Byron Maxwell – October 13, 2016
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Thursday, October 13, 2016
Cornerback Byron Maxwell
(On his level of confidence with how he’s playing personally) – “I’m very confident. That’s where I’ve got to live at, just the position I play and everything.”
(On if the last five weeks have tried him and made him do some soul searching) – “No, I mean you have to be confident in your ability and what you can do. I’ve been a good player in this league for a long time. I know at the end of the day, everything I do has to come back to technique when you’re out there on the field.”
(On Head Coach Adam Gase praising how he bounced back emotionally after the Cincinnati game and if he has been on board and completely locked in) – “Yes, obviously it’s the next game and we’re getting ready for the Steelers. I’ve got to bounce back. This is the NFL; it’s a long season. I’ve just got to be ready.”
(On what keeps him steady after the start of the season he’s had) – “You know it’s a long season and you’re just trying to win some games, basically. That’s how you stay steady. Just go about your work, really just focus on working, really. That’s all you can do.”
(On if he feels like his shoulder is 100 percent) – “Yes, my shoulder is good.”
(On him favoring his shoulder during the game) – “Yes, my shoulder’s good. There is nothing wrong with it.”
(On if he feels like he could tackle better) – “Definitely I feel like I can tackle better. That’s ball though. Teams are going to try to make corners tackle. You have to know that coming into the game and be ready for it. It’s just a mindset, really.”
(On sitting by himself for a while after last Sunday’s game) – “I was just waiting for the traffic to go out.”
(On the challenges of the Pittsburgh passing game) – “Obviously yes, it’s a challenge. Obviously they have 84 (Antonio Brown) but they have a bunch of guys that can take the top off the defense and work the intermediate (routes). It’s a great challenge. They’re going to throw the ball. We’ve got to be ready.”
(On playing against Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who can move around and extend plays, and how difficult it is for a cornerback to cover) – “Yes, it adds an extra two or three seconds and he can get guys off and he is just flinging that ball up. At the same time, it’s an advantage but it can be a disadvantage too. You can get your hands on the ball if you stick with the guy. It’s really just ball skills at that time.”
(On what makes Steelers WR Antonio Brown elite) – “He’s quick. He doesn’t stop; he just keeps going. He can run all of the routes. Not many guys can do that. You can really key on a guy but he can run all of the routes, he can run 9-balls, he can run slants, he can run the whole route tree.”
(On what has gotten him through a slump in the past) – “Just keep working. Just put your head down and keep going and when you look up, you see where you’re at.”
Laremy Tunsil – October 13, 2016
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Thursday, October 13, 2016
Guard/Tackle Laremy Tunsil
(On what happened Sunday morning) – “I slipped out of the shower. I walked out of the shower (and) slipped. Things happen. That’s the only thing I can say, things happen.”
(On if he was actually in the shower or walking out) – “Yes, I was walking out of the shower and I slipped.”
(On if he was at the team hotel) – “Yes.”
(On how bad was his injury) – “I thought I twisted my ankle, the same one I dislocated in college – the one I had surgery on. It was pretty banged up. I thought something was wrong with it. I went to the training room and had a lower sprain so everything is good. I’m ready to be here with my team Sunday and play against the Steelers.”
(On how disappointed he was to miss the game Sunday) – “It was very disappointing not to be out there with your team and a freak accident like that happens, it was very disappointing. I wish I was out there with the guys.”
(On what he sees when he looks at the Steelers defense) – “The Steelers have a nice defense. They are a pretty good team. They play together; they’ve been together for a while. We have to come in there with our A-game and that’s what we’re doing – preparing.”
(On the difference it could make to potentially have all the projected starters on the offensive line on the field together Sunday) – “I think it makes a big difference. It’s very exciting to have all five guys back on the line and be there together.”
(On if he was emotional Sunday when he was told he couldn’t play) – “Like I said, I just want to be out there with my teammates.”
(On if he felt like he let his teammates down) – “Yes, I feel like I did.”
(On if he felt like he could’ve played) – “No, like I said, I twisted my ankle. It’s the same one I had surgery on so I was in pain.”
(On when he had surgery on his ankle) – “2015 – January.”
(On if he dislocated his ankle at that time) – “Yes.”
(On how long was he out with the dislocated ankle) – “I was out that whole year until the season started.”
(On if it was an eight month recovery for him) – “Yes.”
(On if his ankle is still coming back a bit or if it’s fine structurally) – “It’s fine now.”
(On the injury being worse the first time he injured it) – “Yes.”
(On what he was thinking while sitting on the floor) – “Things happen.”
(On when he saw how the offensive line played last week if he thinks he can make an impact) – “There’s always room for improvement. Not just me, we have the whole starting five back. I feel like we can just bring more to the game, more to the offensive line.”
(On if every starter on the offensive line is ready to go) – “Yes, we should be ready to go.”
(On how difficult it was to find out that two of his offensive line mates were released on Tuesday) – “It’s crazy. You build that relationship with those guys and then they get cut. It’s crazy.”
(On if he apologized to his teammates after it happened) – “No, they knew that it was a freak accident. Like I said, things happen. You can’t do much about it.”
Darren Rizzi – October 13, 2016
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Thursday, October 13, 2016
Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi
(On the DT Chris Jones blocked extra point and how much tinkering did they do to get to that) – “First of all great, great effort by him – individual effort. We had a little bit of a schemed up rush on, and the one thing I’ve said about that unit so far this year is we’ve gotten credible effort out of that unit. Not only have we blocked two in five games, but we’ve come close on many, many others. Chris Jones is just one of many guys on that unit that has really given phenomenal effort. If you watch the play, Chris Jones’ hand is here and Jason Jones’ hand is right behind it. I think actually statistically, they initially gave it to Jason Jones and have since changed it. But it looks like Jason Jones might block that if Chris Jones doesn’t. Really, kudos to that whole unit on the effort number one. Number two, again on the scheme part of it, again Chris Jones just gives great effort. It just goes to show you that he’s not the tallest guy in the world – he’s 6’1” and change – and he got himself three yards back into the backfieldn great penetration and then got his hand up. Just really timed it up. We’ve really done a good job on that unit this year of getting our hands up, getting into the peoples backfields. Great job by (Assistant Special Teams Coach) Marwan Maalouf who really handles the front guys in that group. Great effort by the guys in that unit, and again, hopefully we can continue to have success in that area.”
