Brian Flores – November 13, 2019 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call with Buffalo Media
(I know that you coached CB Stephon Gilmore in your career and several corners. What is it that strikes you maybe in looking at Bills CB Tre’Davious White on film – not necessarily to compare him to Gilmore, but he and Stephon are up at the top of the league in terms of opponent passer rating when targeted. I’m curious your thoughts on him knowing all the defensive guys you’ve coached over the years?) – “I would say, ‘Tre’ (Tre’Davious White) – this is a good corner. Tre White is a very, very, very good corner. He tackles. He’s tough. He’s physical. He’s very good in coverage. I would say he’s physical at the line of scrimmage. He mixes press coverage and off coverage, so it is hard to get a beat on him. He’s got good instincts, good ball skills. He’s got a knack for even in man coverage, he plays with a little bit of zone vision. That’s why he gets his hands on so many balls. This is just – he’s one of the top corners in the league. There’s a lot to like, but the thing I like the most about him is just his overall toughness. A lot of corners don’t want to tackle, don’t want to – they just see themselves as cover guys. This guy’s a complete corner. (He) tackles – obviously you see I put a major emphasis on tackling. He tackles, he’s tough, he’s physical and he can cover, so there’s a lot to like about him.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick – just what about Fitz’s personality has helped your team?) – “I think he’s just got a way about – there’s a way about him with his teammates, with the coaches, with everybody in the building. He’s just a real likable person and he’s got great leadership. He loves to play the game and it’s infectious – the way he practices, the way he creates relationships, and that’s been very, very helpful to our young team.”
(With all his experience, obviously QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is really good at anticipation, throws, throwing guys open; when you look at young quarterbacks, do you think that’s a hard to thing to learn or that guys generally get better with experience, or do you think, is that particular innate talent that somebody like ‘Fitz’ has?) – “I think that’s a little bit of all those things. I think there’s – some guys have an innate ability to anticipate and like you said, throw guys open. I think going through this, anytime you get an experience or you – every play is an experience. That’s what I tell a lot of the young guys. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) – he’s got a lot of experience in this league and has seen a lot of different coverages, seen a lot of different players, how they play; coincide that with the guys he’s played with – big receivers, small receiver, fast receiver, good at the top of the route, better on crossing – there’s a litany of things there that come into play. Pass protection-wise, ‘I’ve got to step up quickly, I’ve got to get the ball out quickly’ (or) ‘I’ve got time to hold.’ There’s 100 different things that go on at the quarterback position, and they really happen all at once. I do think it takes time to be able to handle all those things and manage the offense, manage the game, manage the situation, know the down-and-distance; there’s, again, 100 things that are going on mentally, physically and to handle all those things, it takes a unique person. He has all those traits. I would say Josh Allen has a lot of those traits as well, so it’ll be a tough test for us defensively.”
Reshad Jones – November 13, 2019
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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
S Reshad Jones
(You were telling us about how your recovery from the chest injury was going.) – “I feel pretty good. I’ve just been taking it a day at a time. I’m almost 100 (percent).”
(Have they been overly cautious with you or have you been overly cautious with yourself? How do you think that’s gone?) – “I think both. Both.”
(Why? What do you think?) – “It was a cracked rib, so I was just taking it a day at a time to let it heal itself. I didn’t need any surgery or anything like that, though.”
(Breathing is no fun with one of those is it?) – “No. Not at all.”
(Were you able to sleep?) – “Not the first week. It was a little tough, but the sleep is getting better now.”
(How did it happen?) – “A tackle in the Redskins game. I tried to pull a guy down and he came and sat on me, and I guess crushed that area or whatever. I noticed it was a cracked rib.”
(Was it one, was it two? A bunch of them or just one of them?) – “I think it was just one.”
(What’s it been like watching the games on Sundays?) – “It’s hard. I’m a competitor. I always want to be out there with my guys to help the guys win football games or whatever. I can only take it a day at a time. Like I said, I’m excited and happy to be back to help these guys.”
(Would you be alright with wearing rib protectors during the game?) – “It depends on whatever the training staff comes up with. I’ll probably have something on to protect the area.”
(Do you feel like an old man with all of these kids in the secondary?) – “Nah, I still feel 18. I still feel good. (laughter)”
(Do you expect to play this week?) – “Yeah. Most definitely.”
