Jalen Ramsey – September 28, 2024
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Saturday, September 28, 2024
CB Jalen Ramsey
(This will be the 13th time that you’ve played in a game that also WR DeAndre Hopkins has also participated. In those games he’s averaged about 47 yards per game. How do you feel those matchups have gone? How do you feel about Monday’s matchup?) – “They’ve gone well. I’m sure he’s had some good ones against me, I’ve had some good ones against him. Monday will be another opportunity for us to do what we do – compete.”
(In Tennessee he said that he’s sort of established a bit of a friendship with you. How would you describe that?) – “He probably lives 10 minutes from me. When I go back home, we kick it sometimes. Nothing crazy. Have some dinner, hang out, kick it.”
(Obviously every game you guys get hyped for. What is it about Monday Night Football that gets you super juiced on that prime time stage?) – “You said it. Just prime time, the lights everything. Just a little added special I guess.”
(The biggest focus of areas of improvement that defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has talked about or that you feel needs to be the next frontier for this defense to improve would be what?) – “We just got to keep growing overall. I don’t think we should talk about one thing. We got to keep growing overall.”
(Does last year’s game… on anyone’s mind?) – “No. It’s a whole new team. Us and them.”
Braxton Berrios – September 28, 2024
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Saturday, September 28, 2024
WR Braxton Berrios
(On QB Tyler Huntley) – “Yeah, obviously he has a great arm. He’s played a lot of football and yeah, he can do a lot of things with his feet so just looking forward to watching him go out and do his thing.”
(You obviously have a locker right next to him, what have you picked up about him? I know it’s only been roughly two weeks, but what have you picked up about him and what have you noticed about him?) – “Since he got in, he’s been awesome. Very personable, great dude and he’s just fully invested obviously. He’s in it, we’re bouncing things off of each other really after ever practice, every time we come back to our lockers, after meetings – ‘Hey, did you see that? What did you think?’ So obviously, all positive and he’s locked in.”
(When the quarterback has the ability to extend plays, make off-schedule plays, as a receiver, how does that impact what you have to be aware of?) – “Yeah, it’s great, obviously. When the play breaks down and he escapes, you got to go to the scramble rules, right? You got to be able to get open and keep working because at that point in time it’s a brand-new play and anything could happen.”
(Obviously every week is an exciting one for you guys, but what is it about Monday Night Football that gets the juices going for an NFL player?) – “At the end of the day, it’s just another game, right? But you grow up as kids and you see Monday Night Football. It’s a whole production and the good thing is a ton of guys in this locker room have had a lot of experience in these big prime time games and at the end of the day it’s just a game, but obviously we want to go out there and have fun.”
(Have you ever had an experience where the quarterback comes in in about two weeks, now they’re starting and having to run the offense? Have you ever been in that before?) – “I’m not saying no. I can’t remember exactly yes either to be honest with you, so I’ll have to get back with you on that one, but again, he’s locked in and he’s ready.”
(Was that a catch last night?) – “No, but I will say after they called it a catch, I was unsure how they were going to overturn it. I don’t think it ever should have been called a touchdown in the first place. He was obviously out of bounds touching the ball, but I digress. It worked out how it was supposed to.”
Mike McDaniel – September 28, 2025
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Saturday, September 28, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Can you share your starting quarterback for Monday?) – “Well, sharing is caring, and I do care, so yeah, it wasn’t too far into the week. It was probably a handful of hours after I had met with you guys last. It became pretty – we started making moves towards Snoop (Tyler Huntley) starting, and he will which kind of came as a result. You’re waiting to see if Skylar (Thompson) is a part of the equation and what you’re trying to assess based upon his ability to do football and starting on NFL Wednesday, it was – and just how his body was responding, it became clear that he would be in consideration for possibly emergency third (quarterback), but we’re going to move forward with Snoop starting and (Tim) Boyle backing him up on Monday.”
(And why the decision for QB Tyler Huntley over QB Tim Boyle? I guess he brings you another dimension.) – “I think everybody has their values. I think one thing that was supremely obvious to the team since he got here and then even more so this practice week is Snoop has started multiple and many big games. And as a quarterback, just understanding exactly what is required to win over teammates to take the place of somebody else and be able to assert their own personality, their own skill set, their own traits within the offense and lead people. We’ve been very high on Snoop, high enough to give him a roster spot on the 53, which those are very few and far between with sight unseen. So his maturation has been expedited by him and he’s done an impressive job assimilating into the locker room and understanding our language as his own and the team is excited for him.”
(What are you expecting from QB Tyler Huntley from his legs? That’s an obvious dimension that this team really hasn’t had. What are you expecting from that standpoint?) – “I’ve always valued quarterbacks with legs. I think it’s a 100 percenter. It’s just a competitive advantage. But I think the ability to make plays, that’s a broad, overarching statement. You can do it in a multitude of ways. What I’m expecting is him to be comfortable making plays in various ways, but I think the biggest thing is I see him being able to utilize his skillsets within the framework of the offense and understanding it’s about the collection of individuals – man, you guys are typing (laughter) – it’s about the collection of individuals doing their job and what’s the best for this week to do that. I know everybody knows that he can run. I think everybody knows that he can pass. He does a good job at both and so I’m expecting him to go out and be one-eleventh of the formula to try to go and make plays, get first downs, score some points, all of that.”
(How comfortable do you think he is from your observation of making quick reads, getting the ball out of his hands quickly? Quarterbacks Coach/Pass Game Coordinator Darrell Bevell was telling us yesterday he was telling the quarterbacks “Let it go, let it go.” Is QB Tyler Huntley comfortable with that?) – “Very. No, I think it’s been – you don’t know, you think you know, but you don’t know until you’re able to have guys work within your offense and operate and I think Snoop has done a very good job with understanding what we emphasize and being able to cater his game to that. So I expect eleven people operating together and he’s like the half-back, the tight end and the X or Z receiver. I expect him to do his job as his teammates are depending on it.”