(On how would assess P Matt Darr this season so far and his roughing penalty against Tennessee) – “I’ll start with the roughing penalty. I’ll start with the bad and go to the good. We can’t have that. That can’t happen. I think Matt (Darr) was probably a little bit frustrated (with), maybe, the way the game was going or maybe his bad punt or whatever. Regardless of what he was frustrated at, it’s a bad penalty. It doesn’t matter if it’s the punter, d-tackle, quarterback, receiver. It doesn’t matter who it is. We got to be smarter than that. Matt knows that. (I) talked to Matt about that. We’ll get it corrected. Again, was it frustration? Looked like it to me. I probably was at the time. Things weren’t quite going our way. He probably wasn’t real happy with the result of the return and got to the sideline, got in a little scuffle. I think specialists in particular are a little bit touchy, feely with the physical stuff. So, I think he was a little … He got caught up in there. But the bottom line is we can’t have that. That’s the bottom line. (We) can’t have 15-yard penalties after the whistle. (It) doesn’t matter who it is. It doesn’t help the team. As far as (how) Matt’s season is going, statistically he’s obviously having … If you look on paper, he’s having a really good year. He has been a really good situational punter so far through five games. He has got some really good going in punts, plus 50 punts. We’ve had a lot of punts down inside the 20 (yard line). Something he really tried to improve on this year from last year was some hang time and location. I think we’ve done that. Not every ball has been exactly where we want it, but he has really improved in that area. Kudos to our coverage team so far. Knock on wood. That’s been a pretty good group right now. (We have) got some guys giving phenomenal effort in that group as well. You look last week at guys like Walt Aikens, Bobby McCain, Mike Thomas in particular getting down the field, Mike Hull. (We have) a lot of guys around the ball, and we’re going to have to continue to do that throughout the year, particularly this week. But overall, again, I think Matt is a guy that has been pretty consistent throughout – since the time he got here, from his first preseason last year, right up through this year. In every game we kind of know what we’re going to get. Again, kickers are humans, too. Punters are humans. Every kick is not going to be exact, but again, I really like his approach. I really like how he prepares for games. I really like how he handles himself in practice. He has got a great routine for a young player. People forget he only punted one year in college. He only had one year as a starter at Tennessee, because of their competition there and all that. So, you’re talking about a guy that hasn’t had a great body of work since high school, and that’s pretty impressive.”
(On whether he ran down the field with WR Jakeem Grant on his punt return for a touchdown and if that one play is really an indication of what Grant can do) – “I’ll start with me. Ironically enough – I know you’ll be surprised by this – I was standing still and actually he ran right by me. I had my feet in the ground on that one believe it not. I know that comes as a surprise to some people. As far as Jakeem (Grant) goes, the thing that when we evaluated Jakeem on college film – and I think I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again – for a small guy, usually little guys are shifty and quick and don’t have long speed. It’s just kind of the nature of those smaller guys. Jakeem in high school, if I’m not mistaken, ran like a 10.3 100 meter. He has got long speed as well. So on that particular play, I think he did a hell of job making the first guy miss and then obviously got around the corner. Now, we had some great blocking as well. I think people tend to forget that he didn’t do it by himself. But he did a hell of job once he got into the wall on the sideline of making those last few guys miss. Number one he made the first guy miss, got himself to the sideline. And then number two, the in-and-out cuts. One of the most impressive things I think about the play is his last burst. He makes the last guy miss and his acceleration to finish was outstanding. Yes, you kind of get the whole package here. You see a guy that can move laterally, can finish vertically. He’s still a work in progress. Again I think the one great thing … The one kick return we had later in the game, we should have had a lot more yards. There was a line drive that kicked right to us on the goal line, and he kind of misread that a little bit. So, there are still some things to improve on there. But I think from a talent standpoint – I think when you watch that play – you can certainly see.”
(On if he has ever coached a player with WR Jakeem Grant’s skillset) – “That’s a great question. I’ve been here … I guy like Teddy Ginn certainly was … When I first got here, Teddy won a game for us against the Jets with two kick returns in one game. Teddy might be the fastest goal line-to-goal line guy that we’ve had since I’ve been here in terms of 100 meter open up and run. But ironically enough, Jakeem is not that far behind him in terms of just straight-ahead speed. Now, Jakeem is more shifty and maybe has some more lateral quickness. A guy like Devon Bess was really lateral quick, but he didn’t have the home run speed. So, we’ve had some guys that have had the different skill sets, but Jakeem, again, kind of has that entire package.”
(On how he has helped Head Coach Adam Gase in his role as assistant head coach) – “That’s a great question. Number one I try to take as much off his plate as possible in terms of around the building. (I) try to help him out a lot in that stuff. I think people also forget that not only is he a head coach, he’s calling the offensive plays, so he’s our offensive mind there, too. We’ve had some great conversations throughout – not just this week – since he has gotten here about the daily duties and my thing. Again, I try to take some of that management stuff off of his plate, so he can really concentrate on the things that I think are important. I told him it doesn’t matter … I’ve been a coach – certainly not the NFL level, but I was a Division II head coach and a IAA head coach. The one piece of advice I gave him when he first got here I said, ‘It doesn’t matter where you are, what level – whether it’s high school or Pop Warner – there is a funnel that goes to the head coaches desk from the rest of the building, a funnel of crap, if you will.’ I’ll say it nicely. I think as a head coach when you’re a head coach for the first time – and it happened to me when I was really young at the Division II level – but you have to really do a great job of understanding how to divvy that out and how to delegate, especially in his positon. I think he has done a great job of that. (I am) just trying to help with little things like that around the building. Again, talking through, obviously, the football aspect of it is easy I think – the x’s and o’s and all that stuff. To me, I think, I try to help him with a lot of the other things in the building where he can concentrate on the football part of it and not have to worry about some outside stuff.”
(On whether they will use the defensive or special teams unit if Pittsburgh attempts a two-point conversion and whether it is difficult to include in the package) – “If they leave their offense on the field, that’s going to be the defensive unit. As far as the numbers go, overall statistically in the NFL, it’s still just shy of a 50 percent play, probably in the mid to high 40 percent. Pittsburgh did a hell of a job last year. They’ve done a hell of job when they have gone (for it). They are certainly ahead of the curve, and they’ve also done it more than anybody else. But usually that’s going to be, depending … I would talk to (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) more about that. What’s the offensive personnel in the game? Who do they have in the game? You’re going play matchup there in that kind of situation. Usually – I’m not speaking for Vance (Joseph), but just generally speaking – usually people are going to have their red zone-type calls in that situation depending upon the offense’s personnel and things like that.”
Clyde Christensen – October 13, 2016
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Thursday, October 13, 2016
Offensive Coordinator Clyde Christensen
(On whether he had any role in the offensive line shake up and if he thought it was definitely necessary) – “(I had a) minimal role. Obviously, those decisions would be above us; it would be higher up. All those things are always discussed. They’re constant, ongoing (discussions). After every game, we have personnel talks. We talk about the roster, and then of course whatever gets to my level (and) what they decide above me and it’ll be discussed. For the most part, that was above us, but it had been discussed, yes, sir.”
