Jakeem Grant – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
WR Jakeem Grant (transcribed by Ken Mendonça)
(The special teams seem to turn thing around and grab momentum in this game, and you were clearly a big part of that. Can you talk about how that was able to flip the game back around in your favor at moments?) – “Like (Head) Coach (Brian Flores) said, when one side is struggling or both sides are struggling, we have to make something happen and I feel like, collectively, as a special teams unit, that’s what we did. So we got the momentum in our favor and next time we do, we have to be able to keep it.”
(The big returns hadn’t been there this season. How good did it feel to bust out today?) – “It felt great. It would have felt even better if we came out with the win, but that just shows other teams that we can be very dangerous on special teams.”
(When did you know you were gone on that kickoff return?) – “Once I broke through the second level, and it was just me and the kicker, I was like ‘no way is he going to tackle me,’ because if he tackles me my teammates will never let me live that down and then I have to pay a fine. (laughter)”
Brian Flores – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Obviously, seven sacks or six sacks.) – “Yeah, it’s disappointing.”
(Not what you wanted?) – “No. We’ve got to do a better job protecting the quarterback, getting the ball out quicker. We just didn’t play well; but it wasn’t just them. We didn’t play well collectively as a team all the way across the board. It starts with me. We’ve got to coach it better, got to play better – fundamentals, technique, communication, all the way across the board – we’ve got to do it all better.”
(The inability to run the ball – 7 yards rushing the first quarter, 23 yards throughout the game – it must really been tough to get going much offensively.) – “Yeah, I mean we couldn’t get it going. I mean, it’s something that we’ve – it’s been a little bit of an issue the last few weeks. Look, we’re just going to keep practicing, keep trying to get it better; but yeah, it’s definitely something where we’re struggling. It’s tough to win in this league if you can’t run the football. We’ve got to get better in that area.
(On the other side, seven sacks. You didn’t really protect and really didn’t put any pressure on them on the defensive side. Again, another one of those where you can’t do much when you’re in that spot.) – “Right, we didn’t play well, really. We didn’t play well enough today as a total team. We didn’t coach well enough, we didn’t play well enough, and we didn’t get the result we want. We’ll come back to wrok tomorrow, make the corrections, get back to practice this week and try to play better next week.”
(Did the week of preparation give any hint that something wasn’t right?) – “No. I felt like we had a good plan going in, we just didn’t execute. We had some opportunities there. I would say in the second quarter, we got some momentum going and it turned the other way. We had a few plays there where had some good plays and there was a penalty or we just couldn’t string plays together, and you need to do that against a good team. We weren’t able to do that today. But I thought we were ready to play, but we didn’t – they outplayed us.”
(Can you talk about WR Jakeem Grant, especially on special teams?) – “I thought he played well. Obviously the kickoff return was a bright spot for us. I thought he played well offensively. Again, we’ve talked about his explosiveness and his ability to make plays, so hopefully we can continue with that.”
(The deficit was a little bit too much to overcome, but what did you like about your team after being down and being able to come back?) – “Like I said, we put a drive together, (had a) big play by DeVante (Parker) and ended up punching it in with Kalen (Ballage). We got the onside (kick), we were moving it again, so we had some momentum there, and then couldn’t get a stop defensively after we turned it over. They punched it in and then we got the kickoff return, so look, there was an ebb and flow there. We had some momentum, and then we just couldn’t get it going in the second half and they outplayed us. But we’ve got to do a better job.”
(What were some things that QB Josh Allen was doing to get the best of you guys today?) – “I think he’s a good player. I know he had a zone read for a big gain and made some good throws. They blocked it pretty well and they ran it well. They played well. They played better than we did. Yeah, they played better than we did.”
(What do you hope your players learn from this loss moving forward?) – “I mean, we’ve got to play better. I would say from tackling to missed tackles to penalties, not protecting inside out from a protection standpoint in the pass game, dropped balls, you’re not going to win in this league playing that way. It’s something we’ve talked about really the entire year. I think they understand that. They know that. We had some opportunities and we didn’t take advantage of them. They did. This is the result we get.”
