to that a defense has to prepare for. I think the more motions and changing strengths of motions and three-by-one, two-by-two or vice versa, are they on the same side or not; it’s just a lot for a defense to handle and hopefully get us in advantageous coverages to get those guys open.”
(Adding to that, can you speak about FB Alec Ingold being lined up at receiver sometimes and the versatility that he brings?) – “Obviously we had ‘Juice’ (Kyle Juszczyk) there in San Fran and, Alec is a very powerful kid and does a great job. He’s a great football player. Very physical. But also, when you’re able to go 21 personnel and still move a guy out wide and actually be able to run routes and be a viable receiver, it changes the way defenses think. So do we want to play base? Are we going to play nickel? Are we going to do all these different things and then what are our calls in base? How many times have they worked on empty with base out there on the field? How many times have they worked on the fullback being outside the numbers? Different things like that, that can be advantageous for us as an offense and he’s doing a heck of a job for us.”
