Patrick Graham – November 26, 2019
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Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham
(How would you assess the development of CB Ryan Lewis?) – “I think he’s getting better. It was good to see him come up with a big play in the game last week. I think the attributes that led us to wanting to go get him – he’s tough, he’s smart, he can tackle. I think his play at the line of scrimmage and being physical, that’s what kind of led to the play. I know he threw a little bit behind him and the ball tipped up in the air when it hit Odell (Beckham), but I think that’s the stuff we’re looking for from him and that’s what he’s trying to give us.”
(Obviously your secondary faced a very tough matchup with Cleveland. What can they take from that game with those struggles to build on, and how do they build on them?) – “The NFL is such an interesting place and just an interesting league. These guys are the best in the world at what they do. So for a young group like that to go against those guys and get a chance to play against them and experience those plays, they’ll learn those lessons, coming from two of the more skilled guys. Just like this week facing Philadelphia, they’ve got a very skilled wide receiver group and hopefully the lessons learned from this last game will carry over to the next game, whether it’s better at the line of scrimmage, better at coming up and through the pocket. Just things that (are) natural defensive backs plays that I think you learn and gain experience doing it against the elite. Then you hope the next time, it is better. That’s the main thing.”
(How was communication there in the back end?) – “Communication – obviously when you lose, everything could be better. Communication from me, why don’t we start there? Everything starts with me as the coordinator. I’ve got to do a better job of communicating and getting everything in the right spot and then obviously the fellows will probably tell you, they could’ve been better. Just like a bunch of stuff could have been better – tackling – but that’s what we’re going to get to tomorrow. We’re going to attack it full on. I love this group in terms of how they come into work and I know this, they’ll be ready to get going on the Eagles for this weekend. That’s one of the biggest things I can pull from these guys is meeting with them on Monday and knowing that they are already preparing for the Eagles right now. We’ll be ready to prepare for these guys. Most of the guys are starting today; but we’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
(What kind of challenge will it be facing a team that has two high-end tight ends like they do with TE Zach Ertz and TE Dallas Goedert?) – “It’s a struggle. Just with one tight end, it’s hard. Ertz is one of the elite tight ends in the league. These guys do a good job of working together, whether it is screens or down-the-field throws, intermediate throws, RPOs (run/pass options). They’re so highly involved with everything they do with the offense. You get to see all of the 12 personnel they are in. It does make it a challenge, but we’re at work trying to figure it out right now and we’ll see how it plays out on Sunday.”
(What challenges does TE Dallas Goedert present to the defense?) – “I think because he’s a good in-line blocker and then with the ability to flex out and give you the multiplicity – the same thing we’re trying to gain on defense, they can do on offense because their 12 personnel can look like 11, it can look like 10, it can look like 21. His toughness really stands out, his versatility stands out and then the fact that he can catch the ball. So you’re like ok, a lot of times you hope that the in-line tight end is just a blocker, so you don’t have to worry about covering him. No, not the case (with Goedert).”
(LB Andrew Van Ginkel had the big splash play on special teams. What did you see from him in his snaps on defense and what do you want to see form him going forward?) – “You saw a young player out there getting his feet wet and stuff. I think there are a couple of plays he would want back and he can improve upon; but you saw a guy who was out there and running around. It was good to see him out there, put it that way. I’m looking forward to see how his growth goes this week against the Eagles.”
(With this defensive line, the Browns got a lot of push at the line of scrimmage. Obviously they’re a good team, they’re in the NFL, too; but how well have you guys done at anchoring that point and holding the line?) – “I think one of the strong points again – and we’re going to need it this week dealing with the guys from the Eagles in terms of the run game because it’s such a good rushing team – I think our defensive tackles are, they’re in there competing and they’re fighting their butts off, honestly. In terms of staying square, playing with extension, hands out in front of their eyes, I think they’ve done a good job. Again, the whole stoutness of the interior of the defense doesn’t just fall on the d-line. It’s also pressing from the second level with the (line)backers, getting the right run reads and things of that nature. There’s no way in the world I could say if you perceived us getting knocked back – and again, obviously the run defense wasn’t great and we’ve got a ways to go in terms of improving it – but it’s not just a d-line problem by any stretch of the imagination. It’s more of a ‘me’ problem, making sure I get them in the right spots, making sure that I’m coaching it better. It starts with the coaching first and then we’ve got to get – really it’s 11 people out there that contribute to the stoutness of the defense.”
(Something that’s fascinated me is you’ve got an almost full hockey line change at times. You send five guys on, take five guys off from play to play. Is that based on maybe some limitations of the roster right now or is that philosophically how you want to coach this team?) – “Just in terms of change, it’s based on the situation and what we think is going to be best within that situation. We’re always trying to deploy the right guys to take advantage of their weaknesses, take advantage of the situation, provide us with the best matchup. That’s what we’re really trying to do. I don’t think it has anything to do with the roster. It is a good thing to be able to have guys that are multiple and able to move them in and out of the lineup like that. That’s a good thing, but it’s usually just to take advantage of the matchup or situation.”
(I guess I’ll ask it this way – if you put seven All-Pros out there, would you be rotating them as regularly as you are now?) – “If we had seven All-Pros out there, that would be nice. (laughter) No, I’m joking; but again, it’s all based on the situation and game plan for that week. I can’t answer that. I’ve never been on a field with seven All-Pros before, so I don’t know.”
(I wanted to ask you about DT John Jenkins. What has stood out to you most in your first year with him as a player and as a guy?) – “I think I said it last week, ‘Jenks’ (John Jenkins) is a guy that one, he’s from the great state of Connecticut. That’s a positive – wrong city, but great state of Connecticut. (He has a) great personality. He’s a physical football player, he’s a smart football player and he has experience. His experience – again – his experience in the division that we’re about to (go against) facing the Eagles this week, he has some experience there. He’ll be able to help us out in terms of talking about the offensive line and some of their schemes to help us there, but just also with our younger players, he’s a guy that they can go to to help figure out some of the stuff – ins and outs of the NFL that you learn from the players.”
(I was going to ask you as a follow-up, how much interaction have you seen with DT John Jenkins mentoring DT Davon Godchaux and DT Christian Wilkins?) – “You see it. They’re always talking. The football conversations that are happening now here in November on the sideline during practice are lightyears ahead of what they were when we first got here. That’s one thing as a coach I could take away from that and just say I’m really happy to hear those side conversations because sometimes I’m not involved with it, but I can hear it going on and we’re talking about the right things. We’re moving forward in the right direction with that.”
(The Eagles played Sunday without RB Jordan Howard and without WR Alshon Jeffrey and without WR Nelson Agholor. QB Carson Wentz hurt his finger. How tricky does it make it to prepare for them with all these unknowns?) – “(laughter) Like I say every week, the unknowns are the unknowns, but we’ve got to prepare for it all. That’s why we get paid, and that’s why it’s the NFL. We know it’s a physical league, but I always look forward to the challenge of that. Just making sure and we’ll see what happens on Sunday with inactives and we’ll go from there, but you’ve got to prepare for it all.”