(All of those things you mentioned, you were managing those things pretty well coming into this week, all of a sudden this team comes in and they obviously have playoff aspirations and they came out playing that way. Did that affect part of that, your football team getting back to those mistakes?) – “I mean, they played well; but some of those things, they’re on us. An unsportsmanlike penalty early that negates a holding call, dropped passes, missed assignments from a protection standpoint, penalties. I think a lot of those things we can control. They made us miss on a couple of tackles, but we talked about tackling and tackling technique, fundamentals. We’ve got to do a good job, obviously. That’s always number one defensively. We just didn’t do a good enough job. I think we overcame some of those mistakes early and had some opportunities, specifically in the second quarter, and then we – they made more plays than we did.”
(The frustration of you get the onside kick, you get a little momentum, you’re still in the ballgame, and then you get the fumble and kind of leave that onside kick – there’s got to be some frustration level there?) – “Yeah, it’s basically a long foul ball. That’s really what it boils down to. We have to take advantage of those opportunities. Good teams take advantage of them and today we weren’t that. We’ve got to be better. I’ve got to coach it better and we’ve got to do a better job.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(How are you feeling?) – “I feel good. I mean, obviously not happy about the loss, but physically I feel fine.”
(Six sacks today – was their defensive line doing something schematically that was just giving the offensive line so much trouble or what?) – “Every sack has its own little story. Some are on me not getting the ball out. Others, they’ve got good players over there, so there’s a myriad of reasons why things were happening and breaking down today; but at the end of the day, as a quarterback, I take that upon myself. I have to get the ball out better in some of those situations. Some of them were unavoidable and they did a nice job with some of their stuff, but there were some that I thought I could have got the ball out a little bit better today.”
(Is it disappointing for you, maybe it was a step back today after the positive of the two wins the last two weeks? Do you feel like maybe you took a step back today?) – “Yeah, I think – I think we did. We came into this game thinking the outcome was going to be better. I thought we’d come in and be more competitive, but credit to Buffalo. They did a great job. Their fans came out and were loud for them and they played tough. Hats off to them.”
(Some movement on the offensive line today. I think you’ve used seven different combinations on the line. How much of a factor can that be in the pressure?) – “Well, I think we have to – those five really have to work together, especially the guys that are standing next to each other, whether it’s the guards and the tackles or guards and center. Continuity is a big thing. Just communication is a big thing. Those guys work tirelessly every single day in practice to get all that stuff ironed out and we’ll watch the film and kind of review a lot of it; but I can promise you the work is being put in and we’re seeing improvement every day. I like being out there with those guys.”
(Why does it seem difficult to find much running room for your running backs?) – “(Buffalo) did a good job early. We had some negative runs that really – negative runs on first down and second-and-longs and you get into difficult spots. That’s what the Bills’ defense thrives on, and they did a great job early with that, putting us behind a little bit. Then as the score got to where it did, we ended up being a little more pass-happy; but yeah, we’ve got to be able to find ways to run the ball better.”
(It looked like that was their game plan, stack the line of scrimmage. They had a lot of big bodies up there that forced you to throw one-on-one, kind of one-on-one coverage out there, then the pressure got to you. It seemed very, very difficult to get anything going, certainly in the first half, just based on what they were doing against you.) – “Yeah and I think the first thing we’ve got to do is give them credit. I thought they came in and did a nice job with their scheme and the things that they were doing to get after us. The biggest thing I think before we review the film and everything for me is I’ve got to find a way to limit those negative plays, whether it was a run or taking a sack or maybe not getting the ball out quicker or checking it down. We’ve got to figure out ways just to get in a little bit better rhythm early in the game because we didn’t have a whole lot of possessions. We had a hard time getting into a rhythm because we weren’t getting first downs in the first half.”
(WR DeVante Parker had seven receptions for 135 yards. How would you assess how he did and the chemistry that you guys built today?) – “He just continues to show up every day, works hard. I was real proud of him and some of those big plays he made today. He’s a tough competitor. He’s the most consistent guy that we have on our offense and has been all year long. He’s a guy that I know I can count on every Sunday. It’s nice. Statistics – whatever, at the end of the day we lost – but for DeVante and some of the injury stuff in the past and whatever else has been talked about with him here, he has been such a consistent, great player for me to have in the huddle out there.”