(What have you noticed that the team has been able to do well over the last two games/) – “They’ve been complementing each other good. Offense has been playing good, the special teams has been playing well and the defense played well. That’s how you win football games in this league. You have to complement each other in all three phases of the game.”
(What do you see out of CB Nik Needham?) – “He’s just been working. He’s finding ways to make plays. He’s listened to coaching, he’s taking coaching very well. He’s fighting his tail off to continue to help the team.”
(Is it more impressive that CB Nik Needham came here undrafted, got cut and then coming back and getting the opportunity?) – “Oh yeah, most definitely. We joke with him a lot, but he’s been progressing and working his tail off to help this team win football games.”
(What are you seeing out of the secondary in general?) – “I think they’ve been playing pretty well, communicating and doing the things that they need to do to help this team win football games. I think as a whole, they’ve been playing pretty well.”
(Did you ever have a broken rib in your life before?) – “Never.”
Andrew Van Ginkel – November 13, 2019
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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(How did it feel to be back at practice today?) – “Good. Just being out there with my teammates, it’s been a couple months, so whenever you can step on that field and do what you do and have fun, it felt good.”
(It’s been a long wait. How tough has it been to just…?) – “For sure. I just had to be patient and continue to do rehab and get better day-by-day. It’s been a long time coming and I’m excited to be back out there.”
(What’s the No. 1 thing you’ve learned from watching the guys who have played the edge position for the Dolphins in the first nine games?) – “I’d say just take what the coaches give you. They’re going to give you hints and going to help you with what to see and what to expect, so just take everything in and do what they say because they’ve been in this league. They’ve been coaching guys, so they know what to expect.”
(They obviously had a decision to make about which of the guys to bring back – you DE Jonathan Ledbetter, etc. Had you known it was heading this way or was it a surprise to you when they told you, “we’re going to designate you to return?”) – “Honestly I was just taking it day-by-day. I was unsure and I was just staying my course, continuing to do whatever I could to get better and continue rehab and just being able to play. I was unsure, and I was just going to put my foot down and do what I do best.”
(How many positions had you been playing back in May, June and early in training camp?) – “I was just wherever the coaches saw me fit. They all had me playing a couple different positions and just seeing where I fit best.”
(It was outside linebacker primarily more, so edge rushing?) – “Yeah, primarily.”
(LB Vince Biegel was saying you guys never actually played together…) – “Correct.”
(But obviously you sort of played a similar position at Wisconsin to LB Vince Biegel. So when you succeeded him, what did you notice about his Badger film? What did you try to emulate?) – “Just the way he attacks every play. He plays with relentless effort and he’s never going to give up on a play, no matter if he’s on the backside; he’s going to chase it down. As you saw you in the game last week, the dude has relentless effort, and every play he’s going after the ball.”
(LB Vince Biegel had a ‘W’ shaved in his head. Did you ever see a picture of that?) – “Yeah, I did actually. (laughter) He had a mullet, too.”
(LB Vince Biegel had a mullet. Have you ever gone mohawk or shaved head?) – “Uh, no. No. (laughter) I should though.”
Jason Sanders – November 13, 2019
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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
K Jason Sanders
(Was it nice to get acknowledged, recognized as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for a job well done?) – “Yeah. You just try and do your job one week at a time whether it’s three kicks or one kick.”
(What was your level of comfort, confidence? Your numbers weren’t great from that distance heading into the game and you nail three of them right down the middle.) – “I try not to pay attention to the numbers. I’m going to keep my same confidence going into each kick. Each game, each Sunday, I’m going to go out there no matter if it’s a 45- or a 30-yard kick, I’m going to have the same mentality, same approach as any other kick it would be.”
(Do you have any idea why the numbers for kickers would be down around the league this year collectively?) – “Like field goal percentage?”
(Yeah.) – “No.”
(I don’t know what the number are exactly, but have you noticed it first of all?) – “I have not, no. Just thinking about it, you’ve got one job and your one job is to put it through the uprights. But nobody really takes into factor field conditions or…”
(That’s why I wondered if there’s something, the ball…?) – “Yeah, that could be one of the topics people talk about might be factors. Maybe wind? Different stadiums I know are more challenging than others.”
