Michael Deiter – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
C/G Michael Deiter
(I know everything is looking ahead to the next game, but is there some pride – even while looking ahead to the next game – some pride in how the line has performed the last couple of weeks which has been good?) – “Like you said, definitely we’re just focused on this week and the next day, the next game. But definitely some pride. There’s been some growth, but there’s still way too much that we need to be better with. So you can’t sit here and say, ‘oh, we’re doing a lot of good things.’ There’s still too many things that aren’t good, that aren’t perfect. There’s a lot to work towards and every day that’s what we’re working for, but it’s been good to have some growth and we just need to keep building on it.”
(Obviously I’m going to give you all or most of the credit for the performance against the Jets since you were the man making the calls, but what was different about the running game last week? Like what was working that you feel like you guys can replicate?) – “We were doing a good job with double teams. The biggest thing is we were good on our assignment most of the time, which is huge. It was all communicated. Guys knew where they were going most of the time so it starts there – getting lined up, getting communicated. That way you can cut it loose and play with confidence, knowing where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. And also the backs were running really well and they’re always going to run well. We just need to – we saw that if we give them good double teams, good A/B gaps, they’re going to make the right cut, they’ll get north and south and we’ll have good running game. We just need to make sure that we’re solid with communication, technique, where we’re going and getting there with confidence and speed and the backs are going to hit the holes the way they did.”
(Another common theme that I heard last week from most of the offensive linemen was that RB Duke Johnson is a good downhill runner. When you guys label a back a “downhill runner,” what does it mean? What are we looking for?) – “Just quick decisions. Obviously the quickest way to get to the end zone is in a straight line, so sometimes you just need to put your foot in the ground and get north and find yards wherever they’re at. But obviously every back is good at knowing when to do that and when to make the big cut and make a few guys miss and make a big run and there’s also times where it’s you get your five, six yards and you stuff it in there and you help the offense both ways.”
Liam Eichenberg – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
T Liam Eichenberg
(I would imagine you’ve heard by now but it looks like your old college buddy is going to be playing against you guys. I wanted to get your reaction on QB Ian Book getting his first NFL shot against you guys and a quick scouting report.) – “Yeah, I actually just heard. I’m very excited for him. I wish him the best of luck but I’m kind of focused on their defense right now. I’m looking forward to seeing him and I hope everything goes well for him and he stays healthy, but I’m just focused on the Saints defense right now.”
(Can I ask you what stands out about QB Ian Book as a quarterback from your time playing together at Notre Dame?) – “Obviously I didn’t play wide receiver but I know that he throws a very good ball. It’s a tight spiral. He’s a pretty accurate quarterback. You know what you’re going to get with him. He’s a pretty consistent guy so it’ll be good to see him out there on the field.”
(I know you’re going to be focused on the Saints defense but from being his teammate, are there any tendencies you are able to pick up from your college days and be able to transfer over to your defense? Is that at all any possibility?) – “Yeah, I mean if guys have any questions. But at the same time, he was normally behind me. As you guys know in college, he was good at escaping the pocket. He’s definitely a guy that you need to keep in the pocket.”
(I wanted to ask you about the season-high rushing effort. What do you think was the difference with that performance as opposed to what you guys had done the bulk of the season from the run-game and tandem work standpoint?) – “At certain times, you just kind of get in a groove. You’re able to move guys well, you’re hitting your combo blocks correctly. They feel good so you’re moving guys back and at the same time, we have very good running backs. It just depends. I don’t know what to tell you. Sometimes it hits, sometimes it doesn’t. Obviously we are going to strive for those amount of rushing yards every game so it’s a bar and we need to keep aiming for that.”