Christian Wilkins – November 15, 2019
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Friday, November 15, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(What did you think of the Browns DE Myles Garrett helmet swing thing that we all saw on television?) – “Obviously that’s the hot topic today because it just happened last night and you’ve never really seen anything like that happen in the league. That’s just it. You’ve never really seen anything like that happen in the league. A lot of guys feel differently about it, but there will be the consequences and go from there. Obviously I saw it, but it was just different. I’ve just never seen anything like it happen in a game, so it was a different situation for me to watch.”
(I was talking to you briefly about this yesterday: the Dolphins have a stat that you have the most tackles from the rookie class defensive linemen. That includes Raiders DE Clelin Ferrell and Giants DT Dexter Lawrence. Is that something you all have discussed on text or anything?) – “No, we haven’t talked about it; but hopefully I can keep things going in the right direction because we’re always competing against each other and we always like to just make fun of each other and talk a little trash. It’ll be good to have something to brag with, but I’m still trying to get them in every snap possible, too, so I can really just go clean-sweep and just have all the bragging rights for the year. (laughter) I’m just going to keep working and try to get better each week and just continue to improve, so that’s my main focus.”
(Defensive linemen always get real excited after a sack or tackle for loss, but I’m curious – are tackles, is that a number that does have some importance to you? Explain that.) – “Oh, definitely, because it’s a kept stat for a reason. They’re important, but in this league it’s real hard to get – I’m realizing it’s real hard to get tackles for loss and sacks. The big plays are harder to come by, so if you can make a tackle on the line of scrimmage for no gain, it doesn’t get shown up as a tackle for loss in the stat book, but it’s still a big play. If it’s a 1-yard gain, 2-yard gain, you force the offense in longer situations on second down. On second-and-8, second-and-9 instead of second-and-6, second-and-5 – it’s a lot harder from a game-planning standpoint for coaches to make those decisions, too, so they’re always important and always big, for sure.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said this week you’re coming into your own. Is there something that’s clicked the last couple weeks because you’ve been on this ascent? What’s sort of changed the last couple weeks?) – “Really just getting more comfortable with what the coaches are asking me to do and just taking more reps. That’s the biggest thing. When you’re a young guy, reps are the most important thing. It’s just really – I’ve been just trying to learn as much from the older guys as I can (and) take as much in from everybody and just put it all together, and hopefully I’ll just keep building each week. I’m never satisfied. That’s kind of my mindset. No matter what I do, no matter what I’ve done in the past; I’m always chasing something better and chasing greatness. It’s just kind of my mindset and my approach I’ve taken every week and every day I step on the field.”
(DT Davon Godchaux said earlier that the mentality with defensive tackles is to stop the run. How much extra challenging is it when the quarterback is a part of that run game?) – “That definitely presents a different challenge for us. You take a lot of pride in it as a d-line, like he said. You’re only as good as you are at the point of attack and stopping the run as a d-lineman, but that presents another challenge for us for sure, because (Josh Allen) can make some great plays with his feet. We’re just going to have to be ready and just read our keys and situate our technique and plays will come to us.”
Brian Flores – November 15, 2019
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Friday, November 15, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(We saw that S Reshad Jones and DE Avery Moss were able to go full yesterday. Do you expect them to play Sunday?) – “We’ve got a good chance of seeing both guys. Both have been practicing, both have been getting better. They still need treatment and are getting rehab but there’s a good shot we see those guys both working their way back, yes.”
(Is there a good chance that T Julién Davenport will be activated?) – “That one we’re still kind of mulling through. We have to make a decision on the roster to do that. He’s practiced and he’s been out there the last couple of weeks. He’s definitely getting better. I would say from a technique, from a fundamentals standpoint, that’s improved over the last couple of weeks. Obviously it’s not where we want it to be quite yet but we’re making a lot of progress, so we’ll see.”
(DE Taco Charlton and LB Raekwon McMillan, do you expect them to play despite their injuries this week?) – “Both guys got dinged last week and were somewhat limited over the course of this week. I think, again, those guys I think it’s going to be a game-time decision. But both guys definitely want to play and are working hard to get back out there.”
