Frank Smith – September 21, 2023
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Thursday, September 21, 2023
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(Last year, the always candid Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker told us with WR Erik Ezukanma, it was a challenge sometimes getting him lined up in the right spot last year. Not an issue this year. I bring that up because with RB De’Von Achane, obviously a different position, have there been any rookie issues in terms of him just lining up correctly or stuff like that to this point?) – “I mean nothing that’s really glaring. I think that all rookies when they come into an NFL offense, there’s things they have to learn and obviously techniques, differences from college to pro. There’s obviously a natural growth that occurs. But no, I mean there’s nothing glaring with De’Von. We’re so excited for his growth and really look forward to his future here as a Dolphin.”
(You guys have made up game plans without QB Tua Tagovailoa, without T Terron Armstead, without RB Raheem Mostert. If WR Jaylen Waddle cannot play, what would be the difference in making up a game plan without him than someone else?) – “Like always, when you’re fortunate to have such high-caliber players like we do, whenever anyone misses time, it’s hard and we have to adjust. But I think ultimately, that’s the way we cross-train guys. Like last year, especially when we had the o-line questions, that back to training camp. We try to have versatility in what we ask our guys to do. So when you have guys who do specific things, and only one thing, those guys are obviously harder sometimes to fill in for when they’re down. So I think the biggest thing as we move forward through the season is just making sure whenever we have any issues, we remain versatile within our system. And the one thing is that all guys who are up on the roster, we’re going to use in some form, and we’ll use them to their strengths.”
(It felt like during training camp you guys may have staggered WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Tyreek Hill’s reps when they were on the field at the same time. Would it be fair to say that that’s also happened in the first two games of the year? And maybe what are the benefits? Or what’s the aim was that?) – “Well, sometimes it’s due the fact that we practice in 100-degree weather and it’s hotter than hell – or more humid, not hot. Hot would be Vegas. Humid here. (laughter) So some of it is just naturally in training camp, you do work through certain things. I think ultimately, however we deploy our guys, ultimately it’s our ability to work together and all be connected in what we’re trying to accomplish. So I think that’s the great thing about year two in your system is you continue the growth. There’s more of an understanding and we look forward to the opportunity this weekend.”
(Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry seems be off to a good start with the o-line. Is there anything that he does teaching, motivation, film, practice, on the field, that stands out to you as unique or different or particularly impressive?) – “I would think his energy and passion for football, o-line play. His work ethic, he has an unbelievable work ethic, energy towards what he does, a passion towards what he does. And like we talked about, when you can surround yourself with guys like, good things tend to happen because they have that resolve to always make sure that we’re trying to get the best out of each other. I mean that’s all you can ask for in a teammate and another coach.”
(With Butch Barry, I’ve heard a couple of offensive linemen use the term ‘our standard’ and ‘We have a high standard.’ Is that a term that Butch has hammered into them or emphasized? Because T Kendall Lamm and T Terron Armstead, I’ve heard a couple offensive linemen say that.) – “Yeah, I think it’s just more of an emphasis. I think ultimately as a team, we have a standard of performance we’re looking for. I think that you probably hear that term used, but I think that the emphasis of it is the key thing that they’re really hitting on.”
(What impresses you the most about what RB Raheem Mostert has done this year? Particularly that he’s 31 years old and what he did against New England the other night.) – “Yeah, again, it’s no surprise to us that are here because we get to watch how he operates every day and the way he goes about his business, his preparation, (how he) manages himself. I mean, he’s awesome. I’ve always loved watching his play from afar when he was with the Niners. So we’re fortunate to have him here and I think it’s just as players get later in their career, how they handle themselves and how they go about all their maintenance stuff is vital, and he’s a consummate pro at everything he does. We’re very fortunate that he’s here.”
(I wanted to ask you about your receivers. Obviously you guys have staggered them throughout training camp to the point where QB Tua Tagovailoa was working with WR Daewood Davis and WR Chris Coleman at times. How much does that help the quarterback in terms of chemistry, and also from a play-caller standpoint or an offensive coordinator standpoint, do you have a WR River Cracraft package or a WR Braxton Berrios package? Obviously you have a Erik Ezukanma package. Do you build packages for each guy?) – “I think each week poses different situations, different ways we’re going to do things. I think anytime you need to get the right amount of guys to play on the field, you group their plays together that way we make sure we got the right guys out there. Ultimately, we’re always looking to make sure we take our guys and put them in the best situations possible for what they do well. When it comes to the wide receiver group, Wes (Welker) does a great job with them and making sure they understand the intent of what we’re trying to do, the details of what we’re trying to accomplish, and many times the thing we get here with the weather in training camp is we have to make sure that we deploy our guys where not everyone just fatigues out in period one. That does allow for some versatility of who gets to work with the quarterbacks. I think all of those things do play an advantage for us as far as the way we train. But again, it may help us sometimes but it’s ultimately going to be about our execution and how we do it.”
(When a baseball player makes a couple of errors in the field, they always say, ‘it’s important that he doesn’t take that to the plate.’ What do you think I’m gong to ask you about? OL Connor Williams has a few bad snaps, but I see him sealing off a block on a run through the middle. I see him blocking down field and kicking butt on a screen. What are your thoughts on how Connor has been able to do all the other stuff well while trying to work through the snapping deal?) – “I think everybody has stuff they are working on, and the quarterback exchange thing obviously gets magnified. But at the same time, it’s just something that he’s working through, It’s the second game of the season. I would imagine by Week 17 hopefully we’re not talking about that. But it obviously gives us something to work on because there are so many other things that he’s doing and obviously Tua (Tagovailoa) is doing. They are very professional about it, so they are making sure they’re working through just anything that maybe was off at the time.”
(You were talking about the fatigue factor in camp and bringing receivers in and out. Head Coach Sean Peyton was talking earlier this week and said that one of WR Tyreek Hill’s big attributes is his stamina, and WR Jaylen Waddle is probably the same way. I’m curious how much of that is an effective asset for you guys on offense knowing that those guys can run, run, run?) – “Yeah. I think overall in general, when you have guys who have that high performance, high stamina, it allows for you to push the envelope in what you’re able to do. For me, my personal experience with (Darren) Waller was the same way. High stamina. His on-field play percentage was in the 90s. When you have guys like Jaylen and Tyreek, who have that stamina, it does help. Especially in our climate where as you fatigue out, it does pose situations. I think it’s also the way we practice and the way we go about everything. Rolling backs through, rolling wide receivers through, making sure we cross-train offensive linemen, making sure we move things around just because you never know what the season is going to present. The minute you just say, ‘hey this one thing,’ and now you have to be able to adjust, it doesn’t allow for the versatility, and I think that’s just a core belief in how we practice and go about things and making sure we’re versatile with the athletes.”