Mack Hollins – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
WR Mack Hollins
(You’re one of the few players that I believe will give us what the real is about what’s going on COVID-wise within the NFL. How as a player and as a team do you guys internalize this stuff?) – “I think COVID – obviously it’s bigger than any other season but wintertime is the time of year when people start getting sick. Thanksgiving, Christmas, families are in town. The one thing Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has really hit on is guys have to put things in order of priority. It’s nice to have your family in town, but do you need to go 10 deep to dinner? Do you need to be hanging out all of the time? We have a season, this season is at the back end and we have a chance to play some more games. We can’t allow you wanting to go to dinner parties and all of that get in the way of what we are trying to build. It’s about being smart. Just like any time of the year, COVID has made it where it’s a little more risky to do those things because you end up missing games or whatever that might be.”
(Do we push Christmas back?) – “I don’t know. Personally, I feel like Christmas has never been a thing. Christmas and Thanksgiving, I’ve played football my whole life. It’s like that’s the holiday that happens during football season so it’s never as big as anything else. If they pushed it back, that would be great because then I could celebrate it for real.”
(We got to follow up on the pet alligator that you were considering acquiring during the bye week. Did it go down?) – “It did not. I actually got to see a bunch, but I was vetoed in my household. The garage was not allowed to be transformed into my alligator sanctuary.”
(Does that mean it’s off entirely?) – “No. This is just for now until I can move some things around in the garage and make it seem like we have more space than we need.”
(You did some research that will let you be more prepared for this next go around?) – “Yeah, if being more prepared is even possible at this point. I feel like I’ve been doing research longer than I want. It’s time to make a move.”
(The one thing that bothers me about the NFL’s new COVID protocol is that even though asymptomatic vaccinated players are generally not being tested now, there are some that are randomly selected to be tested every week who are asymptomatic and vaccinated, which leads to the question what if one team’s star player is asymptomatic and tested and tests positive and is out a game, and the other team’s star player isn’t. It seems random and unfair to me. Do you think it’s random and unfair?) – “I don’t know if it’s unfair. If it’s truly random, than I wouldn’t say it’s unfair. I think at the end of the day, it’s all about safety. If you’re one of the random guys that gets tested and you’re positive, whether you’re the star player or not, what’s more important? The safety of the league or a team or one guy’s individual performance or impact on a team? If you’re randomly selected and you’re negative, it’s totally fine. I think that situation only can arise if my star player’s got it, my star player is positive when it’s supposed to be random and he maybe shouldn’t have gotten tested. That’s the only way that situation can go. I think it’s in the best interest of the league to try to keep players safe.”
(How do you know that you’re going into a game safe and that players that you’re playing against have COVID if we’re not really testing right now?) – “I think that’s why we have these protocols to begin with. We have a large majority of the league vaccinated, traveling with masks on and stuff like that. I think we’re doing a lot of stuff that any other year, if we didn’t have COVID – I know people compare it to the flu but I don’t remember in my life ever walking around with masks at any point let alone as much as we do now. I know things have gotten laxed as humans are. Over time we get laxed in certain situations. But when I go out in a game, there is never a time where I feel like, ‘Oh, one of these guys might have COVID’ or I feel unsafe. I feel like we’ve been doing a good job, especially in our locker room making sure we are safe and keeping each other safe.”
(I think you’re unvaccinated correct?) – “No, I am (vaccinated).”
(We haven’t spoken to you since the epic DT Christian Wilkins touchdown celebration, so I need to get your thoughts on that and every aspect of it. Also now, playing a Monday Night football game, big stage, Superdome and all of that. If you down a punt at the 1-yard line or even score a touchdown offensively, can we expect a big choreographed celebration from you?) – “I would never say choreographed because everything I do is – I work on a lot moves during practice so when something happens, it’s in that list of moves. It’s isn’t a completely choreographed, ‘When I do this, I’m going to do this,’ type of thing. I don’t know if I’ll break out the worm. Christian is quite good at that. I wouldn’t want to copy it or make it look bad. It won’t be the worm but if I’m fortunate enough to make a play, whether it’s in the kicking game or on offense, expect something.”
Calvin Munson – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
LB Calvin Munson
(How would you describe this journey of New England to Miami to New England back to Miami?) – “It’s been a little back and forth but definitely blessed for all the opportunities.”