(You haven’t noticed anything that’s making things more challenging this year than last year?) – “No.”
(In terms of what you accomplished, do you recall a more satisfying game for you than the one on Sunday?) – “I think I’ve been looking for a game like this this season where it’s kind of maybe a breakthrough to get things rolling, start getting on a little streak maybe.”
(Were you feeling good in warmups?) – “Yeah. Every kick, I like to go out there thinking it’s the same thing, whether it’s a 50-yarder or a 20-yard kick.”
(Had you made any mechanical changes at all after the couple misses that you had earlier in the year?) – “No, because I’m coming off, I’d like to say, a good year, so I’m trying to keep everything simple, the same, and I know it’s worked and it helped me out last Sunday.”
(I always wonder with kickers, I know you don’t kick in a dome a lot, is there any extra confidence when you go in a dome?) – “Depends how you look at it. It could be. There’s no wind, obviously, so if you’re kicking left to right today based on how the ball is coming off your foot, it could be a little less draw on the ball because there’s no wind.”
Nik Needham – November 13, 2019
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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
CB Nik Needham
(What makes Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Josh Boyer a good coach? Obviously a lot of credit goes to the players, but he’s gotten a lot out of a group that are young…) – “Definitely just his intensity, love for the game, how serious he takes it. There’s never a day he’s not going to be on my ass. Like I said, when I lost the weight, he’s all – I’d have a bag of chips and he’s on me like, ‘throw that away.’ (laughter) I used to think he was joking, but he was serious and now I understand what that did for me. I appreciate him. He’s definitely helped me develop a lot, so it’s been great to play for him.”
(How about the part of re-dedicating yourself to the game? How important was that?) – “As far as what?”
(You mentioned that they wanted you to be more committed.) – “Oh, yeah. It was just like a wakeup call, I guess, because you’re coming from college and you’re just a young kid (and) don’t really know a lot of things. Then you come here and it’s like, it’s not just a game anymore; it’s a business. I think just attacking that and really understanding that helped me to move on in the future.”
(How much weight did you lose?) – “Like a total, I think like 12 pounds.”
(That much?) – “Yeah. Yeah, it was bad. I was little heavy-set.”
(Do you feel…?) – “Yeah, I feel like I run way faster. I feel like I move faster. I just feel way better.”
(Twelve pounds since when?) – “Like the beginning of training camp?”
(What’s the Needham diet?) – “Just not as much fast food. I’m big on fries and chicken nuggets. (laughter)”
(Did you completely give them up or you just cut back?) – “Cut back. Cut back. But at that moment, I wasn’t trying to eat any of that. Spinach – that was big for me because I was Popeye. I would always watch that. I would just get in there and get a big bowl of spinach and eat it like chips, (laughter) so I could just stay away from the fries and stuff. It definitely helped for sure.”
(Why have you always been an underdog? You mentioned that.) – “Well just in high school, I moved around a lot. I went to three different high schools. I never had a lot of stars or anything like that coming out of high school. I only played one year of varsity my senior year, so I didn’t get a lot of recruiting.”
(Did you play cornerback?) – “Yeah, I played corner and receiver. I liked receiver a lot but there’s a bunch of 5’11” receivers and I’m not very fast, or I’m not super fast, so that didn’t work. That didn’t really work out. (laughter) I’m sorry, what were we talking about?”
(You said you’ve always been an underdog.) – ”And then at UTEP, we went to the bowl game my redshirt year and that was cool, but then after that it was just kind of downhill. We didn’t win a lot of games. My junior year – (we went) 0-12. My senior year (we went) 1-11. Not a lot of people watched UTEP, care about UTEP, even know who we are. I know when I got my offer, I was like, ‘where is that at?’ I think just attacking that…”
(Was that the only offer you got?) – “That was my only offer. Yes, sir.”
(So when you did not get drafted, you were not surprised?) – “No. I mean I had hopes of getting drafted; but like I said, I’ve already embraced this. I always prepare for the worst and am ready to just do my job and attack the next day for sure.”
(What’s next in your career?) – “What’s next? Who do we play this week – Buffalo. That’s next. Practice, really. That’s next, or these meetings – that’s what’s next, so just attack all that.”
