Adam Gase – October 1, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 1, 2017
Postgame – New Orleans Saints
Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (transcribed by the NFL)
COACH GASE: That’s what we’re going to have to figure out. Just seems like we’re having just too many, every time we get something fixed, something else pops up. So gotta kind of figure out what’s going on. We gotta do it quick.
Q. How do you shake this offense out of what they are in?
COACH GASE: We’re just going to have to watch this and kind of put these three games together and figure out where our issues are coming from. We’re trying to figure out, just talking after the game, we’re all just trying to figure out is it one thing that we’re kind of slowing us up or is it multiple guys? Is it play calls? Is it the scheme?
You know, we’re going to have to really kind of look back at these first three games and kind of see what’s going on. We’re at a point right now where three games in we felt like we would have had some better results. They did a good job with what they were doing against us, certainly, outside zone is kind of what they were doing. I just know we’re better than what we’ve done the last two games.
Q. It is just one thing or multiple issues?
COACH GASE: That’s what we need to take a look at. That’s what I’m saying, I wish I could say it’s just this, and that’s why — we’ve got to figure this out quick. I know there’s too many good players there. And for us to kind of put the performances we put up the last two weeks is — we’ve gotta get it cleaned up.
Q. Your thoughts on the first drive?
COACH GASE: The quarterback had to run 60 yards, 30 to me and 30 back. First call I had.
Q. When you’re looking at so many different breakdowns, are you thinking a more widespread reconstruction?
COACH GASE: I have no idea. I have nine hours to think about it.
Q. Talk about only putting up six points in two games
COACH GASE: Everybody wants to point at the quarterback all the time. I heard that last time I got here, and Ryan is not here to blame this time.
Q. Were there any communication issues on the sideline?
COACH GASE: Yeah, we had communications before this. We had, like, a makeshift wristband, and he was running over to me to get the play call.
Q. Have you been around an offense in this situation in your career?
COACH GASE: No.
Q. Was travel an issue for you and the team?
COACH GASE: Haven’t moved for me. I haven’t heard anybody say anything about fatigue or anything like that. I thought our defense doesn’t seem to have a problem. I feel like they’re playing well. It’s just, we’re not coming off on our end of the stick on offense. It’s not clicking right now.
Q. Running game-wise, is the offensive line a concern for you now?
COACH GASE: I can’t say it’s just one thing right now. And whether or not we’re too predictable or we’re giving something away or we’re getting beat, like, that’s what we’ve got to figure out.
Q. Is Jay Ajayi ok?
COACH GASE: He’s fine. We are not going to — the position we’re in right there, I just don’t need him taking any more hits.
Q. Did the pressure of playing in London get to him?
COACH GASE: He wanted to perform well. That’s the kind of passion you want from players. And things weren’t going the way we wanted them to. And I think he’s in the same boat. A lot of guys on offense are trying to figure out what’s going on. Why are we struggling? So sometimes you get towards that part of the game it’s just frustration, you get angry.
Q. Still have a shot early in the fourth quarter. There’s a big fumble, Ja’Wuan recovered. Immediately after that delay of game, why did that happen?
COACH GASE: Nick thought he got it off. He said he had a second left.
Q. What happened in the huddle?
COACH GASE: I don’t know, I wasn’t in the huddle.
Q. Three games into the season, how do you stress to them it’s not time to panic? Or is it time to panic?
COACH GASE: It’s not time to panic. We’ve been in way worse than this. We just want to get — we want to figure out what’s going on and then fix the problem. That’s really the only thing we’re concerned about. 1-4, that was close.
Q. Are there similarities?
COACH GASE: No, last year we had different issues. This year it’s just kind of, we’ve got the guys here, just gotta figure out what’s going on. Why are we stumbling?
Q. Last year, they didn’t know the system. This year, they do and it’s still going wrong?
COACH GASE: But I don’t see it as like we’re busting all over the place. We’re just not making the plays when we get the opportunity to make them. We’re not always getting our guys covered up to give Jay a little bit of a crease.
We’re no protecting the quarterback consistently all the time. And then it’s just a different guy every time. And it’s not necessarily a mental bust or anything. It’s just sometimes I have to call the right play at the right time and sometimes you’ve got to make a play. And sometimes you’ve got to make a throw. Sometimes you’ve got to make a guy miss.
We’re not doing that consistently enough to where we can kind of get some momentum going.
Adam Gase – September 29, 2017
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Friday, September 29, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(So what does the body feel like today after that travel?) – “Mine or theirs? (laughter)”
(Both. Let’s start with you.) – “I think I’m good. I don’t have to play. I think a lot of guys did a good job. It seemed like everybody was sleeping for most of the trip. It was good to get them out here and move them around. That was a really big emphasis, not necessarily what we were doing just more get the body moving.
(On the decision not to travel until Thursday night…) – “Without us having a bye week afterwards, we’re trying to keep it just as short as possible, because we’re going to have to transition after this game. We’re going to have to go back, got to get ready for the next game, so we’re looking at it big picture and just felt like that was the best thing for us.”
(Is there any concern about the body not adjusting to the UK time clock?) – “No, I think our guys have been doing a good job, whether we’ve been on the West Coast, East Coast, back home, wherever we’ve been, out here (in London). Really, they’re listening to what (Sports Performance Director) Wayne Diesel is telling them and (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave) Puloka is telling them. It’s good to see these guys really taking to the advice they’re being given.”
(Some of these international flights have sleeping cabins. Did you guys have that for some of your players?) – “Yes, I think most of the guys that are playing were in them.”
(That’s a huge help I’d imagine.) – “They’re still not big enough for most of those guys (laughter). “
(How is WR Kenny Stills’ hand? I saw it was wrapped up outside.) – “He seemed to be good. We were just being a little precautionary this week. He played and finished the last game (against the Jets), and I know it wasn’t easy for him; but we just thought we’d take a few shots at catching balls. Ultimately, that was really the main priority. He ran a ton of routes. We just didn’t throw any balls to him.
(With all of the Trump/NFL stuff, has it been a distraction for the players?) – “That’s something I don’t get into. I’m worried about coaching the game.”
(On Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh not wanting to come to London again.) – “Well, I just got here so we’ll see how it goes I’m sure; but if we win, I’ll be one way, if we lose, I’ll be another way.”
(Have you been to this city before?) – “Yes.”
(When?) – “2010.”
(The forecast for Sunday is supposed to be pretty nasty. How are you guys preparing for that?) – “We have certain ways that we’ll play for any kind of weather, so we’ll implement those game plans when we have a better idea of what it’s going to be. We’d move a few things around. When we’re in Miami, we get all kinds of rain, wind, humidity or heat, really nice, you just never know. Our guys do a good job any time we’ve had to adjust, they’ve handled it.”
(With RB Jay Ajayi being one of the marquee players for the NFL’s international brand, how much pressure do you think that he feels approaching this game?) – “I don’t think he feels pressure. I think Jay’s more about playing, and he’s done a good job with everything we’ve asked him to do. I think he’s excited to come play in this game. I think he wants to play well. He’s worked hard this week and had a good day the one day that he went. I just think he’s ready for Sunday to be here.”