(How do you see yourself most contributing over here?) – “Honestly, anywhere I can. Special teams, ‘backer, wherever they need me I’ll go all out.”
(Obviously there’s been a New England presence on the Dolphins coaching staff for three years since Head Coach Brian Flores took over. What would you say is the biggest similarity in how the two franchises operate from a player perspective that you notice, and the biggest difference?) – “I would say both teams work hard. Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores), he brought over a good culture and good coaching mentality. He wants the players to be tough, physical and smart, and I see that here.”
(That’s the same with Head Coach Bill Belichick too obviously, right? Is it the same approach with both?) – “I would say it’s similar, yeah. Every coach has their differences but I think what we’re doing here, the culture and how guys are playing, how guys are learning and playing with each other has been good.”
(Defensively, how much does the gameplan change now that QB Ian Book will be starting for the Saints with QB Taysom Hill on the COVID list? How have you guys pivoted very quickly here since the news broke?) – “Honestly, I don’t think it changes a lot. We are going to prepare every week the same. We are going to prepare for every aspect and every quarterback. They still have 10 other guys on the field that can play. Obviously Book, he is in the NFL for a reason so he can play. We’re just going to approach it the same, work hard and then go out there and play as well as we can.”
Byron Jones – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
CB Byron Jones
(There was a report out today that the Saints are preparing to start rookie QB Ian Book instead of QB Taysom Hill. I was just curious how much do you know about Ian Book, how much does that change your preparation over the next couple days?) – “I guess that just came out. I got the news on the way up here. If he’s in the NFL and he’s playing quarterback, he’s going to be a good player. Preparation still stays the same. I’m sure he’s a mobile guy who can run and throw as well so we’ll be working, just the same way we work otherwise.”
(When you have such a quick change at the last minute, I understand this is COVID times so things are kind of unorthodox. How quickly do you have to go about the film study on this?) – “Honestly you just prepare the same way. The meetings don’t really chance, the structure doesn’t change. I guess coaches will probably find some film of the new quarterback coming in but they still have 10 other players on the field that are consistent. I still have to guard the receivers, linebackers got to still tackle their running backs and so on and so forth.”
(Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer talked this week about how well you’re playing. How even in ways that the average fan wouldn’t necessarily see, you’re playing well in those areas as well. What’s your comfort level with year two in this defense compared to year one and do you think that’s helped you have a really good season?) – “Coming into this system, small things are different. The way you play man. Your high hip, low hip, how you attack the ball, whether you’re undercutting routes. It was a good challenge. It was a fun challenge especially trying to adjust the way you play later on in your career. That was something that I was eager to adjust to. It’s been fun. It’s been fun playing on this team and watching these young guys come up and become their own players and become their own superstars. I’m just excited to be a part of this whole process and hopefully we keep it going and keep it riding.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Xavien Howard being named to the Pro Bowl, obviously your teammate and friend, I’m sure you have a lot of thoughts on that.) – “No, he makes fun of me every single day so he’s not my friend. (laughter) We definitely do work together. No, it’s a blessing to see a guy like that perform at the highest level that you see on a day-in and day-out basis. He’s a ball hawk. He’s a smart player. He’s grown in so many ways since I’ve been here. There’s no one more deserving to get that award than him on the defensive side. He’s always making an impact. We’re all happy for him and of course he wants more so he’s still pushing the rest of the year to get more.”
(I wanted to get your thoughts on this defensive turnaround from where the defense was at the 1-7 start and then now on this six-game winning streak. What do you think is the biggest reason for the stark difference?) – “I’m not sure. Guys are just playing better essentially. Guys are just executing their responsibilities a little bit better and when you’re doing that more consistently, you see the results that we’ve been seeing. That’s the whole thing. We all have a job to do – line up, get the communication out and do your job at the highest level. The call is going to be just fine. We’re going to be in a position to make plays and we’ve just got to make them. We’re starting to do that a lot more consistently this time around. Obviously we still want to keep that thing rolling but we’re off to a good start.”