(One more thing on the snapping issues. Has it reached a point where you or Head Coach Mike McDaniel – and I know QB Tua Tagovailoa, and OL Connor Williams obviously have accountability and are self-starters – but has it reached a point where you’ve told them, ‘this has to be fixed?’ And is there too much blame being placed on Connor with some of those?) – “No. We haven’t told them that.”
(Is QB Tua Tagovailoa partly responsible or has it all been a part of the function of snaps not were not done correctly?) – “Well, in any relationship where it’s such a close personal situation, I don’t think it’s necessarily one guy. I think ultimately, the great thing about the two of them is that they are so committed to doing things right that I know these are things we’re going to work through and we’re going to be looking back in a couple weeks looking back like ‘that problem, hopefully is just a distant memory.’”
(We see QB Tua Tagovailoa make these crazy anticipation throws each week where the ball is out before guys are at the top of their stem. Is that something you can coach into a player or is that entirely inherent of his skillset?) – “I think it’s just the way that he goes about his business, his anticipation and understanding. All plays you can’t say it’s necessarily just one guy doing it on his own. It’s a collection of the way you teach things, the way you execute, the way you run the route, the way that you do things. I think ultimately it’s a collection, and that’s the way they’ve trained all offseason. They’re working together to make sure that they can play with anticipation and intent together.”
(I know a lot of teams have the traditional X, Z, Slot. You guys have a different style of receivers with the motion. If you don’t have WR Jaylen Waddle, does that change how you have the functions of your receivers and who goes in motion?) – “Anytime you one of your guys out, you have to adjust. I think that’s just the nature of the NFL. It’s a long season and the only absolute is there is subject to change. I think for us, again our versatility and how we train, and how we ask guys to learn, and what we do is what allows us to be versatile when we deal with these situations throughout the season.”
Vic Fangio – September 21, 2023
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Thursday, September 21, 2023
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(There have obviously been four cornerbacks you’ve been using a lot in games. Did the issues with CB Eli Apple last week – obviously he was targeted and gave up several catches – has that made you re-think whether to insert CB Kelvin Joseph, CB Parry Nickerson or CB Cam Smith in Eli’s spot in the rotation? Is that something you’re considering, or do you remain fully committed to Eli Apple being one of your top four corners at this time?) – “That’s a long question for a simple question. (laughter)”
(He doesn’t do simple questions.) – “He does simple questions. He just has a hard time spitting them out. (laughter) It’s always something we’re looking at, obviously. Yeah, Eli (Apple) had a tough game for him. He did contribute some good plays. Right now, this early in the season, we’re going to consider all options.”
(We talked about players having ‘revenge games.’ I’m curious if you have any special feelings regards to Broncos week?) – “No, I really don’t. Every game we play in this league, one of 16, 17 now, is equally important. I’m sure when I see some of the people there that are still there that I know, you say hello and you think back a little bit. I enjoyed my time there. There are still about 15 or 16 players that are on the team from when I was there. I wish them nothing but success, except this week. I really don’t look at it much different. If the game maybe had been in Denver, maybe.”
(Is LB Andrew Van Ginkel going back inside or do you want to use him in both going forward?) – “Both.”
(Denver Head Coach Sean Payton talked this week and mentioned that he talked to S Justin Simmons and S Kareem Jackson and trying to get some ideas of your tendencies. How much does that change what you do knowing that they have some guys that know you a little bit?) –“Not at all. If you get too worked up in that stuff, you’ll just get twisted. You just treat it like any other game, do the things you think you have to do to win schematically, and you go at it. Those storylines, they’re juicy, but they’re not as effective as you think they are.”
(What do you feel like you’ve gotten out of LB Bradley Chubb through these first couple of games this season?) – “I think Bradley had a really good game this past week. Obviously made the big play on the strip fumble. (He made) a big play in the two-minute drive to get the sack. Then on the last play, had pressure. So it was really nice to see him have a good productive game and hopefully that kickstarts him to a great season.”
(Did you use that play that LB Bradley Chubb forced a fumble on as kind of teaching tape in the defensive meetings?) – “Absolutely.”
(Is it a coincidence that he’s played better since you’ve gotten here then?) – “I don’t know that. I wasn’t here last year, and I didn’t watch him play hardly last year.”
(Is there a reason for that? When a new coordinator comes in, usually they might look at and try to get a feel for their players.) – “Not really. I kind of go the other way because I want to draw my own conclusions and not be clouded by anything that happened in the past. Now if it’s a guy that’s a free agent that we have to make a decision on whether we want back or not, and management wants my opinion, obviously I’ll go do that. But guys that are on the team and we knew were going to be on the team in camp, I want to start fresh with them.”
(I read or heard somewhere that you made a call to LB Andrew Van Ginkel – I don’t know if this is like a wives’ tale or a lie – when he was a free agent, saying that you would like him back. Is that accurate and what do you think that Van Ginkel does bring to this defense?) – “That is accurate. I did call him. I just liked what I saw. That’s the example there. He was a free agent, so I did watch him and I liked what I saw. I saw some versatility. I saw a good football player, a tough guy who’s smart and instinctive and wanted him back.”
(CB Xavien Howard is a Pro Bowl player and veteran, but I believe he’s got three penalties, two pass interference and an illegal contact. Were they all legitimate calls and is that a point of concern? Or is that just football?) – “I think there were four of them in the first two games. Yeah, it’s a concern. You’ve got to be able to cover without fouling, to use a basketball term.”
(A quarterback like Russell Wilson, who doesn’t just extend on scrambles, but also designed runs, how does that challenge a defense?) – “It’s challenging. Anytime you’re playing a mobile quarterback, you have to defend two plays when they call a pass; the one they call in the huddle and the one he might create. It’s challenging. It is.”
(With LB Jaelan Phillips out, you went LB Andrew Van Ginkel over DE Emmanuel Ogbah for the majority of snaps. It worked out well, obviously, Van Ginkel played out of his mind. What can Ogbah do to improve his chance to get more reps?) – “Just keep improving in every facet of the game, which I think he is, and he’s committed to doing. Then he’ll get more snaps.”
(You all have been – as you have been a lot your career – I guess the word would be selective with blitzes. Do you think the more selective a coordinator is with blitzes, the better chance it generally has worked?) – “In certain games, yes. In other games, maybe not. Yeah, you want to pressure when you want to and not feel like you have to as a last resort.”