(You’ve been resting RB Jay Ajayi for the past couple of weeks. Obviously it’s just a precautionary thing, but is it just for his long-term durability?) – “I think we’re looking at the big picture. His style of running is very physical and we are going pads on Wednesdays a lot of the time, and it’s just a couple of more hits that he probably doesn’t need to take. We feel like he gets good work on Thursdays. That’s really a big third-down, pressure-type day for us, where he can get the reps he needs to get live. We’re not so much worried about him getting a rep of outside zone or inside zone or whatever it is. We’re just trying to be smart with him.”
(When you planned out this travel, because we’ve talked a lot about it, was there someone in the organization or somebody outside you talked to about how to best manage big bodies during this time?) – “A lot of our coaches were involved in this – our sports science staff, our strength staff, the entire crew. We talked to everybody. We had people reaching out. Obviously this organization’s been here before, so there’s a lot of people in-house that have done this before. We just felt like this was our best plan at the end of the day, not only for this week but for down the road.”
(The plan basically started when the schedule came out? Is that when you started thinking about this?) – “Well we knew we were coming. We asked not to have a bye week after we really felt like we knew we were going to be here early. We were hoping that we wouldn’t have a bye week so that we could just go back and play another game and it kind of fell that way for us. Unfortunately, we had our bye week already in Week 1, so it is what it is.”
(What’s the one thing that you told your players is most important during this stretch?) – “Really the big point of emphasis has been, for us, the hydration and making sure that everybody’s taking care of their bodies, putting the right things in their bodies, getting rest. Like I said, the big thing was for us to just get out there and move around and really get out minds going, get our bodies going and just get ready for this game.”
(With DT Jordan Phillips, he missed last week’s game. What’s his status for this week’s game and how do you feel the young guys performed when they were in there?) – “I think the young guys did exactly what we were hoping they’d do. They did their jobs, for the most part. They made some plays here and there. Jordan was playing really well before he got hurt. I feel like he’s making strides and we’re close to where we want to be. We’ll really talk about that the next two days to see where we’re going to be for Sunday. I want to really be smart about this because we do have to think long-term a little bit, instead of thinking about just this one game. We don’t want to have a setback, so we’ll figure it out here in the next couple of days.”
Jay Ajayi – September 29, 2017
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Friday, September 29, 2017
RB Jay Ajayi
(Welcome back. How does it feel to be back in London?) – “It’s a great feeling. I got a phone call from my parents and family. They’re here today. It’s exciting to be on this side (of the ocean) with my whole family and the team. I’m really excited.”
(Are your boys going to come watch you on Sunday?) – “Yes. All of my family, friends, everyone that even knew me is probably hitting me up. They’re trying to get to the game. It’s been a really cool process so far.”
(How many ticket requests would you say you’ve had?) – “Over 30 to 40 right now.”
(How do you feel about your emoji?) – “The emoji, that was really cool to see that. I learned it from my little marketing team and everything that it was going to be happening. It was really cool and I’m pretty thankful for that.”
(Do you have a celebration planned for Sunday?) – “I have a few celebrations but I’ve got to get into the end zone first. (laughter)”
(Does being the poster boy for being this international game, does that put any more pressure on you? Or have you embraced it?) – “I think I’ve embraced it because at the end of the day, I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to be successful. I think it’s just been a really cool thing to embrace and be that face for the NFL UK. It’s just about going on the field and doing what I always do and showcase it on Sunday.”
(How do you make sure that last week’s performance is not repeated? What’s different about what you saw this week in practice?) – “I think it just comes down to our offense starting off and setting the tone physically and then at the end of the day, execute; because when we went back through the week and looked at the stuff on tape, we didn’t execute and do the little details that will help us stay on the field longer and put points on the board. I think this week has been a premium to really focus on those little details, execute and come out with a better tone at the start.”
(On Arsenal F.C.) – “Yes, I’m hoping I can get some Arsenal mojo going.”
(You were here in 2015 as a rookie, right? How much different is it this time around with a much bigger profile than you had then?) – “Yes, coming in as a rookie, I still didn’t really know what my career was going to be in the NFL because I was on short-term ‘IR’ (injured reserve), so I wasn’t playing. I wasn’t really in the game but I was able to enjoy the whole experience of being here and being around my family. This time around, it’s a lot more serious because I’m in the game of course, playing. So it’s exciting for that, and just getting the opportunity to come back here and play at Wembley (Stadium). Not many people get that opportunity to come to Wembley and play and it’s such a special place, so I definitely don’t want to take that for granted, as well. So (I) just (want to) enjoy the whole experience.”
(How far do you think UK/London is from importing players to college football?) – “I think that you’re starting to see it grow a lot more. I think the Ravens have a kid (Jermaine Eluemunor) on their team that left England and went with his family and ended up at Texas A&M and started playing. I think that as you see more stories like that and you see more guys from Europe all around that are getting drafted, like a guy from Germany – Moritz Böhringer got drafted (by the Minnesota Vikings) as well – so I think as you see more stories like that, it’s inspiring people. I don’t think it’s very far away. I think they’re cultivating a lot of talent over here.”
(Do you think if you grew up in England that you’d be playing soccer?) – “I don’t know because at the end of the day, I was introduced to American football … You asked if I would be playing soccer? I don’t know. Probably. I’d definitely probably play soccer but I was introduced to American football in Texas and that was my whole showcase to the love of the game. Up until that point, all I really knew was soccer football. I don’t know. I probably would have been chasing that Arsenal shirt, trying to get on their (team) and hitting up (Arsenal Manager Arsène) Wenger. (laughter)”
(Obviously we all saw on this side of the Atlantic the league-wide reaction to President Trump’s remarks last weekend. Can I ask you what your take is on that? Is it something that you have discussed ahead of this week?) – “Yes, I mean the remarks were what they were. It definitely created waves all around the NFL and especially on our team. We discussed those things and our main focus was that whatever we decided, we showcased unity with each other and I think that we were able to do that last week.”
(We saw you wear the #ImWithKap shirt with the rest of your teammates. What was that about?) – “The shirt pretty much says it.”
(As a Brit going to America, can you tell us what America means to you having moved there when you were so young?) – “Yes, I mean it’s like my second home. I’ve been there longer of course; but I definitely attribute a lot of my life as well to being in the States. Just the experiences I had over there and also over here, just everything I went through over here, I think they’ve all kind of helped create who I am today.”
(Have you do decided what happens this week and going forward or was that a one week thing?) – “I think I’m going to decide that tonight.”
(How close do think London and the NFL are to having a franchise in London, and do you think it could be successful?) – “I think that London is not far away from it. I think that of course the fans are here for it. The games have been selling out, so that’s been huge. I think that if anything, the NFL is excited with what London’s appeal is, and I think that if there’s a place to go, I think London would definitely show up and accept a football team over here.”
(The team has traveled 15-16,000 miles roughly the first few weeks. How is your body taking that?) – “Yes, we’ve been taking a lot of trips. Frequent flyer miles are up, but we take it in stride. I feel like we’re a team that it is what it is. Wherever you want us to play, however the circumstances are, we’ll show up; and that kind of starts with my head coach’s mentality, Coach (Adam) Gase. That’s how we are. It is what it is. That’s what our schedule has been and the Saints, they don’t care that we’ve flown all the way, did all the other stuff, a hurricane. They’re just going to come out and play against us and so we can’t care either. We’ve got to go play.”