(Can you give us an update on whether T Terron Armstead or CB Kendall Fuller is ruled out?) – “Both ruled out based upon where they’re at in the concussion protocol which, as we’ve all had the opportunity to have conversations about, I take one step at a time and you have to gain clearance with the appropriate time relative to the game and when you’re unable to do that, there’s a procedure for a reason. So that unfortunately, and I’m not really willing to waver on that one.”
(Who will take their starting place in the starting lineup – T Terron Armstead and CB Kendall Fuller?) – “That’s something that the answer is incomplete. There’s certain situations where the reps are few and far between so you kind of have to hedge your bet earlier in the week and then have contingency plans. There’s other scenarios in both of those positions, I feel like there’s some very good, competitive options and we have one more day of assessment before we can make that decision. However, I do feel good about both positions being adequately resourced during the course of the game. So you know what? This day matters. Practice matters and we’ll get some more information after that.”
(Do you have a feel on RB Raheem Mostert, whether he’ll be available Monday?) – “I know he’s trying. I know he definitely enjoys playing football more than watching it. That being said, we have great discussions based upon the totality of the season and the ways that we’re not going to take steps – we’re not going to prematurely put ourselves out there if we’re going to take steps back and can’t properly protect ourselves. So I know he wants to in the worst way, but he’s an important piece to our team and our offense, so we will take that in full consideration before game time.”
(This year, you go and face a Titans team in similar fashion – a crucial week in the season. Last year, you guys lost but from those lessons learned, how do you feel like the team will galvanize the opportunity again this go around?) – “It’s an interesting, it’s a very good question. I definitely understand that there’s some similarities in that the teams are the same, the stadium is the same and the night is the same. And I’m sure it crossed the minds of everyone, myself included, when the schedule came out. But one important lesson that we’ve learned this season that I hold very true and dear because I know it to be truth, is that while about 40 percent of the players lived and had that scar from 2023, it doesn’t do justice to the 2024 team to do anything but worry about how they play football together. The connected fundamentals and technique to play well in all three phases and that focus to me prioritizes any score that needs to be settled from last year’s team, however visceral that scar is, the team has done a good job this week of making this game about this game where you have your – probably blocking somebody different than you were last year, or maybe it’s someone similar but it’s a different scheme. You might be covering someone similar, but you’re doing so within a different orchestration of defense. All of these things, if we’re really trying to get down to the nuts and bolts of performing at a level that’s much closer to our standard, we have to fully immerse ourselves into that standard and how we play. So anything else, everything’s an opportunity cost in this world. If I’m thinking about raising my right hand, I’m not thinking about how I’m maintaining eye contact with you during this answer. So you’re thinking about last year, sweet. The past is the past, the future is what you make of it. The only thing that really matters is what we’re doing collectively as individuals that relate to a group in each phase and sticking to that.”
(LB David Long Jr.?) – “You can be clear about David Long. If he’s out there it’s because he did something remarkable during the course of the week and if he’s not it’s because there is no way it could be possible. He absolutely wants to play in this game, however, I’m proud of David this week because he’s been working doing everything he can, but he does understand the team and the season is more important than who he has played for before and all of that other stuff we try not to subscribe to here. He’s doing everything he can. I think it’s fair to say I wouldn’t be optimistic; however, with a guy like that if he can pull it off he’s got the mindset to and we’ll see how the next 48 hours plays out.”
(Regarding September football and what we’re seeing now. It seems like it’s changed the last few years as training camp has evolved. The veterans got the joint practices, the youngsters play in the preseason games. This is the starters’ full immersion playing together. One, is that true and does it affect September football recently? And two, does it affect any area more than any other perhaps quarterback play?) – “I absolutely thing that’s a fair assessment just across the league. There is always cause and effect. I don’t think we are in the minority in that we have groups of people playing together for the first time and there is always going to be residuals to that. I think that affects every player. It’s not just necessarily a result-based where, hey they won, or that they had a good play or vice versa. I think football plays out in all sorts of ways. I think people prioritizing the development within the season and not over-cooking any sort of result either way is supremely important because any time you have that little lack of cohesion in any phase it goes one way or the other and there’s a lot of opportunity that this season – the same as every other – it’s going to come down to the teams that are able to handle the noise, handle success, handle failure and evolve through the months of October and November. Because the one thing I feel safe saying is there will be outliers, but the results are going to be some teams playing their best ball in November and December that may have just been coming together now. You do have your hand in that. Our hope is to be one of those teams that continue to improve as we all know we have to, to get close to the results that we want.”
(Question about the first possession near the goal line after CB Kader Kohou’s interception last week. TE Jonnu Smith wasn’t out there. Why is that? Then RB De’Von Achane had a huge hole but he slipped and you guys did have the penalty, so it was first-and-11. Why not go back to the run because that hole was big and then why wasn’t Jonnu out there?) – “There are so many decisions every single game, and there is a why and what for. And I think the biggest lesson for us as a team the way we looked at it, is we were empowered with a tremendous opportunity to get a touchdown with a I think six-yard field. And one of the more difficult things in the National Football League is scoring a touchdown when you’re first-and-goal plus 10. That’s a compressed field that has to be defended less. And so quite honestly you’re looking for a football team that across the board when something doesn’t work you assess critically. You make sure from a play-calling standpoint, make sure that every other decision when something doesn’t work is probably a better decision. But then at the same time you’re depending on the rest of your teammates, all the players say ‘nah, that was a great play, we can make it work.’ That connectivity, that lack of pointing the finger, but pointing the thumb is important in those situations. Jonnu wasn’t out there because I didn’t call the personnel group with him out there. And I know he wants to score touchdowns or help the team score touchdowns. So then you forecast one play at a time. You focus on how we can get into the endzone. To me the bottom line is you have to prepare the team to not have a formational penalty on first-and-goal at the six and the team needs to focus on doing what’s appropriate to not get that penalty as well. I think that’s where we are at. It was obviously not the best play calling if it doesn’t score a touchdown, but the same thing – I think what’s good going on in our locker room right now is I think they think the play calls are good enough to score; what can they do differently within the play to make that come to life.”
