Brian Flores – September 19, 2019
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Thursday, September 19, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I know we’ve moved on past the S Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, but there was one thing that would bother me if I didn’t ask you, and it’s a better question for you than for General Manager Chris Grier. I know last year, Minkah, when he was in slot – his coverage area was 49 passer rating against. On the boundary, 80 passer rating against. One number is exceptional. One number is good. Why not just allow him to play one of those or both of those spots and relent to his request to do that and move forward with the player?) – “I would say that is – I’m really – My focus is on Dallas. Minkah is in Pittsburgh. We wish him all the best. I think he’s a good player. I think there was – I wish it could’ve been different; but the situation is what it is, and to spend energy talking about why this, why that – I’d rather spend my energy someplace else.”
(And one non-Minkah thing. Just as far as understanding your general philosophy, do you feel like the coach – and I can understand this if you feel this way – do you feel like the coach always should have final say in how a player used even if the player wants to be used differently? Is it the coach’s job to know, “hey, this is how you should be used. I don’t need to know your opinion about how you feel on the issue.”) – “Can you repeat the question?”
(Yeah, if a player asks you to play a certain position – if he expresses a preference – is your opinion as the coach always should be the one to make that decision and the coach should never acquiesce to the player about he wants to be used? Not S Minkah Fitzpatrick specifically, obviously – a general philosophy question.) – “I would say, I think there are multiple answers to that. Yes, as a coach, you want to put a player in a position he feels comfortable in, as well as a position that we feel is best for that particular player and for the team. I think the player – in our building – most players feel the same way. I think we’re always trying to put guys in the best position to help the team. That will never change. Sometimes, players are in positions where they aren’t as comfortable, but they’re doing it and for the team, so that’s kind of my thought there.”
(Regarding LB Sam Eguavoen, he’s a guy who we know has played pro football but not NFL football through two games which is a small sample size. What have you observed about him? How has the transition been for him?) – “I think he’s done a good job. I think this is a guy that’s tough. He’s smart. He works extremely hard. He’s in here early. He stays late. I think he’s played well in the kicking game. He’s gotten some opportunities defensively and played well there. Hopefully he continues to improve and grow. I think we’ve got a good player there.”
(Has there been anything on the field that LB Sam Eguavoen has done well whether it’s reading his keys or coverage or attacking plays or anything along those lines?) – “I would say he’s gotten better in every area – reading his keys, coverage, tackling, fitting the run – and I think that’s kind of showed up in games a little bit. There’s obviously some things he could do better. He’s working on those. Communication. He’s done a lot of good things. Football is very important to him. He’s obviously taken advantage of an opportunity here, and hopefully he continues to do that.”
(You guys have produced three sacks in two games. Where is your comfort level with not just the sacks, but the amount of pressures that you’re getting as a team?) – “I think we need to do a better job there. It’s something we’ve talked about as a staff – how to create more pressure whether it’s blitzing more or five-man pressure or just winning one-on-one rushes. It’s something we’ve talked about. Obviously we’ve got to put the opponent into those passing situations to create those opportunities. We need to do more of that. I think it’s – there’s a lot that goes into it, and we have to do a better job overall as a team. We’ve talked about that as a staff, and hopefully we get an opportunity to do that on Sunday.”
(Barring QB Ryan Fitzpatrick being ill or hurt, can you now say with certainty he’ll start Sunday, or is there still some question about that?) – “Yeah, right now he’s the starter. Again, we split reps every day. Josh (Rosen) has had to go in both games. He’ll be ready to go if we need him; but yeah, that’s where we’re at.”
(How has QB Josh Rosen responded this week at practice with the leg after being rolled up on Sunday?) – “Well, he went right back in the game. He responded well. It’s the first couple of weeks of the season. Everybody has a ding or a bruise. Guys are playing through some things. It’s no different for him, and I think he’s working through it.”
(How is G Michael Deiter doing?) – “I think he’s – He’s a rookie. He’s leaning how to play in this league. From an assignment standpoint, from a communications standpoint, he’s been good. From a technique, fundamentals, execution standpoint against two good defenses, I think he’s done a good job; but I think it could always be better. I think every experience is a good one for him, especially as a young player. I like where he’s going. I’d say he’s trending up.”
(What type of role are you looking for out of S Doug Middleton – the safety you signed yesterday?) – “Doug – My first thought goes to the kicking game. He’s had some – Obviously he’s fast, he can tackle, he’s tough. There’s some things I like about him from that standpoint. As a defender, and really in the kicking game as well – he’s been here one day, so there’s a lot to take in. What are we doing in the kicking game, what are we doing defensively – he’s been here a day. We’re still trying to figure out what he can do defensively. He’s got some experience in the kicking game. I think that’s kind of where we would start.”