(Can you talk about going against that defense that’s coming off their best performance of the season and what kind of challenges they present to you guys this week?) – “Yes, it’s a good Saints team. They have a good defense. They played well last week and it is what it is. This is our matchup now and we have to really focus on ourselves at the end of the day, because we kind of shot ourselves in the foot last week. Really, we just need to work on making sure we execute how we know we can.”
(You guys have a Fan Fest tomorrow, is that right?) – “Yes, I think (on Regent Street).”
(Are you going to be there?) – “Yes, I’ll be there.”
(Do you have any other appearances this weekend or is that it?) – “I’ve got my YURP event today that’s going on, and that’s about it.”
(What is that?) – “For my lifestyle brand that I’ve been working on for quite some time. I’m starting it over here because just this is basically where the roots are from, and so it’s going to be pretty cool.”
(And where will that be?) – “That will be in Soho.”
(Players often say this is just another game, I’m going to look at this one like I look at all the other ones. Is that how you’re looking at this or is this kind of special?) – “I won’t lie, it’s a special game for me. This is the first time my three youngest siblings have ever been to London. They were all born in the States. My parents are in the same place watching me play for the first time in a little bit, before my family. And it’s in London. Last time I didn’t get to play and I get to come home. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to certain people, and so I definitely appreciate what’s going on and what the situation is. At the same time, I’m not going to let that distract me from my goal, which is to win the game and play well for my team; but I definitely am going to enjoy the experience and enjoy what is going on here because to be honest, it doesn’t … This is rare for me in a sense to have gotten this far and being here, it’s crazy. So this is pretty cool and I’m going to enjoy it.”
(On if he hopes fellow Brit and Saints DE Alex Jenkins will get a chance to get on the field.) – “Hopefully. Funny enough, I actually met Alex in Florida because he was training where I train, so I actually got to chat with him for a bit. It’s good to see that he’s still with the team. Hopefully they put him out there. We’ll see.”
Jay Cutler – September 29, 2017
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Friday, September 29, 2017
QB Jay Cutler
(How was your travel over here?) – “It was good.”
(I heard it was a little bumpy.) – “It was really bumpy. There was a lot of bumps.”
(Did you get a lot of sleep?) – “I didn’t do bad. I didn’t do bad.”
(How was the crew?) – “The crew was great. The crew was really good.”
(How was the Virgin Atlantic flight crew?) – “They did great. Everyone with Virgin and at the airport was tremendous to us.”
(What do you think this experience does for the NFL?) – “I’m sure it helps grow the NFL. There’s no doubt coming over here, new fans and a new experience for a lot of people, and it gives the players a chance to see a different country and a different culture and it’s good for us.”
(Have you ever done this trip before?) – “I have.”
(And what worked? What didn’t work the last time around?) – “It was 2010 or 2011. I can’t remember that far back.”
(What’s the hardest about this trip?) – “Today is the hardest part. I mean technically yesterday was a travel day but today, getting through that, you kind of have to fight through today, get on London time and tomorrow we should be okay.”
(How long do you think it takes the body to adjust?) – “Hopefully by Sunday.”
(There’s a couple of guys we talked to on Sunday that said last week practice wasn’t the best. How was it this week?) – “I felt like practice was good last week so I guess I’m not a good judge of that. We did well. We kind of got it broken up today with the travel but we should be fine.”
(Have you spoken to QB Ryan Tannehill about how to play at Wembley Stadium and that kind of atmosphere?) – “Yes, he’s given me some advice. Did I play in Wembley? I don’t know if I played there when I was here. The fans get into it so it’ll be a fun atmosphere.”
(Do you watch the Game of Thrones?) – “I watched, I think up until Season 4, so I’m a little behind so don’t spoil it. (laughter)”
(So if you had to pick someone on the show to put on your team, who would you choose and where would you put him?) – “I can’t do that right now. I’m tired. (laughter)”
Adam Gase – September 28, 2017
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Thursday, September 28, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What did you see from LB Lawrence Timmons? Anything stand out yesterday?) – “He looked good. Running around. He looked excited to be out there. Great energy, which he always brings. Put him on the football field, he’s happy to be out there.”
(Your run defense – I think I’ve asked you about it before – but do you trust what you’ve seen with it so far as far as the numbers? Are they reflecting what you’re seeing on the field?) – “I try to stay away from getting too caught up in any numbers right now. It’s early in the season. When we watch the film together – when I watch it with the defense – I’m listening more to the details of what we’re doing and where we may need to clean some things up. I think those guys have a great sense of urgency to continue making this about team defense and making sure everybody’s doing their job, to where we don’t have those long runs, where we don’t have a game where we slip up and a team can run the ball on us. We want to be the type of team that every week, the opponent is going, ‘We’re going to try to run the ball; but it’s probably going to be really tough for us.’ That’s really my biggest thought process week in and week out is hearing (Defensive Coordinator) Matt (Burke) talk about the things that they want to correct and how they want to clean things up.”
(I’m sure, obviously, you think about everything this week about how to jump start your offense – every possible option. Have you given much thought – without compromising any game plan stuff, obviously – have you given much thought (to) your second-year, talented players you have in WR Jakeem Grant and RB Kenyan Drake. You have quality veterans ahead of them but in terms of incorporating them more, has that been a thought) – “The first two games, we’ve had some … We’ve put some packages in where we’re trying to get guys involved in the game. Like the first game, when you get crunched down to – I think we had eight possessions – then you see how the game is going. You’re kind of like, ‘Okay, if I do that and it doesn’t work, is that going to throw us off?’ You start thinking of the next step. The last game, it’s kind of the same thing. We’re not really going anywhere and we’re not feeling it. We didn’t have a great rhythm, so it’s like do we put different guys in there and see if that jump-starts us or is that going to hurt us? You’re trying to think through everything, and it’s happening … You can’t predict what’s going to happen two series down the road. Sometimes you’ve just got to say, ‘Alright, pull the trigger and we’re going to do this.’ You’re hoping guys will execute the plan correctly. It is hard sometimes to pull ‘23’ (Jay Ajayi) off the field, ‘14’ (Jarvis Landry), ‘11’ (DeVante Parker), ‘10’ (Kenny Stills). That’s a tough pill to swallow, because you know those are talented players. The fact that we do have some guys that are behind all these guys that have the ability to make explosive plays, that’s really a benefit to us. We’ve just got to figure out a way … What’s the best way for us to get them involved?”
(Do you sense from your players this week, an anxiousness to right all the wrongs from last week?) – “Yesterday, what I saw was a group of guys that were ready to come out to practice and do what they’ve been doing all year. Yesterday I saw great intensity. I saw guys moving fast. I saw guys trying to execute things the right way. Really, at the end of the day, if we do that, that gives us our best chance to win the game.”
(Along those lines, you come in Monday and yesterday and from what I read, frustration, anger. Do players take a cue from their coach? Did you sense anything like that from your team?) – “They got a good feel for me, especially the offensive guys who are around me a lot. I know the defensive guys know that I want the offense to be stronger than what we’ve been the last however many games going back to last year, because I feel like I owe that to them. I watch these guys play. I watch the effort that they play with – guys like Cam Wake, (Ndamukong) Suh, Kiko (Alonso), guys like Reshad (Jones). I feel like I owe them a, ‘I want to get you guys a lead, so you guys can go rush the passer.’ I feel like I haven’t come through for them yet to where they get a lead and are able to have a 10-, 14-point lead in the fourth quarter to where they can really go to work. They know that’s how I feel about that. Sometimes where my frustration comes from on Monday, if I don’t feel like we played well enough on offense (is) because I feel like (the) offensive side of the ball – which I’m in charge of – isn’t performing to the team’s expectations. That’s really why we’ve got to go back to work. We can put a good plan together Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and come out and coach as hard as we can and make sure that we do everything we can to get ready for the next one.”