(Did you see the last play of the Canes game?) – “I did not.”
(Hail Mary into the end zone.) – “I literally once I got home, it was the first time – my daughter goes to sleep pretty early so I got home and played I think it was some sort of variable of a dog shelter doll game. And so I was currently in character. And then I went to sleep and then I woke up and thought about the Miami Dolphins and what they have to do. I don’t know much right now. But I’m sure I’ll see the highlights in the afternoon. Was it cool?”
(Yeah, it was a Hail Mary touchdown, Viriginia Tech, last play back in the end zone. Overturned on replay. Canes win. What do you tell a receiver – Hail Mary, last play, jumping up – what is your coaching point for that player?) – “So when you’re doing a Hail Mary situation, you’re trying to get your feet underneath you and high-point the ball. And then you’re having every other eligible that’s in the periphery looking for the tip rebound. So the best way to come down with those is to be supremely authoritative and we call it a rebound rip-away – basketball analogy – and so that can only be done if you can get to the spot as fast as possible to get your feet underneath you to high-point that.”
Raheem Mostert – September 27, 2024
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Friday, September 27, 2024
RB Raheem Mostert
(Regardless of what’s going on, whoever is playing quarterback, the offense not playing the way you guys want, how do you guys keep that same optimism moving on as you guys continue the season?) – “It’s a week-to-week basis. You have to have that same optimism and whoever’s going to be under center, it’s just always you got to go out there and perform.”
(What is it about Monday Night Football that gets a lot of guys’ juices flowing? It just seems like you have guys they just hear that chime ever since they were kids or during college.) – “Yeah, everyone’s just watching. That’s the only game that’s on, so everybody is watching and tuning in. So you’re going to have millions of viewers and that’s your moment to step up and make plays.”
(And with that being said, that big stage that you guys have, how nice would it be to get this thing going back, that offense, going and pick up a big W?) – “Oh yeah, it’d be really nice, but we just got to worry about the Titans and figure out a dub, figure out how we can get it done.”
(Last time against the same team, Monday night, two touchdowns up with the lead. Does that still linger here in guys’ minds? Do you carry a chip on your shoulder going into it?) – “Honestly, we hadn’t even talked about that. I think everybody knows, but every year is a new year, so we just got to go out there and get the job done.”
(How are you feeling towards playing?) – “I’m feeling good. We’ll see, it’s all optimism, but we’ll make the decision accordingly and move on.”
(You said about feeling comfortable, is it in the thing you’d have to wear over the chest?) – “No, it’s more so from within the chest.”
(While doing things required to play in the NFL?) – “Yeah, because you still got to get tackled and all that stuff, so just trying to feel comfortable and confident out there.”
(Has there been contact for you this week?) – “I did some stuff yesterday and it felt good, but it’s all about the game speed and the game reps. That’s what really matters most.”
(Do you have to take extra protective measures in the way you run? Like you using your arm?) – “Just not thinking about it. You can’t really think about it, especially at the running back position and you know, you get tackled all the time. So it’s just something that you can’t think about all too often.”
(Is there anything extra you can wear, like T Terron Armstead with the shoulder harness? Is there anything similar with the chest?) – “I was talking with the training staff; they said maybe some padding or something that they could do. But I don’t know, I feel like sometimes those things can restrict you. Me specifically, I don’t get my ankles taped because I feel like that’s restricting me, but we’ll see. We just got to test it out on one of these days.”
(So mainly it’s about keeping as many things constant as possible? And pain tolerance?) – “Yeah, pain tolerance and feeling confident like I said.”
De’Von Achane – September 27, 2024
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Friday, September 27, 2024
RB De’Von Achane
(How do you guys stay up as a team? You guys have struggled offensively, two losses, no big deal – shrug it off with a lot of games left in the season?) – “Most definitely. Like you said, it’s early in the season so it’s like we’re going to look back at the game and fix our mistakes and just go on to the next.”
(How encouraged are you that the running game is going to have a big impact for the team moving forward?) – “I feel like we run the ball good. I mean whatever Coach (McDaniel) calls, I feel like we’re all comfortable enough to go run it.”
(Do you think there’s an opportunity on Monday for the team to sort of show its physical side? I know WR Tyreek Hill for example, was bringing up how you guys were in pads yesterday and he kind of thought that was maybe a statement about the team wanting to be physical.) – “It’s just something we decided in the group. The leadership council, they wanted to go pads on Wednesday, so we did. So we just started the week strong and like you said, we just feel like we should have been in pads on Wednesday going into Thursday, so it’s just a group decision.”
(I know a big play is a part of y’all’s DNA. Is it absolutely necessary for you guys to win – does the big play have to be there?) – “I wouldn’t say a big play. In the NFL, man, it’s hard to make a big play. So I feel like we just got to take what the defense gives us and just keep marching down the field, just take what they give us and the big plays will come. I feel like us forcing the big play – if you force it, then it won’t come.”
(How has your body held up with all this work? Obviously the ankle in Week 1 – how have you felt?) – “I’m good man. Like you said, I do a good job at coming in and getting treatment so I can be out there, so I feel great.”
(How big is yards after carry to you in terms of that’s something you’re aware of? Then look, are you breaking tackles to your liking in terms of the volume of tackles that you’re breaking this year compared to last year?) – “I feel like I can’t really compare right now because like I said, it’s still early in the season. But I do, do a good job of trying to make the first guy miss, so that’s something that I like to do.”