(On how much you can depend on new players to help right away) – “I think the good news is that we’ll hopefully get healthy – ‘B.A’ (Branden Albert) and ‘Tuns’ (Laremy Tunsil) – that we’re going to catch a break there. If that didn’t happen and you’re trying to prepare all new guys or something, that’d be difficult. It’d be extremely difficult. But we’re optimistic on Tunsil. We’re really optimistic on ‘B.A.’, and then ‘Pounce’ (Mike Pouncey) came through the game clean. You guys lied last week and said that we were back at full strength offensive line-wise. (laughter) You guys accuse coaches of lying … you guys set me up last week and told me we were back to our five starters again, and it wasn’t quite true. (laughter) I’m just saying you told me. That’s all I’m saying. You told me we were back to full strength at the offensive line. (Reporter: “You need better sources, Clyde.”) (laughter) “I need better sources. I like that. That’s good.” (laughter)
(On who the third guard is at the moment) – “It’ll be more of an all hands on deck, and we’d probably have to shuffle around if we got to that. (Anthony) Steen, (Kraig) Urbik – all those guys are cross trained. Steen is still iffy, but again (we are) optimistic. (The) arrow (is) pointing up, and we’re optimistic on that. I’m not directly answering it, but a lot of it does depend on injuries and etcetera, etcetera. Showers. (laughter) We’re going to try to take them Saturday night this week, so at least we’ll have some time to prepare. Everyone is going to shower Saturday night, and then we’re going to go straight to the ball park.” (laughter)
(On what amount of time is considered good pass protection in this scheme) – “Again, it’s a little bit hard … Let me say this: pass protection is everybody, okay? Pass protection is not just the offensive line. We held the ball sometimes. You got to beat man coverage fast. That is all 11 guys; in our case it has been all 11 guys. It has been the (offensive) line at times. It has been the quarterback at times. It has been the (running) back at times. And it has been the receivers at times. When you say pass protection, everyone’s focus tends to go to the offensive line, and that would probably be unjustly so. A lot goes into it. We assess a lot of times … Sacks may go to the (running) back. Sacks may go to the quarterback just like an interception may go to a tackle. There’s a perception that interceptions are (on) the quarterback. Guess what? They get spread around, too. (Maybe) it’s a wide receiver who didn’t get his depth. What’s an acceptable time (for pass protection)? It kind of depends on the concept. There are sometimes you know it’s going to take three-and-a-half seconds – it’s third-and-12, you’ve got to push up field – (in the) quick game, that would be an unacceptable number. That thing should come out a lot quicker. It’s not quite as clean as a … We would have them – we would have a feel that, ‘Hey, this ball ought to come out quick,’ – the first two reads are quick, they’re short runs for the receivers, and the ball ought to come out quick. You ought to be able to set firm, and we should be in good shape right there. It’s not quite that … They do measure it now, which is okay. Overall, if you look at a big statement … New England, I think, led the league last year in balls coming out the quickest. They were really, really good at getting that ball out quick. A lot goes into it. Your system goes into it, etcetera, etcetera. We are kind of a mix. We do have the play-action stuff where the ball is not going to come out as quick as the drop back and getting into the shotgun like some people do. I think we would be more middle of the pack would be more satisfactory as far as that time the ball comes out.”
(On at what point a quarterback doesn’t have enough time to make a certain play happen and has to take off and run) – “Often. It just depends. These guys (Pittsburgh’s defense) really do a good job that they’ll pressure you, but then they’ll also rush three. (If) they rush three, you have to have a feel (of), ‘I have a little extra time to let things develop.’ (With) pressure – you’ve got to have a little feel (of), ‘It’s one, maybe half a read more, and then I’ve got to go or throw that thing away.’ We’re working on that hard this week. I think some of that’s really valid for us, so we’re putting a big emphasis on (how) we got an athletic quarterback and pulling the thing down and running. Every time when I look through the league on third down, you see a lot of guys that all of sudden rush lanes get distorted and they take off running and convert a third down. Those are huge third-down conversions. You’re not going to be good on third down unless you get a few with your legs also. That’s a huge advantage for good third-down teams.”
(On whether he has found G/T Laremy Tunsil’s play reliable thus far) – “Unbelievably so. I really think he’s a pro. I’ve said that to you before. He has exceeded our expectations. I really liked him when we drafted him. I really liked him as a player and a man when we drafted him. That doubled or tripled once we got him and saw what we had. He has been nothing but professional. He has been nothing but a worker. He has a maturity way, way, way beyond what his years are (with) him being not even a half year into this thing. He has been (an) extremely pleasant surprise. Not a surprise, because we felt like he was a mature guy, but he’s really sharp. He has a chance to be a great pro.”
(On whether Pittsburgh’s defense has a different look without longtime coordinator Dick LeBeau) – “They’re not. They’re the same. One thing they’ve always done – we were talking about that – they’ve been running the same thing for it feels like a couple decades. Each year, they’ll accentuate something, but all the elements are still there. When it was (Troy) Polamalu, they loved brining him around the corner and off the edges. Now they’ll bring a corner. But they’ve always had the same package. It looks really familiar. This year they’re a little more zone-and-drop-eight team then they have been. Looking at the Tennessee game – even Tennessee and (Titans Defensive Coordinator Dick) LeBeau – there’s some carry over as far as there’s carry over of what their package looks like. What they do a good job of is inside of that package, game planning it. You never feel comfortable (with), ‘Here’s how they’re going to play us.’ They may have been all Cover 2 last week, and they’re all Cover 3 this week. They could be all zone (coverage) last week. They can play you man (coverage this week). The Jets – they’ve been really a zone team and they played the Jets a ton of man and a ton of walking up in the A gap. They hadn’t done that in this season. I think that’s one of their strengths in what they do well. I think it’s a huge, huge missed factor that how long has a team been in their system. The team that have been in their systems for a long time – and recruited and drafted to it, taught to it … I coached with their defensive line coach (John Mitchell). I looked it up today, (and) he has been there since 1996. There’s something to that. There’s something to being in the system and coaching in the same system. That’s one of the things that gets a little lost in the NFL, because everyone tends to change so often. It’s no small thing to change systems. It’s no small thing to change personnel. It’s no small thing to change coaching staffs. It’s no small thing. But Pittsburgh would be one on defense – like New England – they’ve been doing it for so long that I think that they know what they’re doing. They know how to adjust it. They know how to fix it. They know how to game plan it. They can find their answers inside of their package. They don’t have to create something new. I think the real, real … I think it’s the same system. It looks like it’s the exact same calls. What they emphasize, maybe they’ll emphasize a little more zone than man than when LeBeau was there. But even LeBeau sometimes, he would go some years where he was going to be heavy, heavy pressure, and some years, he was going to be heavy, heavy coverage. I think that’s one of the things that you admire about them (and) they do a good job with.”