(Obviously S Steven Parker has been here for – I think this his third week. Does he have a comfort level with the defense and do you have a comfort level to put him out there with the starting unit?) – “He’s gotten much more comfortable each day he’s been here. I like Steve. He works really hard. He’s spent a lot of time with our younger coaches, as well as ‘T.O.’ (Safeties Coach Tony Oden) and (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks) Josh (Boyer), getting up to speed on what we’re doing. He’s a lot more comfortable now than he was when he got here. He’s obviously played a little bit the past couple of weeks, and I like what I’ve seen. I like what I’m seeing at practice. Again, this is another guy who football is important to him and he wants to take advantage of his opportunities. I think he’ll do that.”
(We’ve seen a lot of snaps for DE Avery Moss. I know obviously you started the year with DE Jonathan Ledbetter at the spot before he got hurt. One, how has Avery played with all of those snaps? And two, would your hope be to emerge from this year with at least one young defensive end who you can eyeball and say ‘okay, this guy could be a part of our future?’ Whether it’s those two, whether it’s DE Dewayne Hendrix on practice squad, somebody like that?) – “I think Avery, again he’s been here three weeks. He’s a guy who’s worked extremely hard to pick up the defense, to learn a couple of different positions, to get adjusted to a new climate, to find a place. There is a lot of other things that go into this, for these newer players. I think he’s done a good job. He’s gone into games and played tough and played smart. He’s given us some good snaps. I’m happy with where he’s at. As far as your question about coming out of the – really, I’m focused on one day at a time. But I think we have a lot of good young players on this team who are all developing, who are all working to get better. I’m seeing improvement on a daily basis, and I think, hopefully, it continues on that trajectory.”
(I’m just curious what you thought. It seems players have been a little bit more empowered recently, not just with S Minkah Fitzpatrick but with Jacksonville CB Jalen Ramsey and some of the players across the league feel like they can ask out or say they don’t want to be somewhere. What are your thoughts as a coach on that seeming to happen more frequently?) – “Me personally, as a guy who has built a career on building relationships with players, that’s one thing that I would say – it’s not disheartening; but as a guy who has built his career on building relationships, you hate to see that. That’s kind of how I felt about the Minkah situation. But like everything else, you deal with a little adversity and you have to move on, get better and try to improve the team. As far as what happens around the league, I’m not there. I don’t know what those situations are like. I really don’t have much of an opinion on it, to be honest with you. It’s not something I think about.”
(What is something that you’ve learned in cultivating relationships with players in the past month as players have requested trades?) – “I’m just always going to be myself. I’m always going to be honest, transparent, tell them the truth. I think that’s been the case. I’ll always be that way. I think that’s the best way to approach really any situation. I like that we’re getting that and I want that to be something that’s reciprocal. I think that’s the best way to build trust. Ultimately in this game, you need trust from coaches to players to the different groups. When you have that, it’s a really good thing and it’ll help you win. We need to continue to build that.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – September 18, 2019
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(How hard is it to try to put offensive drives together when the scoreboard isn’t in your favor during these games?) – “I think the first two (games) – when they get out of hand like that, you get out of your base offense. (You’re in) more of a 2-minute mode, trying to get some stuff downfield. I think both times in the second half of the first two games, it was a lot of that. We just have to be better early. We want to start fast, and it’s always a point of emphasis for teams; but that’s been a tough thing for us, especially the last game. Starting fast – which didn’t happen – and good, positive plays on first down, which didn’t really happen. Those are things that we’re focusing on and emphasizing.”
(So not only are you not able to execute the game plan, but you’re having to divert what you do offensively because of how the second half is unfolding. Is that what you’re saying?) – “You get into a different mode where you get away from the run game a little bit and you start throwing the ball a lot more trying to play catch up and come from behind. That’s a mode that you want to try to avoid and stay out of, which means you’ve just got to play better early on.”
(As the voice of experience on this team, what kind of sage advice can you give these younger players at this point in the season?) – “It’s only Week 3, right? So just come to work every single day, put your head down and just do your job. Focus on doing your job and do the best you can at what you’re doing, and if you do that and you get better, then collectively the team is going to get better. That’s our message right now, focusing on us and trying to do a better job individually, which collectively will bring everybody up.”
(Is there a different mental or emotional impact on you when these big losses happen the way they do?) – “I think sometimes they are harder to put behind you. A lot of times with a loss – whether it’s a 1-point loss or what we’ve seen the last few weeks – you’re always kind of down for a little bit. To have two in a row, maybe it lingers a little bit longer but by Wednesday, you’ve got to put all your focus and energy into the next team and the next game. I would say that may be one of the differences.”
(How have you found ways to compartmentalize some of these current struggles?) – “That’s it. You have to – that word – you just have to compartmentalize everything that you’re doing and put it behind you and put all your focus into this week. That’s it. It’s a difficult thing to do sometimes, but as a football player and really as a quarterback, that’s how you do it. You block out the noise. It’s the other way, too. When you’re winning and everybody’s happy and you’re doing so great, you still have to put that on the back burner and really focus on what you’re doing because every week presents different challenges.”