(Are you anticipating using the two guys at left guard again Sunday?) – “We’ll see how it goes. We’re going to see how today goes. Usually we don’t make it that big of a deal. (Offensive Line Coach) Chris (Foerster) does a great job. He reps so many guys in practice because he has got to have contingency plans. If somebody goes down, we might have to shuffle some pieces around. By the end of the week, we usually have a great idea of, ‘Alright, here’s what we’re going to do,’ and then we’ll see, play off of that. If one guy is playing really well, we’re not going to take him out.”
(Regarding RB Jay Ajayi, he’s going back to London, nursing a knee – however big a deal that is – getting his brand launched, he said he thinking about kneeling during the national anthem. Any concern that he’s got too much on his plate or have you talked to him about time management?) – “The one thing I know about Jay is that when the ball’s kicked off, he’s going to be ready to go. When I look at the way that he’s performed since I’ve been around him, he hasn’t let any of his teammates down yet. I just know when it’s go-time, he’s ready to go.”
(The Saints defense looked much improved last week. They had a good showing against Carolina. What do you see in those guys?) – “Sometimes when you play a division game, it’s what you want to do. You know them, you’re familiar, you’re not scheming them so much as ‘Hey, this is how we’re playing.’ They played fast and they played well and they did a lot of things that disrupted what Carolina was trying to do, and that’s probably what they needed. Obviously, we’re coming off the game we did and they’re coming off the game they had and it’s probably one of those things where they’re looking at us saying, ‘Okay, how are they going to play us?’ And our guys are looking at them the same way. Really, it’s going to be about emotion, attitude, really who wants it more in this game, because we’re both taking long trips and we’re playing on neutral ground, so it’s going to be what each team is going to bring to the table.”
(Managing this trip, the front end you guys practice today, leave tonight, fly, you get there, you’re going to practice when you land, I believe. How do you manage the back end of the trip? Do you get back on a regular schedule next week?) – “Our thought process was, ‘We’re playing the next week.’ Right now, we feel like we’ve got a good schedule for the rest of the week and then next week. Our guys are just focused on this stuff right now. If you ask one of our players, ‘Hey what are you going to do on Monday?’ they’re trying to make sure, ‘When we land (in London), where do we go now?’ They’re not thinking too far ahead.”
(What’s your overall message to the players in terms of logistics and time management for Friday and Saturday, leading into Sunday’s game?) – “Really, we have a pretty tight schedule with what we’re doing with when we land and getting to the hotel and moving on and going to practice. We have some things that we’re going to do with the guys to make sure their bodies good and hydration and all those types of things. The biggest thing is getting sleep and making sure that when Sunday comes, we make them feel as normal as possible. Our guys have been doing a good job, especially these first two weeks. We’ve been talking about it. This is going to be an interesting little bit of a run for us. It started with that first week in LA of making sure you do all these little detailed things right because it’s going to carry over week after week after week. I feel like our guys have done a good job of hearing what we’re saying and trying to do what we’re asking them to do. When we get to this game, we’ll see. We’ll see how much that’s paid off for us.”
(When Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke was in here, he was talking about how he was preaching to the cornerbacks, ‘One step closer, one step closer’ in order to get more pass breakups. What are you seeing as far as the cornerbacks as far as getting a little bit closer to receivers and being able to influence plays a little bit more?) – “It’s one of those things that’s easy to say, tough to do, because you’re on an island a lot. You’re exposed. (When) you get beat, there’s no doubt who got beat. It takes some – you know what I want to say – but to go up and challenge a guy and play one-on-one and be aggressive and challenge balls, you have to be right in your technique. You have to understand what the scheme is, you have to understand what you’re doing on defense. There’s a lot of variables that go into that, but really the guys that are the best ones I’ve ever been around, they are aggressive and they don’t have a conscience about anything. If they get beat, they don’t care. ‘Hey, I got beat, I’ll fix it,’ and they go on to the next one. I mean they care at the fact that they just got beat, but they’re not going to hang on it and they’ll learn from the experience. The best ones I’ve been around have done that. That’s what we’re encouraging our guys (to do), ‘Hey, be aggressive.’ I like that. That’s one of the qualities I really like about Matt is he’s trying to instill that in our defense of if we want to be a great defense, we’ve got to be aggressive.”
(With the cornerbacks, how much does it go into being confident in what you’re seeing on film, recognizing splits and formations?) – “I think a lot of this profession is confidence, and when you think you’re good, that’s sometimes all you need. Then you add that extra element of understanding the game, understanding what you’re doing, understanding what they’re doing, what they’re trying to do, what their philosophy is. If you put those two things together, that’s going to give you your best chance.”
Matt Burke – September 28, 2017
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Thursday, September 21, 2017
Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke
(What’s it like having LB Lawrence Timmons back in the mix this week?) – “It’s been good. He’s been happy to be here. (laughter) No, he’s been positive. He’s had good energy. I think any time something gets taken away from you like that, he was excited and grateful to be back and have a good opportunity to get back on the field. He’s been excellent. His energy has been great. He’s been engaged. I’ve been happy to have him around.”
(Nothing against LB Chase Allen but what can LB Lawrence Timmons bring that maybe has been missing?) – “Well, he’s played a lot of football in his time. He can run (and) hit. He can do everything. He’s an important part of our defense and has been, and how we planned that out. He’s a guy that’s played 100-and-something games and had 100-and-something tackles every year. He’s a physical presence. He’s a great football player so he’s going to help us out.”
(When the linebackers are asked to drop back and play more of a vision defense, so to speak, LB Lawrence Timmons been pretty experienced in doing that. He does a good job of doing that. Has that been something that has been missing? Something he can add to the table?) – “Again, I think in general, he’s a really good football player that we were counting on to play a lot of football for us, so (he can add to the table) in all areas; but yes, again, part of being a veteran player is that he’s seen a lot of football. He’s seen all those routes that people have to match up and break on certain throws. He’s seen it all – 100 times or 200 times. He does have a good feel when he’s dropping in space and where the patterns are coming from and how to match things up and how to break on certain throws. Again, he’s probably one of the better tackling players on our team so then obviously getting guys down on the ground. He does bring that element to us.”
(Have you given any thought at all this week – any serious thought – to any personnel changes in the defensive backfield? Or do you feel like there just aren’t options because your backups there, except for S Michael Thomas, are primarily young guys who might not be ready?) – “I give serious thought every week on personnel lineups. It is part of what we do. After every game, we evaluate obviously schematic issues and personnel issues, and not just in the secondary – up front and everywhere on the field. Every week, that’s going to be an ongoing discussion. ‘How do we have a better chance to win? Does this player give us a better chance to win? Does this call give us a better chance to win? Does moving this guy somewhere else give us a better chance to win?’ That’s part of what we do every week and that’s part of our postgame evaluation process. There’s always going to be those conversations and if we come to the determination that a different player is a better fit for us or a different way we’re playing something or a different technique, then that’s our job to find that out and to do it. There’s always those discussions, for sure.”