(You’ve done a lot of losing the last three seasons so those wins the last two weeks…) – “Yeah, it feels great. I haven’t won in a while, so yeah. (laughter)”
(That’s more than your junior and senior year combined.) – “You feel me? (laughter) That was crazy so it’s already going good. (laughter) It’s already going real good; but yeah, it feels great to win. It’s kind of like you get addicted to it. You need it again, so we need to get another big win this week.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – November 13, 2019 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Conference Call with Buffalo Media
(Has anybody complained to you that you’re ruining the tanking for Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “(laughter) No, not yet. It’s an interesting narrative that obviously has been following our team the whole year. But it’s been nice to get two wins and to kill the narrative a little bit.”
(You’re a young team. Is it kind of fun for you to lead, to kind of lead by example for a bunch of young guys?) – “Yeah. It’s been a lot of fun for me, especially since coming back into the lineup, just viewing this as what it is. I think this team needs somebody with some energy, that can go out and lead and try to have some fun, and hopefully that rubs off on other guys. (I am) giving guys plenty of chances in the passing game getting us into the right play and doing all of those things that a quarterback needs to do; but first and foremost, the energy and the confidence that these guys need to play with, I’m trying to do as best I can in that regard, and we’ve really done a nice job the last few weeks in playing off each other and playing with confidence.”
(The Bills game, I remember we were talking to you after it and you felt a lot of confidence after that game even though you guys lost. Can you put your finger back on that game and say that maybe there was something here, that we’re not going to go 0-16?) – “Yeah. I think when I got reinserted in the Washington game and we had the 2-point conversion at the end to win it, from that point on, practice has been much better. Guys have been playing with more energy. There’s been a lot more confidence in the building and you could feel the turnaround coming a little bit. I think (there were) a couple of tough plays in the Buffalo game and then a couple of tough plays in the Pittsburgh game, but the Jets win we could feel coming. It was nice to follow that up with another victory in Indy last week.”
(You said when you were here that you were the perfect guy for this. You had been on a couple of 0-8 teams before. How has it felt similar to you like the year in Buffalo when you went 0-8 and then won four games?) – “I don’t know if there’s many guys in the league that can claim that one – 0-8 a few times. (laughter) You know what? It’s important – it truly is important – to walk in the building with a smile on your face because we put so much time and energy into this game that it’s absolutely miserable when you’re not winning, and it rubs off on people. So that was one thing I learned – whether it was in Buffalo or in Cincinnati after Carson Palmer got hurt and we’re sitting there staring at 0-8 – that you have to have a smile on your face and you have to come to work with energy. You have to – although there’s a lot of different things going on – keep proper perspective on the fact that you’re an NFL football player doing this for a living, and just to go out there and have fun. It really does, that attitude – especially in the position of quarterback but anywhere on the team – that attitude is so important because it resonates with the whole building, whether you’re miserable and down or happy and trying to provide some energy. I think that’s the most important thing that I’ve learned over the years.”
(You’ve got nothing to complain about. The average career is 3.3 years or whatever but nevertheless, do you ever once in a while – once or twice in the offseason when you’re texting with your old Buffalo buddies – do you ever say ‘Man, in 2011 if I don’t crack my ribs and Fred Jackson and Eric Wood don’t go down, what might have happened?) – “When I get together with those guys, you play certain scenarios over and over again in your head of what could have been and all of that but it didn’t happen. I had more fun, especially at the beginning of that year in 2011 – and then I had in 2015 of course involved with the Bills again when I was playing for the Jets and we’re 10-5 playing to get into the playoffs. The end of the 2011 was so much disappointment and then the end of the 2015 season was so much disappointment on both sides of it, with and against the Bills; but it’s hard to look back and have any regrets. I’ve tried to study as hard as I can, I try to play as hard as I can and leave it on the field. I know it’s a cliché, but that’s just the way I’ve done it my whole career. I try not to look back in regret.”
(Can you give me a quarterback’s perspective on preparing for a cornerback like CB Tre’Davious White? I know you’ve done that already but was it about him on film that catches your attention and how do you prepare for a guy that seems as consistent as he is?) – “Yeah, he does a great job and he does jump out on film. Maybe not throwing an out route near the goal line this time, that’s a pretty good lesson that I probably learned 100 times in my career but learned it again the hard way in our first game. I think he does a really nice job. With every week, we try to get a really good evaluation of each corner and the matchups that we’ll have, the positives and the negatives and the ways that we think we can beat him and the things that we should stay away from them on. He’s a really good player. He provides a lot of energy for those guys. Just like any week, I think there’s certain ways that we’ll attack him and then other times where we’ll stay away. He’s a very good player.”