(On whether RB Arian Foster would get most of the workload even if he isn’t 100 percent and what he can add to the offense) – “He would add a lot. I think, probably, we’re looking for him to be really close to 100 percent. It’s tenuous to play in this league at a position that you get tattooed like they get tattooed and not be 100 percent, because it’s hard to protect yourself, you take extra hats – all those things. There are a lot of things. So, we would really love for him to be … I think (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase has said all along that we’re looking for him to have a full week and be darn close to full speed. And when he is, he’ll give us a little bit of lift there. But we’ll be careful with him. He’s a veteran guy. We’ll be careful. It is a … Running back is one the positions (where) if you’re not sharp, you take an extra two hats every run. That’s significant. Now you put yourself in harm’s way. You’ve got to be able to defend yourself, and that’s a violent position, and it’s a hard position to play if you’re not feeling 100 percent. He practiced considerably yesterday as you guys saw. We’ll go again today and see. I think that one will be probably after tomorrow that we’ll have to look hard at (him) and see how he feels. The other thing that happens is when you do practice – that was the first thing I asked him this morning – when you do practice, it sometimes (regresses) you, or all of a sudden you get some blood flowing and stuff heals faster. I’m no doctor, but I do know this: blood (is) flowing, right stuff heals and sometimes you feel better after you have practice like that. So, we’ll see. (He’ll have) two good days of work – yesterday and today. Today will be inside on the turf, and that’ll have a whole different feel to him and doing it two days in a row. We’ll just see. We’ll play it by ear. (We are) not sure on him. I think that one is questionable. But we are looking to see him really, really close to 100 percent before we throw him in there.”
(On his assessment of RB Kenyan Drake) – “I think he has been a little bit of a mixed bag. His good is really good, and then his rookie stuff is really rookie … rookie-ish – if that’s a word. We’re not discouraged. We’re looking for consistency from him, because he’s a good player. He can give you a lift. He had the big drop on the third down and has great hands. That has kind of been probably us. That has been us. You look for those rookies to give you a lift, to give you a little lift. He didn’t play a ton of snaps, so he has got to come in and bring energy and for the most part has. (We are) not discouraged. (We will) continue growing him. You know deep down as a coach, if you stick rookies into these kind of games that you’re going to have some of that stuff. We know that. You know that. Everyone knows that. But the less the better, and the quicker they disappear, the better. There does come a point – coming soon – that there isn’t any such thing as a rookie. There’s no such thing. Everyone has to contribute, and that day is fast approaching. Then you have zero tolerance for rookie play, because there are no rookies. We have to head into the second half of this season – or whenever that moment is – that there is no such thing as rookies. Everyone has to carry their weight and go.”
(On whether it’s difficult to get much out of the tight ends in the passing game without TE Jordan Cameron and sometimes needing TE Dion Sims and TE MarQueis Gray to block) – “Again, at the risk of sounding redundant again, all of a sudden you’re 40-some snaps (in the game) again … I don’t know if it’s on purpose, but those factors plus there were probably 16 … I think there were 16 or 17 passes thrown in the game besides screens. That’s not many to go around. It hasn’t been on purpose. Some of it has been to use them in protection. Some of it has been, because we’re trying to get those wide outs going. Some of it has been the emphasis on the run game. A lot of it has been on, ‘Where are those other 30 snaps that we can spread around to those guys?’ He’s like everybody on the unit that some of those are in that 30 that haven’t shown up yet – those 25 or 30 plays that haven’t shown up. They’re the fun ones to distribute. Now all of a sudden, you got a lot more happy faces and the ball gets spread around a little more.”
(On WR Ryan Tannehill’s interception on a pass intended for WR DeVante Parker at the end of the game) – “We were down two scores with very little time, maybe under a minute and it was just a shot. I think if he had a chance to do it over again, it has got to be us or nobody high and outside. But I do think that at that point we were stressing to him, ‘We got to be aggressive, and we got to take some chances and hope the ball gets tipped, we get a pass interference, (or) we jump up (and) make a big catch,’ – those things. I saw the right idea. Maybe it could have been executed a little bit better, but at that point we were having to take some chances, and we were struggling protection-wise in that fourth quarter where you maybe didn’t have a chance to do it exactly like you’d like to do it. That’s what I saw.”
(On the interception on the first drive of the third quarter in the Titans game on the pass intended for WR DeVante Parker) – “We just missed him. We missed him. When we coached it we said ‘Hey, we’d love for somehow someone to make a play and for that not to happen. Get the ball in front of him or somehow rip that thing out of the DBs (hands).’ But I didn’t think that DeVante could save the thing. The receivers coach did. I didn’t. That’s really hard because you don’t have any strength when you’re running that fast and you’re trying to catch a ball from behind. (The defender) is catching it in front of him and you’re catching it behind, it’s hard to wrestle that one out. That’s tough. We’ve got to throw that ball out in front of him. Ryan (Tannehill) knows that; we all know that. And we didn’t (do it).”
(On the importance of a quarterback not bringing a defensive back into a play) – “I think ball placement is the deal in this league. Ball placement is the deal – missing it on the correct side, giving guys a chance to run. We talk about it all the time, the accuracy is what separates them. That separates the really good ones and the average ones and the ones who can’t play in this league. The ball has to be in front. Yards are hard to come by; the ball is out in front of people that they can run with is really, really important. We’ve always said accuracy equals yards after the catch. If all of a sudden – we talk a lot about it – you throw a ball to a running back that’s down low and he has to go palms up on it, you’re not going to get as many yards after the catch. They’re not quite as skilled; they don’t get as many reps at receiving. All of those things are huge factors in this thing for quarterbacks. We’re improving at the thing. I thought we came out of camp a lot more accurate than the offseason. With an emphasis on it; we have to keep emphasizing it. It was re-emphasized again this week. We’ve got to get the ball on the right side of people. Where you miss is really important. I think in the past life, he was a master of that. There were a lot of us or nobody balls that we either make or it lands out of bounds. Those things are all big. Where you miss is really big. That’s what this league is because the coverage is so stinking tight. You guys asked about it last week or two weeks ago about back-shoulder, just open-hand throws, finding an open spot, finding a place to give a guy chance, that’s all accuracy. The average ones can’t do that. It sounds good, but then all of a sudden you stick a rush around them and the accuracy a lot (of times) is a factor of the pocket. It’s easy to say just throw it in front of them, but all of a sudden someone’s hand is whacking you on the side of the head and someone has pile-driven you into the ground and you’re seeing three guys crossing instead of one guy crossing. Again, we tend to … which is alright, but people on the outside look and everything kind of just goes to one person – whatever that is. Protection just goes to the line, and that’s not fully true. That’s not fully true. Accuracy would be one of those things. Did the receiver get his depth? And all of those things. That case right there, we have to get the ball right in front of him and give him a chance to take that thing, break a tackle and go run for 20 (yards). That’s the other end of the spectrum. They got lucky … not lucky, they got fortunate the ball is behind him and the guy makes a good play and it turns into an interception. Let’s us get fortunate and have one out in front and all of a sudden a guy goes for the interception, misses the interception and we go turn up the sideline for 20 (yards). That’s what we’re looking for to turn this thing around and that’s when we’ll get somewhere is when we start making those plays. They’re not accidents. They’re practiced plays and we just have to be able to do it day-after-day-after-day-after-day, week-after-week-after-week, year-after-year, and then all of a sudden you have a heck of a program going. You’ve got something.”
