Patrick Graham – September 10, 2019
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Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham
(So last year, if you look at metrics, they would show that S Minkah Fitzpatrick was probably the best in the league on slot receivers in your nickel package. I know he played some there on Sunday, but why not play him there most of the time and limit him to one or two things as opposed to having him do other things? What’s the thinking in not doing that?) – “I can’t speak on last year. I wasn’t here last year, nor am I worried about last year. I just know this past week, we tried to do what was best for the team and for the defense and tried to deploy players in the right spots and seeing what we thought was the right way to go. That’s how we’re going to approach defensively – how we’re going to use guys and where we put them at.”
(Was S Minkah Fitzpatrick used correctly because he said that players weren’t always put in the right spots?) – “You’ve got to speak to Minkah about that and anything we had privately about talking discussions, but we tried our best to put guys in the right spots. I could’ve coached better. There’s no question about that. I feel like I definitely could have done that. Guys could’ve played better; but you know what, today’s Tuesday. It’s a new day, and thankfully, we still have another opportunity this weekend, and we’re going to try to get better starting with today.”
(One last thing on that topic – have you figured out the correct way to use S Minkah Fitzpatrick, or do you think you have not yet done that?) – “Well, we haven’t practiced this week.”
(I meant – not this week, but in general.) – “(It’s the) early part of the season. We’re working through things, and we’re trying to figure out the best spots for everybody and the best way to deploy everybody, and we’re just trying to look to improve.”
(Do you feel like it’s important to listen to players and how they feel like they should be used, or do you feel like players should kind of go with how coaches tell them?) – “I think we’re all doing this job together. There’s definitely a leadership role. It starts with our head coach. It trickles down to me and then to the players and then the leadership within the player group, as well; but my door is always open. I’m always open to hear and listen and get communication from the players and input because we are doing this thing together. We spend so much time with one another. I think that’s a big part of it – just having clear lines of communication and understanding what each one expects from one another.”
(You said a minute ago, “we tried our best to put players in the right spots.” That’s half the equation. The other half is, once they get the call, they have to go to those right spots before the snap. Was that happening Sunday?) – “I think what happened on Sunday was, first off, I’ve got to do a better job of coaching. I’ve got to tip my hat to Baltimore, and again, we don’t want to be stuck talking about Baltimore – we’ve got a big game this weekend – but they did a good job. Their head coach, the offensive coordinator, those guys – they’re well-coached. They’re a good football team. They’ve got good players, and they executed better than we did, and they coached better than we did. The goal is to get better today, try to improve upon that so that we have a better showing on Sunday; but we’ve got to start with today. We’ve got to win today. We’ve got to win today.”
(Were you surprised at how effective Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was with his arm, particularly deep down the field?) – “We spoke about it. Again, here’s what I’ll say about Baltimore – then I’m going to really move on to New England. For me, this team (Baltimore) was in the past, a very successful rushing team. (They were) very good at running the ball. Statistically, from the film, it popped off. They added (Mark) Ingram. (He’s a) good player. Again, was I surprised that Lamar grew as a passer? No. That’s part of the NFL. I expect for those guys to grow and improve. I’m sure that’s what the offseason was meant for. Again, they executed better than we did, and they did a good job. They out-executed us, and I tip my hat to them. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
(I think that anyone would agree that S Reshad Jones has been one of the best defensive players here over the last five or six years. I know you haven’t been here, but can you give a specific reason to us, just to shed some light as to why he played well under half of the defensive snaps?) – “Specifically – I’ve said what I’m going to say really about Baltimore right now, and I’m really moving on right now to talk about (New England). But Reshad did a good job in his role for us. (We’re) looking to grow upon that role as we keep continuing going through.”
(Do you anticipate any defensive changes going into this week?) – “I think what’s going to happen this week – we’ve got a big challenge in front of us. The main thing I would say – aside from coaching better for me – the thing that’s going to happen is we’re going to focus in on tackling and making sure we’re working on our fundamentals like tackling (and) block destruction. Those are the main things that we’re going to be focused on. We’ve got to improve that first, first and foremost. I think that’s the stuff that will lead to better results. If we improve upon that – just the basic fundamentals of football – if we could get that done at a higher level, I think along with a better job coaching by me, that’ll go a long way for us.”