(Forgive me but I have to ask a silly question. When was the last time you’ve shaved? And this is kind of serious but when you have facial hair, do you feel a little like it’s your personality? Does it give you a little sense of who you are?) – “It’s my NFL personality so as soon as I retire, I’m shaving that thing off and nobody is ever going to recognize me walking through an airport. (laughter) It really kind of all started in Buffalo. When it was cold, I wanted to see if I could grow facial hair and lo and behold, it just kept growing. I’ve pretty much had it since 2009 probably. I usually shave it about once a year but I haven’t shaved it in quite some time. This is about as long as it’s ever been in my career and part of that is probably living away from my family. My kids never want me to shave it. My wife hates it. I’ve got a lot of different people I’m trying to please. (laughter)”
(The beard almost has a life of its own, doesn’t it? It’s like you said, you can’t shave it almost. It’s almost become a thing.) – “Yeah, it kind of is part of my persona – my NFL persona – I guess.”
(You’ve always had a knack and great ability to be a great anticipation passer, to throw people open. Did you do that really well in St. Louis or is that something that developed early in your career?) – “I think it’s something that happens over time. I think for me to get drafted in St. Louis and for my first offseason to be in Mike Martz’s offense, which is all about anticipation and getting the ball out. Then later on in my career and playing with Chan (Gailey) and how important that was in Chan’s offense, I think I’ve just grown and continued to get better at it. That’s something that can definitely be taught but something that takes a lot of time to get comfortable with. I do enjoy that. I pride myself on anticipation but sometimes if a defender anticipates it as well as I do, then it doesn’t turn out so well.”
(Does your wife ever push you to retire?) – “No. She’s fully supportive of whatever I want to do. We’ve had a couple of conversations the last few years but it always comes down to the fact that there’s been opportunities out there for me to play and I still love playing football. That’s kind of always what has won out the last few years.”
(At the end of the 2016 season, I remember talking to you at MetLife Stadium in the locker room and it sounded like you were done there. You just can’t give it up, huh?) – “(laughter) Yeah, I was pretty close at that point. I don’t know. If Tampa Bay wasn’t so close to Disney World, I might have been done. I don’t know. (laughter)”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – November 13, 2019
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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(How much better is this team now than when you played the Bills before?) – “I don’t know. We’ve won a few games so I guess there’s a little bit different feeling in the building, but we’re still going to play our very best game to compete with these guys. It’s a good football team and their defense has been great all year long and really the last few years. They’re really good in the scheme that they run. They’ve got really players and they’re tough to move the ball against, so we have our work cut out for us.”
(Is there any extra advantage in that you’ve already seen this defense this year and that it’s take two?) – “And they’ve already see us too, right? (laughter) It’s a little bit – it goes both ways there. It is helpful sometimes when you’ve gone against or historically gone against people, but in this case we’ve both gone against each other the same amount. I don’t know that it’ll be any better or worse for us or for them.”
(How important in your skillset is pocket presence? Is that something that can be taught or is that something you just have to have?) – “It’s a tough – probably a little bit of both. I think you have to have some awareness – just innate in you – ability there, but there’s also some of it that can be learned in that the time clock in the back of your head, having a feel for rush patterns or knowing if there’s a guy free or knowing techniques of guys rushing around the edge or inside moves and things like that; there’s a certain feel – a head start you can give yourself with some of that stuff going into a game. For me it’s just always, it’s come naturally to me a little bit and I’m not the fastest or most athletic guy in the world but I kind of try to pride myself on being a guy that has decent awareness back there. It’s a hard thing to acquire, but over the years I think you get better and better at it as you do it.”
(Very broad question for you – where has this team made its most significant strides this season?) – “I think confidence is probably somewhere – if you would have walked around the locker room after Week 2 and walked around the locker room today and compared notes – I think confidence is a big one for us and I think that goes with a lot of different things, but obviously getting a few victories gives us a little more confidence. I think guys buying in and seeing some results transfer over from the practice field to the game, even though we weren’t winning some of those games, you could just see it building in guys and guys really buying in. I would say that’s probably the biggest thing.”