Anthony Weaver – September 27, 2024
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Friday, September 27, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(I was going to ask you about initially inside linebacker. So if you don’t have LB David Long Jr., obviously you lose a very good run defender among other things. What is LB Anthony Walker Jr.’s skill set now compared to what David gives you? What do you feel you’d be getting differently if it is Anthony instead?) – “Yeah, I have the utmost confidence in Anthony (Walker Jr.) and Duke Riley for that matter. We know he brings a wealth of experience to the field and to our team. I think the thing Anthony provides back there is he has a big picture understanding of what we’re trying to do defensively – and David (Long Jr.), he tries to do the same things. But he tries to very much- he’s a calming presence out there because he knows everybody’s jobs and if there’s ever a point when anybody has some indecision of unclarity, he gets rid of that real quick. So excited to see him out there and play if David can’t go.”
(It looked like CB Jalen Ramsey was shadowing DK Metcalf. On the touchdown, it looked like a miscommunication in coverage. The 21-yard one, DK Metcalf lined up across from CB Kendall Fuller and it looked like on the video that CB Jalen Ramsey was looking at the sideline kind of like, “Is this what we want to do?” And I know it was a broken play but was that a miscommunication on that play?) – “It wasn’t miscommunication, it was really just the force of tempo, so that just made it hard for them to run and switch sides and get on those same matchups. So hats off to them for forcing that issue, but we made the quarterback blink, we got to get there and get him on the ground. It was a broken play. They made a good play, hats off to them.”
(There’s a big discrepancy in the numbers – the defensive numbers between the first half and second half are pretty big. Anything you could point your finger to?) – “Yeah, trying to find that answer. We’ve got to find a way to start faster. So how do you do that? The only way I know how to do that is to continue to approach each day with purpose and intensity. I tell the guys, ‘The NFL is an improvement league. There is no staying the same in this league.’ Ultimately, it just requires 11 guys to be disciplined on every single play, and unfortunately for us, we’ve had to have some bad things happen for us to have that ultimate and supreme focus that’s necessary to win on every down in this league.”
(On CB Kader Kohou’s interception, it looked like LB Emmanuel Ogbah and DT Zach Sieler were in there. What have you though about the pass rush through three games? What do you like and what would you like to see improved?) – “I think those guys are doing a tremendous job. And the thing about when you’re rushing four is the more reps those guys get together, the more cohesion they can find and the more they can work almost like where they don’t have to necessarily talk to one another, now they can signal and feel what the other rusher is going to do. So I’m pleased with where we are at this point. I still think there’s some plays we left out there, particularly allowing quarterbacks to get out of the pocket and extend some plays. We’ll get that fixed but have the utmost confidence in those guys and their ability and what they’ve done from a work standpoint to this point.”
(What’s your assessment of the run defense to so far?) – “Not good enough. Just like our first half defense, there are spells where we’re pretty darn good, and then there’s other times where you’re like, ‘Gosh, how did we allow that to happen?’ Ultimately, there’s no fingers to blame; it’s just a collective effort about cleaning it up and making sure we’re setting the edge, making sure we’re building the wall on the inside with our front and our backers and ultimately, making sure we get these backs on the ground. Because the last thing we want to continually allow offenses to do is run the ball, particularly in the end zone – let’s make them throw it in. So right now, when we get down in the red zone, we’re not making that happen. So collectively from a coaching standpoint and from a player standpoint, we got to do better.”
(DT Zach Sieler’s sack came on the edge against the left tackle. How much have you enjoyed the versatility in using him?) – “Yeah, we have some studs out there, right? Calais (Campbell), you can use in that same mold where you can move him all over the place. It’s certainly an asset – particularly to a coordinator when you have a bunch of smart guys who can play multiple spots. You saw that with us just in the secondary as well. We suffered some injuries, we had to go out there and play with three safeties and nobody blinked; nobody batted an eye. So in those situations, it’s always good to have that position flexibility.”
(With DT Calais Campbell and snaps, obviously lopsided score the last two weeks probably influenced why he ended up playing fewer defensive snaps in both games. In a close game, do you, DT Calais Campbell and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark have a comfort level where you feel like you can use him for generally more than half of your defensive snaps as opposed to under? And I know half is an arbitrary number but it’s sort of some measuring stick.) – “You always go into it with a plan. We know if it’s a critical situation, you want to have your best players in the game, and we feel as if he is one of our best players. Do we have kind of a light like rep count feel for what we want from every game? Yeah, but I don’t think we’re going to be at a critical play in the fourth quarter and be like, ‘Eh, Calais you’re at 40. Sorry, come sit down. We’ve got to shut you down.’ He’s not like a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He’s going to roll. We’ll be fine, and we’ll take care of him throughout the week if need be.”
(Can he go 40 in a game though if it’s a close game? Because it’s been low 20s last week, again in a lopsided game. Can he get to 40 do you think at his age?) – “Yes.”
(On that long touchdown to DK Metcalf was it as simple as Cover 2, S Jevón Holland should have had his deep half?) – “Yeah, that was just a breakdown in coverage. And it starts obviously with the secondary and the safety as a cat in this defense, but there are multiple miscommunications on that play, and unfortunately, the results were what they were.”
(Being around CB Kader Kohou for now several months, do you have a sense of if he’s better in the slot, if he’s better on the boundary, where you like him more? I know he can play both.) – “Yeah, I think Kader (Kohou) is an elite nickel. He is certainly more than capable of playing on the outside; where he flourishes, I think, is inside where he can use his short area quickness and his toughness.”
(Did you get any sense of how strong CB Storm Duck and CB Siran Neal performed? I know they weren’t out there for extended periods.) – “Yeah, I though Storm (Duck), particularly as a rookie, he did not look bright eyed and scared out there. He went out there and did his job. I was pleased with him. Kid got hurt, came back and threw his shoulder in trying to tackle the running back. I was like, ‘OK,’ that told me something right there just in terms of his toughness and his attitude and his willingness to get back out there. Siran Neal, he’s a tone setter. He’s a tone setter on special teams; ultimately if he’s out there, I have the utmost confidence in him to go out there and strap whoever he’s covering and strapping them down. I have the confidence in him to do that.”