(Was there a part of you that was wondering if you’d start this week after how the first two weeks have gone?) – “I’ve seen it every way – I truly have – between a lot of different instances. Starting because of suspension, starting because of a guy breaking his jaw, not being in, then being in, not being in and having somebody tear his ACL and being in – there’s a million different things and ways that it’s happened in my career. For me, always being ready and knowing that when I have my opportunity, I’ve got to go out there and do my best. My whole career has been like that, and I’ve just tried to do my best and putting my focus into what I can control. The first two games – obviously, there’s a lot of things that I need to do better in order for us to perform better, and that’s what my focus is on right now.”
(Have you ever had to share the job where you’re playing and the other guy’s playing and you’re playing and the other guy’s playing?) – “There’s never the two-man – like you would see in college, like the platoon – you don’t really see that in the NFL, so that’s not really something that happens. You’re-in-or-you’re-out-type deal.”
(Do you find it more beneficial in general when a teammate or teammates is having problems with drops to just not talk about it because it’s such a mental thing or to actually openly discuss it?) – “I think it’s unique and different for every guy, but it’s not – there are certain things. There’s the elephant in the room. There are certain things, whether it’s the Minkah (Fitzpatrick) trade or Laremy (Tunsil) or Kenny (Stills) or dropping the ball or throwing an interception that some people treat them as taboo, but it’s really – you just have to be open about it and put everything out there. (You) know that guys are going to make mistakes but maybe getting to the root of why it’s happening. That’s not just for drops. That’s for bad decisions, bad throws, all that stuff; but I think as a whole, just overcommunicating on all that and getting it out there is an important thing.”
(You mentioned the “elephant in the room” topics. Do you guys as a team kind of discuss those topics maybe as we do? Like do you mention the trades or different big things that happened about the team?) – “A lot of this stuff, it’s got to be talked about and put out there, and then you move on. That’s kind of the way that it’s been handled.”
(Has it been discussed that this roster doesn’t seem like it has the talent right now to compete? Is that something that was brought up among you guys?) – “No, I mean guys – with transactions happening, that’s brought up (like) whether guys are here or not here or who’s getting brought in, who’s not. That stuff is just open and honest and gets discussed right away, and then you move on and again, just bury your head in the game plan and what you can do every day to improve.”
(Having said that, how hopeful are you that the dust has kind of settled – at least with major moves at the top of the roster?) – “In the NFL, you never know. Especially as the season goes on with injuries and different things as well, it’s just part of it. There’s always a revolving door of players coming in and out. You’ve got to do your best to control what you can control.”
(How do you feel about the overall talent level of the first four opponents on the Dolphins’ schedule?) – “(They’re) really, really good teams obviously. The thing is, it’s the NFL. There’s talent everywhere. Obviously especially the first three weeks in what I’ve seen and now what I’ve looked at for this week with Dallas, they are very talented teams. Dallas has a great defense. The things that they’ve done, they’re playing very well offensively right now; but what we’ve looked at, they do a great job on defense and rallying to the ball and making plays. The speed of their defense – all that kind of shows up on tape. Physicality.”
(There was a story they brought up during the broadcast that you were getting texts during the week that people thought you might be asking for a trade because of the name “Fitzpatrick?”) – “Yeah, I think something flashed on ESPN, and I got a couple ‘what the –‘ you know, ‘what’s going on?’ (laughter) It was Minkah. (laughter) You know, that kind of deal.”
(This might be a good time to revisit the trademark thing?) – (laughter) “None of that was my idea. That wasn’t me.”
Jerome Baker – September 18, 2019
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
LB Jerome Baker
(On practice this week.) – “Nothing has changed. We still go out there and go to work. Our mentality didn’t change. If we want to go out there and win, ultimately we have to get better during the week. Today was just another day to get better.”
(You guys always say, It’s the next game – one game at a time. You don’t even talk about what happened, and you just worry about Dallas, and just trying to get better?) – “Yeah. That’s the main focus. Just worry about what we can control, and ultimately we’ve got Dallas coming up. That’s a great team. We (need to) go out there and just get better during the week, and Sunday give it everything we got.”
(Is it difficult at times not to listen or watch what others are saying on the outside, with what has happened in the first two games, and the score? How you’ve been outscored.) – “It depends on the person really. For me, I feed off of it. When somebody says I can’t do something and talks about our defense, it really hits me. I go out there and try to push everybody as much as I can, and just give it everything I have so we can get wins on Sundays. That’s my approach. I take ownership of it.”
(When you say you feed off of it, you feed off the fact that people are saying what they are saying? I know you guys are 21 point underdogs going into Dallas on Sunday.) – “I mean, yeah. It depends on the guy. Some guys, they just can’t listen to it. My whole career, somebody always says something about me. I kind of embrace it and really just want to show that we can play great defense, and ultimately get a win.”