(What do you hope other players on this team take away from the experience of playing alongside you?) – “I think part of it for me, every stop that I make is – even though it’s the NFL, you’re still allowed to have fun (and) still allowed to enjoy your job. There’s a lot of hard work that we put into it. Physically and mentally, it’s a grind all season long; but at the same time Sunday is the reward and you’re allowed to go out there and play free and have fun. Trying to do your best but not worrying about consequences, just going out there and playing loose, and hopefully that rubs off on guys a little bit.”
(I’m doing something on quarterbacks who were drafted in the first round, and I know you’ve been around a lot of guys. When you see a guy who was drafted No. 1 and a guy who was drafted say in the top 10 – is the pressure, can you tell that there’s more pressure on the No. 1 pick or is it just all the same if you’re a top-drafted quarterback?) – “Some of that is hard for me because I obviously wasn’t that, but just in seeing it over the years I think there’s – if you’re No. 1, I think you have added pressure, more pressure than anybody; but really a top 10 pick where you’re all of a sudden the face of a franchise from Day 1 and being on a team that had a top five or top 10 pick, maybe not necessarily going to the best team in terms of throwing a guy out there. I think that’s why sometimes you see guys that are drafted a little bit later, they get into a system where there’s a good infrastructure, a good running game, there’s a good defense; and they can kind of have time to learn a little bit and not necessarily rely solely on the quarterback to win games right away. I think Russell Wilson is a great example of a guy that went to a situation, has been a really good quarterback but certainly developed into an elite top-five type quarterback; but that just didn’t happen on Day 1. He was given some time to develop and has always been talented, but that’s an example I think you point to of a guy that went somewhere with great infrastructure and has really done a nice job in his career to continue to get better every year.”
(And where does the pressure manifest itself in highly-drafted quarterbacks? Is it off the field? Is it on the field? Is it just everything surrounding them – the media attention…?) – “There’s a lot of different things, but I also think as a young guy walking into a locker room with grown men, it’s a little bit different than college in that all of a sudden you look around and there might be a guy five years older, 10 years older than you. You might be playing with a Hall of Fame receiver or left tackle or whatever it is; and all of a sudden your job is to keep these guys happy and that’s a tough job sometimes – one that maybe you haven’t had to do before. I think the other thing is no matter what, in the NFL you’re going to face adversity. You’re going to struggle. You’re going to make mistakes. Everything is not going to be perfect, and sometimes a No. 1 pick is a guy that in high school probably went undefeated and then in college was very similar; then you get to the NFL and there’s a struggle and you’re not sure what that guy is made of in terms of something he’s never faced before. That’s why I always like and enjoy kind of the stories of the struggle – the guys that haven’t necessarily always had it perfect. You get a glimpse and a snapshot of how they responded to those situations, and I think that’s really important for a quarterback and sometimes hard to see (when) evaluating guys.”
(I know you’re busy doing your job week-to-week and focused on that, but from a mentoring standpoint a little bit, where do you see QB Josh Rosen? Has he been as involved? Has he been as immersed in – he’s a play away – the assignment as he always was?) – “Yeah, he’s always here before 6 o’clock and he’s always here late when we’re watching film and whatever else. Josh is putting in the time and I think right now, too, he’s doing a lot of listening and a lot of observing and I think that’s really important at this point; but part of it is just immersing himself in it and being around early morning, late at night, and he’s doing a nice job of being in here and really showing that he wants to be in here. He wants to learn. He wants to do all the right things. The longer you do that and really dive into it, the better you’re going to get. There’s been some really positive things that I’ve seen out of Josh because it’s obviously hard when you go from playing to not playing in terms of keeping yourself not necessarily motivated, but ‘up’ and still having confidence and all that and he’s done a nice job.”
(The NFL is setting up a tryout for QB Colin Kaepernick for Saturday open to all the teams. What do you think the challenges are for any quarterback who hasn’t played for three years? Obviously playing quarterback period is a challenge in the league, but for someone who has been away for that long, what do you suppose the challenges would be?) – “I don’t even really want to touch that one. Sorry.”