(A general football question – the way that training camps are now with the starters getting their work in the joint practice, the youngsters playing the preseason games. Has September football changed? Is there just kind of feeling it out and discovering what you can do in September now?) – “Yeah, and I think you see that all throughout the league. There’s some sloppy football being played and that’s just what I said before. It is an improvement league, so I talked to the guys earlier in the week about a rising tide raising all ships. It’s not about one guy trying to get 50 percent better; it’s about each and every person, players and coaches included, getting incrementally better so that the team as a whole can improve.”
(You weren’t here last year when the defense gave up two late touchdowns to Tennessee. Do you have to review that film with the guys and what would you do differently?) – “Yeah, we got to exercise those demons to an extent, but every year is different. This is an entirely new team. There is a bunch of us that weren’t a part of it at all, but the guys that were here, we know that we want to go make it right this week. They have a new team, new staff, new coordinators, new players – same thing here, but those two logos, we know what this means.”
(When there’s a blown assignment or a mistake in a game, what do you teach about avoiding overcorrection as the game goes on?) – “Yeah, in real time you just try to get the guys to make sure they’re trying to win through technique and fundamentals. Ultimately, we always talk about obnoxious communication, and on that particular snap we didn’t have that and that’s where the breakdowns occur. It’s real easy – you see it from down to down. You can get nine or ten guys on the same page, but it only takes one to allow that big play to happen. So for us ultimately, the more we can get in cohesion and for constantly over communicating, the less chance we allow that to happen.”
(Obnoxious?) – “Obnoxious communication. To the point – you remember the scene in Dumb and Dumber, when they’re driving in the car and he’s like, ‘You want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?’ That was the scene I played for the guys. I’m like, ‘That’s how I want you to be. I want you to be so annoying out there communicating to the guys, it’s just like shut up. Please, I know. I got it. I got it.’ But that, if you want to be good, a noisy defense is a good defense.”
(You literally played that?) – “I played that clip, yeah.”
(And what was the reaction when you played that?) – “They got it. They got the message. (laughter) They got the message.”
(I don’t think any of them know Dumb and Dumber.) – “Well, they do now. (laughter) At least one scene.”
(We’ve seen sustained greatness over LB Jaelan Phillips’ first couple years. We’ve seen snippets of it. When he doesn’t play as well as he wants to play or maybe you want him to play, how often are you telling yourself, “Well, he’s coming off of an Achilles.” Does that factor at all in your mind as you make an assessment at this point?) – “It is absolutely a factor, and I think we all have to give him a little grace. For him to do what he’s done and come back from that Achilles as fast as he did is remarkable just doing that alone. So I think he’s still working himself back into just getting his timing right on how to attack these tackles, but like I said, there’s nobody in this building that works harder than him. So it’s only a matter of time to where he gets back to where were used to seeing him.”
(From watching LB Bradley Chubb just do some things, do you feel like we’ll be seeing him at some point in the weeks ahead?) – “I truthfully have no idea. I would just be speculating up here. I see him every day. He’s in all of our meetings so he certainly gives me the feeling that we will see him at some point this year.”
(What are your thoughts on Will Levis and the Titans receiving corps?) – “Will Levis has all the ability in the world. Right now, you can see he’s kind of fighting that turnover demon a little bit, but you know, in particular you guys referenced the game a year ago, like it’s in there. He’s capable. So we’re certainly not taking him for granted, and we’re certainly not taking that receiving corps for granted. They got two studs. I was with DeAndre Hopkins for a number of years there in Houston and saw everything he can do, so we got to make sure we account for him, and (Calvin) Ridley is incredibly talented too. Then obviously from a coordinator standpoint, he’s very familiar with (Tyler) Boyd. So we got to account for all of those guys. We are cognizant of them, we have plans on how to potentially limit their productivity and then we’re going to try to do everything we can to rattle this quarterback.”
(What did you see from DT Da’Shawn Hand last week and what have you seen all season?) – “Yeah, Da’Shawn (Hand) – he’s just another guy that he’s steady. And every single time that he steps on that practice field, you know you’re going to get 100 percent effort out of him. So the production he’s had at this point has not been a surprise. He was out there every day. He’s put in the work and typically when that happens, you reap the rewards for it.”
(CB Ethan Bonner, where is he in his development at cornerback? I know you’ve got a couple injuries that’s going to require –) – “Yeah, I feel incredibly confident if Ethan (Bonner) steps on that field this Monday. I forget it’s Friday, it feels like Thursday to me – it’s football Thursday, so my wife is not happy about that. (laughter) But Ethan man, he goes out there – he’s just like these other guys that I’ve mentioned. You talk about a guy that’s constantly going out and trying to finetune and work his craft. I actually gave kudos just to all of those guys that are on the show team for our offense yesterday, like I thought they did a tremendous job. You’re talking about iron sharpening iron, that’s what we need to do. We need to make sure we bring the effort, energy, technique and fundamentals day-in and day-out. Ethan does that and I thought that our guys that aren’t starters did that yesterday.”
(I wanted to ask about some of the big plays over the last couple of weeks – the DK Metcalf pass and the James Cook run. It seems like, just visually, that the guys have that on the chest and you can kind of see the wind go out of the sails on the defense. How do you stop that specifically from happening? Is it just drilling in the importance of communication? Or what’s your message to the guys after one of those big plays happens?) – “Yeah, I think it goes back to what I said earlier. We don’t have to make wholesale changes. It’s ultimately just everybody individually like watching a little bit more film, trying to work on a particular technique and fundamental that maybe they’re lacking in. And if we can all just get a little bit better, those plays will stop, and ultimately, we’ll make the play necessary to go out there and win the game.”