(As a fellow safety turned cornerback, I’m sure you’re aware of the challenges that CB Nik Needham faced last week and has faced previously. Can you talk a little bit about the growth that you’ve seen from him as a player?) – “Nik is one of those guys where when I came in, I didn’t know too much about him but watching him perform and the way he approaches practice – there was at one point I told him, ‘The way you approach the game, you inspire me.’ He is a guy who was undrafted, didn’t have much of a shot but is fighting, scratching and clawing to be here. He’s been put in a lot of positions and he’s stepped up every single time. The fact that he was playing nickel throughout the entire year and has to hop back at safety and make all the calls is something that, as a team, doesn’t go unnoticed. I know fans probably overlook it but that’s an incredible adjustment to make in a week. He was a guy that all of us trusted and the coaches trusted and he did the job very well. I’m happy to see a guy like that be able to perform at that level and be versatile.”
(I’m curious, you have experience at that spot. Could you have done it and felt comfortable?) – “Truthfully, not in this system. The amount of responsibility that these safeties have is just tremendous. The fact that Nik (Needham) was able to do that within a five-day turnaround, that’s incredible. I’d like to consider myself a smart guy but I don’t know half their calls. I just look back at the safety, they give me my call and I say, ‘Yes, thank you.’ The fact that Nik was able to do that in four to six days is really impressive.”
Zach Sieler – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
DT Zach Sieler
(Good to see you continuing to play so well. At this point, having achieved a lot in your career and really done beyond what most late-round picks do, are you content long-term? As you look at your career long-term, and I know every player on the team is just looking at New Orleans, but if I can ask you to look long-term, is this role one that you are content in the long-term? Do you have any goals to be an NFL starter – a regular NFL starter at some point?) – “I always want to get better. Wherever that path takes me, it takes me. You kind of – the earlier answer – I’m kind of worried about this week and the technique and the fundamentals that it’s going to take to win this game, and that’s kind of been my mentality my entire career is just focusing on what’s next and then just keep building week-by-week.”
(And then one thing on this week’s opponent. Obviously you guys and us have gotten word in the last hour on Saints QB Ian Book likely starting. Will you study Notre Dame tape of him in the next few days? Will you look at his one preseason appearance for New Orleans?) – “We haven’t sat down and talked about that yet, but it’s all about – yes, looking back at any tape from him from college, NFL, anything we’ve got.”
(Two questions for you – one football, one about yesterday with the Nickelodeon and the NVP for Christian Wilkins. Did you eventually get a chance to slime him?) – “Oh yeah. Yeah, I think that was later in the video. Yeah, that was funny. A nice little treat.”
(Were you a big Nickelodeon guy growing up?) – “Absolutely. Absolutely. I think that was awesome that he won that and I think you couldn’t have picked a better kid. I mean, Christian. (laughter)”
(So my other question is football. Going back to the game on Monday, like you mentioned. The Saints obviously have a very powerful running game. You’ve been very good against the run this year. What have you seen from them in terms of their running game and what they offer on tape?) – “They’re a very dynamic group. They all play multiple positions and they have multiple formations and packages so it’s just being ready and being prepared and watching the tape and just studying your opponent.”
(And also just to follow up on that, what are your impressions of Saints RB Alvin Kamara and the career he’s put together to this point, and going up against him?) – “Alvin Kamara is an elite running back. Has had a great career. He’s who he is.”
(I also was just going to follow up on QB Ian Book. How much, if at all in your estimation, do things change with that alteration for him? Obviously he is still a guy who can get out of the pocket and run a little bit.) – “I think we’ve just got to stick to the game plan and what’s been given to us and then just prepare for anything. With COVID, anything can happen.”
(I’ve been asking all of his defensive linemen for DE Emmanuel Ogbah – one thing that you would like to take from his game and to incorporate into yours. What would that be?) – “His pass rush. Just his knowledge of how to manipulate blockers and o-linemen and using that to the best of his abilities.”