Vance Joseph – October 13, 2016
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Thursday, October 13, 2016
Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph
(On if he has been surprised by the play of CB Byron Maxwell) – “He has not played overall well. He’s a guy that is here every day. He’s working hard, he studies, he watches film. It has not come together for him. That happens to players – a different scheme, a different place to play. So I’m not totally down on Byron. He’s working at it every day. He wants to be good and when a guy is working at it every day, it’s going to turn for him.”
(On CB Bené Benwikere and how he can help the team) – “Well, he’s a guy that’s played nickel and outside corner. He’s played on good defenses. It’s tough right now. He’s been here two days. Hopefully going forward, he can learn the defense and help us win in the future.”
(On if he has a specific position envisioned for CB Bené Benwikere) – “(We have him) as an outside corner right now and hopefully in the future, he can play inside as a nickel. But right now, our need is outside corner.”
(On the challenge of containing Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Le’Veon Bell and WR Antonio Brown) – “It’s tough. We’ve played those guys in Cincy five times in two years. We’ve played them with Ben, Bell and Brown together probably three out of the five times. It’s tough but you have to pick your poison. You can’t let Brown have a field day. You can’t let Brown totally go off on you. Obviously Bell as a running back, running the football out of the backfield and catching balls, it comes slower with Bell. Our first business is Brown because he can make it happen quickly and in huge margins, so stopping Brown is our first objective there. Obviously Bell, per call (and) package, we can contain Bell also. It’s a challenge because if you play single-high, you’ve got Brown one-on-one, if you play shell, you’ve got Bell with a soft running box so it’s a challenge.”
(On QB Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to buy time in the pocket and the pressure it puts on the secondary) – “And that puts pressure on the front. As we rush Ben, we have to rush and contain him and get him on the ground. The best thing Ben does is buy time. Unlike (Seahawks QB) Russell Wilson and last week with (Titans QB Marcus) Mariota, he’s going to buy time with his size, just breaking tackles. So we have to rush and get him on the ground, and obviously stay in coverage.”
(On who has played the run consistently well in the front seven besides DT Ndamukong Suh) – “I would say this, out of our front four, no one has. There have been weeks where we have done well, but each week it has been one guy here and there. To be stout in the running game, it has to be consistent across the board. It has to be the front four, linebackers and secondary fitting the run. It can’t be one guy busting the gap here, one guy missing a tackle there; it has to be everybody on the same page and it hasn’t been that way.”
(On how big of a blow losing LB Koa Misi is to the run defense and if LB Donald Butler will remain the starter there or if there will be more of a competition) – “I think losing Koa … that hurt us a little bit. We’ve adjusted with Donald. He’s playing fine but I think it’s overall, just guys doing their jobs more consistently and when the gaps are full, making tackles. Our issue has been if someone pops a gap, it’s a 6-yard run or we fit it perfect and someone misses a tackle. So we have to overall play better in the run game.”
(On if he went to different packages last week) – “Yes, because losing Koa (Misi), that hurt us in the aspect of having variety in our front packages, because Koa is a big Sam ‘backer that can play on the line or off. With Koa, we can play 4-3 or 3-4, so losing Koa, we put Cam (Wake) at the Sam linebacker last week and it helped us a lot to have a five-down front in the run game. And it worked outside of missed tackles. In that front last week, they probably average 2 yards a carry, outside of the four missed tackles. So that front did help us playing Cam at the Sam ‘backer, which he has done in the past. It’s our job to get our best guys on the field. That’s the key here. So as we lose a guy here or there, we have to find our best 11 to play and help us win.”
(On DE Mario Williams playing 53 snaps without recording a statistic last week and what can be done to get more out of him) – “He’s got to play better. He’s got to play harder. He’s got to play better. Obviously he’s being allowed to rush the passer, but the games that we’ve been in, they have been more run-first, pass-second games. For us to be a great rush team, we have to earn the right and stop the run. All of us – Mario, (Ndamukong) Suh, Jordan (Phillips), all of those guys up front. If they want to rush more, stop the run more consistently. So I think Mario has to play better. He has to play faster and more consistent.”
(On how LB Kiko Alonso has played) – “He’s played very well. He’s played solid. He’s making a lot of tackles in the run and pass game alike so he’s been solid for us. He’s been a bright spot for us on defense.”
(On if it is a good thing that S Reshad Jones is one of the NFL’s leading tacklers) – “Not really, even with Kiko (Alonso). That being said, we need more guys up front making more plays in the run game. If you’re being blocked, we have to tear off blocks and make tackles. Kiko is averaging 10-12 a game, even Reshad (is averaging) 10-12 a game – that’s too many for the second-level guys. Our front four guys have to make more plays.”
(On RB Le’Veon Bell having a pick-slide motion in the backfield and patience and what stress that puts on the linebackers) – “It puts stress on guys not popping their gaps because he’s so patient of a runner. If you’re supposed to be in the A or B gap, stay there, because if you pop your gap he’s going to find it. He’s kind of buying time, buying time (and) hoping someone pops their gap. So this week, we have to be really, really good at staying in our gaps.”
(On if the linebackers have to be more patient as well when facing RB Le’Veon Bell) – “Absolutely. Fit your gap and stay in your gap until the play is over.”
(On if CB Jordan Lucas is an option from scrimmage) – “Yes. He’s a young kid who is working right now. He’s more of a nickel/safety guy. He’s been up a couple of weeks now. Obviously, if his turn comes, he’ll be fine playing for us.”
(On if CB Jordan Lucas is at nickel or safety) – “He’s still a nickel/kind of a safety. (He’s a) defensive back for you. That’s what he is playing right now. He’s working hard.”
(On DE Cameron Wake playing at Sam ‘backer and if we could see more of that) – “It depends. Each week is different. This week it’s going to be a one-back, three-wide receiver game, so he won’t be a Sam ‘backer this week.”
(On S Reshad Jones’ injury and what the plan will be if he doesn’t play) – “It’s going to be a game-time decision probably with Reshad. If he doesn’t play, it’s going to be Michael Thomas and Isa (Abdul-Quddus) at the safety positions.”
(On if he wants an open competition at cornerback once CB Chris Culliver comes back) – “The best guys are going to play. Obviously with Culliver, he hasn’t played in a year so that’s going to be a stretch for him to come back and become a starter right away. Hopefully he comes back and can practice and prove he can play, and then we can determine who are the best two or three guys who are going to play for us. But the best guys are going to play, absolutely.”