Frank Smith – September 27, 2024
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Friday, September 27, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I know obviously so much of game planning is about exposing weaknesses and the opponent, but with that in mind, do you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel feel like you generally need to get the ball in the hands of WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle more than you have the last two weeks?) – “I think ultimately, we’re always trying to get our guys involved every week. Their ability to make plays, obviously, is the reason why we’re very successful. Each week defenses present different challenges, and it’s our job to make sure we’re putting the guys in the right spot to maximize the opportunities with what the defense is trying to present for us. So I think as we’re looking at it right now, there’s different things that we’re seeing that we’re really incorporating that into our attack. The great thing about Tyreek (Hill) and (Jaylen) Waddle, like the rest of the guys, they just want to make sure that we’re doing what’s best for us to win and whatever is necessary is what they’ll do.”
(WR Tyreek Hill mentioned that he’s not at the point of his career where he feels he needs to demand the ball. I’m guessing – what have you seen from his demeanor or the way he has responded in game the last couple of weeks?) – “I think overall, we’re genuinely frustrated for where we’re at and how we’re executing as a group, but everyone’s focus is on getting better and knowing that it’s a long season and how you start isn’t how you finish and each week presents its own challenges. He’s been great, and in the course of a game, all the guys are competitors and they want to be part of the reason why we’re successful. I think he has been great, and like all guys, we’re going back to work and working on the things that we can improve to make sure that we have a better outcome this weekend.”
(Sticking with that theme though, I could see where you don’t want guys screaming up a storm on the sideline, pouting that they’re not getting the ball. On the other hand, he is WR Tyreek Hill, so is there something to be gained maybe by him reminding the quarterback, “Hey, I need the ball?”) – “I don’t necessarily know – in all forms of communication, whatever relationship it is, you don’t necessarily have to scream to be heard. However we communicate is the most important thing, but we’re all aware – we all collectively want to make sure that we’re doing the best things that we can to make sure we’re successful this weekend. So making sure that we get all of our guys involved is the most important thing we’re looking at each week.”
(Does QB Tyler Huntley have like an offensive assistant or something who has been like assigned to help him do flashcards? Take me behind the scenes when you’re trying to catch up real fast, is there something unique that you do?) – “I think whenever guys come in that aren’t with us through training camp, we use our position assistants whether it’s – for all positions. We try to get guys up to speed, meet extra, have extra walkthroughs and time throughout the week. Not necessarily the quarterback position but all positions, we’re behind the scenes making sure that they’re getting caught up with terminology or, ‘Hey, this is what we do here. This is how it’s read.’ Sometimes things are read different for quarterbacks, but offensive linemen, same thing. We bring guys up and we use our position assistants while we’re focusing on the guys that are here present for the game. We try and use the whole staff to make sure that we’re getting guys up to speed and then as guys move in the roster that way so it’s not like you’re not getting any information – we try and use our whole staff like you use a whole team. Some guys are contributing in different ways and that’s how we try and make sure we use our staff appropriately.”
(When you have two quarterbacks that are fresh to the team – I mean one has an understanding of the offense because he’s been in systems that are similar, but the other one doesn’t. How do you make it palpable to retain all the information or do you have to dumb down the offense to…?) – “I don’t necessarily know if it’s like you dumb down, but you’re trying to do what your players do well and put them in positions to be successful. So think that all positions, we’re asking guys to do what they’re comfortable in doing and what they understand doing and they understand what the concept provides. I think that comes down to when we get guys here, part of our process to make sure they understand as they’re coming through it – it’s not like you’re here for two weeks and you’re just kind of learning on your own. We’re making sure we’re always bringing the process along so guys understand, so that way when guys are up, we’re executing what we do well and we can understand there are different parts of our offense, different think concepts that we can use to attack the defense. I think our driving force here is we always want to put our guys in positions to be successful for what they can do well.”
(With QB Tyler Huntley, in terms of his athletic ability and scrambling ability, do you have to pull out some of those RG3-esque plays that you’ve had in this offense for a while?) – “I think it’s more of each week when you’re using the guys, you’re going, OK, what’s the defense? All right, how do they play defense? How do they try and work all three levels of it? How’s the attack going to be approached and how do we create conflict inside of it? So whenever you’re looking at – the starting point is always the defense, and not necessarily you’re thinking of us. You’re going, OK, who are they and how do they operate? How can we then attack it with the guys we have? That’s our starting point. Even last year, we always – it’s been our approach our whole time here. We start with the defense, how they want to deploy and play coverage, how do they want to stop the run, how do they accept force, how do they do their different things, and then we then build from there. That’s kind of our driving force, not necessarily, ‘Hey, we need to do this because of this.’ It’s this – what’s the defense, how do we create conflict and that’s how we build.”
(A quarterback question regarding history versus recency, as it applies specifically to QB Skylar Thompson but also to QB Tyler Huntley and QB Tim Boyle. QB Skylar Thompson, you’ve seen two years’ worth of work; he had maybe three bad quarters, whatever you want to say. How do you balance that in a final judgement of Skylar and moving forward, whether he should get another start? Also with QB Tyler Huntley and QB Tim Boyle, you know their history but you also know their recency here – what weighs more heavily in the decision on who plays or who starts?) – “We take everything in from a collective approach. It’s easy to say poor result, then therefore it is. It’s why? It’s a deeper reason to things, so we’re trying to – I always look at, ‘My knee hurts.’ ‘OK, well what’s wrong? All right, ice and stim and maybe it will go away. Take some pain pills and maybe it will go away.’ Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. ‘Still hurts.’ So now you get looking at it and the doctor says you need to do something deeper, and then therefore that’s the answer you need to go. So for us, we’re looking at, OK, where is some of the things we’ve been doing, why are we having poor performance for not getting the result we want. Is it a player, is it a group, is it all of us? Ultimately, it comes down to all of us executing together for that, but when you look at – quarterbacks always get the magnifying glass, like it is or it isn’t. However, I think we can do better as an offense in general to allow for us to really base a lot of decisions, because right now it’s like with eliminating penalties, eliminating things that we can really improve, I think overall that will really help us as an offense, not just saying, ‘Hey, it’s this or not.’ It’s a lot of things that we need to correct right now.”