(So you think he plays mind games with them or just…?) – “He just knows how each play – he’s very good at reading the blocks and reading what he’s presented with and making plays off that.”
Duke Johnson – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
RB Duke Johnson
(I followed you during your career at UM and I’m puzzled where this pass-catching, scatback specialist reputation comes from considering you’ve proven yourself as a runner. Does it bother you to be viewed as a pass-catching back?) – “No. Not anymore. When I was younger, when I came out of college and I did what I did in college, I thought I proved myself that I could do it and I didn’t get the opportunity to do it when I was younger. Yeah, it used to bother me when I was younger. But as I got older and more mature and more years in the league, I learned that I can’t control that. There’s nothing I can do about that. So whatever role I do have, I have to embrace it and move forward. That’s kind of what I did.”
(Where do you think that came from?) – “Which?”
(The pass…) – “No idea. To be honest, I really can’t tell you. I don’t know. I think it’s because I can catch the ball. That’s something I can do. I really couldn’t give you a definitive answer on why or how that came about. I can’t.”
(How important is it for you to prove that you can be a running running back?) – “I don’t think it’s important for me. At this stage in my career, not really. My thing is just doing whatever they ask – whether it’s running, catching, special teams. I don’t really care to prove anything to anyone anymore because I know who I am and what I can do. That may not be what the team needs. No, I’m not at a proving stage anymore.”
(You said a second ago you know who you are and you know what you can do. The obvious question is who are you and what can you do?) – “I’m Duke Johnson and I can do what the team needs. (laughter)”
(Well, tell me about your confidence in being able to run between the tackles because we saw you getting some tough yards the other day and maybe it opens some eyes. Where does that ability come from, do you think?) – “To run the ball?”
(Yeah, just in terms of your determination, strength. What is it the enables you to be as effective as you are getting tough yardage?) – “It’s a mixture of things. I think it’s not mainly just me. I think it’s a mixture of play-calling, blocking and whether it’s just me trying to be as physical as I can to get every yard that I can. But it’s not just me. It’s not just a Duke show. I know it’s getting portrayed as I did everything but that wasn’t the case.”
(What are your expectations? Now that you put up the 107 yards last week, what are your expectations for yourself moving forward in this offense?) – “The same expectations I put on myself every year. Make the plays when my number is called. Whether it’s 22 carries or two carries, it’s just make the plays and be as efficient as I can when my number is called.”
(Can you talk about the dynamic of the depth at running back on this team all of a sudden? What’s it like now being in a more crowded running back room between you proving you need to be on the field, RB Phillip Lindsay coming back – we know what he’s capable of – RB Myles Gaskin, RB Salvon Ahmed now having more time under them since their return?) – “I wasn’t even thinking of that kind of direction. I was thinking more of last week we had three healthy bodies and now we have nine. I wasn’t thinking of the actual talent around the backfield. It was kind of depleted last week and now we have nine guys. I don’t know. We all have the same mindset, which is do what we need to do, do what we’re asked and do what the team needs. It doesn’t matter who is in or who is coming back or who is not here because we all believe in the same thing, and that’s doing what we need to do to help the team win.”
(This Saints defense is obviously very good against the run. They just came off a shutout of the defending Super Bowl champs. What stands out to you when you watch them?) – “The way they depend on each other. They’re very sound in what they do. They know that if one guy fits the A-gap, the next guy will have the B-gap. There’s not too many people trying to do more than what they’re supposed to. They play fast. They play physical. The biggest thing is they believe in each other to the point where they do their job and only their job.”
(I wanted to ask you – your career, seven years. Obviously that’s a nice, long, healthy span for a tailback. How much do you feel like you’ve still got left? I know you feel like you don’t have anything to prove but it doesn’t look like you’re done.) – “Yeah, that’s hard to say. I haven’t thought about retiring. I haven’t thought about that in no way, shape or form, so it’s really hard for me to tell how much I have. I think for me, that’s really a day-to-day thing because I think in the game of football, something could change in 24 hours. As of now, I’m not sure how much I could give you. I just know I feel good and I’m happy.”