(With this group specifically this week, do you still feel like CB Byron Maxwell, CB Xavien Howard, obviously S Reshad Jones and S Nate Allen give you the best chance to win as a starting group?) – “Maybe? (laughter) Like I said, that’s still part of the process. Part of also our week is the same thing. Nothing is set in stone. I think, again, (Head Coach) Adam (Gase)’s history has proven that here. I think the way we’ve done things has proven that out, has beared that out. We’re mixing guys around a little bit and week to week. If this week we say this is still the best way for us to win, then that’s how we’re going to play ball. If we feel there’s a better way to do things, then we’ll do that.”
(I know the Saints come at you a lot of different ways.) – “They sure do.”
(What’s the first thing you need to take away out of that offense?) – “The quarterback? Take him away and we’ll be alright. (laughter)”
(Just get in Saints QB Drew Brees’ face?) – “Listen, he’s a great, great quarterback. Obviously he’s done it for a long time. He’s obviously controlling everything. Him and (Saints Head Coach) Sean Payton, they’ve been together for a long time so they’ve got a good feel in what they’re calling and how they’re setting things up. They’ve got some good running backs. They’ve got some good receivers. It’s a talented offense, obviously; but everything starts with No. 9 (Brees). We’ve got to do our best. With a guy like that, you’re not going to make a living fooling him. Again, he’s seen it all. He’s played a lot of football in his time. We’ve just got to do our best, really at every level, to just try to make him a little bit more uncomfortable. To me, he’s at his best when he gets in his rhythm and when you look up, he’s 30-for-32 and he’s just grooving, whether it’s because he’s not getting pressure, he’s got easy completions, or whether he’s moving things around. He’s probably one of the better quarterbacks in the league at tempo, in terms of quick-snapping, really getting up on the ball and moving. Not even being in no-huddle, but just breaking the huddle, getting up, knowing what he wants and going. We’ve got to try to break that rhythm a little bit; and again, at all levels, whether it’s getting him in the rush, batting a ball down, disrupting some routes, maybe showing a disguise and trying to give him just a one-second pause. He’s going to decipher it. That’s what he does. But just finding ways to not let him get in that rhythm where he just – we’ve all seen him – start grooving and get going. We’ve just got to find ways to just mix it up at all levels of defense to try to get him to pause a second.”
(Do you trust your run defense is as good as the numbers indicate?) – “What do the numbers indicate?”
(Fourth or fifth in rushing yards per game?) – “I don’t know. I try to avoid numbers. Numbers lie to you. (laughter) I feel good about where we’ve been in the run game. Obviously so far, I feel like we’ve had success. As you guys know, it’s been a point of emphasis for us from January or whenever it was. The guys are buying into it. We’ve done a pretty good job. I feel like, again, some of the players we’ve brought in – between Will Hayes and some of the guys up front that we drafted – and hopefully now we get Lawrence (Timmons) back. That’s another element we feel is a physical player in the run game. I feel like they’ve taken that to heart and they’ve done a pretty solid job.”
(Do you feel like it might be another week away for LB Rey Maualuga? Obviously he’s been limited in practice so far this week.) – “Again, we don’t make those determinations yet; but he’s working back. It was good to see him out (at practice). You guys know he was out a little bit yesterday and moving around. He’s progressing. I think he’s getting close. I’m not going to put a timetable on it. Between health-wise and preparation-wise, if he’s ready to go, we’ll play Rey when he’s ready to go. If it’s this week, next week or three weeks, at some point we’re going to hopefully get him back.”
(On LB Stephone Anthony, you had told us last week you hope to settle on one spot. By the end of last week, that spot is what?) – “I don’t know yet. (laughter).”
(You do.) – “I might. (laughter) Again, with Lawrence (Timmons) coming back and still Rey (Maualuga), there’s still some moving pieces. What we’re trying to do is just project … Say we have a healthy lineup – a full complement of all of those guys – where they best slot out. Stephone (Anthony) has played Mike and Will and Sam, really. He’s played everywhere. We haven’t 100 percent settled in on it with him yet but I don’t know. That’s where I’ll leave it at. I would say by next week, maybe I’ll give you a solid answer. How’s that? Is that a deal? (laughter)”
(A two-part question regarding the secondary and pass coverage. I know last week a point of emphasis was on being more physical with the receivers. We talked about that. I wanted to get your assessment on how that went in the Jets game. And also, a stat that I noticed is pass breakups. According to the stat sheet, you only have one pass breakup and your opponents have 11. How much do you read into that?) – “Well, I can’t control what other defenses are doing, so I don’t really read into that part of it at all. Some of that is tied together. Probably one of the more disappointing stats – if you guys want to talk numbers – I don’t know the exact number is but we’re close to giving up like 80 percent completions. So obviously if you’re completing 80 percent of your passes, you’re not getting a lot of pass breakups. I do think that’s tied in a little bit into being more physical on the receivers. Obviously if you’re in tighter coverage and you’re being more physical and you’re draped on guys, the incompletions are going to come and the breakups are going to come. I do think it’s a cohesive … I don’t know if issue is the right word, but it kind of ties in together like that. The thing I always tell those guys, even in practice, I just tell them give me one more step. Let’s get one step closer and if you keep doing that – one step closer, one step closer – they probably hate me. I keep saying that on repeat out there. Again, whether it’s putting hands on them or just one step quicker out of your breaks – all of those things – that’s all I preach to these guys. Just give me one more step. You’re in the right spot. Last week, I probably put (Alterraun) Verner in a tough spot on that long touchdown. I made a bad call to put him out there like that. But other than that, we didn’t give up anything over our heads. We were there. We weren’t cutting guys loose necessarily, except for the long touchdown. We’re there. Now just give me that one more step and let’s get there and get the ball out. Even ‘X,’ (Xavien Howard), his two completions that he gave up, he’s draped all over the guy. The one, I don’t even know if it was questionable, that maybe hit the ground and then the tight end is a big guy – (Austin) Seferian-Jenkins. (Howard) is on his back and the guy just bodies him out. He’s on him. ‘X’ is draped all over the guy. So for him, now that next step is to get the ball out now. He’s covering guys. One more step for him might be getting the ball out. One more step for ‘Max’ (Byron Maxwell) might be getting his hands on a little bit tighter. One more step for Nate Allen, whoever it is – all of those guys – I always preach just give me one more step then what you’re giving me right now and if we keep doing that, then we’re going to get to where we want to get to.”
(How much of it is just being confident in what you see as far as the route anticipation and things of that nature?) – “That’s part of it. That’s part of being a DB. Part of what we do all week in the film study is understanding ‘Here is this guy’s split. Here’s the stem he’s coming off on the route. What am I expecting off that? Or I’ve seen this before?’ Again, that’s part of what those guys have to do in terms of studying their opponents and the receivers they’re going to line up across and those sort of things. That’s absolutely part of all of it, for sure.”