Ryan Tannehill – October 12, 2016 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill Conference Call with Pittsburgh Media
(On what he remembers most about the game in Pittsburgh in 2013 and if he can use any of that knowledge to his advantage this week) – “2013 – that’s probably one of the most fun games I’ve played in. Just the snow there, it’s a great stadium, great atmosphere. The ending of that game obviously is one I’ll never forget. It’s a good team. It’s a fun place to play up there and I think they’re playing really well right now. I don’t know exactly how much can carry over as far as to now; but I know that they’re a good, well-coached team and they’re going to show up again this week.”
(On if the defense is simpler now than it was then) – “I think they’re a little simpler maybe but they’re still going to throw some exotic stuff at you. They put a lot of exotic stuff on tape – some pressures that they’re going to try to overload you. (They) maybe a touch simpler but they’re still have a package or a few packages where they’re going to try to mix things up and confuse you a little bit.
(On the Steelers not allowing many passes down the field this year) – “I think they do a good job of keeping things in front of them. They don’t let guys behind them very often. They do a good job. They’re a sound defense and know their responsibilities, so they’re not going to give up cheap plays down the field.”
(On if that limits what he can do) – “Well I think we have to stretch the field, obviously. We’ve got to find our shots but understand that we’re going to have to just play smart. You can’t force it. If it’s not there, we’ll definitely stretch the field as much as we can. But we’ll just have to play what’s there.”
(On Head Coach Adam Gase discussing a new staff and culture and how that transition has gone) – “It’s always a process whenever you change staffs and are changing cultures in the building. It’s not an overnight process; it’s something you have to grow into. I feel like we are growing into it, obviously we haven’t quite got the results on the field that we’re looking for; but I think around the building, the culture we’re building here is heading in the right direction, and we have to get results on the field to go along with it.”
(On what he has seen from the Steelers’ tape where they have gotten a lot more pressure on the quarterback this season) – “They’re just a relentless defense. They are going to play to the whistle every snap. The front guys are good, even if they are getting double teamed, of just fighting through blocks and relentless pursuit of the quarterback. I have a ton of respect for their front and the guys they have rushing the QB.”
(On the importance of getting T Branden Albert and G/T Laremy Tunsil back) – “It’s huge. Obviously the last game was tough not having them in there. We get them back this week, hopefully they’re healthy and ready to go, and it’ll be nice to have them back.”
(On the ending of the Tennessee game with the crowd getting on him, taking shots and what gets him through those moments) – “Yes, it’s tough. The crowd’s frustrated, we’re frustrated as a team – things weren’t going the way we wanted it to – but you just have to keep your head down and keep working. You can’t overthink it too much or really put too much into it. It’s just a matter of staying the course, stay with the process and just keep doing everything you can to get better and win football games.”
(On if that was as hard as he’s been hit in a while) – “I took a few good ones in that game.”
Adam Gase – October 12, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On the decision making that went into yesterday’s roster moves) – “It probably started on Sunday night. We started talking about if we wanted to make some changes and discussed it Sunday night, Monday, went through the morning on Tuesday, and we decided to make some moves.”
(On what prompted him to make the moves) – “We were doing our evaluation process on certain guys, and we felt like it was time for us to make a change.”
(On whether the roster moves were performance-based) – “Yes.”
(On whether releasing RB Isaiah Pead was numbers-based) – “It was a little bit. Hopefully, we’re going to get Arian (Foster) back here pretty soon. We’re getting pretty crowded back there, and we got to make some moves on some other positions as well. We’re a little bit unhealthy (at) certain spots and need to add some depth.”
(On G/T Laremy Tunsil practicing today) – “He was limited today.”
(On G/T Laremy Tunsil will play Sunday) – “We’ll see how we get through the week. I really don’t know for sure right now, so we’re keeping all doors open. We’ll see how it goes as the week goes on.”
(On how exactly G/T Laremy Tunsil fell) – “I don’t know. I didn’t want to get too deep with him on it. I just know he didn’t play on Sunday. I don’t know. Ask him.”
(On whether he asked G/T Laremy Tunsil about his fall) – “I might’ve. But I was just like, ‘I don’t want to know.’ I started asking him, and then I was like, ‘You know what? I just don’t want to know. I know you didn’t play.’”
(On CB Bené Benwikere and CB Chimdi Chekwa and if his expectation is if they will compete to start eventually) – “I think we’ve got a long ways to go before anybody is going to be able to get caught up that fast, and we’re pretty deep into it right now. There have been a lot of schematic things that we are doing a little different since the last time. Chekwa has been here for sure. Obviously when you’re learning a new defense, it’s going to take a minute.”
(On S Reshad Jones’ status) – “We’ll see. We’ll see how the week goes on. I don’t know how much we’re actually going to see him in practice. It’s going to be a game-time decision for us.”
(On S Reshad Jones’ injury) – “I think we have a groin listed.”
(On whether he was sending a message to the team with yesterday’s roster moves) – “I think it was we wanted to make a change at a few spots, and a couple of those guys were offensive lineman and (at the) running back position. That’s what we thought was best for our roster at the moment.”
(On his message to QB Ryan Tannehill this week) – “Really, it’s, ‘We’ve got to go out there. We’ve got to get the ball out quick (and) do a good job of processing what’s going on. Make good decisions. We’ve got to play turnover-free football.’ That’s going to be key for us – the entire offense – and we’ve got to create turnovers on defense. That’s going to be a big factor for us this game. Obviously, we can’t give them short fields, because it’s tough enough to defend this offense as it is. We have to do a great job on offense making sure that we hold on to the ball.”
(On whether yesterday’s roster moves being seen as a message to the team is a negative team) – “I don’t know. You’d have to ask them. I just know that we’re trying to get the best guys we can possibly get to play on Sunday and play at max effort and do things right and do their assignments right and get guys that are going to play as a group and try to figure out a way to get a win.”
(On if this is something we might be prepared to see going forward) – “Every week’s a new week. In the NFL, it’s hard to keep those seats in that room. There’s a reason why you go through this whole process throughout the season. It’s about trying to figure out who are the guys you want in this organization, who are the guys you want to build with and create something good.”
(On QB Ryan Tannehill’s lack of protection and dealing with it by making plays by escaping) – “Yes, when things are going bad, you have to figure out what your options are. Sometimes play calling can help you in that situation. We got a little bit, towards the end, where we had to try to drop back pass, we tried to do a couple of max protections. He wasn’t able to hold onto the ball for more than basically to hit the back of his drop. Somebody was either hitting him or in his face. It really didn’t matter what we did.”
(On the Steelers using max protection and how are they able to be so explosive when only releasing two guys down the field) – “Because their receivers are really good. That’s why. When you’ve got their caliber of guys and you’ve got a lot of time and their QB can launch it and then he can buy more time, you start to get into scramble-drill type moments, it’s tough. It’s hard to hang with you guys. You’ve got linebackers dropping out after you get play-action protection. You’ve got guys running all over the field and all of a sudden one of those guys finds a crease. It’s a dangerous deal if you let them loose.”