(Talk about this Dallas offense. They’ve got a weapon in in the air and they’ve got one on the ground.) – “Yeah. They’ve got some good weapons – (Amari) Cooper and ‘Zeke’ (Ezekiel Elliott). Their o-line is big. They have Dak (Prescott) back there. They definitely have some weapons. I know with the guys we have, we can definitely contain them. We just have to ultimately go out there and do our job, and we’ll be fine.”
(You’ve said that there is some who go off of the stuff that is being said about you and you want to prove yourself. There are others who might have the personality that two straight losses kind of get them down and lose motivation. How do you sort of even that out a little bit? Do players talk to each other and try to pick each other up?) – “That just comes with your leaders. Your leaders always have to stay positive. Your leaders always have to set the tone. That’s really just the leaders. My job is to lead and get this team going. That’s all I can do. I never put my head down because others are watching me. When it comes to days like this, we want to go out there and perform. Ultimately on Sundays, we have to perform our best.”
Jakeem Grant – September 18, 2019
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
WR Jakeem Grant
(On playing a game back in his hometown.) – “Being back home, it’s going to be good, because I get to see family and stuff for a short period of time. It (will) feel good to be back in the state.”
(How many at the game? How many are going?) – “It’s a family reunion. That’s all I can say. (laughter) It’s going to be a family reunion. There’s going to be a lot. I’m going to enjoy it.”
(Did you pick up the tab?) – “I made most of them pay for it. No, no. You definitely have to (have them) pay for that. That’s too many – No. (laughter)”
(You told me you played at the old Texas stadium in pee-wee football. Tell me about that. What do you remember about that?) – “I remember the first time we played, I know they basically were like in the mode of building the stadium that they have now and getting rid of this one. I remember running back a kickoff return and they had a little hump in the middle of the field like it’s basically like you run up the field or whatever a little bit. I played in the Cowboys stadium probably my whole career in college against Baylor – against Xavien (Howard). I had some good times and some bad times there, wins and losses. It’s an awesome atmosphere.”
(What is it going to mean to you to be back there as a professional? Is it going to be any more special than playing at Lambeau Field or MetLife Stadium or anywhere else?) – “I would say it’ll be more special because my family will actually be there. Most of my family will be there and be able to see me live in the stadium, just like them watching me in college and in high school and pee-wee as well. It’s going to be a great feeling to be back home and be able to go out there and play.”
(Did you notice that game as soon as the schedule came out? Do you look at the schedule and that game stood out or no?) – “It really didn’t stand out to me until I had all of my family calling me – because they’re Cowboys fans, of course – and like talking trash and stuff like that. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever. You’ll see whenever we get ready to play them.’ They’re for me and the Dolphins but then they’re (also) Cowboys fans, so I’ve got to hear a lot of trash talking. I’m not really worried about what they’re saying. They were like, ‘I hope you have a good game. That’s all I can say.’”
(What’s the funniest thing that they said to you trash talking-wise?) – “It really comes from my oldest brother. He plays with the Cowboys on Madden. He’s a Madden freak and die-hard Cowboys fan. He was like, ‘Keep your head on a swivel when you go across the middle.’ I was like, ‘Man, whatever.’ He was like, ‘I’m telling you, because I was playing against the Dolphins earlier this week with the Cowboys and I hit you pretty hard.’ I’m like, ‘Man, whatever.’ (laughter) He’s just giving me a hard time about that, but it’s all love.”
(Your brother is rooting for them over you?) – “It’s 50/50. I would say it’s 50/50. My brother is a die-hard Cowboys fans. The Cowboys can do no wrong in his eyes. Yes, I’m his younger brother; but it’s the Cowboys. He loves the Cowboys and he won’t let me say anything about the Cowboys, so it’s like I can’t win on that one.”
(Did you take the ticket request away from him then?) – “Yeah, I almost did. I was like, ‘If you show up to the game with a Cowboys jersey, you’re not getting a ticket.’ And he was like, ‘Come on, bro.’ (laughter) I was like, ‘No, bro. You’re supposed to be there to support me. The only reason why you’ll be going is because I’m giving you a ticket.’ He was like, ‘Alright. Alright. That’s a deal.’ He can’t wear any Cowboy stuff. He’s probably going to have Cowboy undershirt, probably. (laughter)”
(What’s your brother’s name?) – “Markeith.”
(What’s that defense he was playing with against you?) – “I don’t know the defense he was playing. He does his own playbook with Madden. He’s phenomenal at Madden. I don’t even try to play against him, honestly.”
Christian Wilkins – September 18, 2019
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(Let’s face it, in college you’re not used to what’s been going on. Is it difficult for you?) – “the thing is, I just try to keep a positive mindset through all of it. The good, the bad, the ugly, I just feel like it is part of the process. Whether I have a good play, a bad play, a good game or a bad game, whether we win or we lose, it’s just all a part of the process. Just have that mindset that it’s just a part of being a pro now. I’m going to be exposed to different things I’ve never been exposed to, be a part of different things I’ve never been a part of. You just have to keep a mindset of you’re here to get better. I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do. This is my dream job, so just try to embrace it and have as much fun with it as possible.”