(We haven’t asked you yet about being signed to the active roster. Tell me when you’re walking off the field after your performance against the Jets on Sunday. Are you kind of thinking to yourself, ‘Somebody is signing me to their active roster after this, no question?’ And take me through the process of how it came about.” – “No. So actually, after the game, I was really just overwhelmed with the way the game went and just being happy with the way I played and we winning the game and still moving forward. I really wasn’t too concerned with the active roster because again, that’s not up to me. I did what I had to do and that’s not my call. I was just kind of focusing on what I can focus on and control what I can control. That’s one of the things that I can’t, so I didn’t really put too much thought into it. I just let it happen as it happened.”
(That said though, once you did get the call…) – “It was a great feeling. Definitely a great feeling.”
(Did you feel like almost, I don’t want to say disrespected but the fact that you should have been on active roster all along maybe?) – “Not really. I don’t take everything as disrespect. There’s 32 teams and none of them felt at the time that I was ready. I didn’t take it as disrespect. I just took it as get better and move forward.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 22, 2021
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Wednesday, December 22, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I wanted to first ask, there was an Inside the NFL clip from last Sunday’s game where it looked like you audibled to the game-winning touchdown to WR DeVante Parker. I’m curious, over the course of the season, over the course of the week, how much of that – audible options – are emphasized in practice and how much of it is trial and error and just getting a feel for what you see on the field on gameday?) – “I would say it’s a mixture of both. It’s a mixture of us having an audible already in the play and then a mixture of us going out there and us playing football, just how the game goes and how it’s been going, the matchups that we like out there. That was a screen play. It looked like they ran a Cover Zero. Everyone was to the right. We gave DeVante a signal with what we wanted him to run and he executed that with a catch and finishing it off with a touchdown.”
(I know you mentioned after the game that they were giving you a lot of man looks, especially on second-and-long, and you had some success throwing the ball deep. How much more comfortable are you in those situations and knowing that sometimes, whether it is WR DeVante Parker or WR Isaiah Ford, you gave them an opportunity to make a play on the ball in single coverage and they came through with it?) – “I’m very comfortable but I would say it starts with practice, throwing to our guys against man coverage. In seven-on-seven we go against our defense practicing man coverage because that’s what our defense runs a lot and then you get mixtures of zones. Guys just need to be in the right spots and I need to obviously hit them when they’re in the right spots.”
(You are going to be playing on Monday Night Football for the first time, so your thoughts on that. And also the environment in the Superdome and you visiting Louisiana when you played in college against LSU, I just wanted to get your thoughts on Louisiana football fans who can obviously get pretty rowdy out there.) – “It’s pretty cool. I grew up watching primetime football, whether it was Sunday night, Monday night, Thursday night. So being able to be a part of that and being able to play on Monday night, I think that’s super cool. Just being in the NFL, as it is, has always been a dream of mine and I know it’s been a dream of a lot of the guys that are playing in this league. To answer the second question, it’s tough when we went down there to play LSU. I got to play at the Saints field when we played Clemson. We all know what happened there – right Christian (Wilkins)? (laughter) It was loud but it was really 50/50. Their side and our side and it was still loud. I’m excited to see what a full stadium is going to sound like.”
(I know you couldn’t have been too happy with your interceptions on Sunday but when you come back from a game with a couple of turnovers, is there a greater emphasis on correcting what went wrong on those plays or do you just have to forget about it and prepare the same way?) – “Yeah, I think you prepare the same way but you always have to take into consideration those mistakes. Those were two costly mistakes because both of those led to points and if you add them all up, that’s 10 points. With the pick-six and then obviously the first interception that led to a field goal. That’s something that I need to be better with as far as the turnovers and that doesn’t help us stay on track in all three phases of the game. You can’t change field position the way you want to. You don’t give the defense a good opportunity to have their offense go three-and-out. That was bad football. I’ve got to obviously not make those same mistakes and move on from it.”