(You have about 14 other players on the injury report that have participated fully in practice; but with the stretch you have the rest of the season, does that kind of concern you – the number of bodies?) – “I think that’s the norm throughout the league. I think when you play 9, 10, 11 (games) as we go into the latter stage of the season, guys are dinged up, guys are sore, guys are dealing with things. By league rule, we have to report it. I would love to come out of a game clean with no injuries and no dings. That’s unlikely. We’ll just kind of work through it. I think these guys have really worked through it. I think our medical staff does a really good job. (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnson), Dave (Puloka) – our strength coach – and our entire medical staff, I think they do a really good job. They work tirelessly trying to get these guys up to speed and ready to go as quickly as possible. I’m really happy with that group.”
(What have you seen from WR Gary Jennings in his week and a half of practice and how would you describe where he is in terms of his readiness to contribute?) – “I would say Gary – he’s been here just over a week I think. He’s in here early, he stays late. He’s a guy that’s really done a good job, I would say, over the last week (both) offensively and in the kicking game, trying to learn the verbiage, our communication offensively – which that’s extensive – and I think he’s making some strides. Is he quite ready to get out there? We’ll see. But (he’s) a young player who’s talented, can run, has some size and I think he’s – I would say over the course of this first week, he’s shown some things that work in his favor as a person and the way he prepares. Hopefully – we’ll see how it goes. It’s still very early.”
(Is there a player you’ve coached before that you can compare to LB Vince Biegel?) – “I’m not really into comparisons. Each player is their own individual. Vince, he’s tough, he’s smart, he loves to play. He’s got good play strength. He’s still developing in a lot of areas – tackling, pass rush, coverage. He can do a lot of things. Comparing guys – I’m not really into that. I think in some cases, it’s unfair and in other cases, it’s not a good enough comparison so I try to stay out of those. But I like Vince a lot. I think he’s brought a lot of energy, a lot of effort, a lot of enthusiasm. I think he plays the game the way it should be played. He loves to play. He gives maximum effort on every play. It’s been fun having him, coaching him and watching him improve and get better. I think there’s a lot more room for improvement for him.”
(What do you think your reaction would be – going off of what happened last night – if one of your players swung a helmet at another guy’s head? How do you think you would react?) – “I don’t want to get into hypotheticals on how I would react. There are a lot of variables. Obviously it was an unfortunate incident. I’m not necessarily even sure what the repercussions are going to be. It’s unfortunate. You don’t want to see that in a game. Look, people make mistakes. For all intents and purposes, everything I’ve heard about players from both sides, they’re good guys. I’d leave it at that.”
(Your team has been disciplined in the area of penalties throughout the season. I know you said you don’t want to jinx that. But have you or will you discuss and/or show last night with your team?) – “We show a lot of clips throughout the league – situations where guys lose their poise, situations where guys do a great job of keeping their poise, third-down situations, red zone situations, penalty situations. We try to educate them in a lot of different areas. Whether or not that one makes the list, we’ll see. I think – it’s one that everyone will have seen. I think our team understands or I hope they understand, how important it is to keep your poise. In order to play good football, you need to have that. But I also know it’s an emotional game and sometimes things happen. Again, none of us who have been involved in the game long enough – we all have experienced that in some form or fashion. That’s not to make excuses or to say it’s okay – it’s never okay and I think there’s consequences for your actions at all levels for players, coaches, personnel, you guys, everybody. We’ve got to show poise in certain situations, and really all situations.”
(How does CB Tre’Davious White elevate the Bills pass defense?) – “I think he’s one of the best corners in the league. The thing I love about him is he’s tough, he’s physical, he tackles. Forget the production, those are the things for me that I think you need in a defensive player. When you get him at the corner position and you’ve got corners and secondary players who tackle and are tough, that goes a long way to making your team and your defense tough. He’s a really good cover player – off coverage, man coverage, tight coverage, working through bunches, stacks. They do a good job collectively as a DB group. It’s not just one guy. He works with that entire group from a communication standpoint, working through things. He’s a good player and they’ve got a lot of good players over there, so it’s going to be a tough test for us.”