(Another big offense you guys are going to face both in the air and on the ground. When you look at their film, is there anything that’s vulnerable for them?) – “They really don’t have any weaknesses. They are a really good offense and a really good team. We’re definitely going to have our hands full. We’re just going to have to have a good week of practice and a good week of preparation, and see what we can do on Sunday.”
(How do you feel you played the first two games?) – “I’m never satisfied. Even if I played the best games of my life these first two games, I’m never satisfied and always want more. I’m always searching for that perfect game. I always can improve and always can get better.”
Sam Eguavoen – September 18, 2019
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
LB Sam Eguavoen
(Some players might get disheartened by two blowout loses, others get motivated by it, so it’s a mixed bag, I’m sure. How does the unit stay cohesive here and focused towards the positive? How does that happen this week?) – “I think pretty much around the whole NFL, you just have to have a short-term memory. Sunday, Monday, a little bit of Tuesday, you still kind of think about what went wrong in a game. Then you come in Wednesday, there’s practice, you’re hitting, you’ve got a new install, you’ve got a new scheme and it’s like everything is wiped away. You can’t even remember what happened in the past you’re because you’re so focused on what we’re moving forward to. I don’t think it’s really hard to get all of the guys to buy into, ‘We have to move onto the next week.’ I think practice helps a lot to get our minds shifted.”
(Was there one positive? The score was, against the Patriots, 13-0 at the half. The defense did some good things. Do you try to carry that into the next game? Because there were some good things.) – “Yeah, we’re just always building. Our motto here is to get better every day. We’re always trying to build off of what we did the day before. That Patriots game, 13-0 when you look back at it, it was just little things here and there. If we stop that, it could’ve been this, it could’ve been that. At the end of the day, it was an ugly score. We just have to improve from it. I don’t even really like talking about it that much, but there was definitely some positive in that game, especially how hard we were still fighting at the end of the game. That showed a lot with this defense.”
(What are the biggest challenges the defense will face on Sunday against Dallas do you think?) – “’Zeke’ (Ezekiel Elliot). He’s on my fantasy team. (laughter) No, I’m just playing. He’s probably the best back in the league. That’s the anchor for them. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be ready to play so that’s probably going to be the biggest challenge. They have a good defense, good linebackers over there. Us as a defense, we’re going to try and – We have to make it work. We have to do something. We have to make big plays defensively to make it a game.”
(How do you make it work against RB Ezekiel Elliot when he’s such an important thing to stop and then you’ve got everyone else?) – “You’ve got to hit him. I’ve never played running back before, but I’m pretty sure no running back just likes getting hit all day, especially when you’re that good that you rarely get hit in games. We just have to get everybody to the ball, all hats to the ball and lay some licks on him.”
Brian Flores – September 18, 2019
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Obviously we’ve seen throughout training camp and the first two games, S Bobby McCain is a starter at one safety spot and played most of the game. With S Minkah Fitzpatrick no longer here, would you expect S Reshad Jones – once he’s healthy – to be your other primary starting safety, or do you envision a scenario where he’s competing with S Walt Aikens, S Steven Parker, etc.?) – “We’ve got a – obviously, Reshad has played a lot of football over the course of his career. (He is) kind of dealing with a couple things; but yeah, when he gets back, we expect him out there along with Walt (Aikens) and (Steven) Parker like you said. It’s a good group. We’re happy with that group. Once we get out there, communicate and practice together, I think we’ll be okay.”
(How far do you think S Reshad Jones is away? Is it mostly that ankle that’s keeping him back?) – “He’s working extremely hard to get back. He’s close. I would see him as close. Again, he’s in there. He’s in the training room, working out. He’s closing in, so I expect to see him soon. He’s working to get back as soon as he can.”
(Do you have any update on the quarterback situation? Have you made a change, or is QB Ryan Fitzpatrick your guy still?) – “Right now, ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is the guy; but again, every week both quarterbacks will get reps. That’s the case every week. You go throughout the league and you see there have been injuries at that position across the league. It’s like every position on the field. You’ve got to have a backup. Everyone – you’ve got to get them all reps during the week. It’s no different at quarterback for us.”
(Given the losing margins that you’ve had here, do you find yourself doing a little more morale building or spirit lifting than you would if say you were 2-0, or do you just treat it the same way?) – “My message is always the same. Come to work, get better, we improve, we learn from our mistakes. There are always mistakes. There are always things that we could improve and get better. That’s kind of where my focus always is. I try to stay the same. I never get too high. I never get too low. I try to stay even. It’s been something I’ve done my entire career, and I’m going to stick with that. Hopefully our team’s that way as well.”