(I wanted to ask you, why do you think you guys have been so receptive to the one day at a time philosophy from Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “Yeah, I think that mentality just helps us keep into perspective what we’re trying to get accomplished now. That’s why. You don’t want to worry about third downs because if you’re too worried about third downs, you’re not going to get normal down and distance plays correct or you’re not going to understand what your job is on that. I would say that’s why it’s very important that we just focus on what we have to do today and take it one day at a time and then obviously one play and one snap.”
(People looking for Christmas gifts may want to consider Tua’s leis. It’s a project that I know you did. I’m just curious how it came about and hat it means to you personally to be able to raise money for a good cause but doing it by doing something that’s your heritage and so close to your heart?) – “I would say you really spoke on it. It really just embodies where I come from, my heritage and then it’s also giving back to a good cause. That’s really all it is.”
(I know you;ve played in a lot of big games and handled a lot of big moments. Are there any relaxation techniques that you have employed either before or during a game? Any meditation, breathing exercises, visualization? Are any of those things you incorporated into your approach?) – “I’ve never done any of those. I’ve never had meditation. I guess exercises for myself before a game, for me it’s just making sure that I’m prepared whether it’s looking over the gameplan again or really going over my third downs and making sure I’m good with that. For me, I feel that’s what brings confidence for me.”
(Do you feel like the experienced you’ve had in primetime NFL games, at least a few, that will some way be beneficial to you?) – “I think at the end of the day, you’ve got to go out and play football. It’s football whether it’s primetime or it’s not. You’ve got to go out there and perform at the best of your ability.”
(I know you have trust and confidence in all of your receivers, but having WR Jaylen Waddle back, how much more comfortable and confident does that make you heading into a game against a very good New Orleans defense?) – “I would say it helps having Jaylen back, being that threat he’s a vertically and just speed-wise. Whether it’s a juke route or whatever you want to call the routes that he runs, he gives us good opportunities for matchups with whether it’s a ‘backer or it’s their down safety. Then if they do switch it up, it opens up other guys out there on the field. It’s good but we’ll see how we go about using everyone else in the gameplan this week too.”
(The last time you guys were in a hostile environment was Buffalo and there were a lot of communication issues. I don’t know how much the crowd impacted your ability to communicate with the teammates. How are you guys certain that those issues are in the past?) – “I don’t think you’re ever certain that nothing is going to ever come back up again. I think one thing is for certain is that we’ve been working on it in practice – our communication with crowd noise. We do understand that this is going to be very hostile. It’s going to be very loud. We do understand that we got to get in the huddle, I’ve got to get things communicated whether it’s the personnel and we’ve got to give ourselves as much time as possible so we have that much more room for error, so you’re not always playing with the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 shot clock. That is something that we’ve been working on communication-wise and also with signals.”
(The last two games, you’ve kind of had after the game a sentiment of knowing you could’ve played better. Obviously the two interceptions is evident. But where do you feel the next step for the RPO? You talked about it after the game, you felt like you weren’t producing as much as you could in the RPO. What is missing? What do you feel like is the next step?) – “I think decision-making for me. I think there have been a lot of times where I could’ve handed the ball off where I didn’t. We could’ve went for a lot more bigger runs this year. For me, I’ve been giving up premier looks so I pull it and I throw it and we gain six or seven yards. I think for me, just being 100 percent within my decision-making in the RPO world and it not being 85 or 90 percent.”
(RPO or otherwise, you guys had your best rushing performance of the season Sunday. I just want to ask you how a consistent successful running game impacts the passing game and your job?) – “It helps a lot. Duke (Johnson) did really well. Myles (Gaskin) did really well. Those guys did well. They saw the holes that the line was opening up for them. I think hats and all credit goes to the line upfront. We’ve been talking about establishing our run game and coming off the bye week, that’s exactly what we did. Hats off to our o-line for that.”