Brian Flores – November 13, 2019
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Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(There’s been a considerable change in how you guys have played the last five weeks, especially after since the fourth quarter of the Redskins game. Is there any point maybe when you have a moment where you think maybe we could have four or five wins, if a play goes here, a play goes there, after the last couple weeks?) – “Really all we can do is point towards the future. I think every team has four or five plays that they wish they had back that could’ve been the difference between winning, losing, a different outcome; but all we can do is move forward than to sit and go back and say it could’ve been this, this or that. You could do that, but it’s almost wasting energy – energy that we could use towards the Buffalo Bills. I would say as far as how we played the last couple weeks, all the credit goes to the players and the way they’ve practiced, prepared and then gone out and executed. Hopefully we continue to do that.”
(As you know, the NFL has set up a workout on Saturday for QB Colin Kaepernick. Will you attend and if not, will someone from the organization attend?) – “Like all players – we’re on the waiver wire on a daily basis and we do our due diligence on all players; so yeah, we’ll have someone there. We’re still finalizing how – we just got that information, just like you guys did – so we’re still finalizing who (and) when. We’re still kind of going through that; but yeah, we’ll have somebody there.”
(Does a three-year layoff for a player – let alone a quarterback – kind of affect things with a player like QB Colin Kaepernick?) – “I would say having that much time off, you’ve got to get back into the swing of things; but he’s a very good player so we’ll see what it looks like, do our due diligence and take it from there.”
(This has been a team that’s given a lot of second, third chances. Obviously QB Colin Kaepernick’s second chance would be for a different reason than others. If he is fit, if he looks good, is there a place for him on the Miami Dolphins?) – “It’s hard to – I don’t have a crystal ball – it’s hard to say. We like our quarterback situation right now. We’re going to do our due diligence. I would say any time we can add a good player, we try to do that, we want to do that; but there’s a lot of moving parts to that. (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and the personnel staff, they do a great job from that standpoint. (It’s a) conversation we would have if that situation came up, but that’s a conversation we have about not just one player. We’ve made a lot of transactions this year, so those conversations are had on a daily basis. If we feel like any player helps us win, then we would look into it.”
(QB Colin Kaepernick obviously a polarizing person for a lot of reasons. Some of his comments about the Cuban regime didn’t go over very well here. Would the decision to have him on this team be purely football or would there be other considerations?) – “There’s a lot of layers to that one. To be quite honest, (it’s) not really something I’ve thought a lot about. My focus is squarely on the Bills. I heard about this when you guys did. I talked to (General Manager) Chris (Grier), we’ll have somebody there, and I went right back to the Bills. That’s kind of where my focus is and that’s where my focus should be. I owe that to the players in that locker room. This is a good team we’re playing against – a tough, physical team. They beat us a few weeks ago. I think that’s where my energy and effort is right now.”
(What’s been the advantage of having two former corners at safety in recent weeks? Obviously S Bobby McCain all season, CB Eric Rowe recently. Is there any downside to that or has it been only positives, and how have those two guys played?) – “I think those guys have played well. I think some of the upside there is, I would say just the communication from those guys and understanding the corner position, moving to the safety position and then just kind of having an overall understanding of what the corner position entails and what guys can handle what communication and the communication at the corner position. Having played that role, moving inside to a safety role, they kind of understand what you can and can’t do, whoever those guys are. I think they’ve played well. I think from a coverage standpoint, it’s good. Having some corner ability and playing out on the perimeter, especially on a lot of tight ends, if not playing out on the perimeter, that’s helpful. I think those guys have done a good job.”
(How much would you say your team has changed since the last time you played the Bills?) – “I think we’ve come together as a team a little bit more, but I think every team has. I think the more time you spend with a group of guys over the course of a season, the communication is better. You kind of know what the guy next to you struggles with so you help him with that, the things that he’s good at. There’s just some situations where we just play the team game better, I would say. I think we’re moving in that direction. We’ve still got a long way to go, and again this is a very, very tough opponent. Again, the improvements we’ve made have been, I would say a testament to our coaching staff and the job they’ve done – (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman, (Offensive Coordinator) Chad O’Shea, (Defensive Coordinator) Pat Graham – they’ve done a really good job kind of leading those three phases, those three units. At the end of the day it’s the players that go out there and make plays. Players win games.”