Mike Gesicki – November 14, 2019
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Thursday, November 14, 2019
TE Mike Gesicki
(On his progress this season.) – “I think for me, I just kind of take it week-by-week (and) just focus on my role and my assignment. You’ve just got to be ready when your opportunity and your number gets called out on the field on Sunday. I definitely have a ton of room left to improve and (I am) not even close to being the player that I want to be but I’m just trying to take strides each and every day to get there.”
(How’s your relationship building with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick?) – “It’s really good. I think our relationship and our chemistry on the field kind of correlates to the relationship off the field, too. I think it’s building each and every day and you just kind of get more comfortable with each other. Playing with him is, it’s pretty easy. He kind of puts the ball out there for you to go make a play, and it’s something that is cool as a receiver to know that he has trust in you and your ability to go out and make a play for him.”
(It’s your second week playing Buffalo this year. Has the preparation been any different being it’s the second time you’ve played them? Most teams you play this year you just play once, but how has it been different this week?) – “Every team is going to make their adjustments. They’re going to play week-to-week some different stuff, so they have made some changes dating back to the first game; but for the most part, everything kind of falls into the same category. You’ve got to go back and make sure that everything kind of matches up and just get ready to go out and execute on Sunday.”
Raekwon McMillan – November 14, 2019
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Thursday, November 14, 2019
LB Raekwon McMillan
(You guys lost a tough one up in Buffalo. Is there any extra motivation now playing them for a second time this year?) – “Yeah, for sure. We felt like we played good ball for a little bit of the game. We just didn’t finish the right way. We’re going to come in this game and try to finish – play the whole game like we did the first half last game.”
(Any extra motivation going against your former teammate RB Frank Gore? Was there any extra trash-talking the first game or is he kind of mild-mannered?) – “He’s mild-mannered. Frank, he’s the ‘O.G.’ He told me good game afterwards. He tells me that he’s proud of me as a player, how I’ve developed and hopefully we have another good battle this week.”
(With the preparation each week focused on being 1-0, has that changed this week being the fact this is the second time you’re playing the Bills, especially with this coaching staff? How have they done things different or the same?) – “It’s all been the same, really. We’ve just been evaluating the film from last time. When you play a team twice, you get to look back on the first time you played, evaluate it, go in there and make corrections and hopefully put the best ball out there on Sunday.”
(What do people not know about that? I guess sometimes you really know these teams a little better because of that. Some people are surprised games like this are sometimes this close.) – “Like you said, you just know the other team real well. The personnel, you know how they play. You start to learn the individuals over time. I think this is my sixth time playing this team since I’ve been here with the Dolphins. It’s always a good competition. They’re a division rival so it’s always good ball out there.”
(How have you noticed things around here being a bit different with a two game win streak? I know it’s a 1-0 mentality but you’re still on a streak nonetheless.) – “For sure. We’re just on a roll as a team. We’re building and trying to get this thing back on the road. We didn’t start off the season how we wanted to at 0-7; but these last two weeks – like you said – we got back-to-back (wins) so hopefully we keep rolling.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was asked about the tanking thing that’s been surrounding the team this year and he said that it’s nice to have two wins and kind of kill that narrative a little bit. Do you kind of agree with that?) – “Yeah, I’ve always been the type to not really care about what the outside media has to say about what’s going on here in the locker room. Us as a team, we never go out there on Sundays and want to go lose. All of that tanking noise, that’s just people on the outside talking. Everybody in here is really dedicated to winning ball games and that’s all we’re worried about.”
(I know you don’t pay attention to it but do you peek at it? Do you see what people are talking about?) – “No. Occasionally my mom will send me a little article or whatnot but other than that, not really.”
(What kind of stuff does she send you?) – “She’ll just send me something about something funny that happened on the team or some crazy stuff, or ask me ‘Are you really tanking?’ and stuff like that. I tell mom to get off Twitter and get off Instagram and stuff like that. (laughter)”
Brian Flores – November 14, 2019
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Thursday, November 14, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(From a coaching standpoint, you guys have remained confident in RB Kalen Ballage but he has the lowest yards per carry average of every back in the NFL that has attempted more than 10 carries. What makes you optimistic that this is going to turn around?) – “Well, Kalen works extremely hard. He’s done a good job in practice. It hasn’t materialized in games but I think we just keep giving it to him. I think it will turn. He’s a good player. He’s shown that through practice. Again, we have a lot of confidence in him. We’ll just keep feeding him and I think he’ll break through at some point.”