(What have you seen from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick the first two that gives you confidence in him going forward?) – “’Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is – I think he’s got real leadership ability. He’s smart. He knows what we’re doing offensively. He can get guys in the right position. He’s a guy I have a lot of trust in. I think he’s – I like ‘Fitz’ a lot.”
(Can you talk about the specific challenges Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott poses for your defense and how much of your success on defense will be predicated on containing him?) – “They’ve got a really good offense, really across the board. You can go a few different ways. You can go to Ezekiel (Elliott), you can go to Dak Prescott, go to (Amari) Cooper, go the offensive line. They’ve got a good team. They’ve got a good offense. They’ve got a good defense. They’ve got a good special teams unit, so this will be a big test. Specific to Ezekiel, he is a downhill, physical, fast, good stiff-arm, breaks a lot of tackles, can hit the big run. This is a very explosive player. It’s going to take a total team effort to keep him contained. At the same time, this offense is a good one. If you put too much emphasis on stopping the run, Dak has done a really good in the pass game and is much, much improved. This is a really good quarterback, so he’ll sit back in the pocket, whether it’s play-action, whether it’s drop-back, whether it’s – he’s got a really good grasp of what they’re doing offensively to get those guys in the right plays. He’s been very accurate. If you focus too much on one player, they’ll get you somewhere else. They’ve got big-play receivers really across the board and then a big offensive line. It’s a good team.”
(Do you plan any changes on the offensive line?) – “Nope. We’ll go with the same five guys from last week. Obviously we’ll – again, like every position, we’ll work in backups from Shaq (Calhoun) to (Chris) Reed to (Bryan) Witzmann. We’ll work everybody but the plan is to go with the five guys from last week.”
(What went into the decision to have C/G Evan Boehm play some snaps instead of G Danny Isidora?) – “We just wanted to get him in there. You want to get guys some game reps. He’s a guy who has practiced well, so we wanted to give him an opportunity to play a little bit in a game. That was the plan there.”
(How important is it for you to have some continuity? You’re going to have five starters from one week to the next.) – “I think it’s very important. I think that’s how you grow, build and improve and get better. That’s the goal here with that. It starts in practice. We’ve had a couple of good weeks of practice. I think we were better from Week 1 to Week 2. We’ll try to just continue to get better week after week after week.”
(Over the last three weeks, you guys have moved off of a lot of players. CB Xavien Howard is one that’s still here obviously and part of your future. We saw on Twitter after the trade that he had kind of a wistful tweet about being the only one left in the room, it seemed like. Have you had conversations with him about how this has all gone and the future and his place in it?) – “My conversations with him today have been about the Cowboys – Amari Cooper, the quarterback (Dak Prescott), this run game. That’s kind of – I’ve said this before – the more effort, the more energy somewhere else is less on the Cowboys and we need to put all of our effort on this team. Those have been the conversations. I haven’t talked to him about that.”
(We’ve seen TE Mike Gesicki with a couple of receptions here. Where have you seen improvement in his game?) – “I think he’s really done a much better job in a lot of areas – blocking, catching the football, route-running. There were a couple of plays last week where he’s open and he’s getting open and we just don’t have enough time to get him the ball. He just needs to continue doing what he’s been doing. We’ll get it protected, we’ll have more time and we’ll try to find him in the pass game. He’s done a better job in the run game. I just want to – if he continues that improvement, I think that will go a long way for him.”
(Is most of the improvement that TE Mike Gesicki needs kind of mental as far as understanding how to get open and running those routes? Or is it physical and actually making that play?) – “No. I think physically, this guy is big, fast, athletic. I don’t want to say mentally, but you have to learn how to play this game at this level at that position. That takes a little bit of time. This being his second year, I think he’s showing a lot of improvement. I think we’re starting to see some of that in flashes and then obviously we always have to be more consistent.”
(It’s been a low per carry average for RB Kalen Ballage so far and I know it’s clearly not all his fault. There’s blocking and other things involved. Are you at the point where you’d like to see more of RB Mark Walton carrying the ball in a game or even RB Patrick Laird or RB Myles Gaskin? Obviously you have RB Kenyan Drake of course. Or do you just want to move forward with Kalen and see what he can do over a longer body of work?) – “I like all of our backs. I like Kalen. I like Drake, obviously. Walton, Laird – I like all of the backs. Obviously there’s one ball and you can’t get them all the amount of touches you’d like; but I think Kalen had a really good camp. I like Kalen a lot. I like Drake a lot. We’re going to try to get both guys in the game and if we get a hot hand, we’ll stay with that. That’s been expressed to both guys and I think they’re both – I really like both of them. I like all of our backs but Drake and Ballage, these are two guys who have a lot of talent, who are tough, who are physical, who love to play. I like both of these guys. I want to get them going.”