(You were with DE William Hayes years ago. How has he evolved since then?) – “I was with Will as a rookie. We drafted him my last year in Tennessee. I don’t know if evolved is the right word. (laughter) He’s probably about the same. We drafted him out of Winston-Salem State. He was a small school kid. He came into the NFL and literally, sort of like he is now, it wasn’t too big for him. I know you guys probably get the off-beat side of him but he’s a tough SOB. He’s a hardcore dude. He was like that from the start. Again, sometimes you get those small school players and it’s too big. He never blinked. He played for us as a rookie in Tennessee and kind of had the connection. I had a lot of ties to those players and that sort of lineage of coaches and people down there. So to follow Will’s career, I left the next year up to Detroit; but I would always watch those defenses and keep track of what’s going on. I honestly don’t know that he’s changed much. It’s probably more of a testament that he’s 10 or whatever years in and that he’s still playing the same way. He’s a hard man to block in the run game. He’s a hard guy to block. He takes pride in it. He’s a tempo setter for us. He’s who he is. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He doesn’t hide behind anything and goes out there and plays some football. I’ve been seeing it for 10-plus years now. It really hasn’t changed much.”
(From the limited number of snaps that your young defensive backs can get during a normal regular season work week now. I’m speaking of CB Torry McTyer, CB Cordrea Tankersley and S Maurice Smith. Have any of those three done anything in the last few weeks to make you think maybe you should consider them?) – “We work all of those guys in. We don’t, especially in the secondary … In the front, in practice, those guys get reps. A little side note, but last week, one of the points that I made in one of my meetings … We go through a week of preparation – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – and Friday morning was one of our last meetings, a wrap-up meeting. I called ‘Mo’ (Maurice) Smith down to the front of the room. I basically asked him five questions about the game plan, just specific stuff that those guys should know. He nailed all five of them. My point was, just to everybody, last week Chase Allen had to start a football game unexpectedly. On a Saturday we said, ‘Bro, you’re starting tomorrow,’ and he went out there and performed. My point is that everybody in that room – that sits in our defensive room – is on call. We saw it last year with injuries and stuff like that, guys that got called up, even the practice squad guys. Our message always to those guys is ‘Hey man, you’re in here. You’re listening to these meetings. You may only get two reps in practice but you’ve got to be responsible and know this stuff because you’re one step away from going into the game and you owe it to the rest of this defense, the rest of the people in this room, to be prepared and know what’s going on and be ready to step in when you’re called upon. That’s the message that we preach day-in and day-out. I believe that all three of those players, if they’re called upon, will be ready to go. ‘Mo’ (Smith) has been active and playing for us anyways. Those two young corners, they’re competitive dudes. One of the things that I love about the way (Head Coach) Adam (Gase) runs practice is when they’re on scout team, taking some of those reps, we don’t card practice necessarily for those guys. We put it into our terms. So as close as we can, we try to get those guys to play our techniques. Even though they’re on the scout team, we’re calling it in our language. We try to script it out in our language and say this is similar to the way we play this. Those guys take pride in that. I think (they take) pride, more so than some of the other guys I’ve been around, for young corners. They compete in those. They go up and they’re trying to make Jarvis (Landry) better and DeVante (Parker) and Kenny (Stills) and all of those guys. Those two players – McTyer and ‘Tank’ (Tankersley) – they’re competitive dudes and they work in practice. They get a couple of reps every period for our stuff too and they go out. Whoever’s number is called, they’ve got to go out and play, no matter what.”
(As a follow up that, do you do that often? Bring players to the front of the room and ask them …?) – “I’ll tell you, that was an old (Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator) Jim Schwartz move. He started that. He did that a lot when I was in Tennessee on defense and did it. (He) actually (did it) in Detroit too. He was the head coach and he would do it with the whole team. We’d be in a team meeting on Friday. The funny thing is too, it’s easy, right? Like this (media) stuff even. It’s easy. Everyone sits up in the stands, up in their seats, up in the auditorium and yells out answers, and then it’s different when you walk down in front of the room and the room is slanted and there’s 60 guys and they’re all heckling you and stuff. That’s a little bit different too. We would like call them down and you’re standing in front of your team or your defense. I always thought that was a cool way to just kind of make those points that everyone in this room is responsible. He was … I’m spilling beans here … (Schwartz) was like extreme. Anybody that was in the room was responsible to know what they had to know. So if there was an equipment guy in the room for the meeting, he’d call him down; or he’d call a security director down and ask him about gun concealment laws, or he’d call a trainer down and ask about insertion points of this muscle. (laughter) It was literally like ‘Hey man, we’re all counting on each other in this room and so you have to be able to prove to the rest of these guys in this room that I’m doing my job, and I know what I’m supposed to know and be there for you guys when I’m called upon.’ I always took that message to heart. I thought it was a good deal and I thought last week was a good time in light of – I don’t do it every week – but in light of sort of what had happened the week before with Chase (Allen) and kind of try to make a point of ‘Everyone’s on this. We’re in this together and I don’t care if you’re a practice squad guy or an inactive guy or a rookie or a coach or whatever in this room, we’ve got to be ready at the drop of a dime to step up and fill in some shoes.’”
(Have you called on an equipment guy?) – “No. That was the first time I did it. He called on me once when I was ‘QC’ (quality control coach). I’m getting carried away here. (laughter) Back when I was doing it too, QC, I was the only one and breaking down film. I’m working two weeks ahead sometimes trying to work on the next opponent, getting my film broken down and stuff. I was like three opponents ahead and he called me up in front of the defense and I’m like ‘I don’t even remember who we’re playing week,’ and he put me on a spot. I remember that lesson too. It was good. I just had to dial it back like ‘Who are we playing this week again? Alright. This is what they’re doing.’ So I’ve been called upon but I haven’t drug anybody else into it yet.”
Clyde Christensen – September 28, 2017
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Thursday, September 28, 2017
Offensive Coordinator Clyde Christensen
(Players spoke this week about mental errors, how Head Coach Adam Gase has mentioned mental errors. What have those been primarily? Has it been not lining up in the right spots? Not reacting to QB Jay Cutler changing plays at the line? What have they been?) – “Probably all the above. We’ve had all of the above. We’ve had some alignment issues. We’ve had some assignment issues. We do ask a lot of them. We play them in a lot of different positions and the thing that I think was disappointing is I thought we really had a good week of practice. That’s kind of been the theme. Somewhere from Friday until Sunday, we lost our edge and we weren’t as sharp. We really had a sharp week of practice. There weren’t a bunch of mental errors in practice and we had three really good practices that we thought were really quality practices, and it didn’t translate, which is perplexing to a coach, because the basis would be that you’re going to play how you practice, and that didn’t happen this week, which is very rare. It was a good week of practice.”
(These mental errors are happening at what positions primarily?) – “They were wide spread. They were wide spread. Everyone’s were up a little bit. Everyone’s (mental errors) were up a little bit and give the Jets credit too. They also whipped us. We didn’t lose the game because of … They also physically got after us and so it was a total woodshed, woodshedding if you will. The critical errors were up. Some were mental, some were physical, some were drops, some were misses, some were … They come in different forms there, so it wasn’t all just mental errors.”
(What do you expect to see on Sunday?) – “I expect to see a team rebound and, having been embarrassed last week, come out with a vengeance, just like the Jets did. They were sitting there at 0-2 and they came out and got after their opponent, which happened to be us. I would expect the same thing (from us) and I don’t think anyone’s pleased with how we played. We didn’t have a bunch of people play winning football and I think you’ll see some guys with some pride come back out and be real disappointed if we don’t come out and play extremely hard and extremely competitive, compete extremely hard in the ball game. That would be the first thing I’d look at, and then fixing some of those errors, and then also just figuring out what took place from Friday to Sunday. It’s a seven-day work week, if you will. The preparation is all week and so we have to find a way for that to go all the way to the football game. It’s been rare that I felt like the opponent had more juice than we did and that the opponent was more ready to play and there was more energy; but that was the case last Sunday. We’ve got to reverse that. We’ve got to play with our energy. We’ve got to play hard and that’s the chance we have. This game isn’t a game of out-ability-ing somebody. It still comes down to energy and effort and hitting.”