(On if he has any update on TE Jordan Cameron) – “Yes, he was in the building today. We’re still in the (concussion) protocol.”
(On how CB Byron Maxwell is handling the rocky start) – “He keeps coming out and working, I know that. He’s trying to spend a lot of time. He watches a lot of film. He’s always asking questions, he’s really engaged in meetings. He’s trying to figure out a way to contribute and be part of the solution.”
(On who are his first string corners) – “The same guys we had last week.”
(On who would be his first guard off the bench right now) – “I don’t know. We’ll see.”
(On whether the first guard off the bench would be C/G Kraig Urbik or C/G Anthony Steen) – “It could be anybody on the roster.”
(On the challenges Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell gives the linebackers that have had difficulty fitting their gaps) – “It takes the whole group. You’ve got to make sure you do a good job of bottling him up. You can’t let him loose and when you get one guy that gets a hand on him, you better have a whole bunch of guys coming after him. It has to be a gang-tackling effort. I don’t see a lot of teams bringing him down with one guy. His patience is impressive. He’s done a lot of different schemes in his career coming from college to this level here. He’s obviously one of the best running backs in the league for a reason.”
(On if the linebackers need to be slower to committing to stop RB Le’Veon Bell) – “Well if you do that, he’ll make you pay for that too. It doesn’t matter what you do. If you get a glove on him, you have to make sure that you hold on and everyone else has to rally to the ball.”
(On his views on accountability and what would he say to the players about accountability) – “Doing your job. Doing what you’re supposed to do at the right time under pressure. If you do your job, and the next guy does his job, you’ve got a better chance of having success on that one play.”
(On how many of his players he thinks have done their job) – “It’s more than what, probably, I make you guys feel like. It’s just, our expectations, we expect guys to work for perfection. I mean that’s how you win. It’s as many guys as possible trying to do it right so we have a chance at the end of the game. It’s going to be a 2-minute drive one way or the other, and that’s the situation you’re trying to put yourself in.”
(On why the offensive linemen moves weren’t made after training camp) – “A lot of times everybody thinks it’s really easy to just say, ‘Hey, let’s go grab this guy.’ I mean who’s out there? We’ve got a list of guys that we’re always tracking and evaluating. This is part of our evaluation process. At the time, that’s where we were at. That was the roster we went with and we decided to make a change.”
(On the assessment of the new CB Bené Benwikere) – “Well, anytime you get a young player that you have good grades on, and obviously we’re shifting some things around on our roster, we had a chance to pick him up. That’s why our personnel department does what they do. They bring a guy like that to the table and then we sit down, we make a decision and then we add a guy and we’ve got to make another move. It was something that we had an opportunity. We took a shot at the guy. We got him. It worked out for us.”
(On CB Bené Benwikere’s ball skills) – “For us, we’re always trying to find guys that, when the ball is in the air, if we can get our hands on it and we have a shot to get a turnover, that’s what we want to do. The more guys that you have confidence in that can turn the ball over, you want to get as many of those guys out there. We’ve got a couple of guys that have the ability to do that. We haven’t put ourselves in position to do it quite yet. But moving forward, hopefully we can keep improving in that area.”
(On CB Chris Culliver being able to come off of PUP next week and if he’s thinking he’s someone that could help him out after the bye week as opposed to the Buffalo Bills game) – “We’ll see how it goes. I don’t have any definite answers there.”
(On having nine defensive linemen on the roster and what went into the decision of moving DT Leon Orr from the practice squad) — “We had an available spot. We felt like he was the next best guy. We’re just trying to find ways to keep practicing, see what our best fit is for game day, and this gives us another opportunity.”
(On what the process is for WR Jakeem Grant to earn more time on offense and if that takes place on the practice field) – “Pretty much. For the most part, we have certain things that we like to do with him. We’re (not) going to try to put too much on his plate because what he is doing is a big job. I know a lot of people think that it’s really easy to go back there and do what he does; but when you’re a first-year player and we can get him to focus on what he needs to do because he can make game-changing plays – that benefits us. If we find some things on offense that he can do, that’s beneficial. He’s usually, a lot of times when you have a return specialist, you don’t get that. But with him, he’s an actual wide receiver that we’re training and trying to get better and making sure he knows exactly what to do all the time. It’s not easy to pull one of those three guys (WRs Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker) off the field. I feel really comfortable with those guys. We’ve just got to keep building on this thing with those three guys and find ways to get them the ball and give them a chance to make some plays.”
(On if WR Jakeem Grant has ever worked as a running back) – “Maybe.”
(On how RB Kenyan Drake played Sunday) – “He did pretty good. The drop was very uncharacteristic of him. That’s one of the main reasons why he is a valuable piece for us is his ability to do all three phases of the running back position. We’re always going to try to find ways to get him involved and get the ball in his hands but we had 44 plays in the game. We tried to get something going there with Jay (Ajayi). We start pulling guys in and out and now Jay (would have) seven carries. I think he had what, 13? We were hoping to get more like the 20-25 range. Those guys kind of were … (we were) spot playing those guys in certain situations, trying to get them involved a little bit. We were trying to get our running game, something going there with one guy.”
(On how he would describe DE Mario Williams’ performance after five games) – “I think we’ve been a little up and down. We’ve had a couple of games where he’s done well – he’s done his job, he’s had some production here and there. You’re always looking for consistency. I think every position is; every guy. You always want to be able to walk out of the game and say, ‘Hey, we counted on this and we got more.’ You never want to say you got less. It’s one of those things where when you’re in a situation to where you’re playing the run as much as we’ve been because we’ve been behind, teams are trying to run the ball on us. That team last week, we knew that’s what they wanted to do. We signed him, we wanted him to pass rush, and what we haven’t done is held our end of the bargain on offense. We haven’t had any production. We haven’t given our defense a chance to pass rush. That’s the thing we’ve got to change most of all.”
(On if this team has played as they’ve practiced) – “No. These guys practice hard. They do it right in practice. We just have to transfer it into a game.”
(On if it is possible to get RB Kenyan Drake and RB Jay Ajayi in the game at the same time) – “Possibly.”
Adam Gase – October 12, 2016 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Pittsburgh Media
(On the biggest challenge in changing the culture in Miami) – “I think, for our coaching staff, what we’re really trying to establish is how we like to do things. I think any time there is change, it takes a second to get used to – just the way we want to practice, the tempo we want to set, the way that we want to prepare for games and then, obviously, the way that we like to execute. We’re going through some tough patches here and there where we’re not quite getting some things done the way we need to get done. Sometimes there is a little bit of a learning curve as well, as far as play-callers offensively and defensively understanding what our guys really excel at and some of the things that our guys struggle at.”