Patrick Graham – September 17, 2019
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Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham
(I know you don’t like to go backwards, however, there are specific plays I need an explanation for. On third-and-17, I believe you rushed four, and then there was a third-and-12 where it looked like you guys were in cloud coverage and you were rushing three. I know it’s Patriots QB Tom Brady, and blitzing is not exactly the greatest strategy, but what was the thought process in this?) – “Again, that was last week. Based on the situation, in terms of it was third-and-extra long, I think ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) spoke about it the other day, but we’re trying to do the best call that we think is going to help us in that situation. If it means dropping eight guys and we think it’s going to give the quarterback some problems, that’s what we’ll do. If we think rushing six guys is going to be the best way, (we’ll do that); but obviously, they got the first down. That’s the thought process into it. Sometimes, the situation calls for dropping eight guys and you guys see guys struggle with that or rushing six guys, so that’s how that normally comes into play.”
(What is the thought process with LB Raekwon McMillan moving forward? It seemed to me he was on the edge a little bit more this week. Is that permanent, or was that game plan-specific?) – “All the guys – we’re hoping all the guys are as versatile as possible. The more they can do, the better chance it is to get on the field. The role Raekwon had last week – that’s not indicative of exactly what it’ll be this week, but he excelled in it. He did a good job. I was happy with the work he did on the edge. He had plays when he was inside as well, too. Again, we plan on having guys that are versatile and being able to do different things, so that just fits into that mold.”
(LB Raekwon McMillan seems to be making a lot of tackles earlier this season. What is he doing well?) – “He’s moving well. He’s moving well and he’s diagnosing plays pretty well. He’s a physical football player. He’s a physical football player who brings a little thump to him when he hits people. To me, whenever you’re getting in on some tackles, it’s because you’re doing a good job of diagnosing what the offense is doing, and also you’re finishing plays, so that’s always a good thing.”
(You just lost a versatile player in S Minkah Fitzpatrick. Who are you counting on to fill that void now?) – “Minkah – he’s a great player. I wish him all the best at Pittsburgh. (He’s a) good player. I wish him all the best. In terms of guys that are going to make up for him, there’s a bunch of guys. We’ve got to work through it. We’re still in the game-plan process right now, but we’ll try to figure out the best way to make up for that spot in our defense and move forward from there.”
(CB Chris Lammons is a guy who you gave him a couple snaps to, same as CB Ken Webster. What do you see from those young defensive backs in terms of how they can help you?) – “You know what’s interesting about Webster being a newer guy and Lammons has been here for a while? I’m talking about hard-working, fast and tough. (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks) Josh Boyer, our corners coach, he’s looking for tough guys – tough guys that can tackle. On top of that, if you can run, those are some of the things that we’re looking for, and they’ve shown that. Then they get their chance.”
(What’s the skillset with – we saw S Stephen Parker – obviously Rams practice squad last year – played some. He’s in the mix at safety. His particular skillset that intrigues you?) – “I would say the mental part. You start there. He’s a smart guy. (He is) intelligent, has some football IQ to him. (He’s a) good, physical player, smart player that can have some range. He’s shown all of that stuff that’s been pretty good for us.”
(With S Walt Aikens, you used him in the first game to cover tight ends a little bit. Is that a role where you can see him emerging and getting some playing time on defense?) – “I think Walt – it starts off with the fact that (he is a) captain (and a) leader on this team. He’s a physical presence on the field whether it’s defense or special teams. (He has) good speed. (He is a) good communicator. Again, whatever role it’s going to be, it’ll be; but he does such a good job with every role we’ve given him. We’re just looking to see his role grow as the season continues.”
(We know this is a developing team and a developing defense. How do you measure progress?) – “Progress – we’re going to keep it real simple. Are we tackling better? Are we doing a better job of playing blocks and defeating blocks? Is the edge getting set? Is our communication better? Really, if we see improvement there, then improvement on the field will come. Where does that start? It starts with your day off – working to get better there. Then you get to the meetings and then the practice, but all of that stuff comes into play from the individual work you do on your own, in terms of communication, seeing how to diagnose the plays, to the meetings, getting information on the calls, and then going out and practicing it. That’s what we’re going to judge progress on.”
(I know you’ve been around Head Coach Brian Flores for a long time. Do you have a favorite story that he’s either told about growing up in Brooklyn or from the Patriots that illustrates why he might be able to succeed in this rebuilding process?) – “Individual stories – that could take all day, but I know this: A lot of my friends from college are from New York City, and my best friend from college, he’s from Brooklyn. I know where he grew up, and for him to have been at Yale with me and me having my background where I’m from Waterbury, Connecticut where I’m like, ‘how did you get here?’ It’s amazing. To me, just knowing where he grew up and just the perseverance and to be able to do that, to me, it means a lot. You’re a strong person. That’s just my opinion, just knowing the area, if that answers your question. My older brother went to college in Long Island. His friends were from New York City. Seeing them be successful, I’m like, ‘wow.’ I thought I had it hard, but no.”
