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Ted Karras – September 25, 2020 Download PDF version

Friday, September 25, 2020

C Ted Karras

(I have many questions about the QB Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown run, but I guess I want to start with your pancake block where you wound up on the ground in the end zone and then Fitzpatrick almost looks like he just became possessed by whatever it was that gets over him. Can you just talk us through that moment real quick?) – “He definitely brings the energy and that was a big play in the game. We had to punch it in and (it was a) pretty fun play call, and we executed it. The celebration – we brought a lot of energy. We had that all week and I think that’s what this team needs to build on and keep improving that and keep stringing good games together.”

(What message does it send to the entire team when you have a quarterback that is sacrificing his life on every play?) – “It’s the best message. That was a gutsy performance, obviously 18 of 20, I believe, and then a rushing touchdown, throwing blocks, getting fourth downs. That was an amazing performance and it’s an honor to go into a football game with a guy like that. It’s a lot of fun to be his friend and work towards a goal together.”

(What’d you see on tape when you watched that first series?) – “A lot of good execution. Guys doing their jobs. The running backs really running hard. Myles (Gaskin) had a great game – running hard, finding the open lane – and just good execution. We went down there – I think it was 12 plays – that’s pretty good to do, a way to set the tone for the game, and we’ve got to keep building off execution like that.”

(How would you assess the state of the running game?) – “Pretty solid. Good enough to win, I guess right now, but always can get better. It’s a lot easier to make some corrections after a win and after some success; but obviously keep striving to improve. (It was) good enough to put us in a position to control the game last night.”

(I noticed a lot of times when the opposing defensive line tries to get up and swat the ball down, some of you guys are out there burying those guys and punishing the jumpers. Is that a mindset you guys have that the coaching staff kind of teaches or what goes into that?) – “Yes. (Offensive Line) Coach (Steve) Marshall always talks about play style and that’s kind of been over the last – I guess since I’ve been in the league, a lot of people have been batting balls down. So it’s a good defensive play and it’s something that we have to be aware of if a defender stops his rush and starts to rise. You’ve got to either bring him down or make sure that he doesn’t want to do that again.”

(Obviously two rookies starting on the offensive line, four newcomers on the line and no preseason. Can you give us more insight as to how you guys have been able to come together and put forth the kind of performance you did last night?) – “I think everyone’s working extremely hard to get their specific job executed. We have a great coach – Coach Marshall – and our scheme is set up to put us in the best position to succeed, and I think guys are really taking things to heart. We have great men. I am very close personal friends with all of them now. It’s been fun, and we’re just going to keep grinding every day to keep getting better. We’ve got a long season ahead, but it was nice to get a win on Thursday night going into a long weekend.”

(It’s fine if you want to lump them together or answer this separately, but I was wondering the thing that’s most impressed you about T Austin Jackson and the thing that’s most impressed you about G Solomon Kindley?) – “Well lumping them together, they both work extremely hard and want to do the right things. I think they have great attitudes and just really a willingness to try to get better every day. I think Solomon (Kindley) is a mauler. It’s fun to play next to a guy like that – a guy that can come in and really move bodies and clean out the pocket on certain things. And then Austin Jackson, 21 years old playing left tackle in the league, that’s very, very impressive and I told those guys last night that I am very impressed with them, proud of them and they’re doing just a lot of great things. We’ve got to keep moving forward going into Week 4 now and we’ve just got to keep getting better.”

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