(Around this time last week, we were talking about the run defense coming off the Chargers game. You guys responded pretty well, 88 rush yards. What changed in your view?) – “We played better, number one. I think we had the mindset to stop the run. We took on blocks a little better and just had that little more edge that you need to have to play the run better. We played the run good. It was, by my count, 20 carries for 63 yards. They got some quarterback scramble runs, which I know statistically are rushing yards, but they’re not in my mind.”
(What was the difference between LB David Long Jr. in Week 2 and David Long Jr. in Week 1?) – “He played more because of the injury to (Jaelan) Phillips, and he responded and did a nice job for us.”
(Did LB David Long Jr. do anything better, spotting the ball or getting to the ball?) – “He just played more solid. The mental errors and technique errors were limited and hopefully that’s something that will continue to improve.”
(I think there was a pressure package where you had DT Raekwon Davis as like a defensive end and LB Bradley Chubb over the right guard. I was curious with Raekwon, we really know him as the interior run-stuffer guy. What have you seen that made you confident in moving him out in that situation?) – “Well, it’s just the front we use sometimes that one of the tackles will kick out to be an end position and he happened to be in the game at that time. It could have been (Zach) Sieler too. Occasionally, we like to put a big guy out on the end.”
(It looked like S DeShon Elliott played well last week. In your mind, because you know that S Brandon Jones has an established NFL body of work, would you like to weave him in at some point? Or is it your thinking that if DeShon continues to play well, there’s no need to take him out of the game?) – “Both. Yeah, we’d like to get Brandon going. The big thing with Brandon is, he missed the entire offseason. He missed not all of training camp, but most of training camp. Did not play in any preseason games and he just needs to catch up. When you’re back there, if you’re not honed up, they’re not just six-yard gains. They’re big ones. We’re giving him more and more practice reps every week and I’m confident he’ll be ready to play soon here.”
(Along those lines, how valuable is it to have a guy like S DeShon Elliott you can play free and kind of open up S Jevon Holland to do a lot of different things all across the field?) – “Yeah, you need two good safeties. Right now, I think DeShon played the best game he had for us last week. Now, you’d say we’ve only had two games, but he played in the preseason a pretty good amount. Hopefully he’ll be able to build on that.”
(It looked like CB Kader Kohou played pretty well again, whether it’s blowing up that screen or in the slot or outside. You’ve got WR Jerry Jeudy, this week, obviously. What did you see from Kader this year as he’s continuing to evolve his game?) – “He’s playing good for us. He plays both corner and nickel. He’s played less corner these first two games because we were playing a lot of nickel. But he’s starting at the corner position in our base package. I have very good confidence in him at either position. He’s played well these first two weeks, no doubt about it.”
(How is CB Cam Smith progressing as far as playing from scrimmage?) – “He’s progressing. He’s progressing. He got more practice reps yesterday. We’ll continue to try and get him practice reps and hopefully when he’s called upon, he’ll be ready to play.”
(What’s a staple or something to know about Denver Head Coach Sean Payton’s approach to offense?) – “He’s always run a very balanced offense, balanced meaning run, pass. He’s not a guy that runs the ball just because he knows he has to. Sometimes he enjoys running the ball. He’s always had a good mix. I think he’s one of the better play callers in the league in the last 20, 30 years. He does a good job calling the game and I think they’re vastly improved offensively.”
(What stands out to you about CB Kader Kohou’s tackling ability and in all your years of coaching, where does he rank among tackling cornerbacks?) – “He’s a good tackling cornerback. Where he ranks? I don’t know. You’ve got to let me sit down and think about that for a while. There’s a lot of corners in 37 years. (laughter) But he’s done a good job tackling. I think the big thing with tackling is mindset and technique. You’ve got to want to tackle, and he likes to tackle.”
Danny Crossman – September 21, 2023
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Thursday, September 21, 2023
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(I guess we’ll start with the blocked field goal. Did they time that up by P Jake Bailey or the cadence? Or how did they do that?) – “They (New England) did a great job. I mean that’s good stuff. Whether it’s – obviously, we were on the wrong side of that one. But when you see stuff like that, that’s a great play. It’s perfectly timed, perfectly executed, a big play by them. But then again, they did it again later. It was a great play by them. Give them all the credit in the world. Give the coaches, give the player (credit). It’s super stuff and exciting even though we were on the wrong side of it, but that’s good stuff.”
(Why didn’t it work the second time?) – “Again, it’s a complete timing play. And if it’s not 100 percent right, it’s not going to work. You could be blocked, you could be offsides. There’s such a large spectrum. And when it works, it’s a fabulous thing.”
(The solution seems to be changing something, anything, so that it’s not exactly the same, and it makes it less predictable. But the problem might be that don’t kickers and snappers and holders like everything exactly the same every time?) – “No. We’re constantly varying things. So that’s just part of the game.”
(So you don’t think that that had any impact on the miss?) – “No.”
(Do you see teams trying to copy that?) – “I think that you’ll see teams look at it. But again, it’s the risk/reward. I think if you’re willing to go for it, I think you may see it on more long down situations so that if you are offsides, you’re not giving away a first down. You’re just giving away five yards of field position. Then you’re looking at what’s the history of the kicker and based on the yards. So there’s a lot of things that go into it. So again, they did a great job. (It was a) good play. Do I think you’ll see (it again)? I think you’ll see some version of that. But again, that’s just going to be part of the game.”
(Is their history with P Jake Bailey a factor in this?) – “Obviously, I think that has something to do with it. They know a lot of things about him. That particular play at that particular time was great, but we play guys that we’ve played against – specialists, players. Guys are the same guys. There’s subtle differences and you work on things and some things change. But it’s like anything else, guys are the same guys, regardless of the jerseys they are wearing. So some of those things you work to change. Some of them, you enhance. Again, that’s just part of it.”
(I know every field goal attempt is unique in its own. I know we’ve asked you about this, but in over the past few years, Jason is 4-of-13 on 50-yard plus field goals. I know you have all the confidence in the world with him, but at what point does it maybe become an issue? Or is there anything addressed during the week?) – “I’m not even close to that. So, I don’t know what that spot is. I try not to think about that because I don’t want to envision that. That’s not even part of what I’m thinking and where I’m at.”