(How do you work with a back in terms of vision and finding holes and maximizing each carry?) – “You get it in practice. You watch it on tape. You go through it and – again, it’s not just one person. It’s getting in sync with the offensive line and knowing the defensive tackle is a good player who is going to get a little bit of penetration. You can almost anticipate some of that. But it’s o-line, it’s fullback, it’s receivers blocking. It’s not just one person. I think in a lot of instances, he’s the one who ends up with the stat but it’s a team statistic, just like every other statistic. To put it on one person, I think that’s – I know that’s what ultimately happens and that’s part of being in the NFL but at the end of the day, there’s a lot more people involved.”
(It was a close game with the Bills the first time around. That pick and then that drive was the turning point. What has the team learned since that 98-yard drive and how have they gotten better since then?) – “Since that one drive?”
(Yeah. That was a key moment in that game, obviously. And you’ve been able to finish games since then.) – “Yeah, those are – look, you never know what play it’s going to be, so every play counts. That’s something we talk about really on a day in and day out basis. Again, you mentioned the drive. I don’t know how many plays there were in that one – I know there were a lot – but there were a few plays in that drive where if we played it a little bit better or if we had a little bit better communication or if we made a tackle or whatever it is on that particular drive – and you could say that for that one particular drive but there’s been some others in the season where you get a handful of plays and it’s a three-and-out or an interception or a fumble. Every play counts. That’s something that we’ve preached all year. Look, there’s ebbs and flows in every game. If we talk about one particular play, to me it’s never just one play really until you come down to the very bitter end. There’s always a series of plays that you never know which one is the one that’s going to turn the game, turn the momentum of a game and be the one play that turns the tide.”
(Players are obviously playing better. Do you think scheme-wise you guys are doing smarter things as the season goes along?) – “I think we always try to put guys in the best positions to play well. I think that’s always the case. I think as the season progresses, I think every team has a better understanding and feel for the players and what they do well, what they don’t do well, who plays well together, who communicates well, what groupings fit best, what o-line, d-line, nickel group, dime, ends, what combination – I mean there’s 11 guys on the field. There’s a few different combinations you can have. Situationally, those combinations change so I think we have a better feel as a staff of what groupings we feel give us the best chance. We try to put those out there. Sometimes we try to put the best group out there and it doesn’t always work out because it’s football. The other team, they have good players and they make plays. I’m thinking of a couple right now. Indy made some plays last week and the Jets the week before. Every week somebody makes (plays). You’re in a good defense, you’re in the right call, you feel good about it and they make a play and everyone thinks we can’t coach. It happens every week to every team.”
(To follow up on that, what’s the most encouraging thing that you have found out about the coaching staff you put together from the time you did that to right now?) – “These guys – this staff does a really good job communicating with one another, with the players, and we work well together. From the kicking game with (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman and ‘B. Farrell’ (Assistant Special Teams Brendan Farrell); there’s a few – some of our quality control coaches kind of work in concert with Danny in the kicking game. Offensively, (Offensive Coordinator) Chad (O’Shea) leads the way from that standpoint. Chad to (Running Backs Coach) Eric Studesville to (Wide Receivers Coach) Karl (Dorrell) to – the whole staff – they do a really good job. Then (Defensive Coordinator) Pat (Graham) and (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach) Josh (Boyer) and ‘T.O.’ (Safeties Coach Tony Oden) – I think we’ve got a good staff. They work well with the players. They work well with one another. There’s a cohesiveness that you need on a coaching staff and then hopefully the team reflects that. I think these guys have done an okay job from that standpoint. We just keep working at it.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick talked yesterday about how the confidence is higher in the locker room just walking through, which makes more sense after the back-to-back victories; but my question to you is, is that something tangible? Is that something you can feel just being around the guys that the confidence is higher now?) – “I think any time you win, that’s a confidence builder, so yeah; but at the same time, I’ve said this before: when you deal with adversity or mental toughness, my opinion is one, how you deal with failure and then two, how you deal with success. I think we’ve had a little bit of it. I don’t think there’s any reason to bask in the glory. We’ve won two games. I think guys – given where we were earlier in the year – I think there’s definitely a little bit of confidence, but I think there’s also an understanding that things can go right back to the way they were and if we don’t work at it and we just spend a little less time in preparation, a little a less urgency and commitment in a walkthrough or a practice or a meeting, that’s the difference. How many plays in this league are a tackle, a shoestring tackle or the difference between a 6-yard run and a 60-yard run; or a toe clip is the difference between a sack and a 60-yard pass. That’s the difference. Hopefully we don’t lose that from a preparation standpoint because we’re excited about what happened last week but we need to forget about last week.”