(Obviously in preseason and for what it’s worth it is preseason, we saw WR Jakeem Grant as a factor in the offense. How long before you think we might see him lining up more in the offense along the way?) – “I do. I do and I have and I probably thought we … even going back to last year, there were some packages up for him. I know you guys are tired of hearing me say it and I’m tired of saying it but just number of snaps again. You can’t go six percent on third down and there’s not enough snaps to get him in and get some of the other things called. I think you have seen him a little bit more. His catches in games are a couple of hundred percent up, so he is getting a little something; but I think our intention is to keep playing him. He had a good camp. He’s practiced extremely well. He’s playing well and he’s a good football player. The intention is to get him in there. He is behind three really good receivers who also had good camps, so it’s not quite as easy as ‘Hey, who do we take out for those plays?’ But I think the goal was to play more people, especially during this stretch, just to keep people fresh, and we have the advantage of doing that because we’re a little deep at that position. So we do want to get him into the game more and get him involved, and he is a playmaker. He is playing well.”
(Can the downfield passing game just emerge as a factor or does it depend on say the running game or maybe an underneath passing game to set it up?) – “D: All of the above. We are much better if we’re running the ball and our play-actions can come off those runs. That’s where we’re better. We’re better when that’s happening. Can it? Sure, I mean Jay Cutler can get into the gun and throw the ball and he’s had some big years. He can throw the football. We feel like we have good receivers and stuff, so I think both. Both of the above. But again, the ideal for us would be running the ball better, which we failed at this last weekend and for the naked (bootlegs) and the play-actions to come off of that as a starting point.”
(What are some of the things that are kind of precluding you guys from running the football a little bit better?) – “I think we’re getting the eight-man front. We’re getting people loading the box, which is no surprise for us, and then we just didn’t block them very well. We didn’t block them very well and didn’t run the ball well, and they kind of out-physicaled us. They did out-physical us. We have to reverse that and then we have to be efficient throwing the ball on first and second down also, to help the run game. It’s hard to block. It’s hard if they say whatever happens, you’re not running the ball. Those are hard carries. Those are hard blocks. You’re out-leveraged, there’s too many guys, there’s an extra guy, they’re downhill, they’re heavy in there, and that is a hard call run-wise. You can’t just say we’re going to knock all eight of them back 5 yards and run the football. They’re all tied together and so certainly they build off of each other, and we really broke down Sunday on both of them. We didn’t run it. We didn’t set up the play-action. We didn’t throw the ball well enough to soften them up where we could run it. They kind of fed off of each other and it’s really a combination of both things. It wasn’t one thing over the other.”
(How would assess the overall performance of the offensive line for these two games?) – “This week, I think the overall performance of the offense was dismal. We were poor in every … I wouldn’t even just say the offensive line; but the whole unit, we didn’t play very well. We played poorly and it showed and for all intents and purposes, we got shut out in the football game. I think it’s hard to assess it for … We have some guys playing well up there. (Mike) Pouncey’s played extremely well. (Anthony) Steen’s playing extremely well up front. So those guys did, even though … It’s not everybody but it’s … Fortunately, it’s a team game. Fortunately, it is a unit and everyone has to do their part and it’s hard to yank down and say this guy or that guy.”
(Can you assess what you’ve gotten at tight end and do you need more of the same?) – “I think it’s a good room. I think we’ve got some veteran guys. I think they would tell you that they can play better than that. I think that’s what they would say and I’d agree with them. We can play better at the tight end position. We could play better at every positon in this past game, but we have to play better and we have to get some big plays out of those guys. They’re huge. They’re the hybrid. They have to be able to pass protect defensive ends and block defensive ends and get open on safeties and make big plays and do all those things, so it’s a hard position; but it’s really a key one for us, because we have so many things that are kind of dependent on it with the outside zone and then all of the play-actions off of it.”
(On third downs, what determines whether you or Head Coach Adam Gase opt for RB Damien Williams or for RB Jay Ajayi and where does that decision stand at this point?) – “Yes, that game was kind of out of hand. We want to get … Jay is our horse. That’s a good time to rest him because we have two guys that can really catch the ball and make big plays catching the ball. Jay can also, but third down, especially later in that game, especially with Jay nursing the knee and soreness and stuff, it was a good chance for us to get those other guys in. A lot of it depends on if it’s a zone game, if it’s a man game, the matchups. We want to play them all on third down. Our intention is to put Damien and Kenyan in the game on some of those third-down passing yards, 2-minute (offense), and that’s two-fold because they are good players and they make some big plays and they’re natural receivers, and it gives us a chance to breathe Jay. Hopefully you’re still running the ball in the fourth quarter, which wasn’t the case; but, you’re still running the ball and it’s still a game in the balance where you can stay balanced and you want Jay fresh on that first and second down.”
(After this game, how much emphasis and after watching the film, how much emphasis has been placed on everybody winning their individual battles, everybody winning their one-on-ones?) – “Tons. The better ingredients, better sandwich, right? The better everyone is playing individually, the better unit. We need people to play winning football. That was the emphasis of the week. If we don’t play winning football individually, it’s not going to add up to a winning effort. So, I think a lot. A lot. That’s where you have to fix it on an individual basis. If you didn’t play winning football, find out what happened. Why didn’t you? Let’s fix it and play winning football. Obviously the more guys we have playing winning football, the better chance that unit is at being pretty good. It’s a big emphasis. If you do break it down that way, then it still comes down to one-on-ones, 11 one-on-ones. If eight of the guys are losing their one-on-ones, it’s going to be a tough day out there. We’ve got to have more guys playing winning football.”
Darren Rizzi – September 28, 2017
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Thursday, September 28, 2017
Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi
(Any concerns about the missed extra point by K Cody Parkey at the end of the Jets game? How do you view that? It was almost extenuating circumstances.) – “Yes, obviously you’re always concerned with that play. It seems to be a common theme across the league now. The last couple of years, you’ve seen more and more. I think it’s already like nine teams have missed one (this year). Yes, I am concerned. He actually hit a good ball, it wasn’t like it was an operational thing. It was just a little technique flaw. He had a really good day in practice yesterday, so I’m certainly not overly concerned about it. It was a little bit of a crazy deal because Cody played two plays – the first play of the game and the last play of the game. That’s certainly a very extenuating circumstance, if you will, but I am very positive he’ll get it fixed.”