(Is there anything that sticks out to you with the kicks?) – “Again, we’ve gone through this and we’ve gone over this, and I understand the question. If it was a week in and week out in practice – if there were just constant issues, then yeah, we would already come to your first question. But it’s not. So again, we have great confidence in Jason. That’s a situation at the end of the game, a 55-yarder, the percentages of that, versus the percentage of a fourth-and-3 conversion, you look at the numbers and you say do we go for the win with one of these? Or do you punt and pin and try to play defense? So there’s a lot of things that go into it. We played that percentage and we felt good about it. It didn’t work out. Fortunately the defense made the stand. All we care about is winning the game.”
(You mentioned the percentages of that. I guess there’s maybe some analytics involved. What were the percentages? Because I was actually shocked that you guys didn’t punt. Were the numbers actually in favor of kicking over punting in that situation?) – “We’re in this to win the game. And we were trying to win the game. Whether it’s offensively – Mike (McDaniel) said it. If we convert on fourth down or we kick the field goal, the percentages of winning the game are very, very, very good. So we were playing to win.”
(Are there ever times where Head Coach Mike McDaniel says, can he make it? I don’t mean just on Jason but I mean, throughout your career. Because in the movies, the coach always says, ‘Can he make it?’ And the guy never says no. So do you ever say, ‘You know what? Taking into consideration the wind, the field position, the spot on the field, we might want to pass on this one.’) – “Absolutely.”
(What percentage of time, like one percent over your career?) – “Maybe once or twice a year does that come up. It’s Jason (Sanders), it’s me, it’s the situation. There’s a lot of things that go into it. But again, if we can find a way to win the game and that’s what it comes down to is how the game is going offensively, defensively and the kicking game, then you get to the weather, the field surface. So there’s a lot of things. But yeah, there’s a couple times a year that we’ll be like, ‘there is a better option,’ even if the numbers slightly favor A and you may go with B or C.”
(I’m sorry to belabor the K Jason Sanders thing but in your mind as a long-time, established special teams coach, what is the reasonable expectation for the percentage that an NFL kicker should be able to make from 50-plus yards over the course of the season? Is it 50 percent, 60 percent?) – “Well, you talk about those numbers and each yard it changes drastically. You’re talking about 78 to 60 percent when you when you move the ball four yards. So if you go 51 (yards) to 55 (yards), you’re talking about a pretty big swing. So there are a lot of things that go into it. But again, any time we send Jason out on the field, we feel very strongly about him making the kick.”
(Is that because in practice he continues the vast majority of long ones?) – “Correct. Not just long ones. All of them.”
(I’m not looking for a strategy here, just kind of a theory. You guys don’t have any kickoff returns. RB De’Von Achane is eligible to be back there. What does he do well? Why would he be back there if he is? Speed? Hands?) – “I mean, number one, he’s got a history of it, so he’s done it. You’re not teaching him something new. And then you couple that with he’s a very talented individual. He’s got explosion, he’s got power, he runs hard for not a big stature player. And then he’s got home run speed. So he’s got history and then he’s got great talent, which is why he’s here and why we’re so excited to have him both in the kicking game and offensively.”
(It’s back-to-back weeks now you’ve had big punt returns lead to splash plays on the following play. Last week it looked like you had a return on to get WR Braxton Berrios 18 yards. I think at the Chargers game, more pressure forced a high punt. How do you decide whether or not you want to go return or pressure in those backed up punt situations?) – “Again, a lot that is tied into who we’re playing, what the history is of the punter, the coach, the elements. So there’s a lot of things that go into that. Again, if we can get great field position one way or the other and the offense is able to respond – we get two good field position plays in back-to-back weeks and we’re able to convert it immediately into points – that’s great complementary football. The defense gets the stop to pin them back, we’re able to convert, get good field position and the offense is able to score. When you’re able to do that, your chances of winning are pretty good.”
Tua Tagovailoa – September 20, 2023
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Wednesday, September 20, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(How excited are you to have your home debut for this season?) – “I think we’re all excited. It will be cool to finally get to play in front of our hometown crowd, so I’m sure it’ll be packed and I’m sure those guys are really excited to see us go out there and play.”
(You have a streak of beating Super Bowl winning coaches nine times in a row now. And you have another one coming up this week in Sean Payton. I know you’re just trying to go win every game, but that’s got to still be a pretty cool stat to hear, no?) – “Yeah, that is and you just mentioned it to me. But yeah, it’s a team sport. You win games with the team and I’ve been very fortunate to have great teammates. We’re just in here day-in and day-out trying to do everything we can to win.”
(On the other side of the ball, LB Bradley Chubb is facing his former team here this week. Just from what you’ve been able to observe of him – I don’t know how many meeting rooms you get to be in with him – but how has he ingratiated himself into this unit, this locker room, this family since he’s been here?) – “I think the cool thing about ‘B. Chubb’ (Bradley Chubb) is he’s all-around a class act person. I would say, like the first time that I met him, it wasn’t me going up to him. He came up to me and sort of introduced himself and I thought that was super cool being able to play against him my rookie year when we went down there to play Vic’s (Fangio) team at the time. But he’s a great guy, a great person. I like hanging out with him off the field. I don’t hang out with him too much on the field, but that’s all I can say is he’s a great person.”
(Opponents have had only four quarterback hits on you through the first two weeks which is second-best in the league. Only Baker Mayfield has been hit less. Two parts to that. One, if you could talk about why you think that that’s happening and then also how beneficial is that to you? Not just for injury, just the typical beating that a quarterback takes in a regular game?) – “I think that should tell you all you should know with the guys we have up front. There’s been a lot of naysayers and I know our guys in the o-line room hear what everyone is saying as well, so that’s a way that they’re able to shut the haters up basically. And to me, it’s nothing new. Those guys have been working their butts off this entire offseason – OTAs, training camp – they’ve been working their butts off. So this is nothing surprising to me and I think that’s what it entails, is just the work ethic that they put in day-in, day-out with their coach Butch (Barry). And guys are buying into new techniques, new fundamentals with how they’re getting off the ball and different things, so having Tyreek (Hill), having (Jaylen) Waddle – having fast guys also helps me get the ball out quicker to be able to distribute that and throw off timing for the rushers as well. So I think that’s been a big key to that as well.”
(You mentioned as part of that, that your quick release has been part of it. What goes into that? Is that just quickly going through your progressions, your reads?) – “Yeah, that’s just understanding pre-snap where we need to go with the ball and then also post-snap adjusting and making that adjustment quick. That’s basically all it is.”
(Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph with Denver this year and in previous years in Arizona has been top-five in blitz rate in the NFL pretty much since he’s been doing it. What kind of challenges does a blitz-happy defense present to you?) – “They present a lot of challenges. You’ve got to understand where those blitzers are coming from. You’ve got to understand where you want to protect them. So there’s a lot of things. We’re going to have to find out if they’re blitzing from here, where the openings are going to be and we’ve got to figure out how we want to attack them in that sense.”