(Do you scheme up pass pressure against Patriots QB Tom Brady, or does that have to come with individual guys beating the man in front of him?) – “In football, it always comes down to some individual battle. The guy lined up against you – it comes down to that. I think the guys start to fine-tune getting their eyes on their matchup as the week goes ahead, but Tom, he’s seen every pressure there is. The man, he’s seen every coverage, every front. He does a good job of getting those guys on the right play. The offensive line led by (Patriots Offensive Line Coach) Dante Scarnecchia, they do a great job working together along with the backs. (Patriots Running Backs Coach) Ivan Fears does a good job of coaching those guys up. It’s a daunting task. It’s a daunting task, whether it’s three-man, four-man, five-man, six – whatever the rush is going to be, they do a good job. They’re well-coached. They’re a well-coached team, and it’s going to be a great challenge.”
(Obviously, edge-setting is an important thing for any defense, but how do you feel like this unit can improve in that regard?) – “I think it’s going to come down to practice. It’s definitely going to be a point of emphasis – setting the edge, along with tackling. Just again, some of the basic fundamentals. The most important thing we do is practice. Aside from the game, that’s the most important thing we do, so we’re going to have to really see some growth and just working the technique of it in practice. That’s where I see that happening.”
(What was it about DE Jonathan Ledbetter that said that he’s ready to not only just play, but start?) – “Anytime – again, the guys we put out on the field, they earned that spot. It’s very hard to be in this league. It’s very hard to play. You’ve earned that privilege to be on the field. They earn that privilege to play on the field.”
(How often were you able to get to some of your – I don’t know if “exotic defensive packages” is the right word – but we noticed one time, DE Charles Harris was the only defensive lineman on the field. How often were you able to get to those things?) – “Well, you guys will have to scour through the tape and figure that out; but in terms of this week, really what I’m focused on – the scheme doesn’t really matter. I really want to worry about the fundamentals right now: block destruction, knee bend, leverage, pad level, eyes in the right place. That’s the stuff I’m worried about this week.”
(What does LB Raekwon McMillan need to do to show you guys that he maybe warrants more time than he got on Sunday?) – “I can’t speak on Sunday right now, but anything that these guys do – we’re trying to earn those spots on the field, the time on the field, and it comes from again, practice is the most important thing we do, and that’s where we get the most evidence in terms of being ready for the games. That’s what we’re going to work for this week. Really, last week doesn’t really matter. This week – it was a good learning experience, and now we’re just trying to improve now.”
(Can you speak of LB Raekwon McMillan’s progress in general? Where does he stand now?) – “He’s been doing a good job. He’s been working hard. Here’s the thing I would say – the vision that we have for who we’re going to be and who those guys are going to be – I think these guys have a clear vision in terms of how they want to grow as a football player, and they’re working towards that. Whether a bump in the road is going to turn you from your vision – I mean, I’ve never been swayed like that. That’s how we’re going to approach it. We’re going to approach it, we’re going to get better every day, we’re going to work on the fundamentals, and we’re going to build toward having a better showing on Sunday. That’s what we’re going to do.”
(How do you, Head Coach Brian Flores, Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea and some of the other assistants use your New England experience to kind of help you grow week-to-week here?) – “First, it starts with the people. I know ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores). I know (Offensive Coordiantor) Chad (O’Shea). I know (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach) Josh (Boyer) and those guys because we worked together. The bond we have, the trust we have with one another, and I think that’s one of the best things about this profession. You get the chance to meet some of the best people. Some of the closest people in my life are people that I’ve worked with, so every day when you need somebody to talk to or somebody to run a thought by, it’s great to have people that you trust.”
(Is New England – I guess what they’re building there – a realistic goal for you guys?) – “I can’t speak on New England. I’m not at New England and haven’t been at New England. I’ve been gone for a long time, so I can’t speak on that.”
(Is there a “Patriots Way?”) – “You’ve got to ask them. (laughter)”
(Do you remember your first reaction when you heard that WR Antonio Brown was signing with the Patriots? Did you roll your eyes?) – “No, no. Everybody wants good players. (laughter) No big emotional reaction from me.”