(When you talk about confidence and things like that, where do you see that on the field and off the field? Are guys paying attention more in meetings? Are they smiling more? Are they executing their plays on the field more because of that confidence?) – “Look, we’ve got – this is a tough opponent. When I see Josh Allen running around on film, I’m confident in our guys; but I know this is a tough challenge. Whether it’s Allen or (Frank) Gore or (Devin) Singletary or John Brown, that offensive line, defensively they’ve got guys everywhere; yeah, I have confidence in this team, but I also know and I’d be – I know this is the National Football League and every game is tough. They’re going to come in here and try to knock our heads off and we have to be ready for that. Confidence – I don’t know how to really explain it, but I’ve moved on from that. We’re on to Buffalo and this is going to be a tough, physical game, and we have to be ready for that. More than anything, we’ve got to be ready for a tough physical game.”
(Speaking of preparation, when you face a mobile quarterback like Bills QB Josh Allen or other guys, how does that impact your game plan? Does it make it more stressful, less stressful, same as a more stationary quarterback?) – “Yeah, it’s stressful. Definitely stressful. When you have a guy (like that), you put together a game plan where you think you’ve got everybody covered or this is a good pressure or this is a good coverage or whatever we’re going to do defensively; we’ve got everybody covered, he breaks a tackle and it’s 50 yards. Yeah, that makes you uncomfortable, so we’ve got to do a good job with our technique (and) our fundamentals; but at the same time, there’s keys to game that we need to really address (and) focus on. Obviously we know – the whole league knows – that Josh Allen is a very mobile guy and can turn a game with his legs. Every team knows that and he still goes out there and does it. He breaks a tackle and makes a big run, and we’ve got to do a good job from that standpoint.”
(Have you, through nine games, can you form a conclusion yet as to whether you think G/T Jesse Davis is a good starting right tackle in the league or do you need to see a full body of work to form that conclusion?) – “Look, this is a production business. As you guys know, you’re only as good as your last game. With that said, I think Jesse has done a very, very good job. I think wherever you put him, he’s going to be productive and play well. So, right tackle, right guard, left tackle, I think he’s going to go out there and give us his best effort, he’s going to play hard, he’s going to play physical, he’s going to be tough. I like having Jesse on this team. I feel confident – I’m very confident in his ability.”
(We know what CB Nik Needham did to get to this point and to have success in the last two games. How does a young player like that continue the forward progress?) – “You forget about everything you’d done. You forget about the last couple games or you forget about any success you had. I know he’s getting – I don’t know much about social media, but people are saying he’s this or that or (any of that). Your friends, your family, they’re going to congratulate you. That’s great. But if you start listening to all that too much and – I don’t know. Maybe it’s one minute less on one more text and (it’s) one minute less on film. You’ve got to try to put that away and focus on the task at hand, which is preparing for Buffalo and the receivers they have and our scheme and trying to get that right so that we can string them together, because the world will make you think that you’re this superstar. And maybe you are, but it doesn’t really matter. The only thing that matters is the guys in that room, in that locker room I should say. That’s funny to you?”
(Yeah.) – “Is it?”
(Yeah.) – “Why?”
(I don’t know. We asked about G Shaq Calhoun a couple weeks ago. I mean, we didn’t ask about G Shaq Calhoun a couple weeks ago – he came up unsolicited – so it’s nice to hear you want your players to kind of keep an even head about everything.) – “That’s funny?”
(Yeah.) – “Okay. Alright. That’s it? Okay.”