(On that same token, how have you developed on the blitz throughout your career, like looking back to maybe when you started to where you are now?) – “I think a lot of it is just within the rhythm and timing of our offense. That’s basically what it’s evolved to where you understand where your hot (read) is coming from, but then if you are playing in the rhythm and timing of the play, at worst you’ll probably take a hit after throwing the ball. But that’s at worst. That’s what I’ve been trying to do, trying to get the ball out as quickly as possible, kind of seeing the defenses so that I can help myself out as well as the offensive line.”
(I saw most of training camp you guys were doing a heavy rotation with all the receivers. Now that WR Jaylen Waddle is out, how much will that benefit you in terms of whoever has to step up for him?) – “That’ll benefit our offense a lot. That will benefit us a lot because like you said, we’ve been rotating guys and it’s been allowing others to get reps with the ones, with the twos, with other guys. And it also helps with the timing of that. You know where this guy is going to be at what point. Guys when their routes a little different so being able to throw to a couple of the other guys out there today, working on timing, it’s been good.”
(In that same token, WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Tyreek Hill are obviously special for a reason. I don’t think last year either of them missed a game. How much changes or what you guys can do scheme, offensive-wise, if Waddle can’t go?) – “I think it’s tough when you don’t have two of your top guys in (Jaylen) Waddle and if we weren’t to have Tyreek (Hill) on any given Sunday, but I would say the rest of the guys in that room, they’re ready to step up. They’re ready to play. It doesn’t change how I prepare. I was going to be funny. I was going to say I might as well stay home if they don’t play. (laughter) But yeah, I think the guys in their room, they’re ready to step up and whatever cards you’re dealt with, you’ve got to go out there and play. Any given Sunday. Those guys on the other side don’t care about who’s playing or not. They just want to do anything they can to help their team win.”
(I liked that pass down to WR Braxton Berrios down to the 2-yard line and I noticed from watching the All-22 that you sort of felt or sensed pressure from your left and then slid to your right before throwing it in the buck down. I’m curious, was it just a sense and has your sort of spidey senses – are they better than every?) – “Spidey senses? Can you explain spidey senses for me? (laughter) That’s great. Yeah, I would say because I’m not the biggest person, I’m not able to always see over guys and because Tyreek (Hill) is not the biggest person, Jaylen (Waddle) is not the biggest person, Braxton (Berrios) is not the biggest person; sometimes you’ve just got to feel space for those guys and that’s when understanding where they’re going to be at the time they’re going to be there matters a lot. Sometimes we have to read the play inside out. I knew Braxton was going back up on a wheel and so as I kind of peeked towards the middle, I could kind of sense this backside player on the pressure and then I knew Braxton was going to be there.”
(I wanted to ask you, when you were growing up in Hawaii, what players did you look up to from a quarterback standpoint? Who did you admire or idolize or look at yourself and say, ‘hey, I want to be like that guy.’) – “I’d say it was hard because I grew up a Cowboys fan, so I always wanted to watch the Cowboys growing up. But in Hawaii, the games start at like seven or eight (in the morning). Then if you get a nighttime game on the East Coast, then the game in Hawaii is like at three o’clock. Whatever games we could catch, those were the teams that I would watch. I would just watch those offenses and whatnot. I wasn’t able to just specifically watch one person. I was able to watch a lot of quarterbacks. If I didn’t get to watch a certain game, then I’d just watch the highlights on YouTube.”
(You stay off social media. You’re not the type of guy to watch ESPN. But can you tap into the frequency of just the excitement around this team right now from a fan perspective? How electric Hard Rock Stadium is probably going to be on Sunday, how much pride does that give you?) – “I think it gives all of us on this team a lot of pride. We feel that the city of Miami has been waiting, and they’re ready for a championship. You look at the Heat, you look at the Florida Panthers, I mean, all those guys were able to make it to the final dance. They were able to do special things throughout their seasons. We’re kind of trying to trot along that line and sort of follow the lead of those guys.”
(You have a really diehard loyal fan base. To run through that smoke again and hear your name coming out of the tunnel, what’s that moment going to be like for you?) – “That moment is going to be special. Anytime I would say any of us are able to go back out there, this is not something that we take for granted. This game comes and goes and nothing’s ever promised. Anytime that we get to run out there and play for our families, play for each other, and play for the fans, it’s a blessing. It’ll be cool.”
(You guys do motion more than any other team.) – “We do it more than the Niners?”
(I think so, yeah. That element – the motion – how have you seen it this year in particular, change the looks that defenses give you?) – “Well, it forces them to communicate a lot more. We saw that in Week 1 and we also got to see that in Week 2. We have seen a lot of adjustments off of the motions that we’ve had. They’ve also given us different looks. So as we continue to work our motions, our snap counts, our timing with all of those, we’ll see how the defenses continue to adjust. And the adjustments that they make, we’ll come to the sideline, and we’ll hopefully be able to adjust as well.”
Terron Armstead – September 20, 2023
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Wednesday, September 20, 2023
T Terron Armstead
(How proud are you watching the guys the first two weeks?) – “Extremely. Those guys have been putting a lot of work in and it’s great when you can see what comes from putting in all of those hours of work behind the scenes, and then you can go display on the big stage. We still got a lot of work to do, a lot of improvement to do, but I’m extremely proud of my group.”
(Is it beneficial for you in anyway to watch games, or is there anything you pick up watching game opposed to playing?) – “Yeah. It’s all perfecting. It’s all about your approach. Are you trying to get better? Are you looking at it in a sense to improve, to get better, to be ready? All of those things. It’s all perfection.”
(I saw you come out and the fireworks were going off, and the lights and everything and you were itching. You really wanted to be out there. Tell me what was going through your mind when you were walking out there.) – “I love it man. The energy you get on that field right at that time. Lights going off, the fireworks, the fans – you cannot recreate it. Just being in it my first time this year so far, I wanted to go out there with the guys.”
(And knowing that you couldn’t at that moment…) – “Yeah. I had to just play my role. Be a good teammate, a good captain, be a extra set of eyes out there for the guys and a communicator.”
(A lot of times we hear about the day after the workout. How have you felt in days after the workouts?) – “That’s the way to tell, for sure. The day after, try to keep any type of swelling or aches (down). I’ll be back out there tomorrow in full pads ready to roll.”