(DE Charles Harris, where would you say he is two games into the season?) – “It was funny during the game, the look in his eyes. He’s a focused player. He’s improving. He’s improving, and all of that stuff will come as we progress during the season. He’s still a young player. He’s still learning football just like we all are. I feel like I’m still learning football every day trying to get better. I really like the progress in terms of the run game, starting there. Playing with his hands, and playing with low pad level. And then in the passing game, providing pressure, transitioning in the play action. I thought that improved during the game this past weekend. He’s making strides to being a better player and he’s working at it. You have to be diligent about that. You’ve got to work at it, because anytime you get complacent in this league, you’ll be out of here.”
(With the pressure, not necessarily from DE Charles Harris, but you did get two sacks against QB Tom Brady which is not an easy thing to do. Do you feel like you’re getting enough pressure on passing downs?) – “I think we’ll always have enough – I think you want more pressure. You want to be able to affect the passer more. We’re working towards getting more pressure in terms of making – whether it’s the passing windows for the quarterback or making sure we’re discipline in our rush lanes, we’re just trying to do a better job of affecting the quarterback. That’s amongst other things we’re trying to do a better job of. We’re really just trying to get better every day. I don’t know when I’ll ever be satisfied with the rush or the pressure; but we’re going to keep striving to get better at it.”
(You guys have allowed a lot of points obviously. How tough is it to shut off the daily or weekly competitor in you and keep the big picture in mind here?) – “I’d say the daily and weekly competitor in me never shuts off. I mean, I would hope not. Just like I said, if I got complacent and wasn’t being competitive, I don’t think I’ll be who I am. It always is there for me. Thankfully in this league, you get 16 opportunities and we’re on our third one this weekend. You move on and now we’re getting ready for Dallas, who is a great offensive team, built from the ground up – offensive line, to the back, to the quarterback, to the receivers. We’ve got plenty to get ready for. If I’m not competitive – I’m competitive right now when I got up this morning, whatever time this morning, to get ready for you guys. (laughter) Trust me, I pray that the competitive spirit never leaves me. I don’t care what happens.”
(How does it not drive you crazy, how do the results not drive you crazy?) – “Because I know – I know I have another opportunity this weekend. But before that, I have another opportunity today, Tuesday. When I woke up this morning, there is an opportunity to study the film, get to know these guys – whether it’s (Dak) Prescott, whether it’s (Amari) Cooper, they’ve got a lot of players you’ve got to get to know to try to put our players in the best position to defend them. I can’t imagine not waking up and being competitive. I was dreaming about them last night.”
(With LB Vince Beigel, it was the way that you utilized him this week – I know roles change every week – but did you see him as a pressure player when you guys acquired him?) – “The thing that – he has some length, he has strength, and he has some quickness and he has some natural knee bend to him. Right there, you just mention those terms right there. Whether you’re a DB, linebacker or D-lineman, that’s going to help you in terms of whether you’re a pass rusher or setting the edge. Those are positives right there – being able to play with some extension because he has length. Being able to bend, come around the corner, those are things that play into him being able to do that. Thankfully for us, he was able to apply some pressure on Sunday and we’ll see if we can improve that as we go through the week.”
(Back to Head Coach Brian Flores for one second. Do you think apart from his coaching ability, is it just the sheer perseverance that will serve him well?) – “I just think that’s the first initial in my mind. But then just knowing the man, the thing I value about him and our friendship is that he is very honest. He’s very honest and that’s why I trust his vision. That’s why I trust him completely, because he’s always been honest with me whether I’ve been in the wrong, or been in the right. And we shared an office together. So I know that. I know he’s going to be honest with me. I might not like what he says, but he’s going to be honest with me. To me, that’s no different from my mom, my dad, my brothers. To me, you don’t have to be all ‘lovey, dovey, buddy, buddy.’ As long as somebody is going to be honest with you, I value that more than I value somebody patting you on the back all the time. That’s’ why I think – I’ve said enough. I’m focused on the Cowboys right now. But I’ve got the utmost respect for coach.”
(What are you looking for from the players that you are going to put on the field Sunday, and every Sunday?) – “Smart, tough, tackle, heavy-handed, some of the stuff that I’ve labeled before – and passionate about their role. Passionate about their role and executing their job. That’s what I want. That’s what I want, and guys that play together – really play together. That’s going to be the big thing with us, just playing together. I was happy to see those guys playing together, having success together, and hopefully we’ll get more of that.”
(You do understand the mental toll that’s happening to this team in terms of draft picks leaving and what we call a purge. You do realize that it takes a toll on the players?) – “You’ll have to ask the players about that. I just know this: when I go up in front of those guys, the eye contact that I’m getting, the questions I’m getting, these guys are ready to go to work. I’m looking forward to seeing them when they get in tomorrow, and be ready to work. Again, we’ve got 16 opportunities. We’re down to 14 right now that are guaranteed. So, let’s go get it – this one this weekend.”