(On if it is tougher for the players to get used to him or him and his coaches trying to get used to 53 guys) – “It’s probably right down the middle. I think it is tough. I know I can speak for myself, as far as being a play-caller, and thinking that we’re good at one thing and then we get into a game and we quite don’t do it the way that we did it in practice. Sometimes when a team makes an adjustment within the game and we don’t react the right way, that’s where that learning curve comes into effect of, ‘Alright, maybe we didn’t rep this enough to where our guys know it in and out and we can make those adjustments.’ Over time, you start to get a little better feel when guys can make those adjustments within a game to where when something happens unexpectedly, they make the adjustment themselves without us having to have a meeting about it.”
(On what went into the decision to cut two offensive linemen this week) – “We were just thinking it was time for us to move on from some guys. We wanted to see where we were at as far as some of the other guys that we wanted to work with, and a couple of guys that we had been eyeballing about bringing back that we had before. We felt like this was the right timing for us, and that’s what we ended up doing. We’re moving on and working on this week and getting the guys ready that are here.”
(On what he has seen from WR Sammie Coates) – “Obviously, he had some big production the last game. When you have this many guys that are as impactful as they are, it makes it hard on a defense to focus on one guy. And obviously with probably the best receiver in the league there, there are a lot of one-on-one matchups going on with other guys. When those guys are able to win their one-on-one matchups, now they start making plays and now you have a big-time problem. You’re looking at a guy that’s really been effective in causing problems for teams.”
(On WR Jarvis Landry) – “The thing that he does is being able to play inside and outside is always a valuable key. When you have a guy that comes through for you when you really need him to come through for you, that’s really the most critical thing that I keep looking at is, ‘Who can make the play when everyone knows the ball is going to you?’ Those are the guys that you really have to keep in your organization, make sure that they’re always involved in the game plan. Sometimes you kind of get lost in the game and don’t realize, ‘Hey, this guy needs to be more of a guy of focus for us.’ Last game, we didn’t give that guy enough chances to make plays for us. When we have a guy like this that every time we call his number, he seems to find a way to make something happen – whether he is covered or not – it’s disappointing to me that I didn’t call good enough plays last week to give that guy a chance.”
(On the value that Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph provides this week going against a team he is familiar facing) – “It always helps when you have a guy that came from the division, because obviously, you play each other twice a year, so you know each other so well. That’s why those division games are always tough. Myself being in the AFC West as long as I had been, it seems like every year I’m playing the same division the last three years. I know from my experience, it makes a big difference because you know the players, you know the personnel, you at least have an outline of how you should possibly plan for that week. Then you have to adjust that plan to the personnel that you have to try to see if you can correlate it a little bit. Obviously, the personnel is a little different here compared to where he was before, but at least he knows what weapons are going to be used that week for them and what’s the best way to try to take things away. They’re going to do a good job of getting their main players touches. They’re going to get yards. It’s going to be about how well do we handle any kind of adversity for us in this game and then how do we figure out a way to at least limit some of these explosive plays that occur.”
(On the Steelers pass rush and what challenges it presents) – “I think right now for us, we have to play one of our better games as far as upfront and protecting our quarterback and giving him a chance to go through some kind of progression. As of late, we haven’t been able to do that. We’ve had some injuries and we’ve had some guys shuffling around. We’ve gotten some guys back. We’ve lost a couple guys. At the end of the day, we have to do a better job of playing the play longer than the defenders. We haven’t done that up to this point. There have been certain times where it has looked pretty good, there have been times where it has looked okay and there have been times that have looked terrible. Our biggest focus has to be making sure everybody is doing their assignment, and then finish the play. That’s one of the reasons why this defense does what it does is, (because) they play the play longer than the teams that they’re playing, more times than not. And when they get around the ball carrier, it’s not just one guy. It’ll be five, six guys hitting the ball carrier whether it’s a running back or a receiver. We have to make sure we do a great job of playing the play as long or longer than they do.”
(On the availability of T Branden Albert and G/T Laremy Tunsil this week) – “Hopefully today, if we get them out at practice, that will be good for us. Branden – I feel more confident about him right now, because what he had last week wasn’t necessarily an injury. He was sick. He lost 12 pounds during the week, which it would have been wrong for me to put him out there with no practice time. He wasn’t feeling right. He had lost a lot of weight. He was dehydrated. Especially in the heat down here, it could have been a situation that was already bad, we could have made it worst. As far as Tunsil goes, we’re just going to have to see where he’s at. If we can get him out at practice – and try to get some individual going and actually get him involved in practice – if he feels alright, we have an opportunity to get him to go – great. If not, then we’ll have to go to our contingency plan.”
(On if G/T Laremy Tunsil’s injury was the most freak injury he’s come across) – “I wish I could say yes, but in 2009 – our first game at Denver – we actually had our inactives in (and) we had a guy slip on sunscreen in the training room and separate his shoulder like 20 minutes before going out for warmups.”
(On if that makes him wonder what may happen next) – “No, I don’t want to think about it. (laughter) I do not want to know what’s going to happen next. I don’t want that to happen anymore. That’s a bad phone call to get when you think everything is good to go and then all of a sudden, you’re making all of these adjustments a couple of hours before the game.”
(On what he has seen from LB Mike Hull and how he has stuck on the roster) – “I think he has whatever ‘it’ is, as far as pure guts and determination. All of the things that people say of, ‘You’re too small. You’re not fast enough.’ They give you all the negatives, but he keeps making plays. When you’re a special teams guy and that’s your role, he knows what the other team does so well. He knows what we do, and he uses those two things to his advantage. He basically wins a lot of times with his mind and then puts his body in position and then he makes a play. He’s not afraid to pull the trigger. We talk about all the time of guys selling out and playing every play as hard as they can, and he does that. That’s why he does have success in his role and what we do – whether it be special teams or defense – because he sells out. He’s not afraid to where if he misses a tackle, he misses a tackle; but he’s going a thousand miles an hour to make sure he’s putting himself out there. He’s not going to pull back, because he’s like, ‘I’m not really sure if I can make this play.’ He just goes, and he tries to make a play.”
(On what it is about the Steelers offensive scheme that fits QB Ben Roethlisberger well) – “I think over the years, playing against him, just seeing him go from (former Offensive Coordinator) Bruce (Arians) to (Offensive Coordinator) Todd (Haley), the multiplicity makes things so hard for the defense. The fact that all of a sudden you’ll feel like they’ve gone big, they’re going to pound you, and then all of a sudden they’re big and then they spread you out, then they get little and they start running the ball, then they’re in empty, then it’s play-action – there’s so many things that they do. And then his ability to extend plays. I’ve been on the other end so many times where you think you have him, he gets away, and then all of a sudden somebody is 50 yards down the field wide open. He takes the offense – the outline of the offense – and then he makes it better because of what he can do physically of buying time, letting guys get freed up, creating plays if something’s not exactly done the way it’s drawn up. When you have a guy that does those type of things, it makes it very hard for a defense to handle.”