(The injury report has you with an ankle, a back and a knee. Are the back and the knee from last year? I know those were issues from last year.) – “That’s just the stuff that I told them about. (laughter)”
(How realistic are you about playing on Sunday?) – “We’re working. I feel good about tomorrow, for sure. Like I said, I’ll be in full pads tomorrow. Going to get more reps. Eyes on Sunday.”
(What do you see when you look at the performance of the line so far this year?) – “I’m excited. I’m excited for them. Those guys are just scratching the surface. They are getting confidence in areas they didn’t know exists. Just to see things work, new techniques work, in real speed, real competition. It just gives you an added level of confidence and all of that. That actually does work, not just doing it at practice. But to be able to see it against other top competition, you can keep adding, keep adding, and that’s what these guys are doing. They are working like crazy. Still a lot more work to be done, a lot more improvements to be had, but I love this group and we’re going to continue to get better.”
(What’s the biggest difference maker from last year to this year?) – “The experience. Getting more experience. The standard is high. We will never accept losing and it happens across the board. We all lose reps, for sure. But never being ok with it. And how do you respond to it? Let’s not let one bad play turn into two, or two turn into three. Just having that standard, that mindset going forward. It’s a great atmosphere that we have in that room. It’s a great mindset. Like I said, we’re going to continue to get better.”
(One thing about T Kendall Lamm that’s impressed you?) – “Everything. He’s an ultimate pro. He’s a vet, battle tested, he’s strong, he’s smart. Consistency. That’s probably the biggest thing you look for in an offensive line play and he gives you that. He’s consistent. He’s just a worker. Old school, old style. He’s an ultimate pro.”
(Obviously winning two games on the road is very impressive. Now you have the challenge of coming home, and trying to make this a place where other teams don’t want to play. How do you go about doing that? How important is it to make Hard Rock Stadium a place where people don’t want to come?) – “We got to continue to approach every day as an opportunity to get better, to improve. We can’t take anything for granted. Those two wins mean nothing. Absolutely nothing. We’ve got an 0-2 Denver team coming in that’s extremely talented. They lost both games by a total of three points. Well-coached team. They are going to be a very physical and tough group. We’ve got to approach every day with an opportunity to improve, and then we put a good outfit out there, we give our fans something to be excited about, and come out and scream and yell at the other team.”
Jaelan Phillips – September 20, 2023
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Wednesday, September 20, 2023
LB Jaelan Phillips
(Was it a freak thing? What do you think happened and how are you feeling now?) – “First of all, I feel great. Stuff happens. I just moved weird and my back kind of spasmed on me, so I spent the 48 hours after it happened doing everything I could to get right for the game. Frankly, I felt pretty good to go but obviously it’s a long season. Got to play everything smart. So I think ultimately it gave my back some rest and now I’m feeling great, feeling healthy, ready to go.”
(What did you think of LB Andrew Van Ginkel’s game sort of in your place?) – “That boy snapped. I’ve known ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) is a playmaker. He’s one of the sneakiest, most sneaky athletic people I’ve ever met. He’s very unassuming, but he’s really a playmaker all around the ball, flying around, making plays, rushing his ass of. He did a great job. A really good job.”
(You share a locker obviously with LB Bradley Chubb. It’s an important week for him, I’d imagine. Have you talked to him at all about seeing the Broncos again?) – “Yeah, I think he’s definitely excited, but we really try to keep a level head with all this. Like no matter what the game is, we try to prepare for it the same. It’s not even so much just being emotionally invested in it and letting that get you out of your preparation and your game. Like I said, just handling this like it’s any other weekend. We’re going to go out there and play our asses off.”
Mike McDaniel – September 20, 2023
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Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Is WR Jaylen Waddle still in concussion protocol? Will LB Jaelan Phillips be able to practice today?) – “(Jaelan) Phillips is progressing, (Jaylen) Waddle is still in concussion protocol.”
(I know there’s a point in concussion protocol where they practice. Is WR Jaylen Waddle at that point, or is he still sidelined?) – “Yes, he’s not practicing today. I’m not really worried about the timeline. I’m more worried about him getting right. I’m not really sure when that is nor have I tried to dig that up.”
(What about T Terron Armstead?) – “Terron (Armstead) will be in practice today. He’ll have an uptick tomorrow when the pads are on, so we’re full steam ahead. We’ll take it day by day.”
(With T Terron Armstead, I know sometimes the day after a workout is important. How did he do last week on day after workouts?) – “That’s where we saw the progression. That’s why we felt pretty good about moving forward and upping the ante, so to speak, this week. Then we’ll be really just taking a close look tomorrow and see how he responds and same thing the next day.”
(Where does RB Salvon Ahmed stand?) – “He won’t be practicing today. Until otherwise noted, I wasn’t planning for today or tomorrow. So we’ll see how it shakes out, but I always leave room for people to have an unexpected fast expeditious recovery. But as far as today, I’m not planning on seeing him.”
(How did RB De’Von Achane do in his debut and where do you feel he’s at?) – “I thought he did well with his opportunities. You can tell that the game is not too big for him. The biggest challenge is absorbing the entirety of the gameplan, which I think he’s made vast improvements upon really since the spring and through training camp. I think fortunately for the team, he’s prepared for the further opportunities that he’ll be given moving forward.”
(Your first NFL game as an intern was a Broncos at Dolphins matchup, right?) – “It was.”
(What did that show you about the early season September home field advantage that exists here?) – “Well, that was pre-global warming. It was hot. (laughter) I think it’s all in each individual team and how they’re prepared. I think there’s a challenge to adapt to every place you play in terms of it’s outside of normal to a degree, but the good news is it’s the same atmosphere for both teams. I think they’re very used to it when people travel to Mile High, and I’m sure they’re going to be prepared for the humidity.”
(Along those lines, it’s your first regular season game against your hometown team. When you think of the Denver Broncos as it relates to your journey, what comes to mind?) – “I mean it’s a big part of it. It was the team that I found my love for football with. Their jerseys were orange at the time for the most part. Also a couple of the biggest influences that I’ve had from the game of football in terms of Mike Shanahan and by extension Kyle Shanahan and Gary Kubiak. It’s a great franchise. I have played them before, but not as a head coach. What’s weird in the journey is once you get in the business, the teams don’t feel the same. So I guess it’s like how you don’t treat bosses the same. Technically, the organization is my boss, so it’s just like, ‘Aright.’ It kind of loses its fandom so to speak. But a tremendous organization and I wouldn’t be here without it.”
(Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II has not allowed a whole lot of completions or yards this year. What’s the challenge of game planning for a defense that has someone that can lock down a full side of the field?) – “If you want to talk about a tough position, that’s why you kind of know by name the guys that are the best in the business, and I think he’s in that category for sure, because put it this way, your job is to cover someone with your back to the thing your defending, which is the goal line, and you have no idea what they’re going to do. You talk about you have to have certain traits to be able to execute that, as well as you have to be deliberate in your approach, you have to have technique and fundamentals. You have to be patient when you need to be and aggressive when you need to be, so I think he deserves all the praise he gets. He’s a heck of a player.”
(You have a relationship with many players. What’s different about the head coach/quarterback relationship and how essential is it to success?) – “I think every relationship is unique to itself, I think especially when you enter into the journey with each individual player like I try to do. However, there are certain things that, as a play-caller more than anything, you’re hypersensitive to the extra things that someone has on their plate that maybe people don’t pay mind to. The stability and the grounded nature that the quarterback position necessitates – listen you have the ball in your hands and if you’re throwing a temper-tantrum, there are residual results to everyone on the field and the organization. For guys to be able to make plays, you have to either hand or throw the ball to them. I think I keep that in mind and bear witness to that. It’s hard to ignore all the different things that you’re instructing him to do. I think it gives you a true appreciation for all the things that need to take place from that particular individual as well as his immediate surroundings and all the people that are in his corner, with position coach and family. It is all encompassing. You are judged retroactively and no one cares how much you’ve invested and you have to be ok with that. You have to just guiltlessly approach your job and not feel entitled to anything. You have to be hungry consistently and you have to be ready for the unforeseen. You have to continue to get better. It’s very humbling. I have a more direct scope. I wouldn’t call the relationship necessarily different. I would say that I have as true of an appreciation as you can have for all the success and things that he earns.”
(This will probably be a unique week for LB Bradley Chubb as well. What he showed last week, how encouraging was that? And how confident are you that’s what we’re going to see the rest of the season?) – “I think there hasn’t been a day that has gone by since we were able to acquire him that I haven’t been thankful. It’s been production is more of a when, not if. I think it’s awesome to see earned production. I think what’s unique about Bradley and one of the reasons why we chose to acquire him, and we chose to pay him, is because he is a difference maker that is also selfless. I think a lot of times, particularly at the edge position in the National Football League, it’s almost like a receiver blocking. You have to, as an edge player, defend the run if you want your team to be good, but you don’t necessarily get direct compensation all the time for it. Guys get paid for sacks. So when you’re fortunate enough to have a guy that can get sacks, but also takes extreme pride in the overall complexion of the defense and his part in it, you feel very, very fortunate to have that. I think there are some people with ties to the Broncos organization for sure, but one of the great things about this team and the people in that locker room is they would feel enormously guilty if they approached it with anything other than the team’s best interest. Thinking about last year, or where you’re drafted – I’m sure there are memories and stuff and I will never speak for them – but the one thing that I can tell by actions is that their primary focus is the Miami Dolphins and not their score to settle or whatever maybe created in the media. That’s not really going on in-house. They are focused on this team getting better from the last (game).”
(How have you seen Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry’s approach and mindset translate to the field over the first few weeks?) – “Directly. I was fortunate enough to work directly with Butch in San Francisco for my last season there. The in’s and out’s of a season, especially the one we had there where people were speaking on next year in the middle of the season, then we went on a run and found a way to galvanize and got to the NFC Championship Game. That relationship, there’s no hiding. You kind of know what you’re going to get. And after really digesting the whole 2022 season, I thought he was just what the doctor ordered. I think if you ask the players, they would say the same thing. And it’s not because of anything but his commitment to the task at hand, his commitment to the players, and his integrity of his position. He’s relentless. I mean, he’s sweating in a sun hat every day. He brings the juice and takes it very, very serious. So I think the residuals are in the players and I commend the whole group for understanding their various roles, and using each other to maximize all their potential, which if this is letter C in the alphabet, we have a long way to go. But it’s been very encouraging thus far.”
(We saw the Patriots use a common unique defensive plan to maybe try to stop some of your tendencies and you guys adjusted well. Can you maybe take me through that adjustment process in year two with you and QB Tua Tagovailoa of trying to stay ahead of the defense as they scheme for your tendencies?) – “I’m very hesitant to have a crystal ball. I think my job is to have things, I think I said it the other day, I kind of view it as equity in the plan, so that you can allow the players to dictate the terms, regardless of situation. We have plenty of pass plays we didn’t call and some run plays we didn’t call, but you’re trying to disperse it around ‘okay, well, they could do this, this or this.’ You don’t quite know what it’s going to be, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to kind of come to the conclusion they might try to stop a pass or two. So you’re thinking along those lines. But then the biggest thing is about where the players are with regard to the coaching staff. Because what happens in those situations is you’re having a puzzle that doesn’t replicate any puzzle that you’ve really seen up until that point. There wasn’t playbook drawings of the defense. But for everyone to be accounted for in a pass play or a run play, you kind of have to be able to sort it all out collectively with a collective vision. So to me, it’s those types of games, which will come if you are fortunate enough to have success. Those type of problem-solving abilities are absolutely fundamentally (something that) the team depends on for you to have success in big moments and big games. That is something that I hope for the team that we’ll continue to get work at as we progress through the season because I know those are problems that you have to solve live speed in games that you remember for the rest of your life. So, it’s good to get those reps early.”
Mike McDaniel – September 18, 2023
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Monday, September 18, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Is WR Jaylen Waddle is in concussion protocol? And with RB Salvon Ahmed, did he strain his groin? I hope it’s not torn. Do you know on his situation as well?) – “I don’t have a timetable with ‘SA’ (Salvon Ahmed). It’s not torn. It’s not an overly long situation but those are tricky. We’ll know more as the week progresses with that. Jaylen is in the protocol. We’ll move forward. He already started progressing in that process today.”
(How about LB Jaelan Phillips? Is there any update on him?) – “He was pretty frustrated that he wasn’t allowed to play. From a medical perspective, we thought it wasn’t worth the risk. But in his mind, he was ready to contribute, so he was disappointed but understanding. It was just the long-term vision, we felt like he may be at risk for a bigger issue if he would’ve played. Sometimes we have to be the adults. He was ready if asked, but we felt it was better for the team to make sure he’s fully prepared for the future and not risk that with short-sided-ness.”
(Same thing with T Terron Armstead?) – “Yeah, Terron and Jaelan Phillips were very similar in that way, where they both felt they had played games under the circumstances, however we just really want to do everything possible to avoid anything we can as far as setbacks go with those players. They’re a big part of our team. So fortunately, like I’ve been saying, we have depth and people that train in a multitude of ways so that you cannot risk the long vision of the team for a short-sighted decision. So they’re both very similar.”