(We see QB Ryan Fitzpatrick obviously in games and see how he plays. How is QB Josh Rosen doing in practice? What is his assignment? How’s he doing?) – “He gets reps every week being the backup. Obviously he had to go in the game last week. You just never know what situation will pop up where somebody has to be ready to play, and he was ready to go in. He’s done a good job in practice. I think he’s taken every rep (and) taken it very seriously. We ask him after every snap, ‘hey, what was the coverage?’ ‘Did you think you went into the right place with the ball?’ Things of that nature; so he’s constantly being evaluated (and) constantly being asked questions. We do a lot with him. We time every one of his throws, make sure he’s getting it out quickly enough; so there’s a lot of things that are happening in practice that are helping his development, I would say. I think he’s taken to it and he’s getting better.”
(QB Josh Rosen is a young guy. Is there any work towards not letting him get down on the situation?) – “I think that’s the case with every young player. Guys who are – let’s call it ‘not the starter’ –I think everybody wants to play. I’ve said this since Day 1. I want 53 – well 63 (including the practice squad) – competitors on this team. Everyone wants to compete and play, and I don’t want it any other way. I think not only Josh (Rosen), but some of the other guys who are in similar roles or similar situations, I think they’re just working to improve, get better, and when their opportunity presents itself, they want to take advantage. You just never know when that’s going to be. You just have to be ready.”
(What has DT John Jenkins brought to this defense?) – “John (Jenkins) has brought energy, enthusiasm. He’s one of those kind of unsung players that no one really knows about, talks about; but I would say our linebackers really enjoy having him in front of them because he takes up some space. He does a lot of the dirty work that – it’s those dirty (work) plays that if you get enough of those contributions from several different players and that’s how you get productive plays and string good plays together. He’s been a big part of, I would say, the improvement defensively. (He is) one of my favorite guys to be honest with you.”
(And why is that? In talking, DT John Jenkins seems like he’s always upbeat.) – “Oh yeah. He’s got a great energy, great enthusiasm, loves to play the game. (He is) a guy we really like. We got him after the 53 cut. We were happy to get him. He’s been very productive, but his effort, his energy, his enthusiasm, his leadership – being one of the older guys in that room – that’s shown up in a big way for us and we’re happy to have him.”
(Any hesitance on getting him because DT John Jenkins is an older guy which you guys haven’t picked up a whole lot of older guys.) – “No hesitation. We watched him, watched his film with the Giants and it was good. We felt like we were getting a good player. That’s showing up.”
(What have you learned most about DT Christian Wilkins in his first nine games?) – “I think he’s really started to pick it up the last few games. He’s very talented. He’s got size. He’s got athleticism. He plays with a really good motor, and I think he’s starting to come into his own and really understand how we want him to play and then how we can use his talent and athleticism to help this team defensively and ultimately win some games. Whatever we ask, he’s willing to do. He’s the wing on the field goal protection. He plays end. He plays tackle. I’ve been very – I like Christian a lot. Some things he could clean up. We know what those are, but I like him.”
(How is DE Charles Harris lately? Is there improvement there?) – “Yeah. Certainly. I think he’s – again – another guy who’s getting more comfortable with that role and the defense; and again, playing end in this league is – people think it’s just, ‘hey, line up and rush the tackle, right tackle, left tackle and get sacks,’ but it’s read-zone, it’s speed sweeps, it’s screens, it’s rushing the passer, it’s playing the run game, it’s flash blocks. There’s a lot that goes (into it) – getting cracked. There’s a lot that goes into it. I think he’s done a good job from that standpoint – just understanding all those different aspects of that position which if it was just ‘line up and rush the edge’ – if it was just that, I think – it’s not that. There’s a lot that goes into it that nobody else really talks about. I think he’s done a good job from that standpoint.”
(It wouldn’t be Wednesday if I didn’t ask you if any of the remaining IR guys will become your second to practice beyond T Julién Davenport this week?) – “(Andrew) Van Ginkel will be out there today.”
(Is there hope that you’re going to be able to get a sense of LB Andrew Van Ginkel this year as far as whether he can be an edge rusher, what he can do? We saw some things early on in August.) – “That’s the hope. That is the hope. That’s the hope. We’ll see. We’ll see in practice. We’ve got some time to work him in there and (I am) looking forward to seeing what he’ll be able to bring to the team.”