(Your first possession after CB Kader Kohou’s interception, the first down it looked like RB De’Von Achane had a hole, but he just slipped. TE Julian Hill had a penalty but it looked like he had a hole and would’ve scored. What does that tell you about the offense? And then I don’t think TE Jonnu Smith was in for that position, is that something you can tell us about also?) – “It’s maximizing opportunities. It’s early in the season so it’s easy to go, when you’re having success, you can say – like last year at this point in the season, it was what could we do wrong? It didn’t seem like many things. But now this season it’s what are you doing right? Well it’s never as good as it seems or as bad as it seems, it’s somewhere in the middle. Normally when you’re talking execution it’s a play here, a play there, a guy here, a guy there, just that cohesiveness being connected and making sure that we’re all executing at the same time. I think that’s the ultimate thing we’re talking about is our collective execution making sure that we’re working together and not trying to do too much in the moment. It’s like play the play, know what the attack is, what’s the defense you’re facing, then your preparation kicks into play. When we have moments where we’re not executing, OK what is it, how do we fix it, what was the issue and then we go through it. Then just making sure we’re asking the guys to do things we do well.”
(When you have a backup quarterback in, when it comes to communicating the play call to that quarterback in a timely fashion – maybe this is more of a Head Coach Mike McDaniel question – what have you guys found as some of the consistencies or inconsistencies of why that isn’t occurring or maybe ways to streamline the process?) – “The challenge of playing on the road obviously is the noise. There’s factors of communication to make sure you’re hearing through the communicator what’s being said – that creates a challenge. Then it’s just making sure we’re all hearing each other. The greatest issue that occurs is, we all have in all facets of our lives, is like are you listening or are you hearing the person? You’ve got to make sure you’re hearing the information necessary and delivering the information necessary. So just making sure in our communication we understand what’s being said and then we’re all working together. It’s not one person; it’s a unit. It’s all offensive players making sure that we’re hearing the concept, we understand what’s being executed. You don’t assume you’re hearing one thing; you make sure you get it heard and communicated with each other. I think that’s been the issue we’ve been having and it’s something we’ve been working on this week, and we’re working to improve on it for Monday night.”
(There were two phantom whistles out there. One on a first down that put you behind the chains on an RB De’Von Achane run, then on a third down you ended up punting. I talked to the players about this yesterday, one player said he thought maybe there was a whistle in the stands. Is this something you guys send to the league and say let’s get this straightened out, or do you say it happened, it’s done and there is nothing the league can do about it?) – “Making sure procedural issues we communicate with the league, but it was a bad deal. It’s just knowing that the ball is being held, like when they set it, the whistle came in late. It just kind of came in at a time where they were like, ‘What was that?’”
(You guys stopped playing?) – “Yeah, because well they set the ball and hit it and then they blew it just a little later than normal. It’s just stuff that it’s like – when you look at the course of a game, one play, one play here, when adversity hits, you can either use it as an excuse, or go OK, let’s get back on schedule. This year it’s like, ‘OK, we’ve had some adversity. Let’s learn from it, let’s not run from it. Let’s know how we can get better as a group, because we’ve got a long year ahead of us.’”
(Is there an extra level of difficulty, or does it compound things when you fall behind a couple of scores with you backup in, in a hostile environment? What does that do to your psyche or the adjustment process when something like that happens?) – “I think it helps remind you to stay deliberate in your approach, be in the moment. The past doesn’t dictate the future, and there is nothing is certain except that right now when things aren’t going well, how can I affect it? It’s not I need to do anything extraordinary, it’s more like of like what is the play, what’s the execution, what do I need to do to be successful. Ultimately for us right now, it’s just making sure we’re all connecting on the same page, we’ve having the communication necessary, and whether it’s good or bad, it’s being in the moment, playing in the moment. Like last year, go to Game 3, what didn’t go right? You score 70, life is good. Now the other side of the coin, it’s now OK – whether it’s going well, you have prosperity or adversity, it’s irrelevant. Right now the most important thing is the moment, and that’s the thing we’re working on right now is making sure we’re maximizing this moment today and all the moments in preparation for Monday.”
Danny Crossman – September 27, 2024
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Friday, September 27, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(With regards to your special teams unit, is there a point at which where if one person commits multiple penalties, you believe in repercussions in terms of yanking them off of your special teams units during that particular game? Or is that simply not feasible because of the number of bodies you have?) – “I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. What are the penalties? That’s the first thing. There’s many different types of penalties, and you don’t like any penalty because it’s going to hurt the club, but there’s certain penalties which I call, in the course of the game, aggressive, not dumb, that are to the decision of the officials. They’re going to call some of them, they’re going to call some of them correctly, some of them incorrectly. But an aggressive penalty in the course pf the game working the right technique, I’m not happy with them but I can accept those. The ones that you don’t like are pre-snap and post-snap penalties. Those are the ones – if they get egregious by anybody, those are things that you’re going to have a major issue with.”
(And the LB Anthony Walker Jr. penalty seemed to fall in that second category, so are you upset with that?) – “Well again, I’m not going to identify and talk about one single penalty. That’s just the philosophy that I and we have is they’re going to go in different buckets and then you’re going to account for them based on what those things are.”