(I know we ask about WR/PR Jakeem Grant all of the time. He did have the fumble against the Jets. What’s your level of concern there?) – “Yes, he’s got to finish that play. I think he relaxed a little bit. It was a fair catch deal and I thought he just relaxed. He’s been really, really cognizant of finishing the plays. It’s something that we reviewed watching the game film and he’s just got to make sure he finishes the play. Like I said, I think he relaxed a little bit. I think I showed the team the last couple of weeks – that’s been another common theme throughout the league – I’ve shown like four or five muffs (by) a lot of sure-handed guys around the league. Without naming names, you go through and you look at a lot of guys throughout the league have fumbled fair catches inside the 10. You see that a lot of times in the beginning of the season. A lot of these marquee returners or guys that are starting returners don’t actually get a lot of game reps in the preseason. Now Jakeem is a guy that did, but a lot of these veteran guys (don’t) so you see a lot of balls on the ground. Again, the biggest thing there, the biggest factor is you’ve just got to finish that play. Just finish with the ball.”
(On the flip side with WR/PR Jakeem Grant, he fielded a punt inside the 5- or 10-yard line, whereas last year, under those circumstances, it would have been WR Jarvis Landry who was back there. Obviously it’s a statement in the increased confidence in Jakeem?) – “Yes. It continues to be a situational thing. There was going to be a couple of times where had they punted, Jarvis would have been up there as well; but we’re going to continue to rotate those guys. Jarvis had been in the week before on the one that we got a hand on – the one Senorise (Perry) got a hand on. They’re both ready to go, both practicing. They’re both part of the game plan. It’s really a situational thing. But as far as my confidence in Jakeem, certainly from last year, it’s certainly better.”
(Who’s been your best punt coverage guy so far through two games?) – “Best punt coverage guy is probably Mike Thomas so far. We’ve had a mix of guys get people on the ground. Mike Hull had a tackle last week in punt coverage and we’ve had a bunch of different guys. I feel like overall, in that phase right now, we’re getting good effort. We’re a little bit sloppy, I thought, with just some of the things we teach – our technique stuff. So that’s one of the things we’ve really harped on this week.”
(And for kick coverage?) – “Kick coverage, well obviously we only had the one last week, and it was a touchback. So really going back to the first game, obviously (Kenyan) Drake, Senorise (Perry), Mike Thomas, those are the guys that kind of stick out.”
(This London thing, you’ve done it already before. Do you think you’ve got a pretty good formula on how to deal with it, even though it’s been a little crazy this year leading up to it?) – “Yes, I think the way we’re doing it in terms of the timing, leaving tonight and doing it that way, I really thought that that was good the last couple of times. I’ve talked to other coaches and players that have been out there for the whole week and everything, and there’s pros and cons to both. We’ve given our guys a plan of action. I think (Head Coach) Adam (Gase) has really laid out a great plan. We went through it yesterday morning – it seemed like it was about three days ago, but yes, yesterday morning – he kind of laid out a plan for our guys and how exactly we’re going to do it, the itinerary. I really think we’re doing it the right way. The rest obviously is a huge thing. The sleep is obviously a big thing – the time difference – but from having gone over there a couple of times, we obviously talked about a bunch of stuff and consulted a little bit. I really like our plan going into it.”
(If you could talk in general about CB Bobby McCain coming off the edge on field goal and extra point blocks. Is there a certain angle? Does he have to avoid a reach block from this guy? Is he going for the ball or a point?) – “It’s definitely a knack that you have to have. The one thing we harp on the most with that deal is that most kickers are getting that ball of between 1.25 and 1.3 seconds. That’s pretty quick. So in order for an outside edge guy to get home and block or affect a kick, he’s got to have really, really good technique, to a point where if you have one wasted step, you’re not going to get there. Literally, if you have one false step or a slow get off. It starts with your get off, off the ball, coming off the edge. It starts really with your alignment and then your get off. Those two things have to be precise, and then the footwork. Bobby’s really worked at that and we have a technique we call the drive-and-crank – not to get too technical on you – and he’s really become really good at that and he enjoys doing it. It’s a thing that he’s really been accountable for and he’s really accepted that role. Like I said, he’s been a factor here doing that role. I really like the way he’s been playing on that.”
(Do you know the success rate of that under yourself or league wide over any amount of time?) – “Success rate in terms of?”
(Of getting a tip on the ball?) – “To me, it’s not even always about getting your hand on it. It’s about just being a presence there for the kicker. We talked about the first game, I think (Bobby McCain) affected that one. I think a couple of times, the kicker feels that edge pressure, there’s no doubt about it. You talk to kickers and they go out there and practice with their tees and everything, and they don’t like a lot of noise around them – kickers and punters. They don’t like a lot of noise. They like to be comfortable and so we try put them in an uncomfortable position. In talking to plenty of kickers throughout the years, they’ll be the first ones to tell you, they can feel that edge pressure sometimes. Even if you don’t block it, you can still affect the kick for sure.”
(Getting back to kickoff coverage, if I’m reading the stats right, K Cody Parkey’s distance is really good on kickoffs and yet there haven’t been as many touchbacks, is that right? You’re okay with all of those stats?) – “With only two games so far, they hand me the stats and I don’t even look at them until we get a little bit more of a body of work. I will say this, Cody Parkey’s kickoffs, when we ask him to drive the ball, he’s been really good so far. He had a really good day at practice yesterday. He can drive the ball out of the end zone. he can drive it deep into the end zone. There’s other times – like in the (Los Angeles Chargers) game – we had multiple kickoffs, where we actually asked him, we’re not driving the ball deep every time, we’re asking him to lay it up a little bit and try to get coverage and get tackled inside the 25. The thing I would say about him is he does both well. He’s a guy that can do both. I think sometimes when you look at that distance stuff, his drive ball is good and his average might be good, but it’s a little bit skewed because we’re asking him to lay it up sometimes as opposed to driving it in the end zone. We’ve done both. So it can be a little bit skewed, the numbers. Like all numbers. (Laughter).”
(How do you evaluate P Matt Haack’s play so far?) – “I’d just like him to be a little bit more consistent. Last week (against the Jets), there were a couple of low snaps that he got out of there pretty quickly. He flipped the field twice for us though, in that game. (He’s a) very, very talented guy. One of the punts he hit last week was a 5.25 hang time. He really allowed our coverage to get down there, and the gunners and ‘Mike T’ (Michael Thomas) got him on the ground. Really the same so far, (I’d) just like to see him … Obviously with game experience, he’s going to get better and better and better; but (he’s a) very level-headed guy, a very, very talented player; and again, like all rookies, you’re just looking for that consistency at every position. He’s no different. ”
(What’s a great hang time?) – “If you get a 5-second hang time, that’s a really good hang time. If you keep the ball in the air for five seconds. Anything over five is outstanding.”
(So Hall of Fame punter Ray Guy did that regularly, you think?) – “I don’t know. If you look, overall, your average punt in the NFL, probably for the year, is going to be about 4.5 (second hang time), on average. For every single punt from last season, in 2016, you’re probably going to be somewhere around 4.5. So if you get the ball up around 5.0 and all that, (it’s good). I didn’t time Ray Guy or Reggie Roby and all that. (laughter)“
(So a hang time of 5.0 seconds or greater is great?) – “A 5-second hang time is real good. A 5.25 is elite.”
(You’ll take that every time?) – “Yes. A 5.25 (second hang time) is elite. A 5-second hang time is outstanding. If you get the ball over 5.2 (seconds), you’re really allowing your coverage to do a lot of work. It’s amazing what two-tenths of a second will do. The difference between a 4.6 punt and 4.8 punt is amazing. When those guys are running full speed, two-tenths will allow them how much more distance to gain on the return? When you really break it down, it’s really incredible. When you watch it on film and live action, it’s pretty impressive.”
