Patrick Graham – September 3, 2019
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham
(So as far as what you have with edge guys right now, obviously you moved on from DE Tank Carradine. Do you feel there is enough with obviously DE Charles Harris and you added LB Trent Harris and the other guys you have in that group – DE Nate Orchard obviously.) – “Well, getting ready for Baltimore, it is going to be all hands on deck in terms of the edge in the run game and the edge in the pass game. So, we have a tough task in front of us in terms of preparing for those guys and whether it’s the backs, the quarterbacks, the tight ends setting the edge, we are going to do our best to get the guys on the team ready for that. We are going to just work it, work it, so that by the time we get to Sunday, we are ready to go.”
(Do you like the fact that you get Baltimore in the opener because QB Lamar Jackson presents such a challenge as opposed to having them in the middle of the season?) – “I just like having a job so I like getting ready for the opener (laughter). But whoever it is – every week is so different in the league. The opener, obviously there are some different challenges with the opener. There is less film in terms of what guys are actually going to do. Obviously as you go in the season, you have more in terms of tendencies and things of that nature. I am excited for us having our first game, our first game being at home, first time to compete. I am just looking forward to the challenge. Obviously the whole Baltimore offense presents a challenge, whether it is the offensive line, the quarterback, the receivers, the backs – the offensive coordinator, Greg Roman – he is great. He is one of the best coordinators in the league, in my opinion, in terms of how he schemes it up and Coach Harbaugh as the head coach. It is a challenge, it is a challenge. So, I look forward to it.”
(From a personal level, what is the level of excitement of your first NFL game as a defensive coordinator?) – “It is a collective thing so – I have been in the league, this is my 11th year I believe, so I am excited for every opportunity. I am excited about today, whether it is coordinating or not. We are trying to win today in terms of preparing, so I am excited about when I am done with this and get back in the meeting room and start preparing a little more. I am always excited. I’ve got a job and I love what I do.”
(What percentage of your looks and different variations on defense do you think you guys might have shown in the preseason?) – “I mean, I don’t know. We are game-planning right now for Baltimore for Sunday, so who knows? The percentage could be 50 percent, it could be 90 percent, it could be 10 percent. I mean, who knows? We are still in the process of game-planning for those guys. So, I know this – We are going to put out there what we think is best to win that game on Sunday and what we think is best for each situation, and we will see how it looks when everybody sees it, I guess.”
(What has you most excited about this defense?) – “Their willingness to come in and work every day and buying into what (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores has spoken about in terms of us being tough, disciplined, smart, and really the mantra of trying to get better every day. I told the guys that – we are trying to get better every day and there is evidence of that on tape, there is evidence in the classroom, evidence when you speak to them in the cafeteria and the football conversations going on. So to me, that has been critical and I think that’s what I am most excited about if because we get better every day, we’ve got a chance. We’ve got a chance.”
(The decision to move on from S T.J. McDonald – I mean I am not going to have you get into the reasons – but, it seems to me that it will provide some clarity at the strong safety position. I mean S Reshad Jones, do you think he is now your strong safety?) – “I think that however we deploy the guys – strong safety, free safety, backers – however you guys see those positions, Reshad (Jones) is a good football player. He is going to help us win football games and we are going to put him out there where we think he can help us most.”
(With S T.J. McDonald – I am curious, was the level of production not what you guys were expecting?) – “To be quite honest with you, right now my focus is on Baltimore and the guys that are here right now. T.J. did a lot of good things for us and worked hard, but my focus is on Baltimore. I am not smart enough to be able to think about last week and focus on Baltimore with (Lamar) Jackson, dealing with (Marshal) Yanda, dealing with the receivers, the backs. There is a bunch of stuff going on in my head and I wish I could give you more, but that is where my focus is.”
(What impressed you most about DE Nate Orchard this summer?) – “I mean, just again, it sounds cliché but the guy came in, he worked hard, he accepted the challenges we gave him in terms of being a physical player, giving us some pass rushing and he’s shown evidence of that. He has worked hard.”
(With CB Eric Rowe – it seemed like he flashed for you guys. Keeping him healthy I’m sure is a huge priority for this team. If he is in there and if he is able to contribute, what does that mean for this group?) – “I mean nothing is more important than — Coach Flores has probably said this – nothing is more important than the health of our football team overall. Individual players, the whole team, coaches, we’ve got to be healthy mentally and physically. I think Eric’s physical nature has shown up on tape. I know he is probably excited – you would have to talk to him, but excited about the opportunity this week in terms of preparing for Baltimore; but his physical nature, his ability to cover guys and be physical at the line of scrimmage – that is the stuff we covet and I mean he has been doing a good job of that for us.”
(When we spoke back in the spring, you had expressed confidence that your system would help benefit in terms of pass rush and generate sacks and things like that. Where do you stand in that regard right now?) – “Well, I think in our system – it is our system – our goal is to affect the passer. Whether that is sacks or pressure or whatever it may be – disrupting the throwing lanes for the quarterback – that is our goal each week to do that. So, how do we do that? We try to take advantage of the mismatches, just like the offense is trying to take advantage of the mismatches against us. So, that is the goal and we will see how it comes to fruition on Sunday.”