(In that same line of questioning though, there have been five illegal formation penalties, moving too early on the kickoff in the first three games. Beyond reinforcing it or making a player switch, what can you do to get that fixed?) – “Well again, and this is something we talked about going into the season; you get veteran players who are used to playing the game a certain way and for six or seven years, the ball is kicked off and you’re a kickoff return player in you’re so engrained in having to get your depth and your width and whatever your drop zone is. You’re retraining the brain to, ‘The ball is kicked and I can’t move.’ So you have six or seven years of training on doing something, you got to remind yourself and we have to remind them on the sideline, ‘Hey, we’re not moving until the ball is caught or hits the ground.’ Like I said, for years and years guys have been trained to play the game a different way and with the new rules you got to adapt, and we’ve got to adapt quicker.”
(The opening kickoff, TE Tanner Conner slips. It looks like he could have made the play. Did he have contain on that or was that DB Elijah Campbell on contain?) – “Again, I’m not going to get into the specifics – we didn’t execute the play. We had people in what we thought were going to be in position to make a play and we weren’t able to execute. We got to be better, stay on our feet and be able to execute a little bit better, but I thought for the most part, the guys did a good job when the ball was in play on Sunday. What we got to clean up is before the ball is in play and after the ball is in play.”
(TE Tanner Conner seemed to have a good game special teams wise. He made the tackle the next play, he might have had a key block for WR Braxton Berrios’ punt return – maybe him and TE Durham Smythe. How did Tanner play overall on special teams?) – “He played well. Again, he’s a transition player from positions, from where he was and healthy now which has been a little bit of an issue and a concern, but we feel like he’s a talented player that can really give us some things in the kicking game.”
(LB Chop Robinson seemed to get in close to another punt. Talk about his progression on special teams.) – “Again, he’s a talented guy who we’re going to keep trying to find ways to use him. And like anything, I got to do a better job when we’re in those positions to make a play, we’ve got to be able to finish those plays.”
(K Jason Sanders, looked like somebody came in off of his left, is there any chance that impacted him?) – “Zero. Had nothing to do with it.”
(League wide, the field goals that are 50 yards or more – 76.5 percent, last year it was 68.7. Is there a trend of kickers getting stronger legs or this kind of an anomaly and it will even out to where it’s been?) – “I think it’s the latter. No. 1, I think the kickers in the National Football League are very, very, very talented guys. So those numbers rising, that doesn’t surprise me. I expect that everybody is like us. Those mid to short 50-yard field goals, the game has changed. You’re not thinking about those the way you did maybe about 20 years ago, but it’s a week-to-week thing. I think if you guys look a week ago, I think around the league it was over 90 percent on 50-yard field goals and then this week it’s less than 50. So you don’t know. I look at us and I look at how we approach it, and when we send Jason out, we feel good about getting points.”
(Just in general, your football knowledge – it seems like September is different now with the veterans doing joint practices and not preseason games. Has September football changed? Is it almost a little more experimental in your mind than it was a few years ago?) – “I don’t think it’s experimental, but I think what you’re seeing is maybe some of those, the first heavy opportunities of play time aren’t happening now until games matter. So it’s something that’s around the league, and it’s interesting and something I think that everybody is going to look at going forward, because when the games matter, they matter.”
(On WR Braxton Berrios’ long punt return, outside of the obvious, is there something that maybe wasn’t so obvious that you can tell us that helped spring him?) – “I think No. 1, we did a good job early on the gunners. If you’re going to get opportunities in the return game and the punt return game particularly, you got to make sure the gunners aren’t down in your face. We talked about it conversely when we talked about punting the ball. You got to be good at the gunner position and if you can control those guys, at least to get started, then the other aspects go into it. So I think we did a good job both outside on the gunners and I think they did a good job on the inside in creating that space and I thought that Braxton (Berrios) did a good job of hitting it.”
(With CB Siran Neal having a hamstring injury, obviously he’s a huge player in your phase. How difficult is it to replace a gunner like that?) – “It’s always difficult to replace good players – I don’t care, and you guys know that. Offensively, defensively, kicking game – you have certain guys, but we’ll let the trainers do their job. They do an outstanding job. We had Elijah (Campbell) a couple of weeks ago that was banged up and they were able to get him ready, so we’ll put a little bit of faith in the trainers and the doctors. But good players are good players, and you don’t just have another one.”
(Where is CB Ethan Bonner in special teams?) – “He’s doing a good job. It’s a matter of time and everybody’s going to get opportunity – that’s the way the league is now. So when his opportunity comes, I expect him to do a good job just like he did last season when we elevated him and brought him up from the practice squad. This year, he’s already on the roster so when he gets the opportunity, he’ll be ready to play.”
(What has impressed you about the career of Nick Folk still kicking? He’s going to turn 40 this year.) – “He’s done a great job. He’s really done a great job like all good veterans. He understands himself and understands what he has to do and adapted his game to play to his strengths and minimize some of the things. Like every veteran player, you’re going to lose certain skills and attributes, you got to find other skills and attributes to accentuate what are your strengths to stick around in this league. So I think Nick (Folk) is an outstanding kicker and been a pleasure to get to know him over the years.”
(I think there was a field goal attempt by Seattle where you guys maybe overloaded the kicker’s left side and seemed to do pretty well. What do you do – do you just file that stuff away, like we got good results? What do you do with those plays going forward?) – “Well, it’s a lot of things. It’s personnel – our personnel, their personnel. Then you get into the elements of where and how you want to attack people, so there’s a lot of moving parts. But again, it comes down to players and trying to put players in positions to make plays.”
(Now that there’s been kickoffs for three weeks – not necessarily a month. Is there any common theme in what teams are trying to do?) – “There’s a couple of different buckets that you’re starting to see develop, so it’ll be interesting. I’m looking forward to – not looking forward, but the bye week, I’m glad it’s an early bye week this year to be able to get on a lot more in-depth studies at that point of the season where you have a little bit more time (and) where it’s not nine, 10, 11, 12 weeks into the season where most of the season is gone before you get to spend a lot of time really diving into that. So anxious to really take an even harder look at it here in a couple weeks.”