(How confident are you that both T Terron Armstead and LB Jaelan Phillips will be available for this week potentially?) – “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but that’s trending in the right direction, the fact that they both felt capable. So we’ll see how it progresses throughout the week, because we also just don’t want to – you’re careful not to put in the head of the player that ‘Hey, this is when you’re going to play.’ It’s more of let’s continue to detail and pay full mind and attention to the injury. Then we’ll let the body tell us when we’re going to play. So we feel good about where they’re at and I’m optimistic but we’ll see how the week progresses.”
(What’s your message to the offense when you review the game tape with them and you have 30 points a game and almost 500 yards a game, but also some low red zone kicking field goals down there, some turnovers and failed exchanges? How do you balance the really good with some of the miscues?) – “Well, I think you have to keep a real perspective on what are we trying to do? Are we just trying to get a win? Or are we trying to build to something special? You either get better or you get worse in this league, and there’s plenty of areas where we see as coaches and as players where I think our vision is pretty grounded, where it’s looking for where can we get better. There’s a bunch of stuff to improve upon because as the season progresses, there’s teams that continue to get better. And there’s teams that stay the same or get worse. And at the end of the season, you want to be part of the former, not the latter. And just by staying the same or not improving, is a death sentence really over the long haul of the season. So it’s good to have some success. However, the offense definitely knows that they needed other phases of the team to come through to make sure the game was won. The first game we scored with some time remaining on the clock, and maybe if you’re operating your best self, you score with no time left. This past game, we had an opportunity to make it a two-score game, and didn’t get it done. Both games, the defense came through. And you’re trying to have each phase not be completely dependent on each other while depending on each other, if that makes sense. Listen, we have some residual scars from last season that you kind of make last season purposeful. It was the first time that a lot of guys had felt some sort of positive hype. Whether it’s correlation or causation, the league humbled them, I think, and us. I think that’s very still alive and awake in our mind. It’s so early in the season. Again, two wins in two games is whatever. Our goals are much, much bigger than that. And that takes continued growth, which will start this week, building on the last.”
(We talked last week about the aggression and certain decisions in points of the game. Down the stretch yesterday with the chance to either go for it or kick that field goal late, what went into the thought process there about maybe deciding to try for the points instead of maybe being more aggressive to try to get the first down in that situation?) – “Those were live decisions. To be quite honest, I was planning on going for it on fourth down and then we had a mishandled exchange under center, which lost two yards and that point, I didn’t think it was responsible to really go that direction. I was planning on it, but when the utmost elementary fundamentals fall apart – we have a ton of confidence in (Jason Sanders). I mean, shoot, we went to playoffs last year off of a 50-yard field goal from Jason (Sanders). So you’re playing percentages at that point and we felt confident in Jason. I think ultimately 10 times out of 10, the offense wants to take the game in control in their own hands and finish without having other units having to come on the field. It wasn’t the case yesterday and I think my decision to kick a field goal would have been adjusted had the play before not gone awry.”
(Where is your level of concern with the center-quarterback exchange – with the snap, either shotgun or under center and how do you fix that?) – “My level of concern is two-sixtieths of the game. It’s an odd thing to be concerned about because it’s executed very well on so many occasions. So it’s like everything else where you have to try to reverse-engineer. Ok, how can we go this whole game with this happening? What is going on right now, and getting down to the fundamentals and technique, and really the mindset of it. And you’re fortunate when that stuff happens to have it happen early in the season, for us to communicate and talk about to get better from, and to have it happen in a win. Those are the best-case scenarios that you’re not always as fortunate to have those lessons be given to you in wins. But I think my assumption – that is founded based upon all the people that are in this building, on this team – my assumption is that we’re seeking out and finding every piece of our game that we can improve upon and that is the non-negotiable prerequisite. So anything that happens, whether it’s a weird distribution, a missed tackle, a blocked kick – all of these things you can either say – I think our mode of our whole team is to find those, look them straight in the eye and correct them because the only way to get better, to continually improve, is if you’re identifying and finding those things. That will always be the case if you’re trying to do something worthwhile.”
(Did you go into the game with a pretty strong conviction that you were going to have a run-pass balance or was that a product of just how the game played out?) – “It’s kind of a weird feeling. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on several offenses that have had some productivity. And in that process, you learn the whole mode of playing an opponent, watching their tape, game planning for what they’re doing but also game planning for what could possibly be coming. And in that, by and large, most teams – specifically coached by Coach (Bill) Belichick – if you’ve put on tape that you can win a certain way, they’ll try to force you to win another way. So I don’t go into the game assuming. We go into the game kind of prepared if they are overplaying something, we have to have answers. So I knew it would be important, just line of scrimmage play in general because they’re so fundamentally sound in that and let’s face it, with a lot of guys that are returning from last year, they were top five in sacks and they were high up there in run defense. So you have to be on your p’s and q’s. You don’t know exactly what it is, but you can assume that with all the unbelievable football that he’s produced, that Coach Belichick and his staff would come up with something that we hadn’t seen and we’d have to be able to adjust. So I knew line of scrimmage play was going to be important, but you have to let the game kind of play out, see what the defense is doing and if they’re taking something away, something else is vulnerable. So you just kind of have to have equity in your game plan from that perspective.”
(You don’t see a lot of 31-year-old running backs do what RB Raheem Mostert did last night. What gave you confidence during the evaluation period this offseason that he still had that in him?) – “I have extensive history with Raheem. From our vantage point, and mine specifically, with opportunities that weren’t plentiful in the beginning of his career – he was cut 900 times and in the NFC Championship game in 2019, he didn’t even start when he had 220 yards and four touchdowns, and then had to deal with some injuries. But all the while, his game has progressed. He’s a unique individual that currently has either the first or second fastest ball-carrier time recorded since 2016 – 23-something (miles per hour), and he was 29 years old. To look at him through the same lens as every other back I think would be a mistake. Just watching the nuances of his game, he’s developed confidence, conviction, his vision is better, he’s more decisive. As you guys could see last night, and it was very evident at the end of the season last year, he is a hard tackle. Pound for pound he might be one of, if not the strongest person on the team. He’s just unique in that way. I try to very much acknowledge when people live outside the curve. I’d rather be the person that was like, ‘yeah, see? I knew it.’ Because you just watch what he does on daily basis and know how hungry he is and how much he wants to do what he does best, which is run the football.”