(What have you seen out of the preseason games and in practice?) – “We’ve seen – again, to go back right now, my mind is so far – I am on Baltimore right now. Not to be rude, but I am just thinking about Baltimore right now so what happened in the spring, what happened in training camp, I mean, that really doesn’t matter right now. It matters what we are going to do today in terms of game plan, tomorrow with the guys and what we do on the practice field; but there has been a lot of positive. Guys are buying into what we are trying to teach them, so I feel good about that.”
(To preface this is in the past, but forward looking – the Tampa Week – S Minkah Fitzpatrick expressed – not sure if dissatisfaction is the word, but just saying as fact that he might not be at that time in a position that suited his strengths. Do you feel like that issue has been rectified and that you have Minkah deployed in a way that maximizes his ability?) – “You’ve got to ask Minkah, but to me, the Tampa week doesn’t matter to me at all right now. All of my attention is focused on Baltimore. Whoever we put out there to help us beat Baltimore and the spots we put them at – That is what my focus is on.”
(So, what is your level of confidence for the Baltimore game then?) – “My level of confidence – we are still building towards it. For our defense and for all the players out there, we are trying to make sure we are putting all our guys in the right spot to be able to capitalize on their strengths and capitalize against their weaknesses.”
(Who are some players on this defense you feel the others players kind of gravitate towards and look towards for leadership?) – “I think the leadership element is probably coming from the play. We will see how it plays out throughout the season, but there are guys on this defense that have a voice saying those are the guys that guys gravitate to; but right now, with us focused on Baltimore – again, I don’t talk about leadership all that much. It will come as it comes in the locker room for those guys. The main thing is who is going to be the leader focused on Baltimore? I know our head coach is the leader of this team. I know that and I know that is who I am following. That’s the leader I am following. He knows how to prepare. I know he is going to put us in the right spot. So, that is the leader I am going to follow right now. In terms of leadership, that is what I’m worried about.”
(What are the challenges that QB Lamar Jackson presents to you guys?) – “I mean, Lamar Jackson is a dynamic player. People talk about what he does with his feet, but the guy can throw the ball. He is a dangerous weapon to deal with, with elite speed and having the ability to get the ball down the field, his ability to check it down, throw the intermediate throws. You can definitely see some growth from his rookie year to now with the limited time in the preseason. So, it is definitely a big challenge. He is not the only challenge out there. They have a good o-line, they are physical, they are tough. Guys play to the whistle with an edge. The tight ends, they block you – I mean block you better than most groups you have seen – and they come at you. They are not scared about it and they are not shy about it. They are willing blockers and they are good at it. The receivers, they block in the running game. They have got dynamic playmakers. There are a bunch of challenges, plus their coaching staff. From the head coach to the coordinators to the position coaches, these are all guys that have had success and are pretty good coaches and understand offensive football and understand – Coach Harbaugh understands the whole scheme of things having been a special teams coordinator and a head coach. I mean he understands it all. It is a tough challenge, it is a touch challenge.”
(It seems with that organization, the faces and the locker room change, but the system and the culture they have remains the same. Is that what you guys kind of want to build here? Something that is sustainable?) – “Right now, you have got to talk to ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores about that). Right now, my focus is on how we are going to get prepared for Baltimore. You have got to talk to ‘Flo’ about that stuff. My focus is on Baltimore right now and how we want to be out there on the field. I know we want to do this: we want to be smart, we want to be physical, we want to be disciplined. That’s what our head coach wants and that’s what we are going to try to do.”
(What is your general philosophy on a dual-threat quarterback and how you go about it?) – “Who isn’t a dual-threat quarterback? (laughter) I mean these guys, they present challenges because these guys are mobile and they can get out of bad plays or broken down plays. They can get out of that. That is one challenge. So you cover them, and here you go. You’ve got the rush, somebody misses a sack and oh no, now it turns into a scramble play. That is tough. Then in terms of the zone read, the quarterback stuff, that is a whole different challenge right there – the different options on that. It presents a challenge, but it makes you work at it. It is still football at the end of the day, but it is definitely a challenge.”
(When you look specifically at QB Lamar Jackson what stands out to you about him?) – “The growth he has had from year one to year two with the limited snaps I have seen during the preseason. I mean, the improvement as a passer, the improvement in terms of the reads, both in terms of the run and the pass game. I mean, I am assuming – this guy obviously has been studying his playbook, spent time with his coaches to improve and understand that he is a professional. As a professional, the growth you have to do in terms of putting in the time, that is probably the biggest thing that stood out to me.”
(What do you think – obviously, you had a whole offseason to learn these guys, but what are you most eager to see about your team in Week 1?) – “I want to see if we can do what Coach (Flores) laid out earlier. Can we be smart, can we be tough, can we be disciplined, and can we put the team first out there on the field? All of that stuff to me, you can see on the film and that is what I am looking forward to. See that – that is the growth I am looking for.”
(Is QB Ryan Fitzpatrick a dual-threat?) – “(laughter) Any one that can move is a dual threat to me.”
